Fichtelberg Railway
| Fichtelberg Railway | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hüttenbachtal viaduct by Oberwiesenthal
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| Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Narrow gauge railway | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Termini |
Cranzahl Oberwiesenthal |
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| Line number | 6964 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | July 20, 1897 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator(s) | Royal Saxon State Railways, Deutsche Reichsbahn, DR, Deutsche Bahn, Saxon Steam Railway Company | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Depot(s) | Cranzahl | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line length | 17.349 km (10.78 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minimum radius | 100 m (328.1 ft) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating speed | 30 km/h (19 mph) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maximum incline | 33‰ or 3.3 % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Route number | 518 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Fichtelberg Railway (German: Fichtelbergbahn) is a 750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in) narrow gauge railway that leads from the standard gauge international line at Cranzahl to the ski resort of Oberwiesenthal in the Erzgebirge mountains in eastern Germany. It takes its name from the Fichtel Mountain near Oberwiesenthal.
After the Zschopau Valley Railway from Chemnitz to Chomutov was opened in 1872, plans were made to also connect the former mining town of Oberwiesenthal to the Saxon Railway system. The requirements and qualifications to build a narrow gauge railway from Cranzahl were already fulfilled by 1884, but it wasn't until April 6 of 1896 that construction started. The railway opening took place on July 20, 1897. By the end of that year, 67,756 passengers (and 57 dogs) had already traveled on the new railway.
Passenger count increased in the following years, and tourism played an increasing role in the passenger count. Freight traffic also increased significantly. Until 1906, freight had to be transloaded in Cranzahl, since then transporter wagons made the extra cargo handling unnecessary. The biggest cargo customer - even until the mid-1990s - was the quarry in Hammerunterwiesenthal, requiring around 30 freight cars daily.
After 1990 the railway lost its status as the most important carrier into Oberwiesenthal (which is the highest town in Germany), and in 1992 freight service was terminated. After 1994, the Deutsche Bahn became the new owner, and planned to either dismantle the railway, or sell it.
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Wikipedia