Oberweißbacher Bergbahn

Passenger waggon of cable railway

Service

Route number

563

Technical

Line length

3.986 km (2.477 mi)

Track gauge

1,800 mm (5 ft 107⁄8 in) and 1,435 mm (4 ft 81⁄2 in)

Operating speed

30 km/h (19 mph) max. (standard gauge section).
5.75 km/h (3.57 mph) max. (funicular section).

Maximum incline

25 %^[1]

Route map

Legend

	Schwarzatalbahn from Katzhütte
	Railway turntable
0,000	Obstfelderschmiede	339 m
	Schwarzatalbahn to Rottenbach
0,676	Passing loop of cable railway

1,351	Lichtenhain/Bergbahn	662 m

	Railway turntable and operating station
	Bergbahnstraße
	Oberweißbacher Straße (Kreisstraße 26)
	Wirtschaftsweg
3,006	Oberweißbach-Deesbach	664 m
	Wirtschaftsweg
3,986	Cursdorf	678 m
	Non-revenue track
	Is used to transfer standard gauge vehicles on the goods waggon

The Oberweißbacher Bergbahn is a German railway in the Thuringian Highland, Thuringia. Since 1922 it connects Obstfelderschmiede (Mellenbach-Glasbach) with the village Lichtenhain, Oberweißbach and Cursdorf. The train consists of 1.351 km broad gauge cable railway and connects to a 2.635 km standard gauge electrified adhesion railway.^[2]

History

Both railways are operationally closely linked. Since January 1982 the Oberweissbacher-Bergbahn is a historical monument.^[3] The railway is operated by Deutsche Bahn AG and offers about thirty rides every half-hour from 5:30 am to 8:00 pm.

Operation

This funicular is unusual because instead of using two purpose-built passenger vehicles, it only features one. The other vehicle is a flat wagon that is designed to carry a single standard gauge passenger car, freight wagon or locomotive between the conventional railway systems at the bottom and the top. At the top, both vehicles pull into a passenger halt at Lichtenhain/Bergbahn, but the standard gauge track on the flat wagon can interface with the standard gauge railway.

At the bottom, there is a turnout that sends the two vehicles into separate termini. The passenger vehicle is directed into a conventional funicular passenger halt, but the flat wagon is directed to interface with a turntable on the Schwartzatalbahn adjacent to Obstfelderschmiede station. In normal day-to-day passenger service, the flatbed vehicle is loaded with a dedicated passenger car carrying the Oberweißbacher Bergbahn branding. Passenger access to this car is provided at the terminus.^[4]

Obstfelderschmiede station
Lichtenhain station
Oberweißbach station
Cursdorf station
A passenger car being transported on the funicular
An alternative cabriolet passenger car
View of Obstfeldschmiede termini showing the turntable

References

^ DB leaflet Bahnfahren und Wandern im Schwartzatal (in German though the gradient reads the same)
^ "Oberweißbacher Berg- und Schwarzatalbahn". www.oberweissbacher-bergbahn.com. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
^ "Technical Sheet (German)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-11-23.
^ Publication: Bergbahn-Zeiten-eine Reise in Bildern (in German) ISBN 3-935961-03-0