Hessian Ludwig Railway
Encyclopedia
The Hessian Ludwig Railway (German: Hessische Ludwigsbahn) or HLB with its network of 697 kilometres of railway was one of the largest privately owned railway companies in Germany.
. Whilst the province of Starkenburg was given a central railway link, the Main-Neckar Railway
very early on and the province of Upper Hesse
at least had connexions to the railway network through the Main-Weser Railway
at its periphery - the Grand Duchy had shares in both lines and they were operated as joint railways (Kondominalbahnen) – the third province, Rhenish Hesse (Rheinhessen), had no such facilities.
Because the state was not active in this area, there was an opportunity for private involvement in the shape of a joint stock company
(Aktiengesellschaft). The HQ of the Hessian Ludwig Railway was therefore not based in the capital of Darmstadt
, but in the provincial capital for Rhenish Hesse, Mainz
. The first impetus for the construction of a line in Rhenish Hesse came not however from local people, but from outside; in particular the Bavarian Palatinate was interested. For military strategic reasons the Prussian state
disapproved of a route running west of the Rhine. The Grand Duchy of Baden
saw the project competing with the Main-Neckar Railway in which Baden also had shares.
When, in 1844, the Bavarian government issued a licence for railway construction in the Bavarian Palatinate, a northern expansion of the railway into Rhenish Hesse appeared attractive. In addition, the pioneer of the German railways, Friedrich List
, personally championed the building of a line from Mainz to Worms
. The grand ducal government in Darmstadt however, initially remained opposed, especially as it had passed a law in 1842 for a state railway system. From 1845 onwards, however, there were proponents in the government for a private railway for the province of Rhenish Hesse.
to Worms was soon discarded in favour of a direct route along the Rhine. On 15 August 1845 a licence was granted to the Mainz-Ludwigshafen Railway Company (Mainz-Ludwigshafener-Eisenbahngesellschaft). The company was later renamed to the Hessian Ludwig Railway Company (Hessische-Ludwigs-Eisenbahngesellschaft) or HLB – in honour of Louis III, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine
, although he initially opposed the building of the line. In the times following the HLB got increasingly into financial deep water, because several share holders withdrew their money. Construction began in spring 1848. However as the state purse became empty as a result of the revolution of 1848
, the state could no longer be relied on to provide any support and the construction of the line threatened to grind to a halt. Not until August 1852 did the Hesse-Darmstadt government, decided to support the HLB. In addition a treaty was agreed with Kingdom of Bavaria
for the entire Mainz–Ludwigshafen line.
Whilst the city of Worms would have preferred a station in the vicinity of the port, the HLB, after a degree of toing and froing, built it further west where it is today. Thereafter building proceeded apace and the 46 kilometre long route was opened in several sections from Mainz to Worms during the period 23 March (Mainz – Oppenheim
) to 24 August 1853. From 15 November 1853 trains ran through from Mainz to Ludwigshafen. Initially there were 6 passenger trains daily (2 of which were expresses) in each direction between Mainz and Worms. In Mainz there was a connexion to the steamships of the Cologne and Düsseldorf Company for Steamships on the Rhine River (Kölnische und Düsseldorfer Gesellschaft für Rhein-Dampfschiffahrt).
from Mainz via Darmstadt to Aschaffenburg
in Bavaria was opened. Initially the Rhine river was crossed by a train ferry
east of the railway station Mainz Neuthor (today: Mainz Römisches Theater) until the bridge was finished an given to traffic on 1 of December 1862. This line not only connected Mainz, second in importance after the grand-ducal capital, with Darmstadt. But it enabled also to run trains through from the Bavarian railways up the Rhine valley to Cologne
and further on to Belgium
.
and Starkenburg) as well as one of the largest privately owned railways of Germany.
. The abbreviation "HLB" was said by the local people to stand for Long live Bismarck.
The Hessian Ludwig Railway began operations with 6 steam locomotives from the Maschinenfabrik Esslingen
; these sported (as was then common) illustrious names: Schenk (after Freiherr von Schenk, director of the Hessian Finance Ministry), Dalwigk (after Freiherr von Dalwigk, then Hesse's Ministerialdirektor and ex Territorialkommissär for Mainz - this engine hauled the first train on the Mainz - Oppenheim line), Gutenberg (after Johannes Gensfleisch called Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press
), Arnold Walpoden (after Arnold Walpoden, the initiator of the Rheinische Bund in 1254) as well as Mainz and Worms.
At the end of 1895, i.e. one year before the Hessian Ludwig Railway was nationalised, it had 216 locomotives.
s to begin with (there was no 4th class). In 1861 the HLB had 39 locomotives and in 1864 52.
At the end of 1895 the fleet comprised 544 coaches, 107 luggage vans, 1552 covered and 2240 open wagons.
Early history
The Hessian Ludwig Railway was a product of the failed – or, more accurately, non-existent – railway politics in the Grand Duchy of HesseGrand Duchy of Hesse
The Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine , or, between 1806 and 1816, Grand Duchy of Hesse —as it was also known after 1816—was a member state of the German Confederation from 1806, when the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was elevated to a Grand Duchy, until 1918, when all the German...
. Whilst the province of Starkenburg was given a central railway link, the Main-Neckar Railway
Main-Neckar Railway
The Main-Neckar Railway is a main line railway west of the Odenwald in the Upper Rhine Plain of Germany that connects Frankfurt am Main to Heidelberg via Darmstadt, Bensheim and Weinheim...
very early on and the province of Upper Hesse
Upper Hesse
The province of Upper Hesse was one of three provinces in the Grand Duchy of Hesse and later the People's State of Hesse. Its territory covers the area of land north of the River Main in the historic region of Upper Hesse...
at least had connexions to the railway network through the Main-Weser Railway
Main-Weser Railway
The Main-Weser Railway is the railway line in central Germany that runs from Frankfurt am Main via Gießen to Kassel and named after the railway company that built the line and also operated it until 1880. It was opened between 1849 and 1852 and was one of the first railways in Germany.- Route...
at its periphery - the Grand Duchy had shares in both lines and they were operated as joint railways (Kondominalbahnen) – the third province, Rhenish Hesse (Rheinhessen), had no such facilities.
Because the state was not active in this area, there was an opportunity for private involvement in the shape of a joint stock company
Joint stock company
A joint-stock company is a type of corporation or partnership involving two or more individuals that own shares of stock in the company...
(Aktiengesellschaft). The HQ of the Hessian Ludwig Railway was therefore not based in the capital of Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
, but in the provincial capital for Rhenish Hesse, Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
. The first impetus for the construction of a line in Rhenish Hesse came not however from local people, but from outside; in particular the Bavarian Palatinate was interested. For military strategic reasons the Prussian state
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
disapproved of a route running west of the Rhine. The Grand Duchy of Baden
Grand Duchy of Baden
The Grand Duchy of Baden was a historical state in the southwest of Germany, on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918.-History:...
saw the project competing with the Main-Neckar Railway in which Baden also had shares.
When, in 1844, the Bavarian government issued a licence for railway construction in the Bavarian Palatinate, a northern expansion of the railway into Rhenish Hesse appeared attractive. In addition, the pioneer of the German railways, Friedrich List
Friedrich List
Georg Friedrich List was a leading 19th century German economist who developed the "National System" or what some would call today the National System of Innovation...
, personally championed the building of a line from Mainz to Worms
Worms, Germany
Worms is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Rhine River. At the end of 2004, it had 85,829 inhabitants.Established by the Celts, who called it Borbetomagus, Worms today remains embattled with the cities Trier and Cologne over the title of "Oldest City in Germany." Worms is the only...
. The grand ducal government in Darmstadt however, initially remained opposed, especially as it had passed a law in 1842 for a state railway system. From 1845 onwards, however, there were proponents in the government for a private railway for the province of Rhenish Hesse.
Mainz – Ludwigshafen – (France) (1853)
At first, the route to be used was totally unclear. The alternative from Mainz via AlzeyAlzey
Alzey is a Verband-free town – one belonging to no Verbandsgemeinde – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the fourth-largest town in Rhenish Hesse, after Mainz, Worms, and Bingen....
to Worms was soon discarded in favour of a direct route along the Rhine. On 15 August 1845 a licence was granted to the Mainz-Ludwigshafen Railway Company (Mainz-Ludwigshafener-Eisenbahngesellschaft). The company was later renamed to the Hessian Ludwig Railway Company (Hessische-Ludwigs-Eisenbahngesellschaft) or HLB – in honour of Louis III, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine
Louis III, Grand Duke of Hesse
Louis III was Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine from 1848 until his death. He was succeeded by his nephew, Louis IV....
, although he initially opposed the building of the line. In the times following the HLB got increasingly into financial deep water, because several share holders withdrew their money. Construction began in spring 1848. However as the state purse became empty as a result of the revolution of 1848
Revolutions of 1848 in the German states
The Revolutions of 1848 in the German states, also called the March Revolution – part of the Revolutions of 1848 that broke out in many countries of Europe – were a series of loosely coordinated protests and rebellions in the states of the German Confederation, including the Austrian Empire...
, the state could no longer be relied on to provide any support and the construction of the line threatened to grind to a halt. Not until August 1852 did the Hesse-Darmstadt government, decided to support the HLB. In addition a treaty was agreed with Kingdom of Bavaria
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
for the entire Mainz–Ludwigshafen line.
Whilst the city of Worms would have preferred a station in the vicinity of the port, the HLB, after a degree of toing and froing, built it further west where it is today. Thereafter building proceeded apace and the 46 kilometre long route was opened in several sections from Mainz to Worms during the period 23 March (Mainz – Oppenheim
Oppenheim
Oppenheim is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The town is well known as a wine town, the site of the German Winegrowing Museum and particularly for the wines from the Oppenheimer Krötenbrunnen vineyards.- Location :...
) to 24 August 1853. From 15 November 1853 trains ran through from Mainz to Ludwigshafen. Initially there were 6 passenger trains daily (2 of which were expresses) in each direction between Mainz and Worms. In Mainz there was a connexion to the steamships of the Cologne and Düsseldorf Company for Steamships on the Rhine River (Kölnische und Düsseldorfer Gesellschaft für Rhein-Dampfschiffahrt).
Rhine-Main-Railway
On 1 of August 1858 the Rhine-Main lineRhine-Main Railway
The Rhine-Main Railway , is a railway line in southern Germany from Mainz via Darmstadt to Aschaffenburg. It was built by Hessische Ludwigsbahn and opened on 1 August 1858 and is one of the oldest railways in Germany...
from Mainz via Darmstadt to Aschaffenburg
Aschaffenburg
Aschaffenburg is a city in northwest Bavaria, Germany. The town of Aschaffenburg is not considered part of the district of Aschaffenburg, but is the administrative seat.Aschaffenburg is known as the Tor zum Spessart or "gate to the Spessart"...
in Bavaria was opened. Initially the Rhine river was crossed by a train ferry
Train ferry
A train ferry is a ship designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to the wharves. In the United States, train ferries are sometimes referred to as "car ferries", as...
east of the railway station Mainz Neuthor (today: Mainz Römisches Theater) until the bridge was finished an given to traffic on 1 of December 1862. This line not only connected Mainz, second in importance after the grand-ducal capital, with Darmstadt. But it enabled also to run trains through from the Bavarian railways up the Rhine valley to Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
and further on to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
Expansion of the network
Over the succeeding decades the following lines were added to the network and the HLB became the major provider of rail services within the two southern provinces of the grand-duchy (RheinhessenRheinhessen
Rhenish Hesse refers to the part of the former Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt located west of the Rhine river and now part of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is a hilly countryside largely devoted to vineyards, therefore it is also called the "land of the thousand hills." Its larger towns include:...
and Starkenburg) as well as one of the largest privately owned railways of Germany.
- West Rhine Railway (Linksrheinische Bahn) – 1859 (Mainz-BingenBingenBingen may refer to:* Bingen am Rhein, Germany* Bingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany* Bingen, Washington, United States* Bingen Hauptbahnhof...
) - Frankfurt City Link Line (Städtische Verbindungsbahn Frankfurt) – 1862 (owned by the City of Frankfurt, rail services provided by HLB)
- Frankfurt-Hanau Railway (Frankfurt-Hanauer Eisenbahn) - owned by the private Frankfurt-Hanau Railway Company, rail services were operated by the HLB from 1863. It purchased the line in 1872.
- Main Railway Mainbahn – 1863 (Mainz-Frankfurt)
- Ried Railway Riedbahn - from 1869 (Darmstadt [later: Frankfurt]-Rosengarten [right bank of Rhine river, opposite Worms])
- Nibelungen Railway Nibelungenbahn – 1869 (Rosengarten-BensheimBensheimBensheim is a town in the Bergstraße district in southern Hesse, Germany. Bensheim lies on the Bergstraße and at the edge of the Odenwald mountains while at the same time having an open view over the Rhine plain...
) - Mainz – AlzeyAlzeyAlzey is a Verband-free town – one belonging to no Verbandsgemeinde – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the fourth-largest town in Rhenish Hesse, after Mainz, Worms, and Bingen....
(1871) - Taunus Railway Taunus-Eisenbahn – 1871, sold in 1872 to the Prussian state railwaysPrussian state railwaysThe term Prussian state railways encompasses those railway organisations that were owned or managed by the State of Prussia...
- Wiesbachtalbahn - 1871-1895
- Main-Lahn Railway Main-Lahn-Bahn – 1877 (Frankfurt-Limburg an der LahnLimburg an der LahnLimburg an der Lahn is the district seat of Limburg-Weilburg in Hesse, Germany.-Location:Limburg lies in western Hesse between the Taunus and the Westerwald on the river Lahn....
) - Ländches Railway (Ländchesbahn) (WiesbadenWiesbadenWiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
-NiedernhausenNiedernhausenNiedernhausen im Taunus is a municipality in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany, with almost 15,000 inhabitants.-Location:...
) - 1879 - Odenwald Railway (Odenwaldbahn) – 1882 (Darmstadt / Hanau-EberbachEberbach (Baden)Eberbach is a town in Germany, in northern Baden-Württemberg, located 33 km east of Heidelberg. It belongs to the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis. Its sister city is Ephrata, United States.- Location :...
)
Route numbers
In the early 1890s the HLB numbered its routes as follows:- Line 1 : Frankfurt - Hanau - Eberbach
- Line 2 : Darmstadt - Wiebelsbach-Heubach
- Line 3 : Mainz - Alzey
- Line 4 : Armsheim - Wendelsheim
- Line 5 : Bingen - Alzey - Worms
- Line 6 : Mannheim - Worms über Lampertheim
- Line 7 : Bingen - Mainz - Frankfurt
- Line 8 : Mainz - Worms
- Line 9 : Mainz - Darmstadt - Aschaffenburg
- Line 10 : Frankfurt - Hanau - Aschaffenburg
- Line 11 : Frankfurt - Limburg
- Line 12 : Wiesbaden - Niedernhausen
- Line 13 : Frankfurt - Mannheim
- Line 14 : Darmstadt - Worms
- Line 15 : Bensheim - Worms
Nationalisation
On 1 April 1897 the HLB was nationalised and became part of the Prussian-Hessian Railway Operating and Financial AssociationPrussian-Hessian Railway Company
The Royal Prussian and Grand-Ducal Hessian State Railways was a state-owned network of independent railway divisions in the German states of Prussia and Hesse in the early 20th century...
. The abbreviation "HLB" was said by the local people to stand for Long live Bismarck.
Locomotives
The Hessian Ludwig Railway began operations with 6 steam locomotives from the Maschinenfabrik Esslingen
Maschinenfabrik Esslingen
Maschinenfabrik Esslingen , was a German engineering firm that manufactured locomotives, tramways, railway wagons, roll-blocks, technical equipment for the railways, , bridges, steel structures, pumps and boilers.-Founding:...
; these sported (as was then common) illustrious names: Schenk (after Freiherr von Schenk, director of the Hessian Finance Ministry), Dalwigk (after Freiherr von Dalwigk, then Hesse's Ministerialdirektor and ex Territorialkommissär for Mainz - this engine hauled the first train on the Mainz - Oppenheim line), Gutenberg (after Johannes Gensfleisch called Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press
Printing press
A printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...
), Arnold Walpoden (after Arnold Walpoden, the initiator of the Rheinische Bund in 1254) as well as Mainz and Worms.
At the end of 1895, i.e. one year before the Hessian Ludwig Railway was nationalised, it had 216 locomotives.
Coach fleet
In addition to 11 1st and 2nd class passenger coaches the HLB had 19 3rd class coaches and 36 luggage vans and goods wagonGoods wagon
Goods wagons are railway wagons that are used for the transportation of goods .- Development :At the beginning of the railway era, the vast majority of goods wagons were four-wheeled vehicles of simple construction. These were almost exclusively small covered wagons, open wagons with side-boards,...
s to begin with (there was no 4th class). In 1861 the HLB had 39 locomotives and in 1864 52.
At the end of 1895 the fleet comprised 544 coaches, 107 luggage vans, 1552 covered and 2240 open wagons.
Sources
- Hans Döhn: Eisenbahnpolitik und Eisenbahnbau in Rheinhessen 1835-1914. Mainz 1957.
- Ralph Häussler: Eisenbahnen in Worms - Von der Ludwigsbahn zum Rheinland-Pfalz-Takt. Kehl, Hamm/Rheinhessen 2003. ISBN 3-935651-10-4
- Bernhard Hager: ’Aufsaugung durch Preußen’ oder ‚Wohltat für Hessen’?. Die preußisch-hessische Eisenbahngemeinschaft von 1896/97. In: Andreas Hedwig (Hrsg.), „Auf eisernen Schienen, so schnell wie der Blitz“. Regionale und überregionale Aspekte der Eisenbahngeschichte = Schriften des hessischen Staatsarchivs Marburg 19, Marburg 2008.
- Wolfgang Klee und Günther Scheingraber: Preußische Eisenbahngeschichte (=Preußen-Report. Band 1.2), Teil 2 1870/71 - 1920. Merker, Fürstenfeldbruck 1992. ISBN 3-922404-38-3
- Peter Scheffler: Eisenbahnknotenpunkt Mainz/Wiesbaden. Eisenbahn-Kurier-Verl., Freiburg 1988. ISBN 3-88255-620-X