1902 film of the Wuppertal Suspended Railway in Germany

[ozbob]

Wuppertal Schwebebahn

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuppertal_Schwebebahn

The Wuppertaler Schwebebahn (Wuppertal Suspension Railway) is a suspension railway in Wuppertal, Germany.

Its original name is Einschienige Hängebahn System Eugen Langen. It is the oldest electric elevated railway with hanging cars in the world and is a unique system in Germany.

Designed by Eugen Langen and offered first to the cities of Berlin, Breslau and Munich who all turned it down,[2] the installation with elevated stations was built in Barmen, Elberfeld and Vohwinkel between 1897 and 1903; the first track opened in 1901. The railway line is credited with growth of the original cities and their eventual merger into Wuppertal.[2] The Schwebebahn is still in use as a normal means of local public transport, moving 25 million passengers annually, per the 2008 annual report.[3] New rail cars were ordered in 2015, called Generation 15, and the first new car went into service in December 2016.

The Schwebebahn runs along a route of 13.3 kilometres (8.3 mi), at a height of about 12 metres (39 ft) above the River Wupper between Oberbarmen and Sonnborner Straße (10 kilometres or 6.2 miles) and about 8 metres (26 ft) above the valley road between Sonnborner Straße and Vohwinkel (3.3 kilometres or 2.1 miles).[4][5] At one point the railway crosses the A46 motorway. The entire trip takes about 30 minutes.[5] The Schwebebahn operates within the VRR transport association and accepts tickets issued by the VRR companies.

[Gazza]

Here a a few pics from my visit in 2018

The new rolling stock is quite stylish but quite narrow.

At the end of the line there is no turnback, it just does a really tight U turn like at ski lift station (though there is a traverser to gain access to the maintenance depot at the terminus)

[Gazza]

Schwebebahn

[Gazza]

End of the line

[Gazza]

Still standin'

[Gazza]

Single side aisle