On the rails again… #Interrail

@darkphoenix Just going past Wuppertal, home of the Schwebebahn (as opposed to Dresden, home of the other Schwebebahn).

Every train geek going through germany does a pilgrimage to this town eventually. And every youtube train geek has also visited here. I myself have visited Wuppertal at least three times. It’s got the by far the prettiest of the Danglebahns, a large part of it is suspended directly over the rive Wuppertal, as well as the longest track.

A Danglebahn is a cosy term used to refer to the four German hanging railways, that are hanging below a rail rather than sitting on one. They have the advantage of needing less floor space to operate on, which means they can be placed in more densely-populated areas without needing to affect the flow of other traffic, the way trams do, and don't require heavy tunneling, the way underground railways do. But the technology never really took off, and it's only used on very niche projects where other forms of transit aren't viable

@darkphoenix Just going past Wuppertal, home of the Schwebebahn (as opposed to Dresden, home of the other Schwebebahn).

Every train geek going through germany does a pilgrimage to this town eventually. And every youtube train geek has also visited here. I myself have visited Wuppertal at least three times. It’s got the by far the prettiest of the Danglebahns, a large part of it is suspended directly over the rive Wuppertal, as well as the longest track.

A Danglebahn is a cosy term used to refer to the four German hanging railways, that are hanging below a rail rather than sitting on one. They have the advantage of needing less floor space to operate on, which means they can be placed in more densely-populated areas without needing to affect the flow of other traffic, the way trams do, and don't require heavy tunneling, the way underground railways do. But the technology never really took off, and it's only used on very niche projects where other forms of transit aren't viable

@darkphoenix The Schwebebahnen were constructed in the late 19th century and inaugurated in 1901, sadly after the death of the designer, Eugen Langen, who never got to see his masterpiece running. Both are still operational, and the one in Wuppertal is working metropolitan railway used by commuters daily.

The H-Bahnen on the other hand are a much more recent design - the one in Dortmund was opened in 1984, and the one in Düsseldorf airport - known as the Skytrain - was inaugurated in 2002. They are based on the SIPEM (SIemens PEople Mover) system, which you can still commission from Siemens.

Today I'm going to take the Dortmund one, and so I'll have visited all four of the Danglebahns.

@darkphoenix For the love of trains, DB InfraGO, it’s the 2020s! People don’t carry coins any more! If you really can’t change all the coin-operated luggage lockers to something more modern, at least put a machine I can tap with my card to get enough change to hire a locker, without having to ask for change in the local stores…

@moof I was on a river ferry last Friday that demanded € 0,95 for foot passengers and only allows card payments from € 1,00 or over. That’s the reason I always carry coins.

@darkphoenix For the love of trains, DB InfraGO, it’s the 2020s! People don’t carry coins any more! If you really can’t change all the coin-operated luggage lockers to something more modern, at least put a machine I can tap with my card to get enough change to hire a locker, without having to ask for change in the local stores…

@darkphoenix In order to get to the H-Bahn, I have to take a natty green VRR S-bahn four stops to the university. Then I need to walk to the other university station, run by the H-Bahn, which is a few metres away.

@moof @darkphoenix Got to love a good Danglebahn (from the I visited in October)

@darkphoenix …though what I actually did was overshoot the station and have to get out two stations further and then wait for the opposite S-bahn.

Normal service will be resumed shortly.

@darkphoenix The Dortmund H-bahn is like a transport system ripped out of one of the Ages of Myst. A pod arrives, you get in, and are automatically whisked away along an unlikely-seeming route made of curves and dips that covers somewhat changing scenery with enticing hints as to the puzzles around you. The pod gently rocks along the curves, and it makes a series of mysterious mechanical noises in order to couple and uncouple itself to the stations.

Added to the overcast, slightly misty, and generally quiet atmosphere… it felt like I was in one of those video games.

@darkphoenix In order to get to the H-Bahn, I have to take a natty green VRR S-bahn four stops to the university. Then I need to walk to the other university station, run by the H-Bahn, which is a few metres away.

@darkphoenix Even the exterior view as it arrives and little mechanical movements make it safe looks like something out of the game…

@darkphoenix And a later part of the trip has even more of that surreal feeling…

@darkphoenix The Dortmund H-bahn is like a transport system ripped out of one of the Ages of Myst. A pod arrives, you get in, and are automatically whisked away along an unlikely-seeming route made of curves and dips that covers somewhat changing scenery with enticing hints as to the puzzles around you. The pod gently rocks along the curves, and it makes a series of mysterious mechanical noises in order to couple and uncouple itself to the stations.

Added to the overcast, slightly misty, and generally quiet atmosphere… it felt like I was in one of those video games.

@darkphoenix The Dortmund H-bahn is like a transport system ripped out of one of the Ages of Myst. A pod arrives, you get in, and are automatically whisked away along an unlikely-seeming route made of curves and dips that covers somewhat changing scenery with enticing hints as to the puzzles around you. The pod gently rocks along the curves, and it makes a series of mysterious mechanical noises in order to couple and uncouple itself to the stations.

Added to the overcast, slightly misty, and generally quiet atmosphere… it felt like I was in one of those video games.

@andybroomfield

Are the floors made of glass?

@moof @darkphoenix