Heimwehfluhbahn, Funicular railway in Interlaken, Switzerland.
The Heimwehfluhbahn is a funicular in Interlaken with a 197-metre track that climbs 102 metres to the Heimwehfluh summit station at 662 metres. It uses two wooden cars from 1906 on a single track with a central passing loop, and the unglazed windows have curtains. The line is operated as a heritage railway with much of the rolling stock and motor room in original condition.
The funicular opened on 21 July 1906 and was electrically powered from the start. It is a single-track line without a rack, using an Abt passing loop at the midpoint and two cars. It runs today as a heritage railway, with the motor room and rolling stock largely in original condition.
The name Heimwehfluh refers to the homesickness (Heimweh) the hill's view is said to have stirred in soldiers stationed abroad. Since 1906 the line has run as a nostalgia railway, with the engine room and rolling stock largely in original condition. From May to June 2012 the open-air theatre Oh Schreck, written by German actor Michael Goessler and directed by Swiss actress Deborah Lanz, was staged on the hill.
The ride lasts two to three minutes, and the two wooden cars from 1906 run on a single track with a central passing loop. The valley station sits at 565 m and the summit station at 662 m, so the climb is short but steep. Sturdy shoes are not needed for the ride itself; the hilltop paths and the bobsleigh run are where footing matters.
The passing loop is an Abt switch, a design that lets the single track split without moving parts. The two wooden cars date from 1906 and still run with their original curtains at the unglazed windows.
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