Forest railway
Encyclopedia
Logging railroad
A logging railroad describes railroads, pole roads, tram roads, or similar infrastructure used to transport harvested timber from a logging site to a sawmill...
is a mode of railway transport which is used for forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
tasks, primarily the transportation of felled logs to sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s or railway stations.
History
Before the railway was invented, logs were transported in large numbers from the forest down rivers either freely or on wooden rafts. This was not without its problems and wood was often damaged in transit. In addition suitable rivers were not always available.
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
and steel rails soon led to these being employed for forestry. However the difficult terrain within forests meant that narrow gauge railways, which took up less space, were lighter and easier to build and enabled tight curves to be laid, were preferred. These were the so-called forest railways. In particularly large areas of forest, such as in the northwestern USA, extensive forest railways were even built using standard gauge exclusively for forestry tasks. Special locomotive classes such as the Shay
Shay locomotive
The Shay locomotive was the most widely used geared steam locomotive. The locomotives were built to the patents of Ephraim Shay, who has been credited with the popularization of the concept of a geared steam locomotive...
and Climax locomotive
Climax locomotive
A Climax locomotive is a type of geared steam locomotive in which the two steam cylinders were attached to a transmission located under the center of the boiler. This transmits power to driveshafts running to the front and rear trucks....
were developed for such purposes.
In addition to steam traction, diesel and petrol-driven locomotives were also used later on. These largely brought animal-hauled transportation to an end on the forest railways. Also common were routes that just used gravity. Wagons loaded with wood would simply roll downhill in a controlled fashion under the pull of gravity. Foresters also travelled on these, at some risk to their lives on occasions - as brakemen. Empty wagons were hauled uphill again by horses.
From the second half of the 20th century forest railways were threatened by road transportation and by the end of the 1960s they had practically disappeared from western Europe. Roads were often laid in their place on the old trackbeds.
In a few Eastern European countries forest railways survived longer, particularly in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
where there are still some today. In Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
too there are several forest railways in active service today, some are also used for tourist traffic. The numerous forest railway operations in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
were closed, with a few exceptions, by the 1990s. In Western Europe there are very few which are even preserved as museum railways.
Germany (selection)
| Railway name | Route | Rail gauge mm |
T r a c k s |
Length km |
Traction (GS=Direct Current) |
From | To | Operated by |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bavaria | |||||||||
| Reichswald Forest Railway | Sebalder Reichswald | dismantled | |||||||
| Ebersberg Forest Railway | Ebersberg Ebersberg Ebersberg is the district seat of the similarly named Landkreis in the Regierungsbezirk of Oberbayern in southern Germany. The Ebersberger Forst is one of Germany’s largest continuous area of woodlands.... |
dismantled | |||||||
| Ruhpolding–Reit im Winkl State Forest Railway | Ruhpolding Ruhpolding Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400.... -Reit im Winkl Reit im Winkl Reit im Winkl is a small village in the southeastern part of Bavaria, Germany, in the Traunstein district. It is situated southwest of Ruhpolding in the Alps. The village area has borders with two states of Austria, Tyrol and Salzburg. The small village of Kössen in Tyrol is the next village... |
1000 | 23 | 1922 | 1936/37 | dismantled | |||
| Spiegelau Forest Railway Spiegelau Forest Railway | The Spiegelau Forest Railway was a narrow gauge forest railway built for the transportation of logs from the woods around Spiegelau in the Bavarian Forest in southern Germany.- Construction :... |
Spiegelau Spiegelau Spiegelau is a municipality in the district of Freyung-Grafenau in Bavaria in Germany. It lies in the heart of the Bavarian Forest.-Transport:... -Finsterau |
600 | +100 | 1909 | 1960 | dismantled | |||
| Zwieselau Forest Railway | Zwieselau-Buchenau | 600 | 14,5 | 1930 | 1958 | dismantled | |||
| Bächentalbahn | Fall | 750 | ~ 10 | crosses border (see Tyrol) | |||||
| Brandenburg | |||||||||
| Schorfheide Forest Railway | Schorfheide Schorfheide Schorfheide is a municipality in the Barnim district of Brandenburg, Germany. It was established in 2003 by the merger of Finowfurt and Groß Schönebeck.-Overview:... , Döllnkrug-Höpen |
600 | |||||||
| Rhineland-Palatinate | |||||||||
| Wasgauwaldbahn | Bundenthal Bundenthal Bundenthal is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.... -Rumbach Rumbach Rumbach is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.... |
600 | 14,5 | 1921 | 1930 | dismantled | |||
| Saxony | |||||||||
| Muskau Forest Railway | Muskau Bad Muskau Bad Muskau is a spa town in the historic Upper Lusatia region in Germany at the border with Poland. It is part of the Görlitz district in the State of Saxony.... |
600 | + 50 | 1895 | Museum Railway | ||||
Austria
| Railway name | Route | Rail gauge mm |
T r a c k s |
Length km |
Traction (GS=Direct Current) |
From | To | Operated by |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burgenland | |||||||||
| Dörfl Forest Railway (WbD) | Dörfl Steinberg-Dörfl Steinberg-Dörfl is a town in the district of Oberpullendorf in Burgenland in Austria.... |
600 | 1 | 9,4 | 1924 | 1933 | WbD | ||
| Großmürbisch Forest Railway (WbG) | (Alsörönök-) border Großmürbisch Großmürbisch Großmürbisch is a town in the district of Güssing in Burgenland in the south east of Austria.... - Reinersdorfer Bach |
760 | 1 | ~7,5 | 1935 | 1937 | WbG | 4 km in Hungary, dismantled | |
| Großpetersdorf-Rumpersdorf Forest Railway (WGR) | Großpetersdorf Großpetersdorf Großpetersdorf is a municipality in Burgenland in the district of Oberwart in Austria.- Geography :The municipality is composed of Großpetersdorf, Kleinpetersdorf, Kleinzicken, Miedlingsdorf, and Welgersdorf.... - Rumpersdorf |
760 | 1 | ~13,5 | 1920 | ~1933 | WGR | ||
| Güssing - Rohr im Burgenland Forest Railway (WGR) | Güssing Güssing Güssing is a town in Burgenland, Austria. It is located at , with a population of 3,811 , and is the administrative center of the Güssing district.The Güssing Castle, built in 1157, is the oldest castle in Burgenland and a regional landmark.... - Rohr im Burgenland Rohr im Burgenland Rohr im Burgenland is a town in the district of Güssing in Burgenland in Austria.... |
760 | 1 | ~27,0 | 1913 | 1921 | WGR | ||
| Güssing - Neuberg im Burgenland Forest Railway (WGN) | Güssing Güssing Güssing is a town in Burgenland, Austria. It is located at , with a population of 3,811 , and is the administrative center of the Güssing district.The Güssing Castle, built in 1157, is the oldest castle in Burgenland and a regional landmark.... - Neuberg im Burgenland Neuberg im Burgenland Neuberg im Burgenland is a town in the district of Güssing in Burgenland in Austria.-External links:*... |
760 | 1 | ~14,0 | 1913 | 1921 | WGN | ||
| Lockenhaus Forest Railway (WbL) | Lockenhaus Lockenhaus Lockenhaus is a town in the district of Oberpullendorf in Burgenland in Austria.- History :The town was part of Hungary since the foundation of the kingdom in the year 1000. Since 1898 the name Léka had to be used because of the Magyarization by the government in Budapest... |
600 | 1 | 14,9 | 1926 | 1956 | WbL | ||
| Punitz Forest Railway (WbP) | Punitz - Punitzer Gemeindewald | 600 | 1 | ~9,0 | Horses | 1905 | ~1933 | WbP | |
| Niederösterreich | |||||||||
| Haselbach Forest Railway | Nähe Fahrafeld Pottenstein Pottenstein is a town in the district of Bayreuth, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 23 km southwest of Bayreuth, and 26 km east of Forchheim.-History:During World War II, a subcamp of Flossenburg concentration camp was located here.... : Forsthaus - Hochwiese |
600 | 1 | ~2,5 | Gravity, oxen, petrol-driven locos | 1915 | 1918 | BMF | dismantled |
| Forest Railway im Klauswald (WbK) | Klauswald, near Puchenstuben Puchenstuben Puchenstuben is a municipality in the district of Scheibbs in Lower Austria, Austria.... |
600 ? | 1 | 4,5 | 1930 | 1937 | WbK | ||
| Langau - Lackenhofer Höfe Forest Railway (WbLL) | Langau-Lackenhof | 1000 | 1 | ~ 6,7 | Horses | ~1845 | 1867 | WbLL | |
| Lunz-Langau-Saurüsselboden Forest Railway (WbLL) | Lunz am See Lunz am See Lunz am See is a municipality in the district of Scheibbs, Lower Austria, Austria.Since May 2007 Lunz am See is the home of the "Wasser Cluster Lunz".... - Langau Langau Langau is a town in the district of Horn in Lower Austria, Austria.... - Saurüsselboden |
700 | 1 | 12,2 | Diesel | 1920 | 1974 | WbLL | Forest railway with limited public passenger services, dismantled |
| Lunz-Langau-Saurüsselboden Forest Railway (WbLL) branch | Langau Langau Langau is a town in the district of Horn in Lower Austria, Austria.... - Lackenhofer Höhe |
700 | 1 | ~6,6 | Diesel | 1920 | 1974 | WbLL | Forest railway with limited public passenger service, dismantled |
| Forest Railway Nasswald | Schwarzau im Gebirge Schwarzau im Gebirge Schwarzau im Gebirge is a town in the district of Neunkirchen in the Austrian state of Lower Austria.- External links :*... , Nasswald |
600 | 0,6 | Diesel, accumulator | 1985 | Museum railway, new line | |||
| Wastl am Wald - Hühnerkogel Forest Railway (WbW) | Wastl am Wald | 600 | 1 | ~ 3,9 | 1934 | 1945 | WbW | ||
| Forest Railway im Weinsberger Forst (WWF) | Martinsberg Martinsberg Martinsberg is a market town in the District Zwettl, in Lower Austria, Austria. It has 1,221 inhabitants in an area of 33.75 square kilometers. Of that area, 43.1 per cent of the surface are wooded.... -Gutenbrunn Gutenbrunn Gutenbrunn is a municipality in the district of Zwettl, in Lower Austria, Austria.... - Berglucke |
760 | 1 | ~35,9 | 1920 | 1933 | WWF | ||
| Oberösterreich | |||||||||
| Offensee Forest Railway (WbO) | Offensee, Steinkogl - Steibachl | 800 | 1 | 13,9 | 1899 | 1954 | WbO | ||
| Offensee Forest Railway (WbO) | Steibachl - Obere Moosau | 800 | 1 | 1,6 | 1899 | 1954 | WbO | ||
| Reichraming Forest Railway (WbRr) | Schallau-Maieralm-Hansigraben | 760 | 1 | 16,5 | 1920 | 1971 | WbRr | ||
| Reichraming Forest Railway (WbRr) | Maieralm-Unterweißwasser | 760 | 1 | 13,0 | 1920 | 1971 | WbRr | ||
| Reichraming Forest Railway (WbRr) | Reichraming Reichraming Reichraming is a municipality in the district of Steyr-Land in Upper Austria, Austria. Many people of the municipality speak German.-References:... -Hintergebirge |
760 | 1 | 32,7 | Diesel | 1920 | 1971 | WbRr | Forest railway with limited public passenger services, dismantled |
| Salzburg | |||||||||
| Zinkenbach Forest Railway (WbZ) | Zinkenbach, Lagerplatz Hundsleiten-Königsbachalm | 700 | 1 | 6,7 | Diesel | 1921 | 1967 | WbZ | no passenger traffic, dismantled |
| Steiermark | |||||||||
| Deutschlandsberg Forest Railway (WbD) | Deutschlandsberg Deutschlandsberg Deutschlandsberg is a town in Deutschlandsberg district of Styria, Austria. It covers an area of 24 km² and has a population of 7,983. It is located in southern Austria, near Slovenia and is approx. 35 km from Graz. Popular tourist attractions in that area include the Deutschlandsberg... - Freiland bei Deutschlandsberg Freiland bei Deutschlandsberg Freiland bei Deutschlandsberg is a municipality in the district of Deutschlandsberg in Styria, Austria.-References:... |
760 | 1 | 9,9 | Steam | WbD | no passenger traffic, dismantled | ||
| Deutschlandsberg Forest Railway (WbD) | Kupper-Bärental | 600 | 1 | 8,5 | Steam | WbD | dismantled, link between Freiland and Kupper with 3.1 km long cable car (dismantled) | ||
| Deutschlandsberg Forest Railway (WbD) | Kupper-Hofbauer | 600 | 1 | 9,4 | Steam | WbD | Forest railway, no passenger traffic, dismantled | ||
| Frauenwald Forest Railway (WbF) | Steinhaus am Semmering- Rettenegg Rettenegg Rettenegg is a municipality in the district of Weiz in Styria, Austria.... |
600 | 1 | 22,0 | Steam | 1902 | 1958 | WbF | Forest railway with limited public passenger services, dismantled, with two inclined lifts |
| Frohnleiten Forest Railway (WbF) | Frohnleiten-Traninger- Rossstall | 760 | 1 | 12,4 | 1925 | 1951 | WbF | dismantled | |
| Frohnleiten Forest Railway (WbF) branch | Traninger- Dionys | 760 | 1 | 5,6 | 1925 | 1951 | WbF | dismantled | |
| Gundersdorf Forest Railway (WbG) | Gundersdorf Gundersdorf Gundersdorf is a municipality in the district of Deutschlandsberg in Styria, Austria.-References:... , Dampfsäge- Höllein |
760 | 1 | 4,0 | WbG | dismantled | |||
| Ingering Forest Railway (WbI) | Ingering -Seeboden Seeboden Seeboden is a village and municipality in the Spittal an der Drau district in Carinthia, Austria, EU.-Geography:-Location:Seeboden is located at the western end of the Millstätter See immediately next to the district capital Spittal an der Drau.... |
720 | 1 | ~10,5 | ~1885 | 1938 | WbI | dismantled | |
| Radmer Forest Railway (WbRa) | Hieflau Hieflau Hieflau is a municipality in the district of Leoben in Styria, Austria.... -Radmer Radmer Radmer is a municipality in the district of Leoben in Styria, Austria.... -Neuhaus |
830 | 1 | ~14,0 | 1920 | 1967 | WbRa | ||
| Radmer Forest Railway(WbRa) | Hieflau Hieflau Hieflau is a municipality in the district of Leoben in Styria, Austria.... -Radmer Radmer Radmer is a municipality in the district of Leoben in Styria, Austria.... -Neuhaus |
900 | 1 | ~14,0 | 1200 V DC | 1967 | 1979 | ||
| Trieben Forest Railway (WbT) | Trieben Trieben Trieben is a city in Styria, in central Austria, in the Palten River Valley. With a population of about 3800, Trieben only attained "city" status in 1996. It is a quaint town with a Globe sculpture in the Main Square.... - Lager Seyfried |
800 | 1 | ~ 10,8 | 1900 | ~1939 | WbT | ||
| Tirol | |||||||||
| Klammbach Forest Railway Klammbachwaldbahn The Klammbachwaldbahn was a narrow-gauge forest railway serving the forestry industry in the forests northeast of Achenkirch in Austria. The railway was approximately six kilometres long and ran from Weitgries into the forest nearby. The railway also operated an incline to assist in moving forest... |
Achenkirch Achenkirch Achenkirch is a municipality in the Schwaz district of Tyrol, Austria. It is located at the northern end of Lake Achensee.... |
760 | 6,6 | 1914 | 1960 | Klammbachwaldbahn Klammbachwaldbahn The Klammbachwaldbahn was a narrow-gauge forest railway serving the forestry industry in the forests northeast of Achenkirch in Austria. The railway was approximately six kilometres long and ran from Weitgries into the forest nearby. The railway also operated an incline to assist in moving forest... |
|||
| Bächental Forest Railway | Bächentalbahn | 750 | 10,2 | 1930 | 1956 | see also Bavaria | |||
France
- AbreschvillerAbreschvillerAbreschviller is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France....
Forest Railway, remains of a once extensive forest railway networks in the VosgesVosgesVosges is a French department, named after the local mountain range. It contains the hometown of Joan of Arc, Domrémy.-History:The Vosges department is one of the original 83 departments of France, created on February 9, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was made of territories that had been...
, museum railway - also the Voies Ferrées des LandesVoies Ferrées des LandesThe Voies Ferrées des Landes was founded in 1916 from the merger of three short line railway companies in the Landes forest region of Gascony, France.The railway lines were created primarily to transport timber from the foreested area...
a group of short lines built primarily to serve the forestry industry in the Landes forestLandes forestThe Landes forest or the Landes of Gascony , in the historic Gascony region of southwestern France now known as Aquitaine, is the largest maritime-pine forest in Europe...
Poland
(all lines on the Polish eastern border from north to south)- Forest Railway from Płociczno - BryzgielBryzgielBryzgiel is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Nowinka, within Augustów County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland. It lies approximately north-east of Nowinka, north-east of Augustów, and north of the regional capital Białystok....
(from 1923 ) - Forest Railway from Czarna Białostocka (from 1919)
- Forest Railway HajnówkaHajnówkaHajnówka is a town and a powiat seat in north-eastern Poland with 21,583 inhabitants . It is a notable centre of Belarusian culture in Poland and one of the centres of Orthodox faith. It is also notable for its proximity to the Białowieża Forest, the biggest primaeval forest in Europe. It is the...
, Museum Railway - Forest Railway Łupków - CisnaCisnaCisna is the main village of the Gmina Cisna in the Lesko County, in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship of south-eastern Poland. It lies in the Solinka valley in between the Bieszczady mountains.-History:...
Slovakia
- Hronec - Čierny Balog Forest Railway (Schwarzgranbahn), museum railway
- Vychylovka Forest Railway, museum railway
- Považská lesná železnica
Hungary
- Almamellék Forest Railway, tourist trains
- Csömödér Forest Railway, active forest railway and tourist trains
- Debrecen Forest Railway, tourist trains
- Felsőtárkány National Forest RailwayFelsotárkány National Forest RailwayFelsőtárkány National Forest Railway is a 5 kilometers long railway line in Northern Hungary. It operates regularly between 1 May and 30 September...
, tourist trains - Gemenc Forest Railway, active forest railway and tourist trains
- Mátravasút, (GyöngyösGyöngyösGyöngyös is a city in Heves county in Hungary, east of Budapest. Situated at the foot of the Sár-hegy and Mátra mountains, it is the home of numerous food production plants, including milk production and sausage factories...
) tourist trains - Kaszó Forest Railway, tourist trains
- Kemence Forest Railway, tourist trains and narrow gauge museum
- Királyrét Forest Railway, tourist trains
- Lillafüred Forest Railway, tourist trains
- Mesztegnyő Forest Railway, active forest railway and tourist trains
- Nagybörzsöny Forest Railway, tourist trains
- Pálháza Forest Railway, tourist trains
- Szilvásvárad Forest Railway, Szilvásvárad, tourist trains
Romania
- Wassertalbahn, active forest railway used for forestry
- CovasnaCovasnaCovasna is a town in Covasna county, Transylvania, Romania, at an altitude of 550–600 m.Known as the "town of 1,000 mineral springs," Covasna is famous for its mineral waters. Each spring has a different mixture of minerals, chiefly carbon dioxide, sulfur, and ammonia...
- ComandăuComandauComandău is a commune in Covasna County, Romania. It is composed of a single village, Comandău.It formed part of the Székely Land region of the historical Transylvania province.-Demographics:...
Forest Railway, with cable car, museum operation under construction
Other railways for the transport of goods
- Field railways (see: FeldbahnFeldbahnA Feldbahn is the German term for a narrow gauge railway, usually not open to the public, which in its simplest form provides for the transportation of agricultural, forestry and industrial raw materials such as wood, peat, stone, earth and sand...
) for the transportation of rural produce; also originally for military use as well - Mining railways for ore transportation
- Harbour or port railways for loading and unloading goods within a port
- Military railwaysMilitary railwaysMilitary railways are a form of transport communication technology used by the military forces for movement of strategically significant forces, bulk cargo or as a platform for military systems....
(see also: HeeresfeldbahnHeeresfeldbahnA Heeresfeldbahn is a German or Austrian military field railway . They were field railways designed for the military transportation purposes.- History :...
) for transporting military supplies and troops - Industrial railwayIndustrial railwayAn industrial railway is a type of railway that is not available for public transportation and is used exclusively to serve a particular industrial, logistics or military site...
s for transporting goods from factories - HalligHalligThe Halligen are ten small German islands without protective dikes in the North Frisian Islands on Schleswig-Holstein's Wadden Sea-North Sea coast in the district of Nordfriesland....
railways for transporting coastal defence materiel. - Bush tramways in New Zealand, see West coast trams in New Zealand
- Light railwayLight railwayLight railway refers to a railway built at lower costs and to lower standards than typical "heavy rail". This usually means the railway uses lighter weight track, and is more steeply graded and tightly curved to avoid civil engineering costs...
- Tramway (industrial)
- WagonwayWagonwayWagonways consisted of the horses, equipment and tracks used for hauling wagons, which preceded steam powered railways. The terms "plateway", "tramway" and in someplaces, "dramway" are also found.- Early developments :...
Sources
- Manfred Hohn, Waldbahnen in Österreich, Verlag Slezak 1989, ISBN 3-85416-148-4
- L.Reiner/H.Beiler/R.Sliwinski, Die Spiegelauer Forest Railway, Ohetaler Verlag Riedlhütte 2005, ISBN 3-937067-14-0
- Friedemann Tischer, Die Muskauer Waldeisenbahn, Verlag Kenning, Nordhorn 2003, ISBN 3-933613-63-9