Spessart Ramp
Encyclopedia
The Spessart Ramp is a 5.4 km long incline on the Main-Spessart Railway
in southern Germany
between Laufach
at one end and the Schwarzkopf tunnel and Heigenbrücken
at the other, with an average incline of 20 ‰. The ramp is part of Ludwig's Western Railway
and the section from Würzburg
via Aschaffenburg
to the state border at Kahl am Main
was opened on 1 October 1854 by the Royal Bavarian State Railways
. The ramp enabled the difference in height between the Laufach valley and the Lohr valley to be overcome as it crossed the Spessart
between Kahl am Main and Aschaffenburg on the one side and Würzburg/Bamberg on the other.
In keeping with the philosophy for railway construction at that time it was decided that the way to cope with large differences in height was the construction of a relatively short, steep section of line and to haul trains up the incline with the aid of banking locomotives, whilst the remaining section of the route could be made relatively level. A structure using the same concept is the Schiefe Ebene
between Neuenmarkt
-Wirsberg
and Marktschorgast
, which was built between 1844 and 1848 as part of the Ludwig South-North Railway
. The Spessart Ramp, together with the adjoining Schwarzkopf tunnel had been double-tracked in 1854, whilst the remaining parts of the line between Kahl am Main
and Würzburg
were not doubled until the 1890s. The Spessart Ramp was electrified in 1957. During the steam locomotive era, heavy goods trains were frequently hauled up the ramp at just 6 km/h.
In 1914 the legendary 0-8-8-0
Mallet locomotive
s, the Bavarian Gt 2x4/4
s (later DRG Class 96) arrived as banking engines for the Spessart Ramp. Later they were replaced by Prussian T 16.1
(DRG Class 94.5-17) which remained in service until 1957, and also sometines by the Prussian T 20
s (Class 95s). From 1957 to autumn 1987 the Class E 94.2
s (194.5) took on the banking duties.
These were replaced from late 1987 to 2003 by the DB Class 150
, that have been in operation there briefly in 1957 for a few weeks as pushers. Since 2003 the DB Class 151
has performed the banking task.
Because the Deutsche Bahn
does not push the goods trains of private railway companies for competition reasons, since 2004 the Mittelweserbahn has stationed locomotive number 1020 041 ( ex ÖBB
, known as Krokodil) at Laufach for the goods trains of private railways. As a result an example of Class E93/E94 has returned after a break of many years to banking duties on the Spessart Ramp.
Main-Spessart Railway
The Main-Spessart Railway is a 110 kilometre long railway line in the Bavarian province of Lower Franconia and the neighbouring state of Hesse in south central Germany. It runs from Würzburg via Gemünden and Aschaffenburg to Hanau...
in southern Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
between Laufach
Laufach
Laufach is a community in the Aschaffenburg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.-Location:...
at one end and the Schwarzkopf tunnel and Heigenbrücken
Heigenbrücken
Heigenbrücken is a municipality in the Aschaffenburg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany and seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft of Heigenbrücken.-Location:...
at the other, with an average incline of 20 ‰. The ramp is part of Ludwig's Western Railway
Ludwig's Western Railway
Ludwig's Western Railway is a German railway line that was originally funded by the Kingdom of Bavaria. It runs from Bamberg via Würzburg to Aschaffenburg and on into the former 'Kurhessian' Hanau.- History :...
and the section from Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
via 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"...
to the state border at Kahl am Main
Kahl am Main
Kahl am Main is a community in the Aschaffenburg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.- Location :...
was opened on 1 October 1854 by the Royal Bavarian State Railways
Royal Bavarian State Railways
As a nation-state, Germany did not come into being until the creation of the German Empire in 1871 from the various German-speaking states such as Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, Baden and Württemberg. By then each of the major states had formed its own state railway and these continued to remain...
. The ramp enabled the difference in height between the Laufach valley and the Lohr valley to be overcome as it crossed the Spessart
Spessart
The Spessart is a low mountain range in northwestern Bavaria and southern Hesse, Germany. It is bordered on three sides by the Main River. The two most important towns located at the foot of the Spessart are Aschaffenburg and Würzburg....
between Kahl am Main and Aschaffenburg on the one side and Würzburg/Bamberg on the other.
In keeping with the philosophy for railway construction at that time it was decided that the way to cope with large differences in height was the construction of a relatively short, steep section of line and to haul trains up the incline with the aid of banking locomotives, whilst the remaining section of the route could be made relatively level. A structure using the same concept is the Schiefe Ebene
Schiefe Ebene
The Schiefe Ebene is a steep railway incline on the course of the Ludwig South-North Railway from Bamberg to Hof in the region of Upper Franconia, in Bavaria, Germany....
between Neuenmarkt
Neuenmarkt
Neuenmarkt is a municipality in the district of Kulmbach in Bavaria in Germany.-City arrangement:Neuenmarkt is arranged in the following boroughs:...
-Wirsberg
Wirsberg
Wirsberg is a municipality in the district of Kulmbach in Bavaria in Germany.-City arrangement:Wirsberg is arranged in the following boroughs:* Birkenhof* Cottenau* Einöde* Goldene Adlerhütte* Neufang* Osserich* Schlackenmühle* Sessenreuth...
and Marktschorgast
Marktschorgast
Marktschorgast is a municipality in the district of Kulmbach in Bavaria in Germany.-City arrangement:Marktschorgast is arranged in the following boroughs:...
, which was built between 1844 and 1848 as part of the Ludwig South-North Railway
Ludwig South-North Railway
The Ludwig South-North railway , built between 1843 and 1854, was the first railway line to be constructed by Royal Bavarian State Railways...
. The Spessart Ramp, together with the adjoining Schwarzkopf tunnel had been double-tracked in 1854, whilst the remaining parts of the line between Kahl am Main
Kahl am Main
Kahl am Main is a community in the Aschaffenburg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.- Location :...
and Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
were not doubled until the 1890s. The Spessart Ramp was electrified in 1957. During the steam locomotive era, heavy goods trains were frequently hauled up the ramp at just 6 km/h.
In 1914 the legendary 0-8-8-0
0-8-8-0
In the Whyte notation for classifying the wheel arrangement of steam locomotives, an 0-8-8-0 is a locomotive with two sets of eight driving wheels and neither leading wheels nor trailing wheels...
Mallet locomotive
Mallet locomotive
The Mallet Locomotive is a type of articulated locomotive, invented by a Swiss engineer named Anatole Mallet ....
s, the Bavarian Gt 2x4/4
Bavarian Gt 2x4/4
The Bavarian Class Gt 2×4/4 engine of the Royal Bavarian State Railways , was a heavy goods train tank locomotive of the Mallet type...
s (later DRG Class 96) arrived as banking engines for the Spessart Ramp. Later they were replaced by Prussian T 16.1
Prussian T 16.1
The Prussian T 16.1 locomotives were built for the Prussian state railways as goods train tank locomotives about the time of the First World War. Six examples were also procured by the Imperial Railways in Alsace-Lorraine.-History:...
(DRG Class 94.5-17) which remained in service until 1957, and also sometines by the Prussian T 20
Prussian T 20
The German DRG Class 95 was a ten-coupled tank locomotive with a 2-10-2 wheel arrangement, which was procured by the Deutsche Reichsbahn in 1922 for hauling heavy goods trains on steep main lines...
s (Class 95s). From 1957 to autumn 1987 the Class E 94.2
DRG Class E 94
The DRG Class E94 is an electric heavy freight locomotive built for Deutsche Reichsbahn's since 1940, with the bulk of deliveries taking place in the same year. It is a major evolution of the DRG Class E93, and even after World War II, new units were ordered and delivered as late as 1957....
s (194.5) took on the banking duties.
These were replaced from late 1987 to 2003 by the DB Class 150
DB Class 150
The Class 150 is an electric heavy freight locomotive built for German Federal Railways between 1957 and 1973. They were built as heavy freight movers to be used on the increasingly electrified main lines of the DB, where they were set to replace the steam traction.In 1957 the first locomotive, 150...
, that have been in operation there briefly in 1957 for a few weeks as pushers. Since 2003 the DB Class 151
DB Class 151
The Class 151 is an electric heavy freight locomotive built for German Federal Railways between 1972 and 1978. They were built as a replacement to the aging Class 150, in order to cope with the increased requirements of this type of locomotive, in particular the desire of a 120 km/h top...
has performed the banking task.
Because the Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
does not push the goods trains of private railway companies for competition reasons, since 2004 the Mittelweserbahn has stationed locomotive number 1020 041 ( ex ÖBB
ÖBB
The Austrian Federal Railways is the national railway system of Austria, and the administrators of Liechtenstein's railways...
, known as Krokodil) at Laufach for the goods trains of private railways. As a result an example of Class E93/E94 has returned after a break of many years to banking duties on the Spessart Ramp.