#schwarzwaldbahn

[merpmonde]

Hornberg (at last!)

I've been putting this off for long enough, but here is a real gem in the heart of the Black Forest: the little town of Hornberg! Located in the Gutach valley with hills on all sides, it makes for an easy-access spectacular outing, as my parents would hopefully attest to having been there recently. This will be a mini-series as there's a lot to see, but let's start with some establishing shots and the two most obvious sights: the castle and the railway viaduct.

The castle on the top of a rock face is the first view on offer when coming out of the train station. It dates back to the 1200s and the first lords of the town. Progressively, the area came under the control of larger and larger domains, first Württemberg, then the Grand Duchy of Baden. Today, the tower remains, and can be climbed to enjoy a 360° view of Hornberg.

The railway viaduct is part of the ramp the Schwarzwaldbahn uses to get out of the Gutach valley cul-de-sac. Trains start climbing out of Hausach, and after Hornberg, they continue to Triberg and its loops. The view of the viaduct and station from the castle is marketed as a "life-size model railway": once an hour, Regional Express trains come through in both directions, and if they're perfectly on time, they cross the viaduct in sync!

After walking down from the train station, several routes lead to the castle. The steep, winding path on the Eastern rock face, visible in the second photo, is the quickest, but not always open, depending on the season. Going around the South side of the mountain leads to two more access roads, one straight up from the residential area and again rather steep, and the paved road, which is the easiest but, of course, the longest. In any case, it takes less up to an hour (longest route and really strolling) to get to the top - in time to watch the model railway!

[doktor-disko]

Kamin, oder: Die dunklen Tannen

Dunkeltannengrüne Hänge

schwarze, laute Tunnelenge

Sandsteinblöcke stapeln sich

dort wo der Berg dem Bahngleis wich,

wo Schienen ihre Bahnen zieh'n

sieht man die Hänge talwärts flieh'n.

~

Ein Meer aus matten Nadelwogen -

so wie's sich hebt, ein Sturm müsst' toben -

trägt den Zug durch Höh'n und Tiefen,

Manche sich schon dort verliefen,

aus einem Tal ragt - fast im Lot -

ein Kamin aus Backstein, rot.

~

Im Netz des Waldes, fein gestrickt,

verfing es sich, das Steinrelikt

ein fernes Echo, altes Haus,

die Öfen kalt, kein Rauch tritt aus,

auf einem Bett aus Farn und Moosen

ruht das Fossil im Zeitenlosen.

---

Doktor Disko (2021-11-27)

[merpmonde]

Schwarzwaldbahn Erlebnispfad

or the Black Forest Railway Adventure Trail!

The railway through Triberg climbs the hill opposite the waterfalls we covered yesterday, to get out of the Gutach valley and proceed to Villingen. But inclines are notoriously difficult for trains, as metal-on-metal contact yields little friction, so, like many other modes of transport, whether roads or even footpaths, the railway weaves its way up... but on a larger scale, as trains aren't as maneuverable!

The result is this loopy section between Hornberg and Sommerau, 11 km apart in a straight line, but the railway is 26 km long! It climbs 447 m at an average gradient of 1.7% (which, again, for a train, is hard work), and with over 30 tunnels to get through the irregular terrain. Today, an "Adventure Trail" complements the route opposite Triberg, providing hikers with amazing viewpoints and some chances to get close to the tracks.

Of course, this climb for hikers is far, far steeper! The route I took started with a strenuous 15% over 700 m. One would be very happy to find this bench after that climb - Liegewagen meaning "sleeper car"!

The trail has stations with information boards about various aspects of the railway, and, at the viewpoints, the timetable! Perhaps a bit of a downer is that there isn't a huge amount of traffic: just two DB Regio trains per hour (presumably the ones you came in on), one InterCity train at weekends, no high-speed ICEs, no freight. But the views more than make up for the low variety, and, at a decent pace, it is possible to be at a viewpoint for each passage and not miss one.

Most regional trains on this section of the Schwarzwaldbahn are push-pull sets with Dosto carriages - that's short for Doppelstockwagen, or double-deck. The end carriage seen above is a (deep breath)... DBpbzfa 766, each letter being short for some technical info allowing rail workers to know at a glance what they're dealing with: D is for double-deck, B second-class seating, p has air conditioned coach rooms (as opposed to compartments), b has wheelchair accessibility, z has a centralised electrical installation, f has a driving cab, and finally a means that the driver can operate the doors alone. 766 is the series number. These Dosto sets are usually driven by Baureihe 146 locomotives.

All in all, the Erlebnispfad can take up most of an afternoon (I completed the circuit in around 3 hours), it was a very satisfying walk and experience to be able to make the most of each vantage point. There are some other attractions along the route that I haven't mentioned - probably a short post tomorrow. For people who like hiking and trains, this trail at Triberg is worth doing!

[kobpho]

Leo Faller 1930

[zwevendehemel]

Ook hier heeft de warmte alles tot stilstand gebracht. #db #bahn #schwarzwald #schwarzwaldbahn #hausach

[bahnland]