Vatterode Park Railway

Vatterode Park Railway
Route length:	1.3 km
Gauge :	500 mm ( narrow gauge )
Top speed:	15 km / h
Legend Mansfeld loop Wippergrund

The Vatterode Park Railway is a narrow-gauge park railway and a former pioneer railway . It opened in 1967, temporarily shut down in 2008 and reopened in 2016. It connects the village of Vatterode in Saxony-Anhalt with the local recreation area Vatteröder Teich .

Driving operations are currently offered on selected weekends, provided that the necessary staff is available.

history

1967–1990: Beginning as a pioneer railway

From May 1967 employees of the transport company of the Mansfeld combine "Wilhelm Pieck" built the entire system in a six-week construction phase. Not documented, but confirmed several times by eyewitnesses, inmates from the Volkstedt correctional facility also helped build the track. On July 2, 1967, the railway was opened as the "Pioneer Railway 'Young Life' Vatterode". It was given the nickname "Young Life" because of the " Miner's Day" celebrated on July 3, 1967 . At the time of opening, it was the 11th pioneer railway in the German Democratic Republic . With its track width of 500 mm, it is unique among them.

Within the first 15 years of its existence, considerable technical changes were made to the interlocking technology, which had previously been mostly hand-operated. The introduction of light signals, electrical points and the replacement of the barrier with a stop light system had significantly improved the teaching character of the system.

1990–2008: Development after the fall of the Wall

In 1990 the "Pioneer Railway 'Young Life' Vatterode" was renamed "Parkeisenbahn Vatterode". After a long back and forth with the Federal Agency for Unification- related Special Tasks (formerly "Treuhandanstalt"), the Park Railway was communalized at the beginning of 1996, and with it the district of Mansfelder Land became the new owner. The operator was the private railway company Kreisbahn Mansfelder Land (KML). As of July 1, 2007, ownership was transferred to the new Mansfeld-Südharz district as part of a district reform .

2008–2010: Temporary suspension of driving operations

After the operating contract had expired, the last journeys of the park railway took place in August 2008. Factors that contributed to the hiring were constant subsidy cuts and low passenger interest, so that it was no longer economical to operate.

Since 2010: refurbishment and recommissioning

On March 18, 2010 Björn Garten took over the park railway from the district as a private person with the aim of maintaining the railway and putting it back into operation. This turned out to be time-consuming, as the route, vehicles and buildings were in poor condition and had to be renovated and refurbished first, which was done from 2010 with the help of numerous volunteers.

After the inspection and test drive by the state representatives for railway supervision on July 21, 2016 and subsequent submission of missing documents on July 31, 2016, the corresponding approval was granted and operations were reopened on August 6, 2016.

route

The local recreation area at the Vatteröder pond, which has become popular since the early 1960s, is one of the end points of the railway. The station bears the name "Mansfeld Loop" and thus describes the character of the track system. A turning loop for quick changes of direction forms the opposite pole to the passing point at Wippergrund station, where the locomotive has to be laboriously maneuvered around the train and, if necessary, even turned. The latter station is located at the exit of the village of Vatterode. The distance in between runs along the county road for a length of about one kilometer and crosses a non-public path secured with a stop light system.

vehicles

Locomotives

• Accumulator locomotive EL9-001 (replica of a BR V10c )
  

  EL9-001 locomotive
• Accumulator locomotive EL9-002 (replica of a BR V180 )
  

  EL9-002 locomotive

dare

• 2 open end cars (with handbrake and coupling locomotive cars)
• 6 open intermediate cars (only coupling car-car)

Train stations

"Mansfeld Loop" station

The “Mansfeld-Loop” train station is located directly on the Vatteröder pond. It houses the vehicles in a car hall integrated into the station building. It is equipped with an electrical relay interlocking with a switchboard ( WSSB ). There are two electrical points, two main light signals, two manually operated points and an electrical shunting signal on site. The system is designed as a track loop.

"Wippergrund" station

The “Wippergrund” train station is at the exit of the village of Vatterode. There is also an electrical relay interlocking with a switchboard ( WSSB ). The equipment includes an electrical switch, a fallback switch, two electrical main light signals, two electrical shunting signals and a turntable . A technically secured level crossing with 3 St. Andrew's crosses and 2 signals So 16 is assigned to the station.

Web links

• Official website of the Park Railway Vatterode

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Festschrift 15 years of the pioneer railway “Young Life” Vatterode , 1982 edition, p. 3
2. ^ Festschrift 15 years of the pioneer railway "Young Life" Vatterode , 1982 edition, p. 4
3. ↑ Festschrift 15 years of the pioneer railway “Young Life” Vatterode , 1982 edition, p. 7
4. ↑ Mansfeld Echo, issue 2/96 of 18 April 1996
5. ↑ Parkeisenbahn Vatterode - The little one in the Vorharz. Accessed March 31, 2018 . 
6. ↑ Sachse gets the Parkbahn am Teich rolling again , mz-web.de, May 21, 2010, accessed May 22, 2010