History of the Cottbus Park Railway
The Cottbus Pioneer Railway is a local railway that was founded in 1952 by decision of the City Council of Cottbus and expanded over the following years. It was intended as a leisure activity for children and to prepare children for a job with the Reichsbahn . Today, even after it was renamed Cottbuser Parkeisenbahn in 1991, it is a tourist attraction in the city of Cottbus.
history
In 1952, by decision of the council of the Cottbus district , planning began for the construction of a pioneer railway on the outskirts of the city, on May 30, 1953 the foundation of the working group of young railway workers, and in winter the first training courses for the children in the operation of the pioneer railway began. On May 24th, the preparation of the route began as part of the national construction work . The track width of 600 millimeters was chosen because the locomotive and wagons were to be taken over by the Bad Muskau forest railway . The station was a block house and was built by the Bauunion, the material was donated by the forestry. A wartime hall served as a locomotive shed.
On June 1st, for Children's Day , the trial run from the “Friendship” station to the park began. The train was made up of a 36-year-old army field locomotive with four open passenger cars that were provided with a wooden roof. On June 5th, the official handover by Herbert Rothe, RAW director (Reichsbahnausbesserungswerk Cottbus), to the working group “Young Pioneer Railroaders” took place. After an initial extension, the route went over 1.1 km from Eliaspark along Kiekebuscher Straße to the zoo.
The first locomotive crew, from left: Herrmann Bett, Robert Müller and Josef Nickel
self-made coupling connection
Pioneer railroaders in front of the first station
The people marvel at the retracted train
Ticket sales at the "Tierpark" train station
Ticket control at the "Tierpark" train station
On January 13, 1956, representatives of the city, the pioneer organization and the Deutsche Reichsbahn successfully inspected the route because of the continuation of the route to the "Friedenseiche" restaurant. At the beginning of the season, the pioneers received new uniforms with shoulder pieces and service caps from the employees of the consumer clothing factories. As a youth object in honor of the 5th party congress of the SED , the extension of the “Tierpark” station to the future “Friedenseiche” station began in 1957. The “Tierpark” station was relocated around 100 meters to its current location. The former HO kiosk and the barrier post board house continued to serve as the station building.
The inauguration took place on July 10th. The pioneer railway traveled a total of 2.1 kilometers. The speed was (as it is today) at 20 km / h. Four converted passenger cars and the first diesel locomotive came from the Bad Muskau forest railway. The locomotive was supposed to be repaired beforehand due to a gearbox damage in Dessau, but was scrapped there. For this, the diesel locomotive 02 came to Cottbus from Dessau. The rocket fairing of the locomotive was dismantled before it was delivered from Dessau. The first wagons were made entirely of wood and were later converted to metal cladding.
Until 1960, the managers of the pioneer railway changed almost every season. From 1961 to 1992 Bodo Kopetzki was head of the pioneer railway in 1992. The trained carpenter later had to be trained as a teacher via distance learning, as pedagogical training was a prerequisite for managing the pioneering railroaders. At the start of the season on May 1st, the route was used every day except Mondays.
- Ticket prices
from the "Friendship" station to the "Tierpark" station 30 pfennigs for adults 15 pfennigs for children and pensioners from the station “Freundes” to the station “Friedenseiche” 50 pfennigs for adults 25 pfennigs for children and pensioners from the "Tierpark" train station to the "Friedenseiche" train station 10 pfennigs
In 1965, with the support of the Deutsche Reichsbahn, the "Tierpark" station was expanded in terms of signaling.
From 1965 to 1968 the train station at the zoo was redesigned. However, this only referred to the technical area such as switches, signals, lever bench and barriers. The three wooden booths were replaced by a new building that was planned by the Cottbus design and surveying office. A special feature was that the building was built around the internal technical systems. The advantage here is that no changes to the technology have to be made. There was a service room, a classroom, a room for the management of the railway, ancillary rooms and, from 1968, a waiting room for travelers. A fourth track has been built at the “Friendship” station. Four closed cars came from the Berlin pioneer railway. The next diesel locomotive came from Johannesthal near Babelsberg, which later had to be taken out of service due to gear damage. In 1973 this decommissioned locomotive from Cottbus was placed on a Berlin children's playground.
1969 to 1978
On April 3, another steam locomotive came from the Bad Muskau forest railway, which was used a year later for the 1970 season. It was a steam locomotive with a tender. Upon arrival, she was spontaneously nicknamed "Puffer Billy". In addition, a freight car was taken over, which was later converted into a baggage car. A barrier was built at the “Friedenseiche” station. The first ticket printer was put into operation in the “Freundes” station.
In 1970 the Cottbus pioneering railroaders established contacts with foreign partners. It started with the Hungarian park railway in Budapest , and at the end of the 1970s, Zaporozhye in the Ukraine was added. Until 1972 the railroad only ran on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, when ten to twelve pioneers were usually present on each working day.
On April 16, 1972, the new station building at the zoo was handed over. In autumn, work began on a turning loop at the “Friedenseiche” station. At the beginning of the 1973 season, the turning loop was finished. Since the loop was designed too small and the trains often derailed, the old shuttle service continued. It was not until four years later that a track construction company created a larger turning loop with a radius of 60 meters. Work ended in 1978. The “Tierpark” station was converted from a manual to a mechanical signal box. A train (locomotive and eight covered passenger cars) came from the Berlin pioneer railway. The "Tierpark" station was renamed to "Zoo" station, and the platforms at the "Tierpark" station were lengthened.
Service of the pioneer railroaders
The service of the pioneer railroaders ran according to strict rules. There were brigade divisions and timetables that the pioneers had to adhere to. Every pioneer railroader had a work group notebook in which points were entered. Five points on a day was the maximum. If a railroad worker forgot to put on his hat, there was one point deducted. At the end of the month, the best were awarded. The shoulder pieces of the uniform showed how long a railroad worker had been there. A bar was added every year. After three years you became a sub-assistant. In the fourth year the shoulder pieces were rimmed with gold and one was allowed to do the station service as an assistant. The division of the brigades was the responsibility of the women in the permanent workforce. They usually planned the service for the whole season. The catering of the pioneers was paid for by the council of the Cottbus district.
1974 to 1990
In 1974 the construction of the city ring made it necessary to relocate the route. The route now ran along the stadium, through a specially newly created tunnel and then rejoined the existing route on the left. In 1978 the line between the “Zoo” station and the “Friedenseiche” station was reconstructed. The material was supplied by the Bad Muskau forest railway. The larger turning loop of 60 meters was completed. The car shed at the “Friendship” train station was rebuilt and expanded, windows installed and heating installed.
The 25th anniversary of the pioneer railway was celebrated in a big way. The pioneer railroaders thanked them with a poem.
The steam locomotive 01 was used as a location for " Clown Ferdinand " on GDR television (Clown Ferdinand saves the sun). The film was shot at the “Zoo” station. The steam locomotive 01 became the crowd favorite. In 1979 she stood in the car park of the “Konsument” department store at the Cottbus city festival. On June 8, 1979, the Deutsche Post set up a branch at the “Freundes” train station. Only on this day there was a special stamp in honor of the two-year anniversary.
In 1984 the 30th anniversary of the pioneer railway was celebrated.
Starting in 1986, there were preliminary talks between the Reichsbahn and the Council of the City of Cottbus to convert the pioneer railway so that it could be used for apprenticeship training. A relay room was created and a mechanical signal box with a switchboard was installed in the "Friedenseiche" station. A locked switch cabinet in the service room was used to simulate "disruptions" in driving operations. This served to train the pioneer railroaders and the apprentices of the Deutsche Reichsbahn and was unique in the GDR at the time. On September 18, representatives of the Reichsbahndirektion put the facility into operation. The station building at the "Friedenseiche" train station has been expanded. A brigade car from the Muskau Railway, which was converted into a work car, could be taken over. In 1987 electromechanical signal boxes were installed in the “Zoo” and “Friedenseiche” stations. The departure of the trains no longer had to be notified by telephone to the other station. On November 18, 1988, an original mechanical signal box of the Deutsche Reichsbahn was put into operation at the "Friedenseiche" station.
The park railway
After the fall of the Wall in 1990, there were considerations to liquidate the pioneer railway through the trust . The old name “pioneer railway” was no longer considered contemporary. Against the wishes of the employees, the train was renamed “Parkeisenbahn”. The abbreviation PE for Pioneer Railway and Park Railway was retained. On June 18, 1991 the association for the promotion of the Cottbus Park Railway eV was founded. The railway was now operated by the "Freizeit und Bäderbetrieb".
In October, at the end of the season, the railroad last traveled the route from the “Friendship” station. Extensive construction work began in preparation for the Federal Horticultural Show , and the area from Eliaspark to the zoo had to be redesigned. By 1995, the tracks, engine sheds and shelters at the “Freundes” station disappeared. Only the station building remained standing. The railway received a new route, two new stations and a stop. The line should run from the new “Sandower Dreieck” station parallel to the Reichsbahn line, across Willy-Brandt-Strasse, along the stadium and the new “Messe” station. After crossing the tunnel, the route ran over the BUGA site and flowed into the existing route before the “Glück Auf” stop. During this time, the trains only shuttled between the “Zoo” and “Friedenseiche” stations. In the summer of the following year, the train was able to travel to the new “Messe” station. At the end of the construction period, the new line was 3.2 kilometers in length.
In 1994 construction work began on the new facility at Sandower Dreieck. The topping-out ceremony was held at the “Messe” station. In that year, a reconditioned diesel locomotive was bought by the Bad Muskau Forest Railway, two power cars and ten cars were given to the Cottbus Park Railway from the city of Essen, but five cars were later returned. In 1995, the "Freundschaft" station was shut down.
The official handover of the new systems at the Sandower Dreieck took place on March 28th. This included the locomotive and wagon hall and the reception building with signal box, service room, office, changing and sanitary area as well as a restaurant. The first test drive attracted a large number of visitors, and the BUGA ensured the most successful year in the history of the park railway, transporting over 600,000 passengers.
1996 to 2009
In 1996 the second field railway meeting took place on the occasion of the 100th birthday of the locomotive "Arnim", which was painted green in its original color. Curious vehicles such as a rail bicycle and rail mopeds were on display at the event. In 1998 an additional stop was set up at the "exhibition halls". The “Pyramidenexpress” coffee trolley rolled over the route at the weekend from the start of the season. Later it was renamed "Salonwagen". The car has been used again for special trips since 2002.
On June 1, 1999, the Park Railway celebrated its 45th birthday. The third field railway meeting took place on this occasion. 6000 visitors marveled at more than 20 vehicles. A model park railway could be seen. In 2002, the friends' association took over the "Lokomotive" restaurant at Sandower Dreieck as a club restaurant. Outside the season, the rooms are used for training courses and meetings. In 2003, when the stadium expansion began, the route had to be relocated ten meters in the direction of Eliaspark. Since then, the platforms have been offset about 50 meters from the station building.
Tight budgets led to the establishment of an “Agktie” campaign based on the term used in the banking world. In this way, employees of the Märkischer Bote collected a symbolic share worth 10, 50, 100 and 500 euros for the repair of the boiler room of the steam locomotive 01, which had been in service since 1954. Locomotive 01 was ready for use again in October.
In 2004 the railway line from the “Glückauf” stop to the “Friedenseiche” station, including the turning loop, was renewed. The material, which comes from Brandenburg opencast mines, was sponsored by “Vattenfall”. The work lasted until the end of March. At the beginning of the season, the “Messe” station was renamed “Stadium of Friendship”. On the occasion of the 50th birthday of the pioneer railway, the Cottbus children's musical writer Torsten Karow composed a song especially for the children of the park railway “I love to ride the park railway”.
The fourth field railway meeting with international participation took place on the 50th anniversary of the park railway. The costs for the transfer of a locomotive using a heavy-duty transporter were between 350.00 and 400,000 euros. In 2006 the points for entering and leaving the station were renewed and replaced. In mid-December 2008, locomotive 01 (brigade locomotive) went to the Thyssen-Krupp company in Brieske for maintenance; at the beginning of the 2010 season it was ready for use again.
The 5th field railway meeting was organized in 2009 for the 55th birthday of the pioneer railway.
2011 to 2014
During the winter break of 2011/12, the open wagons were completely repaired. In April, the "Friedenseiche" station was renamed to "Park & Schloss Branitz" station. From the platform a path led directly to the Pücklerpark. The station got a small outdoor park. Operation was transferred to "Congress, Messe & Touristik GmbH" (CMT). Before that, CMT renewed the track systems at the “Zoo” train station with a value of 42,000 euros. A converted diesel locomotive, which is not approved for haulage, was used as a shunting locomotive. It is used for maintenance work on the route. On August 5th, the five millionth passenger was welcomed.
In winter 2012/13 a major repair was carried out on the 03 diesel locomotive. The chassis was refurbished, a new engine installed and the electrical system converted to 24 volts. It had been in the depot in need of repair since 2008. 85 meters of the second track system at the "Zoo" station were renewed. Wooden sleepers were replaced at the “Messe” stop. The costs for both construction sites were 40,000 euros. Due to the rising costs of diesel and electricity, the fare for adults was raised from three euros to four euros.
At the end of the 2013 season, the Brigadelok 01 was brought by low loader to Bentdorf in Saxony-Anhalt for basic boiler repairs. A wheel flange lubrication should be retrofitted (less wear when cornering). The Bad Muskau forest railway was interested in "Graf Arnim". So far, the Parkbahnverein has collected 30,000 euros for the repair. However, it would have to be at least 250,000 euros. Bad Muskau would help, the locomotive would then be used cooperatively. According to Cottbusverkehr, the Parkeisenbahn achieved good results in the 2013 season despite the long winter. 35,000 passengers were registered. The new course record is 19,300 kilometers.
It is planned to extend the route of the pioneer railway until 2030. The park train will then run from the “Sandower Dreieck” station via Merzdorf to the Cottbus Baltic Sea.
gallery
1981: Steam locomotive 04
1983: "Friendship" station
1983: Train driver at the ticket control
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ CMT Cottbus. Retrieved September 6, 2014 .