Niesenbahn
The Niesenbahn (NB) is a funicular in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland . It drives from Mülenen up to the Niesen , a popular panoramic mountain on Lake Thun .
The Niesenbahn is one of the longest funiculars in Europe. The valley station is in Mülenen, right next to the BLS train station , at 693 m above sea level. M . The route is divided into two sections due to its length. The first section with 2111 m and a maximum gradient of 66% leads up to 1669 m above sea level. M. Schwandegg intermediate station . From there, the second section leads at 1388 m and a maximum gradient of 68% to the Niesen Kulm mountain station at 2336 m above sea level. M.
From the idea to the realization
In 1856 the first inn was built on Niesen-Kulm when mountain hiking for pleasure began to spread. The guests climbed the Niesen on foot. Wealthy people were brought up the mountain by horses and mules or by armchairs carried by four men. The composer Johannes Brahms climbed the Niesen in 1886; he was not very happy about the hours of exertion.
The first project of a railway on the Niesen provided for a rack railway from Wimmis. In 1902, the master builder Johann Frutiger von Oberhofen ( Frutiger AG ) obtained a concession to build and operate a funicular from Mülenen to the Niesen. On 12 October 1904, an initiative committee, which formed company capital of 1'008'500.00 SFr. was raised by means of shares . Construction work began on August 26, 1906, and the first section Mülenen - Schwandegg was completed in 1908. On June 8, 1910, the second section of the route was also open to the Niesen. In 1909 up to 350 people worked on this building. The construction cost was CHF 1,755,000.00.
Among others, Von Roll and Albert Buss & Cie. involved.
Joys and sorrows
On July 15, 1910, the opening took place with 150 guests who were brought to the Niesenspitze in 3 courses and a 50-minute drive. The first president of the Niesenbahn was National Councilor Arnold Gottlieb Bühler . The frequencies and the operating income did not meet the cherished expectations at the beginning. The Niesenbahn as a pure summit lift is extremely dependent on weather conditions and the mood of the traveling public. The facility was also repeatedly damaged by avalanches . During the First World War , the income sank to 20,000.00 SFr., But the debt increased rapidly. In 1923 a financial restructuring had to be carried out with the assistance of the Federal Supreme Court . Since this renovation, the operating conditions of the Niesenbahn have improved. In addition, there was an increase in performance. These improvements reduced the journey time from 50 to 28 minutes today. Today over 2,000 guests take the Niesenbahn on fine days.
Longest staircase in the world and Niesenlauf
The stairs along the tracks have 11,674 steps and, according to the Guinness Book of Records, are the longest stairs in the world , but they are not open to the public.
The stairs may only be used during the annual Niesen flight of stairs. Emmanuel Vaudan mastered the ascent of 1643 meters in 2011 in 0: 55: 55.70 hours and is therefore the course record holder. The women's record dates back to 2005: Agnes Zellweger needed 1:07:07 hours. For comparison: for mountain hikes, the guide value is 400 meters in altitude per hour and the hiking time from Mülenen is around five hours.
100th birthday postage stamp
Swiss Post honored the Niesenbahn on its 100th birthday in 2010 with a stamp . The stamp worth 85 cents shows the railway in front of the Bernese Oberland mountain panorama and the route indicated by a line drawing.
literature
- Josy Doyon: A kingdom at the foot of the sneeze . Blaukreuz Verlag, Bern 1984, ISBN 3-85580-169-X .
- Bruno Petroni: The sneeze and its path . Verlag Schlaefli & Maurer, Interlaken 2010, ISBN 978-3-85884-082-0 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Information on the Niesenbahn at niesen.ch
- ↑ niesenlauf.ch
- ↑ post.ch ( Memento of the original dated August 12, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
Web links
- Swiss cable car inventory No. 61.034 Mülenen - Schwandegg
- Swiss cable car inventory No. 61.035 Schwandegg - Niesen Kulm
- Tourist information Niesen
- Funimag (English)
- Image of the Niesenbahn postage stamp
Coordinates: 46 ° 38 ′ 22 " N , 7 ° 41 ′ 24" E ; CH1903: 619246 / 165386