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Heidenau–Kurort Altenberg railway

The Heidenau–Kurort Altenberg railway, also known in German as the Müglitztalbahn ("Müglitz Valley Railway") is a German railway in Saxony. Branching off the Elbe Valley Railway, it connects the town of Heidenau near Dresden with the towns of Glashütte and Altenberg in the Ore Mountains, where it terminates. The total length is 38 km, with a total incline of 634 meters.[2] The scenic track follows primarily the Müglitz river, passing the towns of Dohna, Glashütte and Geising.

Heidenau–Kurort Altenberg railway
Overview
Native nameMüglitztalbahn
Line number6605
LocaleSaxony, Germany
Termini
Service
Route number246, 246.1
Operator(s)Deutsche Reichsbahn, DR, Deutsche Bahn
History
Opened1938 (standard gauge)
Technical
Line length38.00 km (23.61 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Old gauge750 mm (2 ft 5+12 in)
Minimum radius139 m (456.0 ft)
Operating speed70 km/h (43 mph)
Maximum incline36
Route map

0.000
Heidenau
120 m
0.086
Güterbahnhofstraße (13 m)
0.665
Staatsstraße 172 (23 m)
2.580
Dohna (Sachs)
134 m
2.841
Gamiger Straße (10 m)
3.561
Sürßener Weg (35 m)
4.360
Dohna Fluorchemie siding
4.710
Köttewitz
165 m
5.233
Köttewitz Viaduct (92 m)
5.420
Köttewitz Tunnel (198 m)
5.820
Weesenstein
171 m
5.922
Müglitztal Bridge (52 m)
6.095
Weesenstein Tunnel (240 m)
6.229
Müglitz bridge (16 m)
6.332
Müglitz bridge (13 m)
7.176
Müglitz bridge (45 m)
7.617
Müglitz bridge (68 m)
7.990
Burkhardswalde-Maxen
188 m
8.572
Müglitz bridge (30 m)
8.797
Müglitz bridge (22 m)
9.062
Müglitz bridge (14 m)
9.420
Vereinigte Zellstofffabriken Pirna - Peschelmühle siding
10.080
Mühlbach (b Pirna)
205 m
10.301
Müglitz bridge (11 m)
10.386
Mühlgraben bridge (11 m)
11.219
Müglitz bridge (32 m)
12.674
Müglitz bridge (72 m)
13.340
Niederschlottwitz
238 m
13.610
Agrochemisches Zentrum siding
13.667
Gießerei und Maschinenbau Schlottwitz siding
13.880
Müglitz bridge (13 m)
14.747
Müglitz bridge (14 m)
15.540
Oberschlottwitz
269 m
15.651
Müglitz bridge (66 m)
17.066
Müglitz bridge (40 m)
17.533
Müglitz bridge (13 m)
17.658
Müglitz bridge (17 m)
18.178
Brückenmühle Tunnel (Pilz tunnel; 292 m)
18.373
Müglitz bridge ( m)
18.809
crossing (11 m)
18.921
Müglitz bridge( m)
18.745
Am Kohlsteig (15 m)
19.006
Glashütte (Sachs)
320 m
PAKA Glashütte siding
19.508
Müglitz bridge (10 m)
20.815
Gleisberg Tunnel (539 m)
21.113
Müglitz bridge (69 m)
21.275
Müglitz bridge (64 m)
21.483
Müglitz bridge (76 m)
22.014
Müglitz bridge (67 m)
22.280
Bärenhecke-Johnsbach
388 m
22.680
BHG Mühle und Brotfabrik Bärenhecke siding
23.848
Müglitz bridge (14 m)
24.940
Bärenstein (b Glashütte (Sachs))
418 m
25.842
Müglitz bridge (15 m)
26.343
Müglitz bridge (17 m)
26.55
Sägewerk Bärenstein siding
27.644
Müglitz bridge (21 m)
27.803
crossing (14 m)
28.226
Müglitz bridge (14 m)
28.480
Lauenstein (Sachs)
471 m
29.440
Rotes Wasser bridge (17 m)
30.320
Hartmannmühle
522 m
30.870
Ostdeutsche Hartsteinwerke siding
32.278
Geising tunnel (235 m)
35.530
Geising bridge (76 m)
32.680
Geising
590 m
36.130
Geisingberg-Sprungschanze
699 m
38.004
Kurort Altenberg (Erzgeb)
757 m
Source: German railway atlas[1]

The railway was initially a narrow gauge railway, which was opened on 17 November 1890. Between 1935 and 1938, the tracks were graded and converted to standard gauge.[2]

Passenger transport services are operated on behalf of Verkehrsverbund Oberelbe by Städtebahn Sachsen since 12 December 2010 following a retendering of the transport services. The rail infrastructure is operated by DB Netz, the stations are run by DB Station&Service.

History edit

In the middle of the 19th century, an industrial boom, supported by small and medium-sized enterprises, began in the Müglitz valley, which coincided with the beginning of the manufacture of watches in Glashütte (1845). In addition, a number of smaller production facilities in the wood and paper industry were built after Friedrich Gottlob Keller invented a method for making paper from wood pulp in 1843. Along the Müglitz numerous small paper and paper industries were established, including large paper factories such as the Peschelmühle near Burkhardswalde and the Pappenfabrik Glashütte (1886). Also metalworking plants such as the Schlottwitz machine factory and iron foundry in Glashütte (1874). The upturn in the industrial economy was closely linked to the growing industries in the Dresden Basin, which depended on supplies from the surrounding area. The transport systems were not able to cope with the increased requirements (access to raw materials, transport of finished products), so that between 1846 and 1864, the Müglitz valley road was extended and rebuilt.

In the medium term, however, the valley road was hardly able to cope with ever-increasing quantities of goods, especially as the demand for cheap lignite rose for the operation of steam boilers. Since horse-drawn carts were unable to match the capacity, speed and costs of the railway, manufacturers, merchants, trade associations and representatives of the cities demanded the construction of a railway line from 1865. It would connect the municipalities in the Müglitz valley to the Dresden–Bodenbach line and the lignite deposits of the North Bohemian Basin via the Ore Mountains. In December 1887, the Saxon Landtag (parliament) agreed to the construction of the railway, as the competitiveness of the companies in the valley diminished markedly in the 1880s due to poor accessibility. Plans, which provided, among other things, for lines via Lockwitz–Kreischa–Schlottwitz or PirnaZehistaLiebstadt–Schlottwitz could not be realised and the factories in the lower Müitz valley were not connected. The permit was therefore given for the construction of a complete valley railway from Mügeln bei Pirna (now a district of Heidenau) to Geising. It was designed as a 750 mm gauge railway to make it easier to follow the curves of the valley and to provide numerous connections. A continuation to Bohemia did not occur because the transit traffic was considered to be insufficient and would have been difficult to finance the technically complex route through Bohemia that would have been required by the steep descent following the crossing of the Ore Mountains.

The narrow-gauge railway from 1890 to 1939 edit

 
Water house in Bärenstein from 1890

After two years of construction, with up to 1100 workers per month, the line was put into operation on 17 November 1890. It was 36.1 km long and overcame a difference in height of 470 m. The narrow and winding valley made considerable demands on the route selection. Of the total length, 86% was uphill (31 km) and 40% was in curvy sections (14.5 km). The Geising Viaduct was at 65 m long, the longest of the 57 bridges built. For the time being, Altenberg did not have a connection to the railway, as there was insufficient finance and no suitable locomotives available for the steep Geising–Altenberg section. Geising station was officially given the double name of "Geising-Altenberg", although the hill town hardly gained any benefit, since it was about 3 km away from and 160 metres in altitude above Geising. Despite this small "flaw", the railway was greeted by the valley inhabitants with festivals, fireworks and gun salutes. The first timetable provided for four daily train pairs; the travel time for the entire route was 150 minutes, a one-way trip in second class cost 2.30 Marks.

 
Dohna: station with train on the narrow gauge line in May 1912

The total of 3.6 million Marks spent on the railway contributed significantly to the economic boom of the neighbouring communities. As early as 1895, 14 industrial plants were connected by branches. In addition to the finished products, lignite, wood pulp, straw, paper, wood and bricks have been transported. From the 1920s, ice blocks were carried in winter from the Große Galgenteich lake near Altenberg to the Dresden cold stores. Passenger traffic was also significant. Numerous hikers took advantage of the railway to travel from Dresden and the Dresden Basin into the Ore Mountain area, which developed into a summer resort. The snow safety of the upper levels has also given the railway significant winter sport traffic since the turn of the century. As a result, it developed into one of the most economic routes in the Saxonian narrow-gauge railway network. Because of the heavy freight traffic, there were even proposals in 1914 for the operational separation of goods and passenger traffic on the Mügeln–Weesenstein section by the construction of a second railway. However, these plans were not implemented due to the post-war economic crisis. Instead, the extension of the line to Altenberg became the focus of interest. The town repeatedly proposed an extension of the railway. Various plans would have seen a continuation from Geising via Altenberg to Moldava, Hermsdorf, Kipsdorf or Frauenstein.

Heidenau–Altenberg (Narrow gauge)
Overview
Native nameMüglitztalbahn
Termini
Service
TypeNarrow gauge railway
Operator(s)Royal Saxon State Railways and Deutsche Reichsbahn
History
Opened17 November 1890
Technical
Track gauge750 mm (2 ft 5+12 in)
Route map

 
0.000
Mügeln b.P. (Heidenau from 1920)
(transfer to the Dresden–Děčín railway)
120 m
 
2.366
Dohna (Sachs)
134 m
 
4.640
Köttewitz
151 m
 
6.340
Weesenstein
166 m
 
8.840
Burkhardswalde-Maxen
188 m
 
11.010
Häselich
206 m
 
14.210
Niederschlottwitz
237 m
 
16.430
Oberschlottwitz
260 m
 
19.510
Dittersdorf
304 m
 
20.690
Glashütte (Sachsen)
319 m
 
23.440
Schüllermühle
354 m
 
25.700
Bärenhecke-Johnsbach
384 m
 
28.320
Bärenstein
418 m
 
31.890
Lauenstein
471 m
 
33.850
Hartmannmühle
522 m
 
36.009
Geising
(Geising-Altenberg until 1923)
590 m
 
39.600
Geisingberg-Sprungschanze
(1933–1941)
700 m
 
41.540
Altenberg/Erzgeb.
(from 1923)
754 m
Source: German railway atlas[1]
 
Glashütte: Devastation after the 1927 flood

The government did not support these projects because of high construction costs and the low revenues expected. The 1914 proposal for an extension to Altenberg failed at the beginning of the First World War, but was then started as an emergency project in 1919. Within four years the 5.5 km-long roundabout line from Geising via the Geisingberg to Altenberg was opened on 10 November 1923. Large sections of the railway line were destroyed during a devastating flood on 8 July 1927.

Conversion to standard gauge edit

Because of the steadily increasing transport demand after the Great Depression, Deutsche Reichsbahn decided to rebuild the line as standard gauge in 1934. This project was implemented between 1935 and December 1938. The Heidenau-Lauenstein section was completely redesigned; on the rest of the section to Altenberg, only the radius of the curve was enlarged. As a result, the line was approximately 3 km shorter.

 
North portal of the Weesenstein Tunnel

With the commencement of services on the standard gauge track in 1938, the number of road and track crossings and thus the danger of accidents were markedly reduced despite the increasing road traffic, but the Niederschlottwitz–Glashütte section was not accessible until April 1939. The flood risk also declined due to the raising of the line, although not on all sections of the line. However, the creation of a profitable basis for freight transport and improvements in passenger services were more important. For Deutsche Reichsbahn, the railway was the "new gateway to the eastern Ore Mountains", which made the Altenberg winter sport region "a sports ground at the gates of the national capital". The travel time for passenger services was shortened significantly, Altenberg was approximately 70 minutes from Dresden, about 160 minutes from Leipzig and about 180 minutes from Berlin.

During the Second World War edit

The outbreak of the Second World War strongly restricted tourism. Because of the lack of coal, only three to five pairs of passenger trains operated every day, but the number of railcars from regions affected by air warfare was increasing. At the end of the Second World War there were fighting in the Müglitz Valley between Soviet and German troops. In April 1945, the railway installations in Glashütte, Bärenhecke-Johnsbach and Altenberg were damaged by strafing. In the last days of the war in May 1945 further damage occurred during air raids on Altenberg and Glashütte. Parts of the 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg used the Müglitz Valley as a retreat to northern Bohemia and planned the demolition of the Weesenstein tunnel. The derailment of a military train at Bärenstein on 7 May, as well as the rapid Soviet advance, prevented the planned destruction of the operationally important railway.

After the Second World War edit

 
Entrance to Kurort Altenberg station

Although the Müglitz Valley Railway survived the Second World War largely intact apart from isolated damage in some railway stations, the enterprise was difficult in the early post-war years. On the other hand, there was an acute shortage of rollingstock as on all other lines. Class 84 locomotives were used for the transport of uranium in the Western Ore Mountains and passenger cars of the "Altenberg" class were used for express services. On the other hand, the track of the line had been built between 1935 and 1938 out of reused materials due to the scarcity of raw materials, and the material shortage of the immediate post-war years made the urgently necessary renewal difficult. From 1949/50, it was possible to speak of an initial normalisation of traffic, which included, among other things, the reinstatement of the first winter sports traffic. In the passenger and freight transport sector of the early 1950s, the operations of the uranium ore mining operation of the SDAG Wismut company near Bärenhecke played an important role between 1948 and 1954. All in all, rail traffic reached considerable proportions again. In the mid-1960s, at least 14 plants were connected to nine freight lines, including metal, chemical and paper processing companies in Dohna (VEB Druckguss Heidenau and VEB Chemiewerke Dohna). In passenger transport, it was used by hikers as well as increasingly by commuters to the Dresden Basin.

 
Passenger train in Altenberg station (1992)

Since the beginning of the 1960s, Deutsche Reichsbahn has been trying to increase the transport performance and profitability of the railways by the use of railcars, double-deck wagons and diesel locomotives. While the operation of the former succeeded only to a limited extent, the diesel traction increasingly took over operations from the mid-1960s onwards with the class 110. This locomotive class took over operations on the Müglitz Valley Railway from 1967. At the same time, there were considerations of abandoning operations, in particular freight, on part or even all of the line. This was an issue particularly after the flooding in October 1966 of Geising station with a wave carrying sludge and gravel, which had escaped after the failure of the drainage system of VEB Zinnerz Altenberg. In addition, the railway was affected by increased the competition from private cars. This, however, was probably the reason for a shift in transport services to the already heavily used streets, especially in the winter months on the Dresden–Altenberg and Heidenau–Altenberg routes. Nevertheless, freight traffic declined in the following decades and focused on the section between Heidenau and Köttewitz. The route was maintained as a route for excursion traffic. In the winter months numerous special trains were used, connecting Altenberg directly with Dresden, Cottbus, Halle (Saale), Leipzig, Riesa and Hoyerswerda.

In the mid-1970s there were serious plans to electrify the line. The electrification was to be carried out by Czechoslovak State Railways (ČSD) in May 1976 after completion of work on the Elbe Valley Railway between Dresden and Schöna. Technically, it would have been easy to carry out, since all the tunnels have the rail profile necessary for the catenary installation. The project was not implemented for unknown reasons.[3]

Decline and refurbishment to 1990 edit

 
Train moving down the incline at Geising (2008)

In July 1990, the Müglitz Valley Railway celebrated the 100th anniversary of the opening of its route. The economic upheaval that began as a result of German reunification put the continuation of operations on the line into question again. A number of industrial enterprises were closed between Heidenau and Altenberg at the beginning of the 1990s. In 1991 the VEB Zinnerz Altenberg factory was closed. Other companies were able to continue their production only to a much lesser extent. As a result, the railways lost a large part of the freight volume within a few years. The decline in traffic volume was exacerbated by the sudden increase in competition between road and rail fieight transport as well as rail passenger transport. This negative development led to the closure of the freight operations south of Köttewitz (where there is a siding to the Fluorchemie factory) in 1995. Due to the uncertain future of the route, Deutsche Bahn failed to carry out necessary investments and only remediated wear and tear. As a result of this and the further decline in passenger numbers, the decommissioning of the entire line for safety reasons was considered in 1997. Also, the timetable introduced in that year was operationally unstable during the peak hours and its regular-interval timetable of services every two hours was unattractive.

It was only when the Verkehrsverbund Oberelbe, the local public transport utility, took over the line and awarded a contract to DB for the operation of train services for 15 years that a general restoration took place in 1998/99. The expenditure of €15 to 20 million enabled a thorough renewal of the railways and thus the elimination of numerous speed restrictions. In addition, DB used modern Siemens Desiro sets. With a reduction of travel times of60 minutes, services running every to 60 or 90 minutes and the use of new technology, there was a considerable increase in passenger numbers. The rehabilitated railway achieved patronage of about 1,200 to 2,000 passengers a day and thus proved its profitability. It was not only important for tourists, but also for student and commuter traffic.

 
The ruined track in Schlottwitz after the 2002 flood

As early as 1897, during the floods in the Eastern Ore Mountains of 1927 as well as in 1954, 1957, 1958 and 1966, serious flood damage occurred along the line, but this was by no means as great as the 2002 floods. Between 12 and 14 August 2002 enormous masses of water were discharged above the crest of the Eastern Ore Mountains. In Zinnwald-Georgenfeld, 406 mm of rain fell in this time, almost half of the annual average precipitation. The torrential rain turned the Müglitz into a torrential stream, devastating almost the entire valley. The situation was exacerbated by the break-up of the only flood retention basin in the Brießnitz valley, which is located above Glashütte. For the third time after 1897 and 1927, the line was largely destroyed. The dams and bridges were submerged and heavily devastated by parts of structures that had broken away. The resulting total loss amounted to approximately €50 million.

 
Winter sports train in Kurort Altenberg station (2008)

On 11 December 2002, after the construction of 1888/90, the flood of 1927, the standardisation in 1934/39 and the rehabilitation in 1998/99, the fifth period of major works on the railway began, which was finished by 20 December 2003. The resumption of operations was celebrated with popular festivals; Altenberg alone welcomed around 2,000 people on the first train. Its journey was preceded by the construction of two bridges and the repair of a further 13 bridges and five railway stations. Within a very short time, the railway reached patronage levels similar than before the flood with about 1,000 passengers each day and thus proved its importance as a transport route through the Eastern Ore Mountains.

 
Regionalbahn service in Oberschlottwitz

At the end of December 2010, Regionalbahn RB72 (Heidenau–Kurort Altenberg) services were running on the line; there were additional Regional-Express RE19 (Dresden Hbf–Kurort Altenberg) services run on the weekends of the winter half year. A special feature of the route is that these additional trains are only run if the conditions are appropriate for winter sports. It is announced in the traditional media on Thursdays whether they are running. The 2008 timetable included a total of 14 pairs of regional railway train running between Heidenau and Altenberg. Apart from a few gaps in the morning, a regular-interval hourly service was offered on working days. On the weekends, services ran every two hours.

Current operation edit

The responsible authority for the provision of transport services in regional traffic is the Verkehrsverbund Oberelbe (VVO). After all transport services were retendered, they have been provided by the Städtebahn Sachsen since 12 December 2010. The services have been operated as SB72 and SE19 since then. It has a full-day regular-interval hourly service with trains crossing in Glashütte. On the weekends, the timetable remains unchanged with a two-hour cycle. In order to connect with the S-Bahn in Heidenau, the timetable has an unusual symmetry minute, which is approximately at 14 minute past the hour. Köttewitz, Weesenstein, Burkhardswalde-Maxen, Mühlbach (b Pirna), Oberschlottwitz, Bärenhecke-Johnsbach, Bärenstein (b Glashütte/Sachs) and Hartmannmühle stations are request stops. As in the past, additional direct trains are still operated between Dresden Hbf and Kurort Altenberg, only stopping at selected stations.[4][5]

From 10 December 2011 to 14 December 2014, the little used request stops of Köttewitz and Burkhardswalde-Maxen were not served. The reason for this was the construction of the S-Bahn tracks between Dresden-Neustadt and Coswig, which led to timetable changes. In order to speed up the trains and ensure connections in Heidenau, the VVO decided to drop the stops temporarily.[6]

On 2 June 2013, train operations had to be stopped again due to floods. In contrast to the flood in 2002, however, there was only minor damage, and the trains were able to return to schedule as of noon on 4 June.

Buildings edit

 
Sgraffito at Bärenstein station

During the reconstruction of the line in the 1930s, a great deal of importance was attached to the connection of the station buildings to the landscape. The goal was to create a smooth transition between the rural structures of the Dresden Basin and those of the eastern Ore Mountains. Even smaller halts were given individually designed wooden service buildings.

At the same time, a new slate-covered steep roof and the use of wood as a building material for all attachments, such as freight sheds and waiting rooms, are common to all the newly built station buildings. The red-painted window frames are also typical of the landscape. Some of the buildings–as in Burkhardswalde-Maxen and Lauenstein–are decorated with Sgraffito elements on the facades.

During the floods of August 2002, some of the station buildings of the line were badly affected.

Route description edit

 
Simplified height profile of the route

The route turns from Heidenau station southwards into the Müglitz valley and crosses the four-lane state road 172. Just before Dohna, it crosses Autobahn 17 and climbs the first significant slope before Köttewitz station. After the station, the Müglitz is crossed for the first time, followed immediately by the first and, at 198 metres, the longest of a total of four tunnels through spurs. Just after Weesenstein station, the route is shortened again by a second tunnel, 240 metres long. After Burkhardswalde-Maxen, the valley narrows for a short time and at 15.0 km between Niederschwottwitz and Oberschwottwitz, the line runs past the rock of the Schlottwitz agate lode. Again, the valley is shortened before Glashütte with the 292 metre-long Brückenmühle tunnel. After the station is the longest tunnel of the line, 539 metres long, and a two-lane concrete bridge, which is untypical of the Müglitz Valley Railway, is traversed at Bärenhecke-Johnsbach. From Lauenstein, the line leaves the Müglitz valley and follows the Roten Wasser (part of the Greifenbach) valley to the southwest towards Geising. The town itself is reached to the north through a 235-metre-long curving tunnel and a 76-metre-long bridge so that the line changes direction completely from running south to running north. The last section leaves the valley on the western slope and rounds the Geisingberg. Starting from kilometre 36.6, the steepest section begins with a gradient of 1:37.6.

Stations edit

Heidenau (50°58′52″N 13°51′29″E / 50.98111°N 13.85806°E / 50.98111; 13.85806)

The Müglitz Valley Railway begins in Heidenau station on the Děčín–Dresden-Neustadt railway. There is a connection to the Dresden S-Bahn line S1 (Meissen-Triebischtal – Schöna) and S2 (Dresden Flughafen – Pirna).

Dohna (Sachs) (50°57′40″N 13°51′20″E / 50.960992°N 13.855650°E / 50.960992; 13.855650)

 
Dohna (Sachs) station

Dohna (Sachs) station still has the entrance building from the narrow gauge period. Because of its great importance for passenger traffic, Dohna was integrated into the Dresden S-Bahn fare zone before German reunification. At times, the station, which is located in the Dohna lower town, was also planned as the terminus of an S-Bahn service, but this was not implemented.

Dohna Fluorchemie siding (50°56′48″N 13°51′26″E / 50.946692°N 13.857356°E / 50.946692; 13.857356)

The Dohna Fluorchemie siding is located beyond Dohna station just before Köttewitz station. The siding leading to a chemical plant in Dohna is the only one on the line still used for freight traffic.

Köttewitz (50°56′42″N 13°51′37″E / 50.944977°N 13.860336°E / 50.944977; 13.860336)

Köttewitz halt (German: Haltepunkt, that is a station without any points) is located just outside the town. Köttewitz is only a request stop because of the extremely low volume of passengers. From 10 December 2011 to 14 December 2013, Köttewitz was not served to save time in order to improve connections in Heidenau to the trains on line S1. Instead, a special bus served this halt from Heidenau or Mühlbach. The halt is beyond the approach signal to Dohna station and is thus operationally part of Dohna station.

Weesenstein (50°56′10″N 13°51′46″E / 50.936116°N 13.862669°E / 50.936116; 13.862669)

 
Weesenstein station (2008)

Weesenstein halt is now only a demand stop. The small service building is owned by Deutsche Bahn AG. The entrance building dates back to 1938.

Burkhardswalde-Maxen (50°55′31″N 13°50′19″E / 50.925346°N 13.838643°E / 50.925346; 13.838643)

 
Burkhardswalde-Maxen station (2008)

Burkhardswalde-Maxen halt is located just outside the villages of Burkhardswalde and Maxen. Today it has little traffic. Directly on the slope above the station are the formerly well-known Margon mineral water (Margonwasser) springs and the attached Schloss Gesundbrunnen ("healthy spring palace"). In the course of the restoration the line in 1998/99, the former station was restored as a halt.

The station building, which is heritage listed, is mainly known for its sgraffito decorations on its gable. These have their background in some events of the Seven Years' War that took place nearby. After the Battle of Maxen on 20 November 1759, the Prussian General von Finck surrendered and was captured by the Austrians, who were allied with Saxony, together with 14,000 men. Pictured are a Saxon grenadier and a Prussian Freikorps knight and above is the inscription "Anno 1759". In 2002, the flood waters of the Müglitz destroyed the station building's rear wooden freight platform. The structure was then demolished and not rebuilt.

Deutsche Bahn has offered the station building for sale for a few years, but so far without success. The building is empty and decaying.

Mühlbach (b Pirna) (50°54′51″N 13°49′08″E / 50.914271°N 13.818755°E / 50.914271; 13.818755) The current Mühlbach (b Pirna) halt is in an almost identical position to the station on the narrow gauge line. It was originally called Häselich after the neighbouring small village and was later called Häselich-Mühlbach. Since 15 May 1938, it has borne the present name.

The layout originally consisted of a continuous railway track with a platform and a loading track, which was connected at both ends, which was not included in the standardisation. The originally wooden waiting room was replaced in 1938 by a more formal, significantly enlarged building in the Heimatstil (“homeland style”, a German revivalist style), which is now used for residential purposes. During 1998/99, the separate passenger tracks were moved a few metres towards Heidenau and are no longer connected to the line.

Niederschlottwitz (50°53′23″N 13°48′40″E / 50.889586°N 13.811084°E / 50.889586; 13.811084)

 
Niederschlottwitz station (2015)

The former Niederschlottwitz station, now classified as a halt was built in 1938 on the site of the narrow-gauge station. The entrance building is almost the same as in Burkhardswalde and Bärenstein. The sgraffito on the gable represents a peasant couple that was typical for the area. The signal box was built in a contemporary style.

Niederschlottwitz was reclassified in 1999 after the extension of the second station track as a halt with block post. The elevated signal box served until the 2002 flood to protect the signal block and the neighbouring level crossing. The block post was not re-established after the flood and an automatic system is now used to secure the line.

Oberschlottwitz (50°52′14″N 13°48′52″E / 50.870533°N 13.814555°E / 50.870533; 13.814555)

 
Oberschlottwitz station

Oberschwottwitz halt was established in 1938 on the slope before the Müglitz Viaduct and is sited approximately on the location of the former narrow gauge station. The small, massive entrance building is built in the Heimatstil and is now unused.

Glashütte (Sachs) (50°51′05″N 13°46′57″E / 50.851356°N 13.782494°E / 50.851356; 13.782494)

 
Glashütte (Sachs) station

Glashütte (Sachs) station is now the only station on the line with a passing loop. When the new building was built in 1938, the entire station area was raised above flood level. A new entrance building was built; it now serves as Nomos Glashütte’s headquarters and production site.

Bärenhecke-Johnsbach (50°49′38″N 13°46′18″E / 50.827267°N 13.771682°E / 50.827267; 13.771682)

 
Bärenhecke-Johnsbach station

Bärenhecke-Johnsbach halt is located near the village of Bärenhecke, on the opposite side of the Müglitz, but has a very limited passenger traffic because of its great distance from the much larger village of Johnsbach. At the end of the 1990s, the entrance to the Bärenhecke mill and bakery was located at the stop.

Bärenstein (b Glashütte/Sachs) (50°48′34″N 13°47′41″E / 50.809514°N 13.794761°E / 50.809514; 13.794761)

 
Bärenstein station (2008)

The Förderverein für die Müglitztalbahn eV (“supporting association for the Müglitz Valley Railway”, which developed the station precincts into a museum with several buildings, had its headquarters in the "Bärenstein" station. After the insolvency of the association, the entrance building is now privately owned. Officially, the station is connected to an industrial spur, so that regular use by museum trains is possible. It is notable for having a waterhouse (for supplying water for steam trains) from the narrow-gauge era, which is the oldest in Saxony and which is still operational. A similar building exists in all of Saxony only at Burkhardswalde-Maxen halt and on the Pressnitz Valley Railway in Steinbach.

Lauenstein (Sachs) (50°47′10″N 13°48′52″E / 50.786191°N 13.814549°E / 50.786191; 13.814549)

The current Lauenstein (Sachs) halt was classified as a station until 1998/99, before it was an important passing point on the upper part of the line.

Hartmannmühle (50°46′42″N 13°47′32″E / 50.778345°N 13.792342°E / 50.778345; 13.792342)

 
Hartmannmühle station (2008)

It is still possible to find the wooden waiting room from the narrow-gauge era at Hartmannmühle halt. The Wildpark Osterzgebirge tourist attraction now lies opposite the stop. Because of the low traffic, Hartmannmühle is now only a request stop.

Geising (50°45′39″N 13°47′14″E / 50.760718°N 13.787247°E / 50.760718; 13.787247)

 
Geising station

The current Geising halt was the terminus of the narrow-gauge line until 1923 and called Geising-Altenberg station. In October 1966, Geising station was flooded with a mud and boulder wave that had escaped due to a damage to the drainage system of the washing plant of VEB Zinnerz Altenberg. The station was then returned to the station and the signal box was left open. The entrance building dates back to the narrow-gauge period. The only change with standardisation of the line in 1938 was the addition of a spacious waiting room. Today it is used for commercial purposes.

Geisingberg-Sprungschanze

The "Geisingberg-Sprungschanze" halt was only open between 1933 and 1941. It was only served at sporting events on the ski jumping hill on the Geisingberg.

Kurort Altenberg (Erzgeb) (50°46′00″N 13°45′15″E / 50.766533°N 13.754118°E / 50.766533; 13.754118)

 
Kurort Altenberg station (2009)

Kurort Altenberg station is the terminus of the Müglitz Valley Railway. It was built in 1938 at the same place as the old narrow-gauge station, however with a change in the angle of the tracks. Originally there were four platforms for winter sports, which were reduced to three after the 1999 rehabilitation of the track. The station has a covered structure that directly links to the suburban bus stop, which can also be used as a conference hall. The entrance building, which was destroyed in 1945 and later rebuilt, now belongs to the town of Altenberg, which uses it as a centre for tourist information and the operation of a cross-country ski trail.

Platform 1 was developed in 2013 with the federal funds from the Schienenwegeausbaugesetz (“railways extension act). It was raised to a platform height of 55 centimetres above the top edge of the rail and a given guidance system for the blind. The cost was over €240,000.[7]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland (German railway atlas). Schweers + Wall. 2009. ISBN 978-3-89494-139-0.
  2. ^ a b Müglitztalbahn official web site (in German)
  3. ^ Bernd Kuhlmann. Die Müglitztalbahn Heidenau – Altenberg (in German). p. 188.
  4. ^ 2011 timetable for route 246 – valid from 12 December 2010
  5. ^ 2012 timetable for route 246 – valid from 11 December 2011
  6. ^ Heike Sabel (22 July 2011). "Kein Halt in Köttewitz und Burkhardswalde". Sächsische Zeitung. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  7. ^ "Unknown" (Press release) (in German). VVO. 2 August 2013.

References edit

  • Bericht der unabhängigen Kommission der Sächsischen Staatsregierung zur Flutkatastrophe 2002 (in German). (Kirchbach report)
  • Wolfgang Dörschel; Volkmar Köckeritz (1979). "Hochwassergefährdung und Hochwasserschutz der Eisenbahnen im östlichen Erzgebirge". In transpress VEB Verlag für Verkehrswesen (ed.). Eisenbahn Jahrbuch 1980 (in German). Berlin. pp. 123–132.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Rainer Fischer (1998). Sekundärbahnen von Pirna nach Großcotta und Gottleuba (in German). Nordhorn: Verlag Kenning. ISBN 3-927587-38-9.
  • Wolfgang Fleischer (2004). Das Kriegsende in Sachsen 1945 (in German). Wölfersheim-Berstadt: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0798-7.
  • Herbert Koitzsch; et al. (1983). Die Müglitztalbahn (in German). Heidenau.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Bernd Kuhlmann (2000). Die normalspurige Müglitztalbahn Heidenau – Altenberg (in German). Nordhorn: Verlag Kenning. ISBN 3-933613-08-6.
  • Gerhardt Müller (1964). Zwischen Müglitz und Weisseritz. Ergebnisse der heimatkundlichen Bestandsaufnahme im Gebiet von Dippoldiswalde/Glashuette (in German). Vol. 8. Berlin: Werte der deutschen Heimat.
  • Pirnaer Anzeiger (1927). Die Hochwasser-Katastrophe im Gottleuba- und Müglitz-Tal in der Nacht des 8./9. Juli 1927 (in German). Pirna.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Reiner Preuss (1985). Die Müglitztalbahn (in German). Berlin: transpress VEB Verlag für Verkehrswesen.
  • "various". Sächsische Zeitung (in German) (Pirna ed.). (13/14 September 1997, 25/26 April 1998, 12 December 2002, 30 June 2003, 23 December 2004)
  • Sächsisches Landesamt für Umwelt und Geologie, ed. (2004). Ereignisanalyse. Hochwasser August 2002 in den Osterzgebirgsflüssen (pdf 4.1 MB) (in German). Dresden.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Bernd Kuhlmann (2012). Die Müglitztalbahn Heidenau – Altenberg. Die Zeit der Schmalspur und Normalspur (in German). Witzschdorf: Bildverlag Böttger GbR. ISBN 978-3937496-47-4.

External links edit

  • "Course of operation, and some permissible speeds". OpenRailwayMap. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  • "Official web site" (in German). Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  • "Heidenau - Kurort Altenberg (Erzgeb)" (in German). sachsenschiene.de. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  • "Image of the flooding 1927 in Glashütte station". Retrieved 13 December 2016.

heidenau, kurort, altenberg, railway, also, known, german, müglitztalbahn, müglitz, valley, railway, german, railway, saxony, branching, elbe, valley, railway, connects, town, heidenau, near, dresden, with, towns, glashütte, altenberg, mountains, where, termin. The Heidenau Kurort Altenberg railway also known in German as the Muglitztalbahn Muglitz Valley Railway is a German railway in Saxony Branching off the Elbe Valley Railway it connects the town of Heidenau near Dresden with the towns of Glashutte and Altenberg in the Ore Mountains where it terminates The total length is 38 km with a total incline of 634 meters 2 The scenic track follows primarily the Muglitz river passing the towns of Dohna Glashutte and Geising Heidenau Kurort Altenberg railwayOverviewNative nameMuglitztalbahnLine number6605LocaleSaxony GermanyTerminiHeidenauKurort AltenbergServiceRoute number246 246 1Operator s Deutsche Reichsbahn DR Deutsche BahnHistoryOpened1938 standard gauge TechnicalLine length38 00 km 23 61 mi Track gauge1 435 mm 4 ft 8 1 2 in standard gaugeOld gauge750 mm 2 ft 5 1 2 in Minimum radius139 m 456 0 ft Operating speed70 km h 43 mph Maximum incline36 Route mapLegendfrom Dresden Neustadt0 000 Heidenau 120 mto Decin hl n 0 086 Guterbahnhofstrasse 13 m 0 665 Staatsstrasse 172 23 m Bundesautobahn 172 580 Dohna Sachs 134 m2 841 Gamiger Strasse 10 m 3 561 Surssener Weg 35 m 4 360 Dohna Fluorchemie siding4 710 Kottewitz 165 m5 233 Kottewitz Viaduct 92 m 5 420 Kottewitz Tunnel 198 m 5 820 Weesenstein 171 m5 922 Muglitztal Bridge 52 m 6 095 Weesenstein Tunnel 240 m 6 229 Muglitz bridge 16 m 6 332 Muglitz bridge 13 m 7 176 Muglitz bridge 45 m 7 617 Muglitz bridge 68 m 7 990 Burkhardswalde Maxen 188 m8 572 Muglitz bridge 30 m 8 797 Muglitz bridge 22 m 9 062 Muglitz bridge 14 m 9 420 Vereinigte Zellstofffabriken Pirna Peschelmuhle siding10 080 Muhlbach b Pirna 205 m10 301 Muglitz bridge 11 m 10 386 Muhlgraben bridge 11 m 11 219 Muglitz bridge 32 m 12 674 Muglitz bridge 72 m 13 340 Niederschlottwitz 238 m13 610 Agrochemisches Zentrum siding13 667 Giesserei und Maschinenbau Schlottwitz siding13 880 Muglitz bridge 13 m 14 747 Muglitz bridge 14 m 15 540 Oberschlottwitz 269 m15 651 Muglitz bridge 66 m 17 066 Muglitz bridge 40 m 17 533 Muglitz bridge 13 m 17 658 Muglitz bridge 17 m 18 178 Bruckenmuhle Tunnel Pilz tunnel 292 m 18 373 Muglitz bridge m 18 809 crossing 11 m 18 921 Muglitz bridge m 18 745 Am Kohlsteig 15 m 19 006 Glashutte Sachs 320 mPAKA Glashutte siding19 508 Muglitz bridge 10 m 20 815 Gleisberg Tunnel 539 m 21 113 Muglitz bridge 69 m 21 275 Muglitz bridge 64 m 21 483 Muglitz bridge 76 m 22 014 Muglitz bridge 67 m 22 280 Barenhecke Johnsbach 388 m22 680 BHG Muhle und Brotfabrik Barenhecke siding23 848 Muglitz bridge 14 m 24 940 Barenstein b Glashutte Sachs 418 m25 842 Muglitz bridge 15 m 26 343 Muglitz bridge 17 m 26 55 Sagewerk Barenstein siding27 644 Muglitz bridge 21 m 27 803 crossing 14 m 28 226 Muglitz bridge 14 m 28 480 Lauenstein Sachs 471 m29 440 Rotes Wasser bridge 17 m 30 320 Hartmannmuhle 522 m30 870 Ostdeutsche Hartsteinwerke siding32 278 Geising tunnel 235 m 35 530 Geising bridge 76 m 32 680 Geising 590 m36 130 Geisingberg Sprungschanze 699 m38 004 Kurort Altenberg Erzgeb 757 mSource German railway atlas 1 The railway was initially a narrow gauge railway which was opened on 17 November 1890 Between 1935 and 1938 the tracks were graded and converted to standard gauge 2 Passenger transport services are operated on behalf of Verkehrsverbund Oberelbe by Stadtebahn Sachsen since 12 December 2010 following a retendering of the transport services The rail infrastructure is operated by DB Netz the stations are run by DB Station amp Service Contents 1 History 1 1 The narrow gauge railway from 1890 to 1939 1 2 Conversion to standard gauge 1 3 During the Second World War 1 4 After the Second World War 1 5 Decline and refurbishment to 1990 1 6 Current operation 2 Buildings 3 Route description 3 1 Stations 4 References 5 References 6 External linksHistory editIn the middle of the 19th century an industrial boom supported by small and medium sized enterprises began in the Muglitz valley which coincided with the beginning of the manufacture of watches in Glashutte 1845 In addition a number of smaller production facilities in the wood and paper industry were built after Friedrich Gottlob Keller invented a method for making paper from wood pulp in 1843 Along the Muglitz numerous small paper and paper industries were established including large paper factories such as the Peschelmuhle near Burkhardswalde and the Pappenfabrik Glashutte 1886 Also metalworking plants such as the Schlottwitz machine factory and iron foundry in Glashutte 1874 The upturn in the industrial economy was closely linked to the growing industries in the Dresden Basin which depended on supplies from the surrounding area The transport systems were not able to cope with the increased requirements access to raw materials transport of finished products so that between 1846 and 1864 the Muglitz valley road was extended and rebuilt In the medium term however the valley road was hardly able to cope with ever increasing quantities of goods especially as the demand for cheap lignite rose for the operation of steam boilers Since horse drawn carts were unable to match the capacity speed and costs of the railway manufacturers merchants trade associations and representatives of the cities demanded the construction of a railway line from 1865 It would connect the municipalities in the Muglitz valley to the Dresden Bodenbach line and the lignite deposits of the North Bohemian Basin via the Ore Mountains In December 1887 the Saxon Landtag parliament agreed to the construction of the railway as the competitiveness of the companies in the valley diminished markedly in the 1880s due to poor accessibility Plans which provided among other things for lines via Lockwitz Kreischa Schlottwitz or Pirna Zehista Liebstadt Schlottwitz could not be realised and the factories in the lower Muitz valley were not connected The permit was therefore given for the construction of a complete valley railway from Mugeln bei Pirna now a district of Heidenau to Geising It was designed as a 750 mm gauge railway to make it easier to follow the curves of the valley and to provide numerous connections A continuation to Bohemia did not occur because the transit traffic was considered to be insufficient and would have been difficult to finance the technically complex route through Bohemia that would have been required by the steep descent following the crossing of the Ore Mountains The narrow gauge railway from 1890 to 1939 edit nbsp Water house in Barenstein from 1890After two years of construction with up to 1100 workers per month the line was put into operation on 17 November 1890 It was 36 1 km long and overcame a difference in height of 470 m The narrow and winding valley made considerable demands on the route selection Of the total length 86 was uphill 31 km and 40 was in curvy sections 14 5 km The Geising Viaduct was at 65 m long the longest of the 57 bridges built For the time being Altenberg did not have a connection to the railway as there was insufficient finance and no suitable locomotives available for the steep Geising Altenberg section Geising station was officially given the double name of Geising Altenberg although the hill town hardly gained any benefit since it was about 3 km away from and 160 metres in altitude above Geising Despite this small flaw the railway was greeted by the valley inhabitants with festivals fireworks and gun salutes The first timetable provided for four daily train pairs the travel time for the entire route was 150 minutes a one way trip in second class cost 2 30 Marks nbsp Dohna station with train on the narrow gauge line in May 1912The total of 3 6 million Marks spent on the railway contributed significantly to the economic boom of the neighbouring communities As early as 1895 14 industrial plants were connected by branches In addition to the finished products lignite wood pulp straw paper wood and bricks have been transported From the 1920s ice blocks were carried in winter from the Grosse Galgenteich lake near Altenberg to the Dresden cold stores Passenger traffic was also significant Numerous hikers took advantage of the railway to travel from Dresden and the Dresden Basin into the Ore Mountain area which developed into a summer resort The snow safety of the upper levels has also given the railway significant winter sport traffic since the turn of the century As a result it developed into one of the most economic routes in the Saxonian narrow gauge railway network Because of the heavy freight traffic there were even proposals in 1914 for the operational separation of goods and passenger traffic on the Mugeln Weesenstein section by the construction of a second railway However these plans were not implemented due to the post war economic crisis Instead the extension of the line to Altenberg became the focus of interest The town repeatedly proposed an extension of the railway Various plans would have seen a continuation from Geising via Altenberg to Moldava Hermsdorf Kipsdorf or Frauenstein Heidenau Altenberg Narrow gauge OverviewNative nameMuglitztalbahnTerminiHeidenauAltenbergServiceTypeNarrow gauge railwayOperator s Royal Saxon State Railways and Deutsche ReichsbahnHistoryOpened17 November 1890TechnicalTrack gauge750 mm 2 ft 5 1 2 in Route mapLegend nbsp 0 000 Mugeln b P Heidenau from 1920 transfer to the Dresden Decin railway 120 m nbsp 2 366 Dohna Sachs 134 m nbsp 4 640 Kottewitz 151 m nbsp 6 340 Weesenstein 166 m nbsp 8 840 Burkhardswalde Maxen 188 m nbsp 11 010 Haselich 206 m nbsp 14 210 Niederschlottwitz 237 m nbsp 16 430 Oberschlottwitz 260 m nbsp 19 510 Dittersdorf 304 m nbsp 20 690 Glashutte Sachsen 319 m nbsp 23 440 Schullermuhle 354 m nbsp 25 700 Barenhecke Johnsbach 384 m nbsp 28 320 Barenstein 418 m nbsp 31 890 Lauenstein 471 m nbsp 33 850 Hartmannmuhle 522 m nbsp 36 009 Geising Geising Altenberg until 1923 590 m nbsp 39 600 Geisingberg Sprungschanze 1933 1941 700 m nbsp 41 540 Altenberg Erzgeb from 1923 754 mSource German railway atlas 1 nbsp Glashutte Devastation after the 1927 floodThe government did not support these projects because of high construction costs and the low revenues expected The 1914 proposal for an extension to Altenberg failed at the beginning of the First World War but was then started as an emergency project in 1919 Within four years the 5 5 km long roundabout line from Geising via the Geisingberg to Altenberg was opened on 10 November 1923 Large sections of the railway line were destroyed during a devastating flood on 8 July 1927 Conversion to standard gauge edit Because of the steadily increasing transport demand after the Great Depression Deutsche Reichsbahn decided to rebuild the line as standard gauge in 1934 This project was implemented between 1935 and December 1938 The Heidenau Lauenstein section was completely redesigned on the rest of the section to Altenberg only the radius of the curve was enlarged As a result the line was approximately 3 km shorter nbsp North portal of the Weesenstein TunnelWith the commencement of services on the standard gauge track in 1938 the number of road and track crossings and thus the danger of accidents were markedly reduced despite the increasing road traffic but the Niederschlottwitz Glashutte section was not accessible until April 1939 The flood risk also declined due to the raising of the line although not on all sections of the line However the creation of a profitable basis for freight transport and improvements in passenger services were more important For Deutsche Reichsbahn the railway was the new gateway to the eastern Ore Mountains which made the Altenberg winter sport region a sports ground at the gates of the national capital The travel time for passenger services was shortened significantly Altenberg was approximately 70 minutes from Dresden about 160 minutes from Leipzig and about 180 minutes from Berlin During the Second World War edit The outbreak of the Second World War strongly restricted tourism Because of the lack of coal only three to five pairs of passenger trains operated every day but the number of railcars from regions affected by air warfare was increasing At the end of the Second World War there were fighting in the Muglitz Valley between Soviet and German troops In April 1945 the railway installations in Glashutte Barenhecke Johnsbach and Altenberg were damaged by strafing In the last days of the war in May 1945 further damage occurred during air raids on Altenberg and Glashutte Parts of the 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg used the Muglitz Valley as a retreat to northern Bohemia and planned the demolition of the Weesenstein tunnel The derailment of a military train at Barenstein on 7 May as well as the rapid Soviet advance prevented the planned destruction of the operationally important railway After the Second World War edit nbsp Entrance to Kurort Altenberg stationAlthough the Muglitz Valley Railway survived the Second World War largely intact apart from isolated damage in some railway stations the enterprise was difficult in the early post war years On the other hand there was an acute shortage of rollingstock as on all other lines Class 84 locomotives were used for the transport of uranium in the Western Ore Mountains and passenger cars of the Altenberg class were used for express services On the other hand the track of the line had been built between 1935 and 1938 out of reused materials due to the scarcity of raw materials and the material shortage of the immediate post war years made the urgently necessary renewal difficult From 1949 50 it was possible to speak of an initial normalisation of traffic which included among other things the reinstatement of the first winter sports traffic In the passenger and freight transport sector of the early 1950s the operations of the uranium ore mining operation of the SDAG Wismut company near Barenhecke played an important role between 1948 and 1954 All in all rail traffic reached considerable proportions again In the mid 1960s at least 14 plants were connected to nine freight lines including metal chemical and paper processing companies in Dohna VEB Druckguss Heidenau and VEB Chemiewerke Dohna In passenger transport it was used by hikers as well as increasingly by commuters to the Dresden Basin nbsp Passenger train in Altenberg station 1992 Since the beginning of the 1960s Deutsche Reichsbahn has been trying to increase the transport performance and profitability of the railways by the use of railcars double deck wagons and diesel locomotives While the operation of the former succeeded only to a limited extent the diesel traction increasingly took over operations from the mid 1960s onwards with the class 110 This locomotive class took over operations on the Muglitz Valley Railway from 1967 At the same time there were considerations of abandoning operations in particular freight on part or even all of the line This was an issue particularly after the flooding in October 1966 of Geising station with a wave carrying sludge and gravel which had escaped after the failure of the drainage system of VEB Zinnerz Altenberg In addition the railway was affected by increased the competition from private cars This however was probably the reason for a shift in transport services to the already heavily used streets especially in the winter months on the Dresden Altenberg and Heidenau Altenberg routes Nevertheless freight traffic declined in the following decades and focused on the section between Heidenau and Kottewitz The route was maintained as a route for excursion traffic In the winter months numerous special trains were used connecting Altenberg directly with Dresden Cottbus Halle Saale Leipzig Riesa and Hoyerswerda In the mid 1970s there were serious plans to electrify the line The electrification was to be carried out by Czechoslovak State Railways CSD in May 1976 after completion of work on the Elbe Valley Railway between Dresden and Schona Technically it would have been easy to carry out since all the tunnels have the rail profile necessary for the catenary installation The project was not implemented for unknown reasons 3 Decline and refurbishment to 1990 edit nbsp Train moving down the incline at Geising 2008 In July 1990 the Muglitz Valley Railway celebrated the 100th anniversary of the opening of its route The economic upheaval that began as a result of German reunification put the continuation of operations on the line into question again A number of industrial enterprises were closed between Heidenau and Altenberg at the beginning of the 1990s In 1991 the VEB Zinnerz Altenberg factory was closed Other companies were able to continue their production only to a much lesser extent As a result the railways lost a large part of the freight volume within a few years The decline in traffic volume was exacerbated by the sudden increase in competition between road and rail fieight transport as well as rail passenger transport This negative development led to the closure of the freight operations south of Kottewitz where there is a siding to the Fluorchemie factory in 1995 Due to the uncertain future of the route Deutsche Bahn failed to carry out necessary investments and only remediated wear and tear As a result of this and the further decline in passenger numbers the decommissioning of the entire line for safety reasons was considered in 1997 Also the timetable introduced in that year was operationally unstable during the peak hours and its regular interval timetable of services every two hours was unattractive It was only when the Verkehrsverbund Oberelbe the local public transport utility took over the line and awarded a contract to DB for the operation of train services for 15 years that a general restoration took place in 1998 99 The expenditure of 15 to 20 million enabled a thorough renewal of the railways and thus the elimination of numerous speed restrictions In addition DB used modern Siemens Desiro sets With a reduction of travel times of60 minutes services running every to 60 or 90 minutes and the use of new technology there was a considerable increase in passenger numbers The rehabilitated railway achieved patronage of about 1 200 to 2 000 passengers a day and thus proved its profitability It was not only important for tourists but also for student and commuter traffic nbsp The ruined track in Schlottwitz after the 2002 floodAs early as 1897 during the floods in the Eastern Ore Mountains of 1927 as well as in 1954 1957 1958 and 1966 serious flood damage occurred along the line but this was by no means as great as the 2002 floods Between 12 and 14 August 2002 enormous masses of water were discharged above the crest of the Eastern Ore Mountains In Zinnwald Georgenfeld 406 mm of rain fell in this time almost half of the annual average precipitation The torrential rain turned the Muglitz into a torrential stream devastating almost the entire valley The situation was exacerbated by the break up of the only flood retention basin in the Briessnitz valley which is located above Glashutte For the third time after 1897 and 1927 the line was largely destroyed The dams and bridges were submerged and heavily devastated by parts of structures that had broken away The resulting total loss amounted to approximately 50 million nbsp Winter sports train in Kurort Altenberg station 2008 On 11 December 2002 after the construction of 1888 90 the flood of 1927 the standardisation in 1934 39 and the rehabilitation in 1998 99 the fifth period of major works on the railway began which was finished by 20 December 2003 The resumption of operations was celebrated with popular festivals Altenberg alone welcomed around 2 000 people on the first train Its journey was preceded by the construction of two bridges and the repair of a further 13 bridges and five railway stations Within a very short time the railway reached patronage levels similar than before the flood with about 1 000 passengers each day and thus proved its importance as a transport route through the Eastern Ore Mountains nbsp Regionalbahn service in OberschlottwitzAt the end of December 2010 Regionalbahn RB72 Heidenau Kurort Altenberg services were running on the line there were additional Regional Express RE19 Dresden Hbf Kurort Altenberg services run on the weekends of the winter half year A special feature of the route is that these additional trains are only run if the conditions are appropriate for winter sports It is announced in the traditional media on Thursdays whether they are running The 2008 timetable included a total of 14 pairs of regional railway train running between Heidenau and Altenberg Apart from a few gaps in the morning a regular interval hourly service was offered on working days On the weekends services ran every two hours Current operation edit The responsible authority for the provision of transport services in regional traffic is the Verkehrsverbund Oberelbe VVO After all transport services were retendered they have been provided by the Stadtebahn Sachsen since 12 December 2010 The services have been operated as SB72 and SE19 since then It has a full day regular interval hourly service with trains crossing in Glashutte On the weekends the timetable remains unchanged with a two hour cycle In order to connect with the S Bahn in Heidenau the timetable has an unusual symmetry minute which is approximately at 14 minute past the hour Kottewitz Weesenstein Burkhardswalde Maxen Muhlbach b Pirna Oberschlottwitz Barenhecke Johnsbach Barenstein b Glashutte Sachs and Hartmannmuhle stations are request stops As in the past additional direct trains are still operated between Dresden Hbf and Kurort Altenberg only stopping at selected stations 4 5 From 10 December 2011 to 14 December 2014 the little used request stops of Kottewitz and Burkhardswalde Maxen were not served The reason for this was the construction of the S Bahn tracks between Dresden Neustadt and Coswig which led to timetable changes In order to speed up the trains and ensure connections in Heidenau the VVO decided to drop the stops temporarily 6 On 2 June 2013 train operations had to be stopped again due to floods In contrast to the flood in 2002 however there was only minor damage and the trains were able to return to schedule as of noon on 4 June Buildings edit nbsp Sgraffito at Barenstein stationDuring the reconstruction of the line in the 1930s a great deal of importance was attached to the connection of the station buildings to the landscape The goal was to create a smooth transition between the rural structures of the Dresden Basin and those of the eastern Ore Mountains Even smaller halts were given individually designed wooden service buildings At the same time a new slate covered steep roof and the use of wood as a building material for all attachments such as freight sheds and waiting rooms are common to all the newly built station buildings The red painted window frames are also typical of the landscape Some of the buildings as in Burkhardswalde Maxen and Lauenstein are decorated with Sgraffito elements on the facades During the floods of August 2002 some of the station buildings of the line were badly affected Route description edit nbsp Simplified height profile of the routeThe route turns from Heidenau station southwards into the Muglitz valley and crosses the four lane state road 172 Just before Dohna it crosses Autobahn 17 and climbs the first significant slope before Kottewitz station After the station the Muglitz is crossed for the first time followed immediately by the first and at 198 metres the longest of a total of four tunnels through spurs Just after Weesenstein station the route is shortened again by a second tunnel 240 metres long After Burkhardswalde Maxen the valley narrows for a short time and at 15 0 km between Niederschwottwitz and Oberschwottwitz the line runs past the rock of the Schlottwitz agate lode Again the valley is shortened before Glashutte with the 292 metre long Bruckenmuhle tunnel After the station is the longest tunnel of the line 539 metres long and a two lane concrete bridge which is untypical of the Muglitz Valley Railway is traversed at Barenhecke Johnsbach From Lauenstein the line leaves the Muglitz valley and follows the Roten Wasser part of the Greifenbach valley to the southwest towards Geising The town itself is reached to the north through a 235 metre long curving tunnel and a 76 metre long bridge so that the line changes direction completely from running south to running north The last section leaves the valley on the western slope and rounds the Geisingberg Starting from kilometre 36 6 the steepest section begins with a gradient of 1 37 6 Stations edit Heidenau 50 58 52 N 13 51 29 E 50 98111 N 13 85806 E 50 98111 13 85806 Main article Heidenau station The Muglitz Valley Railway begins in Heidenau station on the Decin Dresden Neustadt railway There is a connection to the Dresden S Bahn line S1 Meissen Triebischtal Schona and S2 Dresden Flughafen Pirna Dohna Sachs 50 57 40 N 13 51 20 E 50 960992 N 13 855650 E 50 960992 13 855650 nbsp Dohna Sachs stationDohna Sachs station still has the entrance building from the narrow gauge period Because of its great importance for passenger traffic Dohna was integrated into the Dresden S Bahn fare zone before German reunification At times the station which is located in the Dohna lower town was also planned as the terminus of an S Bahn service but this was not implemented Dohna Fluorchemie siding 50 56 48 N 13 51 26 E 50 946692 N 13 857356 E 50 946692 13 857356 The Dohna Fluorchemie siding is located beyond Dohna station just before Kottewitz station The siding leading to a chemical plant in Dohna is the only one on the line still used for freight traffic Kottewitz 50 56 42 N 13 51 37 E 50 944977 N 13 860336 E 50 944977 13 860336 Kottewitz halt German Haltepunkt that is a station without any points is located just outside the town Kottewitz is only a request stop because of the extremely low volume of passengers From 10 December 2011 to 14 December 2013 Kottewitz was not served to save time in order to improve connections in Heidenau to the trains on line S1 Instead a special bus served this halt from Heidenau or Muhlbach The halt is beyond the approach signal to Dohna station and is thus operationally part of Dohna station Weesenstein 50 56 10 N 13 51 46 E 50 936116 N 13 862669 E 50 936116 13 862669 nbsp Weesenstein station 2008 Weesenstein halt is now only a demand stop The small service building is owned by Deutsche Bahn AG The entrance building dates back to 1938 Burkhardswalde Maxen 50 55 31 N 13 50 19 E 50 925346 N 13 838643 E 50 925346 13 838643 nbsp Burkhardswalde Maxen station 2008 Burkhardswalde Maxen halt is located just outside the villages of Burkhardswalde and Maxen Today it has little traffic Directly on the slope above the station are the formerly well known Margon mineral water Margonwasser springs and the attached Schloss Gesundbrunnen healthy spring palace In the course of the restoration the line in 1998 99 the former station was restored as a halt The station building which is heritage listed is mainly known for its sgraffito decorations on its gable These have their background in some events of the Seven Years War that took place nearby After the Battle of Maxen on 20 November 1759 the Prussian General von Finck surrendered and was captured by the Austrians who were allied with Saxony together with 14 000 men Pictured are a Saxon grenadier and a Prussian Freikorps knight and above is the inscription Anno 1759 In 2002 the flood waters of the Muglitz destroyed the station building s rear wooden freight platform The structure was then demolished and not rebuilt Deutsche Bahn has offered the station building for sale for a few years but so far without success The building is empty and decaying Muhlbach b Pirna 50 54 51 N 13 49 08 E 50 914271 N 13 818755 E 50 914271 13 818755 The current Muhlbach b Pirna halt is in an almost identical position to the station on the narrow gauge line It was originally called Haselich after the neighbouring small village and was later called Haselich Muhlbach Since 15 May 1938 it has borne the present name The layout originally consisted of a continuous railway track with a platform and a loading track which was connected at both ends which was not included in the standardisation The originally wooden waiting room was replaced in 1938 by a more formal significantly enlarged building in the Heimatstil homeland style a German revivalist style which is now used for residential purposes During 1998 99 the separate passenger tracks were moved a few metres towards Heidenau and are no longer connected to the line Niederschlottwitz 50 53 23 N 13 48 40 E 50 889586 N 13 811084 E 50 889586 13 811084 nbsp Niederschlottwitz station 2015 The former Niederschlottwitz station now classified as a halt was built in 1938 on the site of the narrow gauge station The entrance building is almost the same as in Burkhardswalde and Barenstein The sgraffito on the gable represents a peasant couple that was typical for the area The signal box was built in a contemporary style Niederschlottwitz was reclassified in 1999 after the extension of the second station track as a halt with block post The elevated signal box served until the 2002 flood to protect the signal block and the neighbouring level crossing The block post was not re established after the flood and an automatic system is now used to secure the line Oberschlottwitz 50 52 14 N 13 48 52 E 50 870533 N 13 814555 E 50 870533 13 814555 nbsp Oberschlottwitz stationOberschwottwitz halt was established in 1938 on the slope before the Muglitz Viaduct and is sited approximately on the location of the former narrow gauge station The small massive entrance building is built in the Heimatstil and is now unused Glashutte Sachs 50 51 05 N 13 46 57 E 50 851356 N 13 782494 E 50 851356 13 782494 nbsp Glashutte Sachs stationGlashutte Sachs station is now the only station on the line with a passing loop When the new building was built in 1938 the entire station area was raised above flood level A new entrance building was built it now serves as Nomos Glashutte s headquarters and production site Barenhecke Johnsbach 50 49 38 N 13 46 18 E 50 827267 N 13 771682 E 50 827267 13 771682 nbsp Barenhecke Johnsbach stationBarenhecke Johnsbach halt is located near the village of Barenhecke on the opposite side of the Muglitz but has a very limited passenger traffic because of its great distance from the much larger village of Johnsbach At the end of the 1990s the entrance to the Barenhecke mill and bakery was located at the stop Barenstein b Glashutte Sachs 50 48 34 N 13 47 41 E 50 809514 N 13 794761 E 50 809514 13 794761 nbsp Barenstein station 2008 The Forderverein fur die Muglitztalbahn eV supporting association for the Muglitz Valley Railway which developed the station precincts into a museum with several buildings had its headquarters in the Barenstein station After the insolvency of the association the entrance building is now privately owned Officially the station is connected to an industrial spur so that regular use by museum trains is possible It is notable for having a waterhouse for supplying water for steam trains from the narrow gauge era which is the oldest in Saxony and which is still operational A similar building exists in all of Saxony only at Burkhardswalde Maxen halt and on the Pressnitz Valley Railway in Steinbach Lauenstein Sachs 50 47 10 N 13 48 52 E 50 786191 N 13 814549 E 50 786191 13 814549 The current Lauenstein Sachs halt was classified as a station until 1998 99 before it was an important passing point on the upper part of the line Hartmannmuhle 50 46 42 N 13 47 32 E 50 778345 N 13 792342 E 50 778345 13 792342 nbsp Hartmannmuhle station 2008 It is still possible to find the wooden waiting room from the narrow gauge era at Hartmannmuhle halt The Wildpark Osterzgebirge tourist attraction now lies opposite the stop Because of the low traffic Hartmannmuhle is now only a request stop Geising 50 45 39 N 13 47 14 E 50 760718 N 13 787247 E 50 760718 13 787247 nbsp Geising stationThe current Geising halt was the terminus of the narrow gauge line until 1923 and called Geising Altenberg station In October 1966 Geising station was flooded with a mud and boulder wave that had escaped due to a damage to the drainage system of the washing plant of VEB Zinnerz Altenberg The station was then returned to the station and the signal box was left open The entrance building dates back to the narrow gauge period The only change with standardisation of the line in 1938 was the addition of a spacious waiting room Today it is used for commercial purposes Geisingberg SprungschanzeThe Geisingberg Sprungschanze halt was only open between 1933 and 1941 It was only served at sporting events on the ski jumping hill on the Geisingberg Kurort Altenberg Erzgeb 50 46 00 N 13 45 15 E 50 766533 N 13 754118 E 50 766533 13 754118 nbsp Kurort Altenberg station 2009 Kurort Altenberg station is the terminus of the Muglitz Valley Railway It was built in 1938 at the same place as the old narrow gauge station however with a change in the angle of the tracks Originally there were four platforms for winter sports which were reduced to three after the 1999 rehabilitation of the track The station has a covered structure that directly links to the suburban bus stop which can also be used as a conference hall The entrance building which was destroyed in 1945 and later rebuilt now belongs to the town of Altenberg which uses it as a centre for tourist information and the operation of a cross country ski trail Platform 1 was developed in 2013 with the federal funds from the Schienenwegeausbaugesetz railways extension act It was raised to a platform height of 55 centimetres above the top edge of the rail and a given guidance system for the blind The cost was over 240 000 7 References edit a b Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland German railway atlas Schweers Wall 2009 ISBN 978 3 89494 139 0 a b Muglitztalbahn official web site in German Bernd Kuhlmann Die Muglitztalbahn Heidenau Altenberg in German p 188 2011 timetable for route 246 valid from 12 December 2010 2012 timetable for route 246 valid from 11 December 2011 Heike Sabel 22 July 2011 Kein Halt in Kottewitz und Burkhardswalde Sachsische Zeitung Retrieved 11 December 2016 Unknown Press release in German VVO 2 August 2013 References editBericht der unabhangigen Kommission der Sachsischen Staatsregierung zur Flutkatastrophe 2002 in German Kirchbach report Wolfgang Dorschel Volkmar Kockeritz 1979 Hochwassergefahrdung und Hochwasserschutz der Eisenbahnen im ostlichen Erzgebirge In transpress VEB Verlag fur Verkehrswesen ed Eisenbahn Jahrbuch 1980 in German Berlin pp 123 132 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Rainer Fischer 1998 Sekundarbahnen von Pirna nach Grosscotta und Gottleuba in German Nordhorn Verlag Kenning ISBN 3 927587 38 9 Wolfgang Fleischer 2004 Das Kriegsende in Sachsen 1945 in German Wolfersheim Berstadt Podzun Pallas ISBN 3 7909 0798 7 Herbert Koitzsch et al 1983 Die Muglitztalbahn in German Heidenau a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Bernd Kuhlmann 2000 Die normalspurige Muglitztalbahn Heidenau Altenberg in German Nordhorn Verlag Kenning ISBN 3 933613 08 6 Gerhardt Muller 1964 Zwischen Muglitz und Weisseritz Ergebnisse der heimatkundlichen Bestandsaufnahme im Gebiet von Dippoldiswalde Glashuette in German Vol 8 Berlin Werte der deutschen Heimat Pirnaer Anzeiger 1927 Die Hochwasser Katastrophe im Gottleuba und Muglitz Tal in der Nacht des 8 9 Juli 1927 in German Pirna a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Reiner Preuss 1985 Die Muglitztalbahn in German Berlin transpress VEB Verlag fur Verkehrswesen various Sachsische Zeitung in German Pirna ed 13 14 September 1997 25 26 April 1998 12 December 2002 30 June 2003 23 December 2004 Sachsisches Landesamt fur Umwelt und Geologie ed 2004 Ereignisanalyse Hochwasser August 2002 in den Osterzgebirgsflussen pdf 4 1 MB in German Dresden a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Bernd Kuhlmann 2012 Die Muglitztalbahn Heidenau Altenberg Die Zeit der Schmalspur und Normalspur in German Witzschdorf Bildverlag Bottger GbR ISBN 978 3937496 47 4 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Heidenau Kurort Altenberg railway Course of operation and some permissible speeds OpenRailwayMap Retrieved 13 December 2016 Official web site in German Retrieved 13 December 2016 Heidenau Kurort Altenberg Erzgeb in German sachsenschiene de Retrieved 13 December 2016 Image of the flooding 1927 in Glashutte station Retrieved 13 December 2016 Retrieved from https en 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