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Karlsruhe, Germany: The Turmbergbahn

Description

At the eastern edge of Karlsruhe, the Turmberg (Tower Hill) overlooks the district of Durlach. Up its side climbs the Turmbergbahn, which was inaugurated on 1 May 1888, making it the oldest operating funicular railroad in Germany.

Like other funiculars, the Turmbergbahn's two cars are permanently attached to opposite ends of a cable so that they counterbalance each other, and must leave the upper and lower stations simultaneously. Originally the line was powered by gravity, using the water-ballast system. Each car had a water tank which was filled at the upper station and emptied at the lower station. The resulting imbalance in weight propelled both cars. Braking was provided by cogwheels underneath the cars which meshed with a rack between the rails.

During 1965-1966 the Turmbergbahn was modernized and its interesting propusion system was replaced with an electric motor (located at the upper station) which drives the cable. Instead of two independent tracks as before, the line now has a single track with a passing siding at the midpoint. It is 315 meters long and rises a vertical distance of 100 meters. The grade varies with the slope of the ground, reaching a maximum of 36%.

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Pictures

These pictures were taken on 17 June 2004.

[picture] The lower station of the Turmbergbahn is a short walk from the terminus of streetcar routes 1 and 8 in Durlach. Looking up the aptly named Bergbahnstraße we can see the lower station, and the tower at the top of the hill.

[picture] A closer view of the lower station.

[picture] Car #1 waits at the lower station.

[picture] The operator's control panel at the upper station. The system can also be controlled from inside the cars, allowing one-person operation, as on my visit.

[picture] Looking down on the upper station from the observation tower.

[picture] The terrace at the upper station gives a good view of Durlach, with central Karlsruhe in the distance and the track in the foreground.

[picture] The two cars pass at the midpoint of the track.

[picture] From the window of the upper station we can get a full-length view of the track. Both cars must always operate, in order to counterbalance each other. However, when traffic is light, only one car carries passengers, so that only one person is needed to operate the line. The other car carries a sign that translates as: "Please do not board! Passenger service in the other car."

[picture] At the upper station, the operator is about to board the car to carry its solitary passenger down the hill.

[picture] Interior of one of the cars.

This page was last updated on 19 August 2007.

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