Electric railway operation in Silesia

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Electrified 15 kV railway lines  in Silesia in 1939

The electric railway operations in Silesia was the Prussian state railway tentatively added in 1914 and by the German Reichsbahn until the beginning of World War II expanded. The most important route of the electrified network was the main line from (Schlauroth -) Görlitz via Waldenburg to Breslau , which was operated continuously from 1928 onwards . This route with numerous steep ramps and curves was used by heavy coal trains as well as considerable business, holiday and excursion traffic. Since there was previously little experience with electric mainline rail traffic, the electrified network in Silesia became an extensive field of experimentation for electric drive systems and the infrastructure of the energy supply.

For the sake of completeness, mention should also be made of the private Wüstewaltersdorfer Kleinbahn , which was electrified with 1000 V DC and which also began operating in 1914. This path is not dealt with here thematically.

history

prehistory

Positive experiences with the electric Hamburg-Altona urban and suburban railway prompted the Prussian railway administration to electrify the Bitterfeld – Dessau railway line as a long-distance route on a trial basis . The electrical test operation began on January 18, 1911 and proved to be successful. This in turn led to considerations to test electric traction on more difficult routes. On June 30, 1911, the Prussian state parliament approved the electrification of the Lauban - Königszelt line and the Nieder Salzbrunn - Fellhammer - Halbstadt , Ruhbank - Liebau , Hirschberg - Grünthal and Hirschberg - Landeshut lines of 9.9 million marks. The contemporary literature describes the project from now on as electrifying the Silesian mountain railways, although the actual Silesian mountain railroad only includes the Lauban – Waldenburg-Dittersbach section .

First line electrification and start of operations

From May 1912, a railway power plant was built on inexpensive building land on the river Steine in Mittelsteine ​​to provide energy . By using low- quality hard coal , which was brought in directly from the neighboring pits of the Neuroder coal and clay works, an inexpensive supply of electrical energy should be guaranteed. A consortium of the companies AEG and SSW was awarded the contract to build, equip and operate it and set up the Gesellschaft für Bahnstrom, Berlin especially for this purpose. The company was to operate the plant until 1949 before it became the property of the railroad. However, due to economic difficulties during the period of inflation , the Reichsbahn took over the plant in 1926 against payment of a severance payment. The initial equipment consisted of four generators for traction current with a continuous electrical output of 4,000 kilowatts each and was designed for 16 2/3 Hz from the start. Two generators of 2,000 kilowatts each were available for internal use and for deliveries to the 50 Hz three-phase network. This gave the power plant a total electrical output of 20,000 kilowatts.

The construction of the high-voltage transmission line, with which the energy was to be transmitted from the power station about 40 km away to the nearest substation near Nieder Salzbrunn, was delayed due to the difficult line routing far away from any railway line over the foothills of the Waldenburger Bergland and the Owl Mountains until 1914. In contrast The transmission voltage for the central German network was designed to be 80 kV. The construction of the pipeline to connect the three other substations dragged on under similar difficult conditions until 1921.

The construction of the four substations, which transform the transmission line voltage from 80 kV to the 15 kV of the contact line, began in spring 1913. The substations were built in Nieder Salzbrunn and Ruhbank (both AEG ) and Hirschberg and Lauban (both SSW ). By spring 1914, however, only the Nieder Salzbrunn substation had been completed.

The companies AEG , SSW and BEW received the order to equip them with contact lines . In the autumn of 1911, all three companies set up a joint trial section with three catenary systems attached to yoke structures and arranged parallel above the track at the top of the pass near Jakobsthal , Hirschberg – Grünthal line . This arrangement was used to check and compare the behavior of the overhead contact line in storms, ice and cold in the rough Giant and Jizera Mountains winter.

The overhead contact lines, which were built in sections from the summer of 1912, were built similar to the types on the Dessau – Bitterfeld – Leipzig – Halle line on a double-track line and in train stations in yoke construction and on a single-track line with single masts. The Fellhammer Gbf and Jannowitz stations were experimentally equipped with cross-cable structures, which in 1921/22 led to the construction of the overhead line in the not yet spanned Oberschreiberhau station. Spun concrete masts were erected between Petersdorf and the Moltkefelstunnel near Niederschreiberhau as early as 1913 .

The first section was the single-track main line Nieder Salzbrunn – Fellhammer / Gottesberg – Halbstadt . The decision was made to complete the section after it became clear that, in contrast to the railcars ET831 ff, later ET501 ff, later elT1001 ff, later series ET 87, the electric locomotives ordered were initially not available. Electrically operated passenger traffic began on June 1, 1914 with the four railcars that have since been delivered. In July 1914, the EG506 locomotive, borrowed from Central Germany, was used on a trial basis for freight transport.

Electrification in the First World War

With the beginning of the First World War , the electrical operation was initially stopped, but resumed a few weeks later. Most of the copper contact wire on the already completed western sections had to be dismantled for war purposes and delivered to the metal mobilization office. Only the Ruhbank and Hirschberg stations were excluded.

In order to use the electric vehicles, which are also from the discontinued electrical operation of K.ED. Halle were made available, the already completed routes in the Waldenburg area were electrically put into operation in sections. The steep stretch of the Freiburg-Nieder Salzbrunn-Dittersbach-Fellhammer-Gottesberg section was put into operation by 1916.

In 1917, electrical operation began on the Freiburg – Königszelt section, which was completed despite the war. In some cases, iron contact wire was used, which was reinforced with an aluminum cable for better conduction of electricity.

Further electrification under the direction of the Deutsche Reichsbahn

Cross cable structures with lattice masts in Görlitz station (1923)

After the First World War, electrification was continued by the Deutsche Reichsbahn until 1923 from Fellhammer / Gottesberg via Hirschberg (1922) and Lauban (1922) to Görlitz (1923) and on the Zackenbahn in the Giant Mountains , although iron contact wire was still used in some cases. In 1922, the Central German locomotives, which were actually designed for flatland operation, were returned to the Reichsbahndirektion Halle , which had resumed electrical operation in 1921 on the Leipzig-Dessau main line in addition to the Leipzig freight ring .

Based on the experience gained, the design of the overhead line began to be simplified in the early 1920s. On the open stretch between Lauban and Görlitz, construction was carried out for the first time according to the principles of standardization, with the transition to single mast construction. Concrete poles were also used again. For better signal visibility, this principle was abandoned in the area of ​​the station entrances and single masts with double arms were used for both tracks. The cross-rope suspension finally prevailed in the train stations. In 1923, spun concrete pylons were erected in tandem at Nikolausdorf train station (today: Mikułowa) for the cross cable structures.

In 1928, electrical operations commenced on the Königszelt- Breslau-Freiburger Bahnhof sections, including the Lohbrück-Breslau-Mochbern, Lauban-Kohlfurt and Lauban-Marklissa branches. With Kohlfurt and Breslau Freiburger Bf and Breslau-Mochbern train formation stations were reached, which enabled more effective operation. Continuous electric trains over 200 km between Görlitz and Breslau were possible, but only the D-Zug pair 191/192 and individual passenger trains are guaranteed by the timetable. Freight traffic was basically broken in Waldenburg-Dittersbach.

Spun concrete pylons preserved for the transverse support structures in Mikułowa station (2016)

In the electrified section of the Ruhbank - Waldenburg-Dittersbach route, daylight signals were installed on a long-distance railway line for the first time in Germany between 1927 and 1929. In the years 1931 to 1933 the trial operation was extended to the Waldenburg-Dittersbach - Königszelt section. With this trial operation, valuable experience was gained which was incorporated into the development of modern daylight signals after the Second World War .

The electrification of other main lines in Silesia did not take place due to the favored electrification of the Berlin – Munich route and finally the Second World War . With the branch line sections Hirschberg-Schmideberg-Landeshut (1932) and the Riesengebirgsbahn Zillerthal-Erdmannsdorf-Krummhübel (1934), the electrified route network in Silesia had its largest extension of 390.5 by 1938 with the double-track expansion of the short section from Boberbrücke-Hirschberg West Kilometers reached. In January 1945, the newer electric locomotives and electric railcars were partially relocated to central and southern Germany before the approaching eastern front .

Reconstruction and dismantling of the facilities after 1945

After the Second World War, Silesia east of the Oder-Neisse line came under Polish administration, and the railway lines there came into the ownership of the Polish State Railways PKP.

After the damage to the energy supply had been repaired, electric train operations were resumed in 1945 with the few remaining vehicles. An imprecise Polish source gives the number of electric locomotives still operational after the end of the war as 26.

Because of several bridges and tunnels blown up, only the connections Hirschberg – Waldenburg via Landeshut and Hirschberg West - Polaun could be put back into operation. A resumption of electrical operation between Görlitz and Hirschberg or Waldenburg and Breslau was not possible because of the severe war damage.

Bent boom and broken insulators on a mast in Nikolausdorf station after dismantling the systems in 1945 (status 2016)

As early as July 1945, the electrified lines in Silesia fell under the reparation claims of the Soviet Union . In August 1945, Soviet soldiers began dismantling many electrical systems. The following were dismantled:

  • the Mittelsteine ​​railway power station
  • the Niedersalzbrunn, Hirschberg and Lauban substations
  • the equipment of the RAW Lauban
  • 47 km traction power line
  • 900 km of catenary

In addition, there were a total of 31 electric locomotives, 11 railcars and 12 associated trailer and control cars, which also ended up in the Soviet Union. Only a few electric vehicles remained in Silesia. For example, a former EB 51 in Lauban served as a catenary assembly car until the 1970s.

The following were excluded from dismantling:

  • all catenary masts including booms
  • 80 km of traction power lines
  • the Hirschberg West – Polaun route

In 1952 the Soviet Union sold the previously unused electrical equipment and vehicles to the Deutsche Reichsbahn in the GDR , which they used to rebuild the central German network.

The routes

Electrical
operation from 		Route section route Length
(km) 		annotation
June 1, 1914 Nieder Salzbrunn - Bad Salzbrunn - Fellhammer - Halbstadt Nieder Salzbrunn – Halbstadt 34.49 Dismantled in 1945,
July 15, 1915 Fellhammer - Gottesberg Breslau Freiburg station - Waldenburg 1.7 Dismantled in 1945,
January 1, 1916 Freiburg (Silesia) - Nieder Salzbrunn - Dittersbach - Gottesberg Breslau Freiburg station - Waldenburg 27.9 Dismantled in 1945
April 1, 1917 Freiburg (Silesia) - King's tent Breslau Freiburg station - Waldenburg 9.2 Dismantled in 1945
October 22, 1919 Gottesberg - Ruhbank Waldenburg – Görlitz 13.3 Dismantled in 1945
December 8, 1919 Ruhbank - Merzdorf (Silesia) Waldenburg – Görlitz 6.3 Dismantled in 1945
January 16, 1920 Merzdorf (Silesia) - Schildau (Bober) Waldenburg – Görlitz 5.6 Dismantled in 1945
June 21, 1920 Schildau (Bober) - Hirschberg (Rsgb) Waldenburg – Görlitz 5.1 Dismantled in 1945
August 17, 1921 Ruhbank - Landeshut (Silesia) - Liebau (Silesia) Ruhbank-Liebau 16.10 Dismantled in 1945
April 15, 1922 Hirschberg (Rsgb) - Lauban Waldenburg – Görlitz 51.9 1945 dismantled, from 1986 with 3 kV =
February 15, 1923 Hirschberg (Rsgb) junction Boberbrücke - Grünthal (Polaun) Hirschberg – Polaun 48.93 1945 dismantled, from 1987 (to Schreiberhau): 3 kV =
September 1, 1923 Lauban - Görlitz Waldenburg – Görlitz 25.58 Dismantled in 1945
March 20, 1924 Görlitz - Schlauroth Rbf Schlauroth Rbf – Görlitz 3.24
January 28, 1928 Breslau Freiburg station - King's tent Breslau Freiburg station - Waldenburg 48.31 1945 dismantled, from 1966: 3 kV =
April 3, 1928 Lauban - Kohlfurt Kohlfurt – Lauban 21.75 1945 dismantled, from 1986: 3 kV =
June 22, 1928 Lauban - Marklissa Lauban – Marklissa 10.81 Dismantled in 1945
June 25, 1928 Breslau Freiburger Bf. - Breslau-Mochbern - Lohbrück Breslau Freiburg station - Waldenburg 8.6 Dismantled in 1945
December 9, 1932 Hirschberg (Rsgb) - Zillerthal-Erdmannsdorf - Schmiedeberg (Rsgb) - Landeshut (Silesia) Hirschberg State Hat 38.8 Dismantled in 1945
June 29, 1934 Zillerthal-Erdmannsdorf - Krummhübel Zillerthal-Erdmannsdorf-Krummhübel 6.9 Dismantled in 1945
October 15, 1938 Obermerzdorf - Krausendorf Merzdorf – Landeshut 1.85 Dismantled in 1945
Route overview
Remnants of the electrical railway operation at Neuwelt an der Zackenbahn (2006)

Main lines:

Branch lines:

Vehicle use

First own locomotives

In 1914 electrical operation began with the six three-part electric railcars of the ET 831ff series (later designation ET 87) on the Nieder Salzbrunn – Halbstadt line . The vehicles proved themselves after initial difficulties. Later they were no longer able to cope with the operation on the inclined routes and were given to less frequented lines.

At the end of 1915, the first locomotives destined for Silesia were also delivered. It was a 1C1 machine, EP 202ff (later E 30 02-08), the manufacturer BMAG (mechanical part) and MSW (electrical part), from a series of seven locomotives. It was intended for a railcar supplement service on the branch lines going off the main line. Due to the war, extradition dragged on until 1921. A B + B + B machine, EG 538 abc (later E 91 38), manufacturer LHW (mechanical part) and SSW (electrical part) was planned for freight train service . The first machine was delivered in 1915. For her, too, the delivery dragged on until 1922, when ultimately twelve machines, which were referred to as "furniture vans" because of their built-in luggage compartment, could be used. The term “Silesian colossi” probably comes from the vocabulary of modern railroad enthusiasts.

Until the end of the First World War, only a few more of the above-mentioned. Series machines delivered. In the summer of 1917, the EP 235 , the prototype of the 2D1 machines of the later E 50 series, was used. The EP 235 was manufactured by LHW (mechanical part) and BEW (electrical part).

When developing a heavy passenger locomotive in Silesia, different concepts were initially pursued, namely that of a particularly curved 1'B + B1 ' articulated locomotive and a single- frame 1'D1' machine similar to the EG 501 Halle . However, these twin-engine locomotives showed shaking vibrations when the vehicle was running, and therefore only two articulated locomotives of the EP 209/210 and EP 211/212 series were delivered. Since these locomotives lurched heavily and the single-frame and single-engine locomotive with the number EP 235, which was now designed in 1917 as a 2'D1 'for weight reasons, had a smooth curve, this design was used for the further procurement of passenger locomotives. The drive motor of the EP 235 with a stand diameter of 3.6 m and a weight of 25.5 tons is still the largest electric locomotive drive motor ever built.

Locomotive overview

Electric locomotives from the central German network

In operation in Silesia from 1915: E 71 series

After the provisional cessation of electrical operations in Central Germany, various Central German electric locomotives came to Silesia in the early summer of 1915, from the Dessau – Bitterfeld section . a. the EG 511 and 512 (later series E 71.1 ) and the ES 09 and 11 , because the machines ordered for Silesia had not yet been delivered. Although these locomotives were extremely unsuitable for use on the mountain routes, because there was a shortage of locomotives, the KED Breslau used the sometimes much too weak machines on the route from Nieder Salzbrunn to Halbstadt and later especially for tensioning purposes on the Freiburg-Dittersbach section .

Other machines ordered for Central Germany were also put into operation in Silesia, for example EG 513 and part of ES 12 ff in 1915 . Furthermore, the EG 507–508 locomotives , which were initially intended for electrification with overhead lines, and the EB 1–3 power units, including the test train intended for the Berlin city, ring and suburban railways , came to Silesia . Extensive tests have been carried out with the drive frames in Silesia. A photo also shows the 1918 S-Bahn carriage set in trial operation with the EP 235 . The engine frames were retired at the end of 1922. By 1924/25, seven electric locomotives with the B'B 'wheel arrangement for light passenger train service were built from engine frames already worked on by other companies. In contrast to all the other locomotives mentioned so far, these emergency solutions , which were given the series designation E 42 1 according to the renaming plan of 1925 , proved to be very operational. They remained on the Silesian routes until 1945.

Locomotive overview

Further locomotives after the First World War

Based on the positive experience with EP 235, EP 236 to 246 (later E 50 36-46) and EP 247 to 252 (later E 50 47-52) were developed and delivered from 1923 onwards. They were initially used in heavy passenger trains and occasionally in express trains on the main line from Görlitz to Dittersbach . The machines of the second series were all relocated to Central Germany with the appearance of the DR series E 17 from 1928, those of the first series were discontinued in subordinate services in the 1930s.

For a possible electrification of the Berlin light rail with 15 kilovolts and 16 Elektr Hertz, the Prussian state parliament approved 25 million marks on June 9, 1913. Ten of these four-axle electric locomotives, four railcars and three two-axle power units (EB 1 to EB 3) were to be procured. After the war, however, the newly founded Deutsche Reichsbahn decided to electrify the Berlin Stadtbahn with 750 volts direct current. The motor bogies and the Prussian EG 507 and EG 508 have already been reported in the previous chapter ; after 1920 the four railcars of the series ET 507 to 510 Breslau appeared , which showed good operating results from the start and replaced the ET 831ff (later series ET 87) on the Nieder Salzbrunn – Halbstadt railway line .

From the order placed with the BBC in 1912, ten freight train double locomotives of the series Prussian EG 551/552 to EG 569/570 (later series E 90.5) were released. They were in two parts and had a rod drive with Hall cranks. Initially also in use on the main line, they migrated to branch lines after the appearance of more powerful freight locomotives. They were gradually phased out in the 1930s. Some specimens remained in Silesia until 1945. In 1925 13 locomotives of the EG 581-594 (DR class E 91) came to Silesia. Although they were only 55 km / h fast, the speed was sufficient for the freight trains of the time. They could tow 1,420 t on the ramps of 10 ‰.

In 1913 the construction of large locomotives with single-axle drives instead of the coupled rod drive was considered. Because of the winding routes, an articulated locomotive was designed again. The order for nine locomotives went to Linke-Hofmann-Werke in Breslau (mechanical part) and Siemens-Schuckert-Werke (electrical part). Due to the war, the delivery took place between 1923 and 1925. The wheel sets were each driven by a series motor via a pawl bearing drive . The locomotives achieved mileages of more than 70,000 kilometers per year in the medium-duty freight train service on the Görlitz - Königszelt route . They were also used for passenger train service on branch lines, for which an electric heating system was installed and the top speed was increased to 60 km / h. In 1926, the DR added these machines to its portfolio as the E 92.7 series . In Silesia they remained in service until February 1945.

Locomotive overview

Electric locomotives of the Deutsche Reichsbahn for Silesia

Due to the increasing volume of goods, there was more demand for more powerful electric locomotives at the time of the Reichsbahn. Therefore, twelve E 91.9s were ordered in 1927 which, compared to EG 581-594, had an electric resistance brake and a more modern exterior. They entered service in 1929. After the E 92.7 series locomotives had proven themselves in operation, the Reichsbahn also planned to procure a single-axle drive locomotive for heavy freight train service . As a drive, the peg bearing drive was chosen again. Six machines of the hitherto largest electric locomotive appeared in 1927, which was intended for the transport of 2,200 t trains and were given the designation E 95 . During test drives, 2,600 t trains were pulled to 5 ‰ at 55 km / h. They were used until 1945 on the Silesian main line Görlitz - Lauban - Dittersbach .

Locomotives with the Tatzlager drive were also procured for passenger train service . If first tests were carried out with the E 44.2 by Bergmann-Borsig (mechanical) and Berliner Maschinenbau , the series machines of the DR series E 44 were rated better, and from 1936 the E 44 043 to E 44 050 were used in Silesia . The E 44.2 was handed over to Freilassing around the time of World War II .

From 1927, locomotives with single-axle drives were also procured in the express train service . After the E 15 and E 16 101 with the pawl bearing drive tested in Central Germany were unsuccessful, the DR series E 21.0 from AEG with its spring cup drive ultimately proved to be the most successful variant. Two locomotives were ordered from this series, with only the running gear, the traction motor suspension, the axle bearing lubrication and the exterior being slightly different. Ultimately, all other express train locomotives of the DRG until 1945 were procured according to this drive principle , of which the E 17 (twelve copies) and E 18 (eight copies) series were used for express train service in the Görlitz - Lauban - Dittersbach area in Silesia . For the sake of completeness it must be mentioned that there was still a copy with the designation E 21 51 from LHW and Bergmann Elektrizitätswerke as a test locomotive and later for continuous operation. At the beginning of the test, however, this machine had a number of defects in the drive area. When these were resolved, the DRG had already decided on the locomotives of the AEG (DR series E 21.0), although the E 21 51 could compete with the E 18 in terms of performance .

As you can see, the variety of types on the electrified Silesian mountain network was very diverse, and in 1936 there were 96 electric locomotives in the Lauban Reichsbahn repair shop; twelve E 17 , eight E 18 , two E 21 , one E 21 51 , two E 42.1 , five E 42.2 , eight E 44 , six E 50.3 , nine E 90.5 , ten E 91 , six E 91.3 , twelve E 91.9 , nine E 92.7 and six E 95 . The end of locomotive procurement in the period before World War II was the delivery of 18 E 94 series locomotives .

Locomotive overview

Electric railcars of the Deutsche Reichsbahn for Silesia

Encouraged by the positive operating results of the DR series ET 88 on the line low Salzbrunn-Halbstadt ordered the DRG in WUMAG several railcars the series ET 89 , bringing with them the railcar traffic specific to the line Hirschberg Polaun perform effectively. At the same time, several sidecars, later also control cars, were also procured for this series. As a rule, a train with this row consisted of two railcars and up to eight sidecars placed in between. During the main travel season, the trains had three multiple units and up to twelve sidecars in between. The railcar could serve the sparsely occupied end stretch from Josefinenhütte to Polaun alone.

In 1934 four railcars of the ET 51 series appeared together with four control cars for the task of connecting the capital Breslau with the mountains and Görlitz as a unit. The entire unit first drove to Hirschberg , then part of it went to Oberschreiberhau , part to Krummhübel and part to Görlitz. On the return trip, the multiple units were reunited in Hirschberg . Although the DRG soon realized that the speed of the trains at 90 km / h was not sufficient, another four were ordered as the ET 51.1 series in 1939.

The two-part multiple units of the ET 25 series , which could travel up to 120 km / h on the main lines, avoided the disadvantage of low speed . Their disadvantage was that they reached their performance limit on the many inclines due to the often required control car, which resulted in inadmissible heating of the traction motors. Nevertheless, they stayed in Silesia and served the Lauban - Kohlfurth and Görlitz - Greifenberg routes . As a replacement for the operation to the health resorts in the Giant Mountains , six new ET 31 series railcars appeared . In this series, two axles per car could be driven, which enabled them to accelerate from standstill to 120 km / h in 75 seconds.

Overview of the vehicles

Infrastructure

Power plants

Mittelsteine ​​Railway Power Plant (2010)

The generation of the necessary traction current took place only in the Mittelsteine ​​railway power station (today: Ścinawka Średnia ) near Neurode (today: Nowa Ruda). The thermal power plant built away from the electrified routes was operated with low-quality hard coal from the Neuroder district . After an expansion at the end of the 1920s, an electrical output of 24 MW was available for the operation of the Silesian lines. The electricity generated was passed on to the substations via 80 kV traction power lines .

Substations

Four substations were used to feed the traction current generated in the Mittelsteine ​​power plant into the overhead lines. What was remarkable about the substations was that, unlike modern systems, all switchgears were originally housed in closed buildings with a central tower and numerous extensions. The substations were also dismantled in 1945, only the structural shells remained, which were later often used for other purposes.

Niedersalzbrunn substation 50 ° 48 ′ 40.0 ″  N , 016 ° 18 ′ 03.0 ″  E! 550.8111115516.3008335

The Niedersalzbrunn substation went into operation as early as 1914 to supply the Niedersalzbrunn – Halbstadt line. At the end of the 1920s, the substation was expanded to include an outdoor switchgear.

Hirschberg substation 50 ° 54 ′ 49.0 ″  N , 015 ° 44 ′ 20.0 ″  E! 550.9136115515.7388895

The substation was dismantled in 1921 and probably also put into operation. The building was probably demolished in the 1970s as part of the construction of a four-lane road. Remnants of the foundation are still there.

Ruhbank substation 50 ° 48 ′ 50.0 ″  N , 016 ° 04 ′ 09.0 ″  E! 550.8138895516.0691675

The substation in Ruhbank (today: Sedzisław ) was commissioned in 1919 to supply the Silesian Mountain Railway and in 1924 it was converted into a pure 80 kV switchgear. The buildings of the former Ruhbank substation still exist and are now used by a sawmill.

Lauban substation 51 ° 06 ′ 11.0 ″  N , 015 ° 17 ′ 47.0 ″  E! 551.1030565515.2963895

The substation in Lauban (today: Lubań ) was put into operation in 1922. In addition to the Silesian Mountain Railway, it later also supplied the branches to Kohlfurt and Marklissa. The structural shell of the substation is still preserved, but unused and heavily devastated. 100 meters further east is the PKP Lauban substation for supplying the overhead line with 3 kV direct current.

Wroclaw substation

This substation appears sporadically in contemporary publications of the 1920s, but never got beyond the planning status. Some of today's publications also incorrectly mention the existence of the Breslau substation.

Traction power lines

End of the pipeline route used by the Polish national network 3AC / 50 Hz near Gryfów (2005)
Course of the former traction power lines that still exist today in Silesia

The overhead lines on lattice masts with two systems for single-phase alternating current 80 kV, 16⅔ Hertz were designed differently. Initially, the two-level arrangement was used. The original arrangement proved to be prone to failure due to the stresses caused by storms, ice and hoarfrost, and was finally changed in sections to a one-level arrangement. On January 5, 1929, due to heavy icing near Gaablau and Juliansdorf, masts broke, which temporarily led to the cessation of electrical rail operations. It was not until January 7, 1929, by erecting temporary wooden masts, that the line was repaired to such an extent that electrical rail operations could be fully resumed. Not far from the fault location, following a similar fault, new masts were erected as early as 1921, which were designed for eight times the ice load and which survived the 1929 icing without damage. As a result, up to 1934 almost all line sections were designed for ten times the ice load, which was achieved by reducing the mast spacing and replacing the copper conductors with those made of bronze. The transformers originally intended for the Breslau substation were used for a heating circuit in the Niedersalzbrunn substation. The following lines were built:

  • Section 1: Mittelsteine - Niedersalzbrunn power plant : masts largely dismantled.
  • Section 2: Niedersalzbrunn - Ruhbank : Pylons are used between Ruhbank and Obersalzbrunn as part of a 110 kV line, north of Obersalzbrunn the line was dismantled.
  • Section 3: Ruhbank - Hirschberg : masts were z. Partly converted to a single-level arrangement and used for a 110 kV line.
  • Section 4: Hirschberg - Lauban : Most of the masts dismantled, only to the west of Hirschberg and between Greiffenberg and the Bobertalsperre individual masts are still being used for the 15 kV medium-voltage network (picture).
  • Section 5: Niedersalzbrunn - Mettkau (operated as a 15 kV feed line), today partially dismantled, still part of a 110 kV line between Freiburg in Silesia and Saarau .

The routing of the 80 kV line via Mettkau to the Breslau substation, which is sometimes mentioned in the secondary literature, is based on plans by Rbd Breslau from the 1920s, but these were not implemented.

The traction power lines that have been preserved to this day are now used for the 50 Hz national network. For this purpose, one of the previous four conductor cables was removed, as only three conductors are required for three-phase current .

Catenary masts

Initially, the railway administration procured uniform masts including insulators, the yokes and brackets. Concrete poles have already been used in some cases. From 1922 onwards, the overhead line sections that had been built up to that point were gradually and consistently converted to a standardized chain system of the Reichsbahn with a fixed support cable and post-tensioned contact wire. This principle has now also been applied to new electrifications. Catenary masts with double-track booms were used in front of the signals so that the signals were not covered. On the route Königszelt - Breslau Freiburger Bf the field length was 120 meters with a system height of 4 m. The bases kept the catenary under pressure while light intermediate masts kept the catenary under tension. This resulted in a mast spacing of 60 m in the straight normal field.

Re-electrification by the PKP

Interestingly, most of the overhead line masts from the 1920s were preserved and some of them were used for re-electrification with 3 kV direct voltage by the PKP from the 1960s. On December 17, 1966, electrical operation could be started from Wrocław ( Breslau ) continuously to Jelenia Góra ( Hirschberg ). Since December 20, 1986 it has also been possible to drive electrically as far as Lubań Śląski ( Lauban ).

See also

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Annual report on electric train transport, Rbd Breslau 1938.
  2. ↑ a b The railroad in Silesia. Eisenbahnkurier Special 3/2005, p. 85.
  3. ↑ The Railway in Silesia , Part 2 In: Eisenbahnkurier Special, 85/2007, p. 57.
  4. ↑ The Railway in Silesia , Part 2 In: Eisenbahnkurier Special, 85/2007, p. 65.
  5. ↑ a b The railroad in Silesia . Bufe-Fachverlag, Egglham 1993, ISBN 3-922138-37-3 , p. 85.
  6. ^ EP 235 data
  7. ^ The railroad in Silesia . Bufe-Fachverlag, Egglham 1993, ISBN 3-922138-37-3 , p. 100.
  8. ^ The railroad in Silesia . Bufe-Fachverlag, Egglham 1993, ISBN 3-922138-37-3 , p. 101.
  9. ↑ a b c The railroad in Silesia . Bufe-Fachverlag, Egglham 1993, ISBN 3-922138-37-3 , p. 86.
  10. ↑ Dieter Bäzold, Günther Fiebig: Railway Vehicle Archive Part 4: Electric Locomotive Archive ., 6th edition. Transpress Verlag, Berlin 1987, ISBN 3-344-00173-6 , p. 225.
  11. ^ Wilfried Rettig: Railways in the three-country corner, part 2 . EK-Verlag, Freiburg 2011, ISBN 978-3-88255-733-6 , p. 179.
  12. ^ Rainer Zschech railcar archive . Transpress-Verlag, Berlin 1970, p. 108.
  13. ↑ a b The railroad in Silesia . Bufe-Fachverlag, Egglham 1993, ISBN 3-922138-37-3 , p. 87.
  14. ↑ schlesische-eisenbahnen.de
  15. ↑ Drehscheibe-foren.de