Lauschensteintunnel, Railway tunnel in Sonneberg district, Germany
The Lauschensteintunnel is a railway tunnel stretching 275 meters near Lauscha in Sonneberg district. The passage runs beneath steep slopes and has concrete portals faced with natural stone blocks, while the interior features a brick vault structure.
Prussian State Railways built the tunnel during the first half of 1912. The breakthrough of the tunnel bore occurred on June 11 at 6 p.m. and marked a key milestone in completing the railway line.
The tunnel forms part of the Coburg-Ernstthal railway line and shows the construction methods of the early 1900s. The portals display the craftsmanship of the era, with natural stone blocks and brick vaulting that reflect the skill of the builders.
The tunnel follows a curved route and descends nine meters with a gradient of 31.3 per thousand. The passage includes safety niches along its path to provide protection in case of emergency or maintenance work.
The tunnel curves along a 250-meter radius, which presented a special engineering challenge for its builders. This graceful arc connects Lauscha station with Oberlauscha stop and required precise surveying and construction techniques of the early 1900s.
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