Förtha tunnel
The Förthaer Tunnel is a railway tunnel in the course of the Werra Railway (between route kilometers 6.14 and 6.73) in the Wartburg district in Thuringia . It is 549 meters long and crosses under the Rennsteig in the Thuringian Forest south of Eisenach . When it was built in 1858, it was initially called the Werra Railway Tunnel ; later it was named the Epichnellen Tunnel, corresponding to the Epichnellen- Wilhelmsthal stop established in 1896 . With the new name Förtha for the breakpoint in 1946, it became the Förthaer Tunnel . After the mountain crossed, the Clausberg tunnel is another unofficial name. From 1962 to 1992 it was also used by interzone trains on the Förtha – Gerstungen route.
history
The Förthaer Tunnel is one of the oldest German railway tunnels. Inaugurated on August 13, 1858, the breakthrough has been in use since the Werra Railway opened on November 2, 1858. The tunnel passes under the western tip of the Thuringian Forest. The cover of the tunnel is in a strongly undulating terrain that is wooded with deciduous trees. From Eisenach the route has an average gradient of 1:50, which corresponds to 2%. This used to go through the whole tunnel. In 1908 the last 366 m were lowered to a flatter slope. It begins in the north with a long straight line and ends in the south end in a radius of 550 m. The tunnel is easier to drive due to the lower gradient. This subsequent construction measure was uncomplicated to carry out, as the Förthaer Tunnel has no brickwork due to the surrounding mountains with continuous strength ( porphyry , granite , gneiss ). It was already two-pronged when it was built.
In the construction of the structure two lugs (production wells) were driven vertically into the depth to counteract the tunnel mouths in height of the tunnel floor in both directions. The construction work went on day and night without interruption. The tunnel was breached on December 20, 1857. Cheers and shots of joy accompanied this event. A bonus of 500 thalers was offered for the workers, some of which was used to support those who had been killed in the tunnel a few days earlier and their survivors. Despite the difficulties and dangers that this complex structure posed at the time, it was the only accident worth mentioning. The accident is said to have been caused by the carelessness of a foreman when blasting . Two workers in the immediate vicinity were fatally and four others seriously injured. It was noteworthy that the 180,000 thalers provided for in the cost estimate were undercut by 140,000 thalers. A large part of the costs came from the powder requirements as well as the acquisition and maintenance of the drilling tools. At times 400 to 500 workers were used to build the tunnel; they used an average of 5 quintals of powder a day.
Due to an accident on May 15, 1948, a comprehensive tunnel overhaul was carried out. More than 10,000 m² of surface was tapped and loose stones were removed. There was an accident on September 3, 1948, when rock loosened by blasting fell at distance kilometers 6.7, killing two bricklayers and injuring two other workers. The building contractor and the responsible head of the Eisenach construction department were charged with negligent homicide and sentenced to high fines. In a later appeal hearing, the judgment was overturned on the basis of new reports. A complete walling of the tunnel was repeatedly considered. However, it did not take place because of the estimated cost of 500,000 marks.
The two tracks in the tunnel had the track spacing of 3.50 meters that was usual before 1945. In the case of traffic exceeding the loading gauge (LÜ) one managed by driving the track Eisenach - Eisfeld (so-called A-direction) , also from the opposite direction (so-called “wrong way”) and blocking the neighboring track. Since all double-track tunnels in Thuringia had this track spacing, z. B. LÜ broadcasts from VEB Kranbau Schmalkalden on the only route that crossed the Thuringian Forest without a tunnel, the steep Rennsteigbahn from Themar via Schleusingen , the Rennsteig station and Ilmenau to Erfurt . From 1992 onwards, LÜ consignments (e.g. narrow-gauge steam locomotives from the Meiningen repair shop ) were transported via Schweinfurt, which meant increased costs and extended travel times.
The Förthaer Tunnel was renovated in 1999 in a total closure lasting several weeks. The second track, which had already been disused, was dismantled and the operating track relocated to the center of the tunnel. This means that LÜ shipments can be transported without any problems. The two portals were structurally refurbished, with the tunnel at the southern end being extended by 5 meters. In the course of this renovation, an access road for rescue vehicles to the north portal was created.
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Individual evidence
Coordinates: 50 ° 56 ′ 59 ″ N , 10 ° 16 ′ 15 ″ E