Wilkau-Haßlau–Carlsfeld narrow-gauge railway

Wilkau-Haßlau–Carlsfeld narrow-gauge railway
Carlsfeld station (museum)
Overview
Line number6973
Coordinates50°26′7.714″N 12°35′1.961″E / 50.43547611°N 12.58387806°E / 50.43547611; 12.58387806
Service
Typenarrow-gauge railway
Operator(s)Royal Saxon State Railways, Deutsche Reichsbahn, DR
Depot(s)Kirchberg, Schönheide, Carlsfeld
History
OpenedOctober 16, 1881
ClosedApril 30, 1977
Technical
Line length41.961 km (26.07 mi)
Track gauge750 mm (2 ft 5+12 in)
Minimum radius60 m (196.9 ft)
Operating speed25 km/h (16 mph)
Maximum incline50 or 5%
Route map

-0.228
Wilkau-Haßlau
279 m
(connection with the Zwickau–Schwarzenberg line)
1.123
Wilkau-Haßlau Hp
281 m
1.26
3.07
Culitzsch
(until 1923/24)
3.67
Cunersdorf (b Kirchberg/Sachs)
307 m
4.479
Cunersdorf (b Kirchberg/Sachs) Hst
317 m
6.498
Kirchberg (Sachs)
335 m
7.499
Kirchberg (Sachs) Hp
348 m
8.873
Saupersdorf unt Bf
370 m
10.052
Saupersdorf ob Bf
386 m
11.65
Hartmannsdorf (b Saupersdorf)
410 m
13.867
Oberhartmannsdorf (Sachs)
447 m
15.045
Bärenwalde (Sachs)
476 m
16.828
Obercrinitz
511 m
21.504
Rothenkirchen (Vogtl)
618 m
23.498
Stützengrün
old: Oberstützengrün
629 m
23.964
Viaduct Weißbachtal
24.536
Viaduct Stützengrün
24.9
Stützengrün-Neulehn
until 2001
25.455
Stützengrün Hp
old: Neulehn
today Stützengrün Bürstenfabrik
656 m
26.97
Schönheide Nord
old: Neuheide
650 m
28.81
Schönheide Mitte
old: Schönheide
678 m
29.58
Schönheide West
old: Ober-Schönheide
686 m
33.754
Viaduct Muldetal
33.978
Bridge Zwickauer Mulde
34.303
Schönheide Süd
old: Wilzschhaus
596 m
34.425
36.235
Wiesenhaus
633 m
37.918
Wilzschmühle
680 m
39.398
Blechhammer
738 m
41.634
Carlsfeld
(Museumsbahnhof)
816 m

The Wilkau-Haßlau–Carlsfeld narrow-gauge railway (Schmalspurbahn Wilkau-Haßlau–Carlsfeld) was the first, steepest and longest of the narrow-gauge railways in Saxony. The line was around 42 kilometres long, had a track gauge of 750 mm (2 ft 5+12 in) and ran from Wilkau-Haßlau via Kirchberg and Schönheide to Carlsfeld through the Ore Mountains. Only near Rothenkirchen did the line pass through the Vogtland region The railway, opened in 1881 in four stages, was one of the busiest narrow-gauge railways. Services were gradually closed down between 1965 and 1977.

Since the Wende, two railway societies have operated a progressively rebuilt section of the line as a heritage railway. So far a four kilometre section near Schönheide Mitte as well as the two station yards at Schönheide Süd and Carlsfeld have been partially reconstructed.