 |
Pilatus rack railway |
 |
Pilatusbahn
last update:
25/09/2011 |
 |
The Pilatus
Mount rack railway opened in 1.889 and connects
Alpnachstad (next to Luzern Lake) with Pilatus mount,
2.070 metres high, climbing a more than 1.600 metres
slope in just 4,3 km. The rack railway reaches a slope
of up to 48% and an average of 38%, making it the most
inclined of the world.
To overcome
these
steep slopes,
it uses
the double
horizontal
Locher
rack.
The
track
has a width
of
800mm
without
ballast
track
(the
track
was
set
directly
on
solid rock)
and is
electrified
to
1.550V
in
DC
since
1937.
The route
is
single track
with
a sidetrack and depot in Alpnachstad,
a
crossing
point at
the intermediate
station
(Ämsigen)
and
three
tracks at
the upper
station
of
Pilatus
Kulm.
Due to
the
rack
system
used,
no conventional
railway switches are possible and there are transfer
tables to link tracks or move trains to the desired
direction. The 10 trains that run on the line were built
by SLM
and are all
a
unique
car
with 5
compartments
for 8 people
staggered
(as
a
conventional
cable car).
The
trains run
at a maximum
speed
of
9-12
km / h.
During
the decline
they
fall
by gravity
with the
pantograph
lowered.
Different
trains
run
in
packages of
ascending
and
descending
trains
that
cross
at
the
intermediate
station.
The line
operates
only
from May to
November.
Given the
limited
transport
capacity
of the line
(340
people /
hour)
in
peak
hours
you have
to wait
a while
to get
into
the
trains.
You are given a booking time for the upwards train when
buying the ticket. |
Select a zone or station to see
photos of them:
The trains
- Bhe1/2 21-30 EMUs
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
The
Bhe1/2 EMU number 25
starts the decreasing from mount Pilatus (august 2011) |
Inside
the Pilatus railway EMU (august 2011) |
Lower part of the coach, with the
driving cab (august
2011) |
Speed regulator at the mountain side cab
inside one of the EMUs (august 2011) |
|
The Locher rack system |
|
 |
The
rack
system
invented
by Eduard
Locher
has
teeth
located on
the
side
instead of being
at the top,
attached by
two
wheels
on the
locomotive.
This system
allows
its use
on slopes
steeper
than other
systems,
the teeth
of which
can jump
off
the track.
Locher
rack
system
can be used
on slopes
up to 1
in
2
(50%).
The
Abt
rack
system
is limited to
slopes of
up to 1
in
4 (25%).
The
Locher
rack
provides a
very stable
fixation
on the
track,
preventing
the
vehicle
tipping
even in
case of
high winds.
The main
problem
of the
Locher
rack
is the
impossibility
of
conventional
switches
to change
track
and
transfer
tables or other complex systems
must be
placed.
In
public
railways
is only used
in
Pilatus
railway,
but is
also
used in some
European
mine
railways. |
 |
Enllaços
|
Català
