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The last funiculars of MontafonVoralberg, Austria |
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Text and photos by Michel AZEMA
Montafon/Presentation
| Golmerbahn 1/2 | Golmerbahn
2/2 | Vermuntbahn | Menu
Vermuntbahn
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In September 1994 after visiting the Golmerbahn I was back to Schruns and
I took a postal bus to Partenen to visit the Vermuntbahn which is at the
end of the Ill valley.
The picture on the left is exactly the first vue of the Vermuntbahn I saw !
As you see on the photo on the left side of the pressure pipeline there are
some pylons. The Vermuntbahn was closed, definitly closed. The
Voralberger Illwerke AG was dismantling the funicular and was building an
aerial cable way.
That's what often happens, the aerial cable way is the predator of
funiculars. But on that day I felt very bad because I am quite sure that
the funicular was used to build and erect the pylons.
Note also the rough profile of the line with the concavities.
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The Vermuntbahn was built in 1928 and the hydroelectric power station of
Vermunt-Partenen was in use in 1930. This power station was the first built
in the Austrian Alps. After that the funicular was used for public
transportation. At the top of the ligne (Trominer station 1732 m) there was
a small train which transported the passengers to the Vermunt dam on line
with a lot of tunnels. Unfortunatly for severals years the train was
replaced by a bus.
Note that the maximum gradient of the Vermuntbahn was 85,6 %!
An old photo showing the Vermuntbahn during public transportation.
Note that the car is an open platform of the same type of those of Golmerbahn. The passengers were all facing down to the
valley. |
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A general vue of the line with the siding and the new pylons just
fixed in the ground. |
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A pastoral vue of the Vermuntbahn.
This photo is very interesting because it shows the lowest concavity of the
track beside the double pressure pipelines and on the left the portico with
aerial rollers. |
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The same photo as above but showing how the portico prevents the
cable not to be too much raised up by the concavity of the line.
This kind of portico was also used on the first section of the Golmerbahn,
and also at Le Châtelard-Emosson (CH) and other funiculars along pressure
pipelines. |
Detail of the portico with the aerial rollers. Note also the the
normal rollers (between the rails) |
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Details of the track in September 1994. Workers were cutting up
the rails with blowtorches. Note the pieces of rail laying out on the
stairs. |
General vue of the Vermuntbahn during its dismantling.
The pylons of the new aerial cable way. |
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The power station of Partenen and the construction of the new
lower station of the aerial cable way.
Note, on the left just before the black pipelines, the funicular track
which was abruptly cut. |
TECHNICAL DATAS
Start | 1928 |
End | 1994 |
Type of funicular |
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Type of tracks |
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Energy |
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Lower station | Partenen (1030 m) |
Upper station | Trominier (1730 m) |
Diff. of levels | 700 m |
Length | 1453 m |
Gradient (maximum) | 85,6 % |
Gradient (medium) | 55,4 % |
Gauge | 1 m |
Speed | 1,25 m/s |
Time of a ride | 19 mn |
Number of cabin | 2 open platforms |
Passengers per Cabin | 34 |
Montafon/Presentation
| Golmerbahn 1/2 | Golmerbahn
2/2 | Vermuntbahn | Menu
Copyright © 1996 by Michel Azéma, Paris (France)
E-Mail: contact