European Railroad Discussion > Hang On! It's the Wuppertal Schwebebahn! From Tuesday 26 April

Before I discovered that I no longer have a fear of flying I thought that if I ever went to Europe I would like to see the Schwebebahn, Wuppertal's suspended hanging monorail railway. The Schwebebahn has a lot information available including this site Die Wuppertaler Schwebebahn. 
1-3) These are taken from the the parking lot behind the Netto and Hotel McDreams that we stayed in.

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4-6) A car heading west with a better look at the wheel and monorail assembly.

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7) Wuppertal Schwebebhan carriage leaving the Ohligsmühle (Hauptbahnhof) Station.
Our friend Bill had pictures from the 1980's of the Schwebebahn crossing over trams and under the Deutsch Bundesbahn at the Zoo so we went there to see what was there now.
8) Pay close attention to that pedestrian walkway going up the hill behind the car.
9) Bayer has a big factory in Wuppertal. There is a Bayer sign on the street under the car but I didn't think to work it into the photo.

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10) The Bayer car passing under a late running Deutsch Bahn ICE 656 to Köln.
11) I liked the way this turned out, showing the supports.
12) The Spee car blocked by another passing Schwebebahn car.

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I had seen the footpath going up the side of the hill while looking at Google Streetview and wondered how it would work. Take a look at the following pictures and you tell me!
13-18) The Schwebebahn passing under Regional Train 26113.

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I really like the Schwebebahn and am glad that we were able to include it on this trip. I would recommend a ride and a look to anyone contemplating going to Germany.

Thank You for Looking!

Jim

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How is the ride on the Schwebebahn compared to normal trams? Smoother? Faster? Better view?

I am very much enjoying your vacation. Thanks!

I only rode the one trip. We did end up swaying side to side a couple times when the operator went around the curves faster. The top speed isn't really too fast but the overall speed seamed faster than driving since there is no traffic to stop for. Seamed fairly smooth but like I said I only had the opportunity to ride the one trip.

Glad people are enjoying the series. I have to take a break on posting though. I have to go back to stupid work tomorrow.

Jim

Is it loud when it goes by?  Those wheels on top look like regular train wheels? 

Pdxrider Wrote:
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> Is it loud when it goes by?  Those wheels on top
> look like regular train wheels? 

It's not much louder than a regular train. Some years ago, I posted this video about the suspension line here, so you can judge yourself:
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?17,2066313,2066313#msg-2066313

E111

Taken Aug 2014 of the 1970's cars taken near the end station (east end). 

next posting shows the older Kaiser Wagen cars and trucks

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They kept one set of the original cars called the Emporeers Car  (Kaiser wagen).   They make one round trip seveal times a week and sell tickets that include and afternoon tea, and sometimes they do an evening beer run!

 A day pass for the regular trains is about $4-$5 and well worth it. You can ride and get off and on any station, lots of great photos ops. As the original poster indicated, several locatons are at overhead crossings with DB mainline, or end of track near stations and overpasses. 

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Great work, thanks for sharing.
The last image is the best I have ever seen of this operation, obviously great light, color, composition, and an intriguing story.

Great stuff, like all your German pics, and many thanks. One has to ask, though, what is the point of the monorail?
You can see why it didn't catch on elsewhere.

spflow Wrote:
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> Great stuff, like all your German pics, and many
> thanks. One has to ask, though, what is the point
> of the monorail?
> You can see why it didn't catch on elsewhere.

Yes, but you must consider that the first section opened in 1901, and the final section opened in 1903. So it was very early for electrified urban transport, and the limitations were not so obvious. 

SOO6617 Wrote:
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> spflow Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Great stuff, like all your German pics, and
> many
> > thanks. One has to ask, though, what is the
> point
> > of the monorail?
> > You can see why it didn't catch on elsewhere.
>
> Yes, but you must consider that the first section
> opened in 1901, and the final section opened in
> 1903. So it was very early for electrified urban
> transport, and the limitations were not so
> obvious. 

Oh that's a very fair point, and all sorts of strange inventions appeared around the same time. Perhaps the amazing thing is that it has survived not simply for its novelty value. I guess the topography - a narrow winding river valley - has helped to avoid finding an easy suitable replacement, but of course the environmental intrusion would never be permitted today.

I first encountered the images as a kid in 1950s-era boys' train books, and, like Jim, found the idea fascinating. It seemed to epitomise the brand new space age era, although it was of course nothing of the kind!
 

One final question: does anyone know of any other real suspended monorails (outside of the joke "Disneyland" stuff`)?

The only one I ever knew of was the wonderfully Irish line, the Listowel and Ballybunion railway, which used the Lartigue system where locos and other vehicles all straddled a trestle style central rail, so not a hanging arrangement at all. I believe the original in the 1880s only lasted a year or two, but that a replica has recently been constructed on a small portion of the original route.

spflow Wrote:
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> One final question: does anyone know of any other
> real suspended monorails (outside of the joke
> "Disneyland" stuff`)?
>

Try teh google "suspended monorail".