Ruhrort–Homberg train ferry
Encyclopedia
The Ruhrort–Homberg train ferry was a German train ferry
on the Rhine between Ruhrort
and Homberg, now districts of Duisburg
.
(Cöln-Mindener Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, CME) was building its trunk line
between Cologne
and Minden
via Duisburg
between 1843 and 1847, the shareholders of the Ruhrort-Crefeld District Gladbach Railway Company (Ruhrort–Crefeld−Kreis Gladbach Eisenbahngesellschaft, RCG) were looking for a way to bring coal from the Ruhr to industries on the western bank of the Rhine cheaply. Technology had not yet developed for building a bridge over the Rhine. In addition, prior to the Austro-Prussian War
, the Prussia
n military opposed the building of a fixed bridge across the Rhine for military reasons, except in fortified cities such as Cologne, Mainz
, Koblenz
and Düsseldorf
. Therefore, the RCG decided to build a train ferry between its left (western) bank terminus in Homberg and the right bank port of Ruhrort.
to Homberg, which was opened on 15 October 1849. The CME completed its branch line from Oberhausen to Ruhrort on 14 October 1848.
Each pontoon could carry three wagons. They were attached on both sides of a small steamer and crossed the Rhine for the first time on 12 November 1852. Despite the problems caused by ice and floods and in spite of many breaks of chains and ropes, the ferry initially moved up to 700 carriages and wagons each month. In 1855 32,000 wagons were moved across the Rhine, but this was the limit of capacity.
A purpose-built 52 metre long and 8 metre wide steamer could carry twelve freight wagons or four carriages on every trip. The ship had four steam boilers and a tall chimney on each side. Inside there were rooms in the ship for the passengers who did not remain in the carriages.
The construction of the lift systems began in the summer of 1854 and went into service on 1 May 1856. In the same year 47,050 cars were carried. On peak traffic days, parallel operations continued on the ramps. However, there were several significant disruptions as a result of storms, ice and floods.
After the opening of the new coal line by the Rhenish Railway Company
(Rheinischen Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, RhE) from Osterath near Krefeld
via Rheinhausen
to Essen, including the Rheinhausen–Hochfeld train ferry
, on 23 August 1866 and especially after the openeing of the Duisburg–Hochfeld rail bridge in 1874, the BME’s train ferry lost traffic until the nationalisation of the private railway companies in 1881.
In 1881 about 80,000 wagons were still carried by train ferry. The BME rebuilt one of the lift towers in 1876 after a fire.
The dilapidated lift tower at the Ruhrort site was demolished in 1971. Its counterpart in Homberg still stands and was occasionally used as a Youth Hostel
. It is now part of The Industrial Heritage Trail
.
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...
on the Rhine between Ruhrort
Ruhrort
Ruhrort is a district within the German city of Duisburg situated north of the confluence of the Ruhr and the Rhine, in the western part of the Ruhr area...
and Homberg, now districts of Duisburg
Duisburg
- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
.
History
While the Cologne-Minden Railway CompanyCologne-Minden Railway Company
The Cologne-Minden Railway Company was along with the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company and the Rhenish Railway Company one of the railway companies that in the mid-19th century built the first railways in the Ruhr and large parts of today's North Rhine-Westphalia.-Founding :The founding of the...
(Cöln-Mindener Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, CME) was building its trunk line
Cologne-Minden trunk line
The Cologne-Minden trunk line is a railway built by the Cologne-Minden Railway Company . The line is the westernmost part of the railway line from Berlin to the Rhine that was proposed by Friedrich List in his Concept for a railway network in Germany, published in 1833...
between 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 Minden
Minden
Minden is a town of about 83,000 inhabitants in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The town extends along both sides of the river Weser. It is the capital of the Kreis of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of Detmold. Minden is the historic political centre of the...
via Duisburg
Duisburg
- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
between 1843 and 1847, the shareholders of the Ruhrort-Crefeld District Gladbach Railway Company (Ruhrort–Crefeld−Kreis Gladbach Eisenbahngesellschaft, RCG) were looking for a way to bring coal from the Ruhr to industries on the western bank of the Rhine cheaply. Technology had not yet developed for building a bridge over the Rhine. In addition, prior to the Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
, the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n military opposed the building of a fixed bridge across the Rhine for military reasons, except in fortified cities such as Cologne, 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...
, Koblenz
Koblenz
Koblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated.As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the...
and Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
. Therefore, the RCG decided to build a train ferry between its left (western) bank terminus in Homberg and the right bank port of Ruhrort.
Construction of the railway lines
On 29 March 1847 the RCG entered into a contract with the CME to connect the lines of both companies and for the transport of passenger carriages and freight wagons across the Rhine. In May 1847, the RCG began construction of its line from Viersen via KrefeldKrefeld
Krefeld , also known as Crefeld until 1929, is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located northwest of Düsseldorf, its centre lying just a few kilometres to the west of the River Rhine; the borough of Uerdingen is situated directly on the Rhine...
to Homberg, which was opened on 15 October 1849. The CME completed its branch line from Oberhausen to Ruhrort on 14 October 1848.
Construction of ramps
Lack of experience in Germany with train ferries led the RCG to begin the movement of wagons with a simple system of ramps, but using imported facilities that had not been tested in advance. On both sides wagons were lowered, initially using chains and later ropes, from the top of the river banks down a slope of 1 in 12 to the edge of pontoon docks—these railway basins still exist. The wagons were then moved on to pontoons over rails that had been temporarily installed over the water. On the other side the wagons were towed up the ramp by a locomotive using the same system of chains or ropes.Each pontoon could carry three wagons. They were attached on both sides of a small steamer and crossed the Rhine for the first time on 12 November 1852. Despite the problems caused by ice and floods and in spite of many breaks of chains and ropes, the ferry initially moved up to 700 carriages and wagons each month. In 1855 32,000 wagons were moved across the Rhine, but this was the limit of capacity.
Construction of the hydraulic lifting system
To increase throughput the railway company decided to build on both banks in addition to the ramps a tower with a hydraulically actuated lift. The plants were supplied and installed by an English company. Two freight wagons or passenger carriages could be carried up to 8.5 metres up or down.A purpose-built 52 metre long and 8 metre wide steamer could carry twelve freight wagons or four carriages on every trip. The ship had four steam boilers and a tall chimney on each side. Inside there were rooms in the ship for the passengers who did not remain in the carriages.
The construction of the lift systems began in the summer of 1854 and went into service on 1 May 1856. In the same year 47,050 cars were carried. On peak traffic days, parallel operations continued on the ramps. However, there were several significant disruptions as a result of storms, ice and floods.
Takeover by the BME
After the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company (Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, BME) took over the company on 1 January 1866 (which until then had been owned by the Royal Division of the Aachen-Düsseldorf-Ruhrort Railway Company, Königliche Direction der Aachen-Düsseldorf-Ruhrorter Eisenbahn), it started major repairs and improvements to increase the efficiency of the train ferry service. The ramps were lowered to a 1 in 24 grade so that longer vehicles could be loaded. With the commissioning of another ferry, the capacity of the train ferry operation was increased to 100,000 wagons annually.After the opening of the new coal line by the Rhenish Railway Company
Rhenish Railway Company
The Rhenish Railway Company was along with the Cologne-Minden Railway Company and the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company one of the railway companies that in the mid-19th century built the first railways in the Ruhr and large parts of today's North Rhine-Westphalia.-Foundation :The...
(Rheinischen Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, RhE) from Osterath near Krefeld
Krefeld
Krefeld , also known as Crefeld until 1929, is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located northwest of Düsseldorf, its centre lying just a few kilometres to the west of the River Rhine; the borough of Uerdingen is situated directly on the Rhine...
via Rheinhausen
Rheinhausen
Rheinhausen is a district of the city of Duisburg in Germany, with a population of 79,566 and an area of 38.68 km². It lies on the left bank of the river Rhine....
to Essen, including the Rheinhausen–Hochfeld train ferry
Rheinhausen–Hochfeld train ferry
The Rheinhausen-Hochfeld train ferry was a German train ferry on the Rhine between Rheinhausen and Hochfeld, now districts of Duisburg. It was built by theRhenish Railway Company and commenced operations on 23 August 1866.-History :...
, on 23 August 1866 and especially after the openeing of the Duisburg–Hochfeld rail bridge in 1874, the BME’s train ferry lost traffic until the nationalisation of the private railway companies in 1881.
In 1881 about 80,000 wagons were still carried by train ferry. The BME rebuilt one of the lift towers in 1876 after a fire.
Closure
The Royal Prussian State Railways (Königlich Preußische Staatseisenbahnen) took over the BME in 1882. According to various sources train ferry operations were discontinued on 1 April 1885. An ordinary ferry service continued to operate for passenger until the opening of the Homberg–Ruhrort road bridge in 1907.The dilapidated lift tower at the Ruhrort site was demolished in 1971. Its counterpart in Homberg still stands and was occasionally used as a Youth Hostel
Hostelling International
Hostelling International, formerly known as International Youth Hostel Federation , is the federation of more than 90 national youth hostel associations in more than 80 countries who have over 4,500 affiliated hostels around the world....
. It is now part of The Industrial Heritage Trail
The Industrial Heritage Trail
The Industrial Heritage Trail links tourist attractions related to the industrial heritage in the Ruhr area in Germany. It is a part of the European Route of Industrial Heritage.-The route:...
.