Wechselburg – Küchwald railway line

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Wechselburg – Küchwald
Section of the Wechselburg – Küchwald railway line
Route number : 6633; sä. WbC
Course book section (DB) : 527 (1998)
Route length: 23.795 km
Gauge : 1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Route class : CM3 (Chemnitz-Glösa-Küchwald)
Maximum slope : 18.2 
Minimum radius : 160 m
Top speed: 50 km / h
   
from (Wurzen–) Großbothen
   
-0.147 Start of the route
   
0.000 Wechselburg 195 m
   
to Glauchau (Sachs)
   
1,755 Chemnitz Bridge (113 m)
   
1.957 Chemnitz Bridge (77 m)
   
3.317 Chemnitz Bridge (67 m)
   
4,100 Göritzhain (formerly Bf) 185 m
   
5.385 Chemnitz Bridge (120 m)
   
5.695 Stein (Chemnitztal) (formerly Bf) 195 m
   
6.611 Werkgraben Bridge (11 m)
   
7.093 Werkgraben Bridge (25 m)
   
7,941 Chemnitz Bridge (60 m)
   
8.256 Instead of fat chemistry
   
8,470 Mohsdorf 220 m
   
8.718 Chemnitz Bridge (39 m)
   
9.278 Chemnitz Bridge (59 m)
   
9.441 Mohsdorf tunnel (222 m)
   
9,586 Chemnitz Bridge (38 m)
   
10.060 Schweizerthal - Diethensdorf 235 m
   
10.259 Chemnitz Bridge (67 m)
   
10,450 Chemnitz Bridge (60 m)
   
11.445 Röllingshainer Bach bridge
   
11.747 Markersdorf - Taura (museum train station) 252 m
   
13.266 Chemnitz Bridge (64 m)
   
15.611 Holzbach Bridge
   
16,200 Auerswalde - Köthensdorf (formerly Bf) 270 m
   
16,982 Chemnitz Bridge (78 m)
   
17.116 Auerswalde tunnel (125 m)
   
17.217 Chemnitz Bridge (35 m)
   
17,255 Flood bridge (30 m)
   
17.343 Mühlgraben Bridge (30 m)
   
18.710 Wittgensdorf und Bf 275 m
   
20.045 Karl-Marx-Stadt-Heinersdorf 278 m
   
20.644 Chemnitz Bridge (74 m)
   
Federal motorway 4
   
21,708 Chemnitz-Glösa 285 m
   
Bridge over watercourse (medium)
21,871 Chemnitz Bridge (44 m)
Bridge (medium)
21,919 Flood bridge (45 m)
   
to Chemnitz-Furth
Bridge (small)
22,487 EÜ Blankenburgstrasse (20 m)
BSicon STR.svg
   
23.155 Initially Eisengießerei Krautheim AG,
later VEB Stahlgußkombinat
BSicon STR.svg
Kilometers change
23.257 End of the route
   
from Obergrüna
   
from Neukieritzsch
Station, station
23.795 Küchwald (without tourist traffic until 2018) 301 m
   
to Chemnitz-Hilbersdorf
Route - straight ahead
to Chemnitz Hbf
Chemnitz-Glösa-Chemnitz-Furth
and Sächs railway connection. Loom factory / Nordstrasse power station
Route number : Saxon WbCF
Route length: 1.358 km
Gauge : 1435 mm ( standard gauge )
   
from Wechselburg
   
0.000 Chemnitz-Glösa 285 m
   
Bridge over watercourse (medium)
0.163 Chemnitz Bridge (44 m) 287 m
Bridge (medium)
0.211 Flood bridge (45 m) 288 m
   
to Küchwald
   
At RAILBETON HAAS KG
BSicon STR.svg
   
On the North I heating power station, the North II heating power station
and the " Wilhelm Pieck " housing combination
BSicon STR.svg
   
1.358 Chemnitz-Furth 285 m
   
1.386 Start of the Sächs railway line. Loom factory
BSicon STR.svg
   
At the Chemnitz-Nord II thermal power station,
formerly the Chemnitz City Council building yard
BSicon STR.svg
   
On the Chemnitz-Nord II thermal power station
   
   
2.100 EÜ Werkgraben
   
Route Küchwald - Chemnitz-Hilbersdorf
BSicon exSTR.svg
   
Sächsische Loomfabrik AG ,
later VEB Kombinat Textima
BSicon exSTR.svg
   
0.000 Beginning of the connecting line at the Nordstrasse power station
   
Neukieritzsch – Chemnitz line
   
1.461 Kraftwerk ( Elt-Werk ) Nordstrasse

The Wechselburg – Küchwald railway line (also known as the Chemnitz Valley Railway or Sand Railway ) was a branch line in Saxony . They ran from Wechselburg on the railway line Glauchau Wurzen in Chemnitztal to Chemnitz -Küchwald. The line, which opened in 1902 and was built mainly because of numerous factories, was closed in 2002.

history

Many factories were built along the Chemnitz River in the 19th century because the Chemnitz's hydropower could be used very well. The steadily growing industry required suitable transport routes to bring the goods produced to the larger cities nearby. The closest railway lines - the Riesa – Chemnitz and Kieritzsch – Chemnitz lines , which were completed in 1852 and 1872, respectively - were difficult to reach for horse-drawn vehicles due to the inclines from the valley. The construction of the Glauchau – Wurzen railway through the Zwickauer Mulde valley , which was opened from 1875 to 1877, did not improve the traffic situation either. Furthermore, all products had to be laboriously brought up the steep roads from the Chemnitz Valley to the nearest train stations in Mittweida and Burgstädt by horse and cart . After all, the Chemnitztalstraße Furth – Göritzhain was opened in 1880, which further accelerated industrial growth. At the inauguration on June 27, 1880, a replica of a railway was even carried in the pageant. The Saxon Finance Minister Léonçe von Könneritz , who was present at the ceremony, also confirmed the desire for a direct rail connection.

As an alternative to the Chemnitz – Wechselburg river valley railway, a so-called “Limbach – Burgstädt – Mittweida cross railway” was also discussed. It should have a branch line from Markersdorf to Wechselburg. An inexpensive narrow-gauge railway (called for in a petition from 1893) was rejected by the government. In 1896, the Saxon State Parliament approved the Chemnitz-Küchwald-Wechselburg route in standard gauge despite the need for more own resources.

After a severe flood in 1897, the state railway had the route redesigned. Construction work began in March 1900. In order to make the route flood-proof, 15 bridges - mostly over the Chemnitz over and over again - and two tunnels were necessary due to the higher location on 23.8 kilometers. The Wechselburg train station also had to be demolished and rebuilt. The 150% more expensive construction costs contributed to the resignation of the Saxon Finance Minister Werner von Watzdorf . On June 30, 1902, the Chemnitz Valley Railway Chemnitz – Wechselburg was officially opened after two years of construction. The companies on the railway flourished considerably in the period that followed. The 1.24 kilometer long branch line Glösa-Chemnitz-Furth, which was only used for goods traffic, opened up the Saxon loom factory of the manufacturer Louis Schönherr . In 1902 the 75,000. Loom transported.

The Chemnitz Valley Railway was largely spared from the events of the Second World War . On July 2, 1945 the passenger train service could be resumed. Freight traffic also normalized again. In the 1960s, the transport services decreased continuously. However, the relief and diversion function for the main line Leipzig – Chemnitz ensured the Chemnitz Valley Railway's survival.

In the 1990s, the steadily increasing individual traffic caused new slumps in passenger numbers. With effect from May 24, 1998, Deutsche Bahn ceased passenger traffic. Freight traffic between Wechselburg and Markersdorf-Taura was stopped on December 31, 1994, with the connection to the chemical factory in Mohsdorf still being served; on December 31, 1999, freight traffic north of Chemnitz-Glösa was completely stopped.

End of track of the Chemnitz Valley Railway at Glösa station

On December 11, 2001, the Federal Railway Authority (EBA) approved the closure of the line between Wechselburg and Chemnitz-Glösa, which was legally enforced on December 31, 2002. The remaining stretch of Chemnitz-Glösa-Küchwald was then converted into a connecting railway.

On July 23, 2007, the Chemnitztalradweg association bought the railway line with the aim of building the Chemnitztalradweg here. All that was left was the Markersdorf-Taura museum station and the adjoining, approximately two-kilometer stretch to Schweizerthal-Diethensdorf. From Easter 2014, special trains are to run on this section of the route again.

Route description

course

The line began at Wechselburg station in the valley of the Zwickauer Mulde . After running parallel to the Glauchau – Wurzen railway line for around a kilometer , it turned left into the Chemnitz valley , which it crossed on 15 bridges. The Mohsdorf tunnel was crossed at kilometer 9.44 and the Auerswalde tunnel at kilometer 17.11. Behind the Chemnitz-Glösa train station, the line left Chemnitz in a right-hand bend in the direction of Küchwald train station .

Operating points

Wechselburg

The Wechselburg station was opened together with the Glauchau – Wurzen railway line. Initially, the station consisted of only three tracks. It was only with the integration of the Wechselburg – Küchwald railway line, which opened in 1902, that the station was significantly expanded. Before that, the slope east of the train station had to be removed for the track extensions. After the renovation, the station had seven tracks, but only a few trains began and ended in Wechselburg. Most of the trains in the direction of Chemnitz were tied straight through to Rochlitz. With the expansion of the station, a siding to a sand pit was built, which was served until the 1970s. Since the end of rail traffic on the last section of the Glauchau – Wurzen railway (Muldentalbahn) on August 13, 2002, the station has been out of service.

Göritzhain

Göritzhain station (2016)

At first Göritzhain was only a stop, it was not until 1905 that the station was elevated to a train station. Above all, the dispatch of paper was of great importance in the past, so in addition to the usual freight transport facilities (loading street, goods shed and side loading ramp) there was also a connecting railway to a paper factory. This was served until the 1990s. The station building - a Saxon type building - and two platforms completed the layout. Since 1979, the station was just a simple stop without a block function, after Göritzhain had lost its status as a train station in 1963.

Stein (Chemnitz Valley)

The Stein (Chemnitz Valley) train station was opened on September 1, 1902 as the Stein-Chemnitzthal stop . Already in 1903 the name was changed to Stein-Chemnitztal and in 1905 it was upgraded to the station. In 1911 the name was changed to Stein (Chemnitztal) and in 1933 it was downgraded to the halt. The station is located between Chemnitz and Chemnitztalstrasse. The area is currently overgrown with bushes and trees, there are no longer any high-rise buildings.

Mohsdorf

Former Mohsdorf stop (2016)

The Mohsdorf stop was opened on September 1, 1902. It was taken out of service with the closure of the line on May 24, 1998. The area was bought by a neighboring chemical company, which previously owned a siding, and partially built over. There are no more buildings.

Schweizerthal-Diethensdorf

The Schweizerthal-Diethensdorf station was opened as a stop on September 1, 1902 and upgraded to a station in 1905. From 1953 it was again a stopping point, which was taken out of service with the closure of the line on May 24, 1998. The stop is the end point of the museum railway line from Markersdorf-Taura , which is run by the association “Eisenbahnfreunde Chemnitztal e. V. "is operated. The station, which bears the name of the two places Schweizerthal and Diethensdorf , is located on the Diethensdorfer Ufer of the Chemnitz at the lower end of the village. Schweizerthal is about a kilometer away. At the stop there are no more high-rise buildings apart from the railway keeper's house.

Markersdorf-Taura

The Markersdorf-Taura station was opened as a stop on September 1, 1902 and upgraded to a station in 1905. From the cessation of passenger traffic on May 24, 1998, the station was a freight yard until January 31, 2000. The reception building, the goods handling area and other buildings are available. They are supported by the association “Eisenbahnfreunde Chemnitztal e. V. ”used as the“ Markersdorf-Taura Museum Station ”. From here, on selected days, trolleys run to the former Schweizerthal-Diethensdorf train station . The train station, which bears the name of the two places Markersdorf and Taura , is located on the Markersdorfer Ufer of the Chemnitz .

Auerswalde-Köthensdorf

Auerswalde-Köthensdorf station (2016) with remains of track

The Auerswalde-Köthensdorf station was opened on September 1, 1902 as the Auerswalde stop . As early as 1903 the name was changed to Auerswalde-Köthensdorf and in 1905 it was upgraded to the station. Auerswalde-Köthensdorf was a stop since 1963, a stop since 1981, which was taken out of service with the closure of the line on May 24, 1998. The reception building is used as a private residence. The station, which bears the name of the two places Auerswalde and Köthensdorf , is located about 1 kilometer from both places on the left bank of the Chemnitz . It can be reached via Chemnitztalstraße. In 2016 there were still remains of track in the area of ​​the former train station.

Wittgensdorf and Bf

Wittgensdorf unt Bf (2016) with Chemnitztal cycle path

Wittgensdorf unt Bf was opened as a stop on September 1, 1902 and upgraded to a train station in 1905. After Wittgensdorf ob Bf on the Neukieritzsch – Chemnitz railway line , it was Wittgensdorf's second station. It was called Unterwittgensdorf until 1927 . Wittgensdorf and Bf had been a stopping point since January 1, 1967, and was taken out of service when the line was closed on May 24, 1998. The reception building is used as a private residence. The railway line in front of the station was converted into an asphalt cycle path.

Heinersdorf-Draisdorf

The breakpoint had four different names during its operating time, in detail these were:

  • until April 30, 1904: Heinersdorf stop near Chemnitz
  • until May 19, 1951: Heinersdorf-Draisdorf stop
  • until May 9, 1953: Chemnitz-Heinersdorf stop
  • since May 9, 1953: Karl-Marx-Stadt-Heinersdorf stop

The facilities at the stop consisted only of a platform and a small waiting hall. The last site, which was only rarely used, was closed on September 29, 1977.

Chemnitz-Glösa

Chemnitz-Glösa station, front side (2016)

The station Glösa was opened on 1 September 1902 as stop and 1905 upgraded to the station. It had the following names:

  • until 1950: Glösa
  • until 1953: Chemnitz-Glösa (after the incorporation of Glösa to Chemnitz)
  • until 1990: Karl-Marx-Stadt-Glösa (during the renaming of Chemnitz)
  • since 1990: Chemnitz-Glösa

With the closure of the line, the station was taken out of service on May 24, 1998. It is located on Bornaer Strasse in Chemnitz-Glösa. The restored reception building houses u. a. a doctor's office. The tracks extend from the direction of Küchwald to Bornaer Straße.

Chemnitz-Furth

Gbf Chemnitz-Furth

The Chemnitz-Furth Ldst station went into operation on July 1, 1902. In 1933 it was upgraded to a freight yard. The station had the following names:

  • until 1911: Furth b Chemnitz loading point
  • until 1913: Furth b Chemnitz
  • until 1953: Chemnitz-Furth
  • until 1990: Karl-Marx-Stadt-Furth
  • since 1990: Chemnitz-Furth

The freight station is connected to the Wechselburg-Küchwald railway line at kilometer 21.93 via a siding. Since this has been shut down, the main line, which is until shortly before the Chemnitz-Glösa train station on "Bornaer Straße" and the siding to the Chemnitz-Furth railway station and the Chemnitz-Nord thermal power station , has been converted into a siding. The date on which the freight yard ceased operations is not known.

Küchwald

Gbf Küchwald

In the 1880s, the existing train stations in Chemnitz were no longer sufficient for the greatly increased freight traffic. In addition to an urgently needed rail link for the numerous industrial companies in the north of the city, there was also no efficient marshalling yard. First a marshalling yard was planned roughly on the site of today's Küchwald station . Sufficient building land was available there, but the station would have been away from the main traffic direction Dresden – Zwickau – Reichenbach. The rising area south of the workshop station was therefore chosen as the new location . The Kieritzsch – Chemnitz line, like the Riesa – Chemnitz line, received a direct connection to the Hilbersdorf station, which is to be built . At the end of this connecting line, Küchwald branch was set up, in 1902 the station was opened together with the marshalling yard and the connecting railway. The Wechselburg – Küchwald railway also used the tracks from the Kieritzsch-Chemnitz line to the main station from here.

The station was soon expanded, as the Küchwald – Obergrüna industrial line had its starting point in 1903 and other factories were set up in the area. In some cases, Küchwald also took on train formation tasks .

Traffic has decreased significantly since 1990. In addition to the route in the Chemnitz Valley, the route to Grüna was also closed in 2004, only the Chemnitz-Nord thermal power station is still served from here. The Chemnitztaltradweg is being built on the former track.

Civil engineering

Mohsdorf tunnel

The 222 m long Mohsdorf tunnel is located at 9.44 km. It breaks through a mountain around which the Chemnitz flows in a hairpin. Bridges over the river connect on both sides.

Auerswalde tunnel

Auerswalde tunnel with Chemnitztal cycle path (2017)

The 125 m long Auerswalde tunnel at distance kilometers 17.11 cost about 130,000 marks. A bridge over the Chemnitz connects to the south of the Sporntunnel .

Chemnitz viaducts near Schweizerthal

Of the numerous viaducts along the route, the two bridges over the Chemnitz between Schweizerthal-Diethensdorf and Markersdorf-Taura are the only ones that are still operated by rail (museum operation with a trolley). Between them lies the Neuschweizerthal trolley stop .

Markersdorf-Taura museum station, museum railway and bike path

The association “Eisenbahnfreunde Chemnitztal e. V. “tried in vain to maintain the entire route after the suspension of passenger traffic in 1998. He has his domicile in the Markersdorf-Taura train station, which he has converted into a museum train station. Furthermore, handcar rides between the Markersdorf-Taura and Schweizerthal-Diethensdorf stations, the only remaining part of the route, take place at regular intervals. In addition, the Amselgrund (opposite the place Schweizerthal) and Neuschweizerthal (between the two Chemnitz Viaducts) were set up.

A cycle path is under construction on the old route between Chemnitz and Markersdorf-Taura (as of 2016).

literature

  • Steffen Kluttig, Ronny Preußler, Achim Poller: Along the rail from Chemnitz to Wechselburg - The Chemnitz Valley and its Railway , Thomas Böttger picture publisher, Witzschdorf 2002, ISBN 3-9808250-2-7

Web links

Commons : Wechselburg – Küchwald railway line  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Route data on sachsenschiene.de
  2. STREDA - DB AG route data file, status 2003
  3. Route data on sachsenschiene.de
  4. Steffen Kluttig, Ronny Preußler, Achim Poller: Along the rail from Chemnitz to Wechselburg - The Chemnitz Valley and its Railway , p. 66 f.
  5. List of federally closed lines in the state of Saxony that have been closed since 1994. (xlsx) Federal Railway Authority , June 11, 2017, accessed on November 30, 2018 .
  6. Events Eisenbahnfreunde Chemnitztal. Eisenbahnfreunde Chemnitztal, accessed on December 26, 2013 .
  7. Steffen Kluttig, Ronny Preußler, Achim Poller: Along the rails from Chemnitz to Wechselburg - The Chemnitz Valley and its Railway , p. 70
  8. Steffen Kluttig: Railway history in the Muldenland - the Rochlitz railway junction and its sand railways , Bildverlag Thomas Böttger, Witzschdorf 2003, ISBN 3-9808250-4-3 , p. 59 f.
  9. Steffen Kluttig, Ronny Preußler, Achim Poller: Along the rails from Chemnitz to Wechselburg - The Chemnitz Valley and its Railway , p. 83
  10. Steffen Kluttig, Ronny Preußler, Achim Poller: Along the rails from Chemnitz to Wechselburg - The Chemnitz Valley and its Railway , p. 84
  11. www.sachsenschiene.net Göritzhain (accessed on July 7, 2013)
  12. ^ Website of the Eisenbahnfreunde Chemnitztal e. V.
  13. ^ Website of the Eisenbahnfreunde Chemnitztal e. V.
  14. Steffen Kluttig, Ronny Preußler, Achim Poller: Along the rails from Chemnitz to Wechselburg - The Chemnitz Valley and its Railway , p. 93
  15. Kurt Kaiß, Matthias Hengst: Railway node Chemnitz - rail network of an industrial region , Alba, Düsseldorf 1996, ISBN 3-87094-231-2 , p. 45 f.
  16. ^ Steffen Kluttig: Rail connections between Chemnitz and Leipzig - The Kieritzsch – Chemnitz and Leipzig – Geithain railway lines , Bildverlag Böttger, Witzschdorf 2006, ISBN 3-937496-17-3 , p. 120 f.
  17. ^ The Chemnitztalbahn in the chronicle of Markersdorf in the Chemnitztal
  18. ^ Website of the Eisenbahnfreunde Chemnitztal e. V.