Technology
Even in the time of Kaiser Wilhelm, the two little carriages with their distinctive yellow and blue paint rumbled their way up and down Wiesbaden’s largest hill at 7.3 km/h. Just as it did then, today it takes just 3 1/2 minutes to travel from the valley station over the viaduct and up to the hill station at a height of 245 metres.
Here you will find interessting numbers, data and facts and also pictures of various technical details as well as the link to our video "The Nerobergbahn - ESWE Verkehr hautnah".
134
age in years
438
length of route in m
20
average gradient in %
7,8
speed in km/h
Technical details at a glance
General | |
Opening of the railway | 25 September 1888 |
Operating period | April to October every year |
Passengers per year | approx. 300,000 |
Duration of single journey | approx. 3.5 minutes |
Speed | 2.16 m/sec (corresponds to 7.78 km/h) |
Track | |
Gauge | 1,000 mm |
Rail profile | S20 |
Track length | 438.5 m (with 70 m passing loop) |
Gear rack | Width 110 mm, division 100 mm, Riggenbach system |
Height difference | 83 m |
Gradient | 15 %, in middle of route 26 %, average 19.5 % |
Cable | |
| Material | 8-strand cable made from compressed exterior strands with plastic inlay between steel core and exterior strand, galvanized |
| Cable structure | 8 x 19 Seale + SESUG, compressed strands |
| Cable diameter | 28 mm |
| Cable length | 451 m |
| Lay type | Cross lay |
| Cable weight | 1,655 kg |
| Breaking force | 74.55 t |
| Traction on cable lever | 3,406 kg |
Carriages | |
| Permitted capacity | Up: 40 persons, down: 50 persons |
| Carriage weight | Empty: 8,100 kg; 50 people weighing 75 kg: 3,750 kg |
| Water weight | 3,500 to 7,000 kg |
| Maximum load | 18,850 kg |
| Water filling | 3.5 to 7.0 m³ |
Water reservoirs | |
| Fill quantity | Hill station 350 m³, valley station 200 m³ |
| Engine capacity of pump | 37 kW at 2,900 rpm |
| Delivery rate of pump | 60 m³/h, 123.5 m |
The sophisticated technology in detail
The route is 440 metres long and has a maximum gradient of 25 percent – a challenge that the Nerobergbahn has tackled without incident since 1888. It is all thanks to the Nerobergbahn’s ingenious means of propulsion. The carriage is filled at the hill station with up to 7,000 litres of water before travelling down a steel cable, pulling the other carriage up as it goes. Once the carriage reaches the bottom, the water is released and pumped back up to the top of the hill. The two carriages are connected by a steel cable measuring 452 metres in length. The driver of the carriage travelling downhill controls the speed. The whole thing is secured by cogwheels under the carriages, which bite into a gear rack attached to the tracks.
The filling pipe at the hill station.
The centrifugal governor for the emergency brake
The cable including cable drum
Deflection pulley at the hill station
Water drainage at the valley station
Water level display on the carriage
The cog wheel with gear rack and brake drums
Take a look behind the scenes
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Play video "Die Nerobergbahn - ESWE Verkehr hautnah“ on external Platform.