Dresden mountain railways

Dresden Elbe slopes in Loschwitz : on the left the Luisenhof at the mountain station of the Dresden funicular railway , on the right the mountain station of the Dresden suspension railway

The Dresdner Bergbahnen are two historic mountain railways in Dresden . You are in the east of the Saxon capital in the Loschwitz district and overcome the height difference of the Dresden Elbe slopes . Their valley stations are only 150 meters apart near the Körnerplatz, and between the two mountain stations is the deeply cut Loschwitzgrund .

From a technical point of view, it is a funicular and a suspension railway . Both operate in driverless shuttle operation and each have two passenger cars that are guided on rails and moved by pulling ropes that are driven and deflected at the respective mountain station . Therefore, both mountain railways are to be classified as railways as well as cable cars .

Both mountain railways were built around 1900 and are tourist attractions and technical monuments in Dresden . However, they are still used for local public transport (ÖPNV) ; The Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe (DVB) or its forerunners have been operators since 1912 . Within the Verkehrsverbund Oberelbe (VVO), the Dresden mountain railways, such as B. also the Elbe ferries, the Bad Schandau passenger elevator and the Kirnitzschtalbahn as special means of transport.

As cable cars in public transport , both run all year round; they are out of service twice a year during the multi-day revisions . In 2014, 650,000 passengers used the Dresden mountain railways.

From 1908 to 1933 (operating until 1916) there was another, private funicular at the Lingnerschloss .

Active mountain railways

Funicular

Dresden funicular , 2013

The funicular connects the Körnerplatz with the Bergbahnstraße, also located in the Loschwitzer Flur, and was designed to connect the villa suburb of Weißer Hirsch with the Elbe Valley and the Blue Wonder there . The railway, which operates as line B1 of the DVB, is single-track with an Abt switch and 1000 millimeters gauge. The 547-meter-long route with a 95-meter difference in altitude and a maximum incline of 29 percent is a five-minute drive.

The funicular railway, which was initially operated by steam, was opened on October 26, 1895, and has had an electric drive since 1909. In 1932/33, 1962/63 and 1993/94 it received new cars; A general overhaul took place in 1978/79. It has been a technical monument since 1984 .

Special features are the 96 meter long Burgberg tunnel directly above the valley station, the 54 meter long Princess Louisa tunnel just below the mountain station at Luisenhof and the 102 meter long scaffolding viaduct in the middle of the route. Those interested can visit the drive technology and the historical traction power supply systems after registering.

Suspension railway

Suspension railway Dresden , 2006

The suspension railway runs from Pillnitzer Landstrasse near Körnerplatz to Sierksstrasse, which is also in the Loschwitz district and belongs to the Oberloschwitz district, which is also known as "Schöne Aussicht" due to its panoramic view. The overhead monorail on 33 supports running as line B2 of the DVB was designed by Eugen Langen according to the construction principle . The 274 meter long route with 84 meters difference in altitude and a maximum incline of 39.9 percent can be mastered in 4:30 minutes.

The first steam-powered train went into operation on May 6, 1901, and since 1909 it has also had an electric drive. The suspension railway has been a listed building since 1975. From 1984 to 1991 it was out of order due to a total renovation, another extensive repair took place in 2001/02.

The railway is the oldest of its kind in the world. It is also the only suspension railway in the world that is not an adhesion railway , or the only suspension railway for mountain rails. At the mountain station there is a lookout tower and an exhibition that provides information on the technology and history of the suspension railway; Interested parties can also visit the machine house.

Former funicular at the Lingnerschloss

Mountain station of the private funicular railway with a recognizable route and the mausoleum at Lingnerschloss

The private funicular at Lingnerschloss was built for the then owner Karl August Lingner to overcome the difference in altitude on the terraces of the Villa Stockhausen ("Lingnerschloss") he had acquired and went into operation in 1908. It was an inclined elevator with a carriage and a counterweight guided between the tracks. After Lingner's death, the building was transferred to the city of Dresden, and the cable car was shut down in 1916. The overgrown track system was dismantled in 1933. The former mountain station can still be seen to the right above the terraces.

literature

Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe AG (Ed.): Uphill, downhill with the Dresdner Bergbahnen. Dresden, 2005.

Web links

Commons : Dresdner Bergbahnen - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

↑ 650,000 passengers on the mountain railways . In: Saxon newspaper . January 7, 2015 ( paid online [accessed January 7, 2015]).
↑ Funicular at Lingnerschloß Dresden. In: www.bergbahngeschichte.de. Retrieved March 9, 2015 .

[1] 650,000 passengers on the mountain railways . In: Saxon newspaper . January 7, 2015 ( paid online [accessed January 7, 2015]).

[2] Funicular at Lingnerschloß Dresden. In: www.bergbahngeschichte.de. Retrieved March 9, 2015 .