Tram of the municipality of Steglitz

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The tram of the community of Steglitz , also called Grunewaldbahn (GWB), was the tram operator of the then rural community of Steglitz near Berlin . On November 2, 1905, the standard-gauge line was opened from Steglitz station westwards to the edge of the Grunewald . In 1912 it was extended eastward to the intersection of Birkbuschstrasse and Siemensstrasse, now the line was 5.13 kilometers long.

On October 1, 1920, as a result of the Greater Berlin Act , the railway became the property of the City of Berlin; on April 16, 1921, it was incorporated into the Berlin tram . From January 2, 1922, the line was connected to the rest of the network via switch connections at the Steglitz town hall. From then on, both branches of the route traveled on different lines, which were then led together via Schloßstraße into the inner city of Berlin. The western branch was closed on October 1, 1959, and the eastern branch followed on May 2, 1963.

Course of the Grunewaldbahn in the Berlin tram network

history

Prehistory and construction

Railcar 3 as an opening train with guests of honor in front of the Biological Reichsanstalt , 1905

At the end of the 19th century, Steglitz grew into a villa suburb in the southwest of Berlin. From 1894 the community tried to connect the newly developed areas in the west of the village to the railway. The first plans were for a tram line from Steglitz station via Dahlem to the Grunewald hunting lodge . However, the Prussian forestry treasury had expressed concerns about these plans and thus stopped the project. In the meantime, plans arose to implement the route in the form of a " trackless railway " instead of a tram. In 1902, the Steglitz community assembly decided to build a shortened route from the train station to the edge of the Grunewald. A seven-member commission was elected to work out the further details.

The first negotiations with the Westliche Berliner Vorortbahn (WBV), whose lines already ran over the Steglitz area, were unsuccessful because the company did not consider the route to be profitable enough. The support of Siemens & Halske , a cost contribution from the Dahlem domain and a donation from a stranger ultimately led to the project being realized. On November 11, 1904, the community assembly passed the resolution to build an electric tram from the train station to the Grunewaldgatter in Dahlem. Siemens & Halske was commissioned to carry out the construction in the summer of 1905. The costs for the construction of the line and a depot with workshop as well as for the vehicles were estimated at 330,000  marks .

The first years of operation

Railcar 2 in front of the Steglitz town hall , around 1908
Balance 1906–1908
year revenue expenditure grants
1906 44,134 M 78,030 M. 33,896 M
1907 50,701 M 88,046 M. 37,345 M.
1908 57,653 M. 90,733 M. 33,080 M.

After about half a year of construction, the line was inspected by the state police on December 2, 1905 at 10 a.m. The official opening of the runway was at 2 p.m. and public traffic was free until 11 p.m. Regular operations started the following day. The municipality had to pay the operator 27.5 pfennigs per kilometer for the first 130,000 kilometers of wagons, and 25.5 pfennigs per kilometer for services beyond that. The mileage of the sidecar was charged as half a railcar kilometers. Initially, five railcars and four trailer cars were available for operation. These ran from 6 a.m. to after midnight every 20 minutes, later a ten-minute cycle was introduced. The journey took about 13 minutes in one direction. Especially in excursion traffic on the weekends, the railway was heavily used, less during the week. The name "Barometerbahn" quickly caught on in the vernacular.

In operation of the Teltower Kreisbahnen

Grunewaldbahn ticket from 1909
Grunewaldbahn timetable from November 1, 1911

From April 1, 1909, the Teltower Kreisbahnen (TKB) took over the management. In 1910, the rapidly growing community of Steglitz began building its own power station on Birkbuschstrasse near the Teltow Canal . This should supply both the community and the railway with electricity. Thereupon the route was extended over the Kuhligkshof and the Birkbuschstraße to the intersection Siemensstraße. On August 17, 1912, the extension could be released for regular traffic; the total travel time on the now 5.1 km long route was around 22 minutes. The extension ensured that the railway now generated a surplus. Previously, the community had to compensate for the missing income with grants.

Until 1912, the fare was a uniform 10 pfennigs for the entire route, and no partial route tickets were issued. In addition, monthly tickets were issued for 4 marks, monthly tickets for schoolchildren and students for 3 marks, and weekly worker tickets for 60 pfennigs. The latter were only valid on working days until 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. After the route was extended, a total fare of 15 pfennigs was charged. Section tickets at the price of 10 Pfennig were valid for the sections Birkbuschstrasse at the corner of Siemensstrasse - Grunewaldstrasse at the corner of Kaiser-Wilhelm-Strasse (today: Schmidt-Ott-Strasse) and Steglitz station - Grunewald. From this time on, there were also tickets with authorization to transfer between the Grunewaldbahn and the TKB routes. As a result of inflation , there was a sharp rise in fares during the First World War and the following years. On December 1st, a single ticket cost 50 pfennigs, a trading card 3.50 marks, the monthly ticket 30 marks, the student monthly ticket 12 marks and the worker weekly ticket 4 marks.

In operation of the Berlin tram

On October 1, 1920, as a result of the Greater Berlin Act , the tram became the property of the City of Berlin. The Berlin tram took over the Grunewaldbahn as well as the Teltower Kreisbahnen on April 16, 1921. At that time also the changeover of the power supply from bracket to roller pantograph also falls . From November 5, the line was temporarily assigned line number E. After installing a switch connection at Rathausplatz (today: Hermann-Ehlers-Platz ), trains coming from Dahlem ran as line 24 from January 2, 1922, while those coming from Birkbuschstraße initially ran as line 59, later as line 169 directly to downtown Berlin. After the inflation-related cessation of tram traffic in Berlin on September 9, 1923, no trams ran on the Grunewaldbahn route for about half a year. The Dahlem branch was served by line 43 from March 18, 1924, the section through Birkbuschstrasse by line 45 from March 31, 1924.

The western terminus in front of the Arndt-Gymnasium was given up on September 23, 1929 and the line was extended to Kronprinzenallee (now Clayallee ). From November 15, 1934, service was taken over by line 40. On October 18, 1936, the terminal was relocated to Kronprinzenallee and a track connection to the Roseneck was established. Towards the end of the Second World War , the Dahlem branch was no longer served outside of rush hour. The war-related cessation of operations followed in April 1945.

After a break of around one and a half years, the Grunewald Railway was put back into operation on September 16, 1946 and served along its entire length by line 40. There was also line 44, which ran the section between Rathausplatz and Birkbuschstraße. The eastern end point was initially on the Teltow Canal, as the canal bridge there was destroyed. On January 15, 1948, the bridge was restored and the terminal at the corner of Birkbuschstrasse and Siemensstrasse was serviced again. Between April 5 and April 12, 1948, line 40 was the first tram line in Berlin to switch from roller to bracket pantographs.

Shutdown

On October 1, 1959, the Dahlem branch was shut down and the services of line 40 were taken over by the A68 bus line. The rush of passengers was so high that the otherwise ten-minute journey from Dahlem to Steglitz town hall took half an hour. Line 44 operated on the old east branch until May 3, 1961, was then rerouted via Hindenburgdamm and Schützenstrasse due to the construction of the west bypass and finally closed on May 2, 1963. From then on, it was operated by the A86 bus line.

Infrastructure

Route description

In the Birkbuschstrasse 50 years after it was closed, nothing is reminiscent of a tram in 2010

The line built by the municipality of Steglitz had a length of 3.2 kilometers when operations began in 1905. The route began at the Kuhligkshof in front of the Steglitz train station and led via Albrechtstrasse, Rathausplatz, Grunewaldstrasse and Königin-Luise-Strasse to the Arndt-Gymnasium on Grunewaldgatter. At the corner of Albrecht and Schloßstraße, the railway crossed the WBV tracks. Since the streets were at an inconvenient angle to each other, one of the first traffic mirrors was installed here in 1916 . The section between the train station and Königin-Luise-Platz was double-tracked. There was a turnout halfway on the single-track section. Both terminal stops were designed as coupling terminals .

From 1912 the length of the route with the double-track extension to Birkbuschstrasse at the corner of Siemensstrasse was 5.13 kilometers; at the same time, the section from Königin-Luise-Platz to Grunewaldgatter was given a second track. At the intersection of Birkbuschstraße / Schützenstraße, it crossed the TKB tracks. At the new terminal in Birkbuschstrasse there was also a coupling terminal for the trains to sweep. The total length including the depot tracks is given for 1916 with a length of 11.03 kilometers. The power was supplied via overhead lines at 600 volts direct current.

Depots and energy supply

The original depot was not far from the Steglitz train station at Kuhligkshof. For this purpose, the community leased a plot of land measuring 805 square meters and paid 500 marks annually, from 1910 onwards 800 marks. The necessary energy was fed in by the Berlin suburb electricity works. The depot was closed after the new depot opened in 1911 and demolished shortly afterwards. The Steglitz roundabout is located on the site today .

In 1910 and 1911, the community built its own power plant on Birkbuschstrasse at the level of the Teltow Canal . It served both the community's energy supply and the railway. A new car hall with a repair shop was built next to the power station. This depot was closed by the BVG in 1929 and the site including the power station was transferred to Bewag . The Berlin Energy Museum is now housed in the former Steglitz power station . The carriage hall, a steel framework structure, is no longer preserved, the workshop hall of the power plant is said to have originally been used by the tram depot.

Vehicle use

Railcar 2 in Steglitz, around 1906
Railcar 1 and sidecar 14 at Grunewaldgatter, around 1906

At the time of the takeover by the Berlin tram, the Grunewaldbahn had nine multiple units and nine sidecars. The vehicles were painted light yellow. The lettering Steglitz - Grunewald and the coat of arms of the rural community of Steglitz were affixed to the lower ribbon of the window . Signs above the side windows indicated the course of the line. All cars were electrically heated.

Railcar 1–5

The railcars 1–5 were manufactured for the opening at Waggonbau Busch in Bautzen . The two-axle cars had open entry platforms and six side windows. Inside they offered 18 seats, which were arranged diagonally and lined with carpeting, as well as standing room for 15. After 1914, the cars were used on the Groß-Lichterfelde Süd train station - Handelplatz of the Teltower Kreisbahnen. In 1921 they were temporarily given car numbers 4306–4310. In 1924/1925 the meter gauge network was re-gauged and renumbered to 4344 II –4347 II and 4348. After the meter gauge network was abandoned in 1930, the cars were scrapped.

Railcar 6–9

To extend the route along Birkbuschstrasse, four railcars with closed platforms were procured from Gottfried Lindner AG in Ammendorf . Compared to their predecessors, the cars had 24 seats. From 1921 they were led under the numbers 4311–4314. In 1925 they received the Berlin standard platforms , and in 1934 the type designation TF 12/25 . After the operational division of the Berlin transport company, the four cars remained with BVG-West, where they were taken out of passenger traffic until 1950. Cars 4311 and 4313 then performed their service as A290 and A41 work cars and were finally retired by 1960.

Sidecar 11-14

Deutsche Bahn also ordered four sidecars from Busch at the opening. Like the railcars, the cars had open platforms and four side windows. The seats were made of wood and arranged transversely to offer space for 24 passengers. There was also standing room for 14. The cars were given the car numbers 1745–1748 when they were taken over by the Berlin tram and were retired in the mid-1920s.

Sidecar 15–16

For the excursion traffic on the weekends, the GWB procured two more sidecars (15-16) in 1910, which had six side windows and open platforms. After the takeover, the cars were given the car numbers 1749–1750 and were retired in the mid-1920s.

Sidecar 17–19

At the same time as the railcars 6–9, the sidecars 17–19 were procured from Busch. They were similar in structure to cars 15-16. In 1921 they were given the new car numbers 1751–1753. In 1925 they were renumbered 1490 II –1492 II and modernized two years later, with closed platforms. In 1934 they were given the type designation B 07/27 despite their year of construction in 1912 . This is due to the fact that the conversion took place at the same time with eight similar sidecars of the Teltower Kreisbahnen from 1907. Car 1490 II was lost in World War II, 1491 II came to BVG (West) in 1949 and was taken out of service there at the beginning of the 1950s. Car 1492 II came to the BVG (East) and was retired there in November 1965.

Work car

In addition to the 18 passenger cars, the Grunewaldbahn also had an explosive trailer and a salt car that could also be used as a snow plow.

Vehicle overview
Construction year Manufacturer No.
Steglitz
No.
(from 1921)
No.
(from 1925)
Whereabouts
1905 bush 1-5 4306-4310 4344 II -4347 II , 4348 1925 conversion to meter gauge; Retired in 1930
1912 Lindner 6-9 4311-4314 1949 Tw 4311–4313 for BVG (West);
1950 Tw 4311 and 4313 in ATw A290 and A41, Tw 4312 + 4314 retired 1960 ATw A41 + A290 retired;
1905 bush 11-14 1745-1748 retired around 1925
1910 Bush (?) 15-16 1749-1750 retired around 1925
1912 bush 17-19 1751-1753 1490 II -1492 II 1945 Bw 1490 II retired (lost in war);
1949 Bw 1491 II to BVG (West), retired 1949–56;
1949 Bw 1492 II to BVG (East), retired in 1965

literature

  • Uwe Kerl, Wolfgang Kramer: 100 years ago: The “Grunewaldbahn” . In: Berliner Verkehrsblätter . 52nd year, issue 12, 2005.
  • Wolfgang Kramer: 50 years of the Grunewaldbahn . In: Berliner Verkehrsblätter . 2nd year, issue 12, 1955.

Web links

Commons : Tram of the community of Steglitz  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Uwe Kerl, Wolfgang Kramer: 100 years ago: The "Grunewaldbahn" . In: Berliner Verkehrsblätter . No. 12 , 2005, p. 231-236 .
  2. ^ Wolfgang Kramer: 50 years of the Grunewald Railway . In: Berliner Verkehrsblätter . No. 12 , 1955, pp. 1-2 .
  3. Reinhard Schulz: Von der Rolle ... On the history of the overhead contact line and power collection systems in Berlin trams . In: Verkehrsgeschichtliche Blätter . No. 1 , 2003, p. 2-13 .
  4. ^ Hansjörg F. Zureck: The tram in Zehlendorf (1905-1959) . In: Berliner Verkehrsblätter . No. 11 , 2009, p. 207-210 .
  5. ^ Uwe Poppel: Traffic mirror in Steglitz - anno 1916 . In: Berliner Verkehrsblätter . No. 11 , 1980, pp. 226 .
  6. Sigurd Hilkenbach, Wolfgang Kramer: The trams in Berlin . 3. Edition. alba, Düsseldorf 1994, ISBN 3-87094-351-3 , p. 7-34 .
  7. Ditta Ahmadi, Christoph Kemming: List of tram depots . In: Berlin and its buildings . Part X Volume B (1) Local traffic. Ernst & Sohn, Berlin 1979, ISBN 3-433-00842-6 , pp. 262 .
  8. The fleet of the “Berliner Straßenbahn” . In: Berliner Verkehrsblätter . No. 11 , 1968, p. 152-162 .
  9. The work car of the Berlin tram from 1920 . In: Berliner Verkehrsblätter . No. 6 , 1967, p. 78-113 .
This version was added to the list of articles worth reading on November 27, 2010 .