The Pfänderbahn is a

cable car Cable car most commonly refers to the following cable transportation systems: * Aerial lift, such as aerial tramways and gondola lifts, in which the vehicle is suspended in the air from a cable ** Aerial tramway ** Chairlift ** Gondola lift *** Bi ...

Bregenz Bregenz (; gsw, label= Vorarlbergian, Breagaz ) is the capital of Vorarlberg, the westernmost state of Austria. The city lies on the east and southeast shores of Lake Constance, the third-largest freshwater lake in Central Europe, between Switze ...

in the

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

n province of

Vorarlberg Vorarlberg ( , ; gsw, label=Vorarlbergisch, Vorarlbearg, , or ) is the westernmost States of Austria, state () of Austria. It has the second-smallest geographical area after Vienna and, although it also has the second-smallest population, it is ...

. It connects the valley at 419 meters above sea level with the 1022 meter high mountain station near the

Pfänder The Pfänder is a mountain in western Austria close to Lake Constance (Bodensee). The city of Bregenz lies at the foot of the mountain on the shores of the lake. With its views over the lake and the surrounding mountain peaks, the Pfänder is o ...

spitze.

History

Planning

Originally, the establishment of a

cog railway A rack railway (also rack-and-pinion railway, cog railway, or cogwheel railway) is a steep grade railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with ...

was considered, but it was eventually decided for cost and ease of use in times of heavy snow.

Construction and opening

The Pfänderbahn was built from July 1926 to February 1927 and opened on 20 March 1927 by President Michael Hainish. Construction work was undertaken by Adolf Bleichert & Co. of

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...

. Plans for the station buildings were by Bregenz architect Willibald Braun.

1994 overhaul

In October 1994, the cable car system was extensively overhauled: * Replacement of gondolas, they are now fully glazed and can accommodate up to 80 people. * Removal of two supports, providing a higher rope guide. * Installation of a hydraulic device for cable tension. * The stations are sliding platforms used to optimally utilize the available space. * A hydraulic system stabilized the gondola in the parking position so that getting in and out is very easy and accessible for wheelchair users. The renovations were undertaken by Doppelmayr. In 1998, the Pfänderbahn museum opened.

Specifications

The height difference of 603 meters is covered in a total distance of 2063 meters using a dual aerial tramway. The sloping portions comprises about 1980 meters; the horizontal portion about 80 meters. At an average slope of 31%, the cabins move with a speed of up to twelve feet per second. The journey takes six minutes, with a turnaround of 10 minutes. The gondolas are powered by two 500 kW DC electric motors. Power supply to the cable car is via two separate power supplies. In addition, an emergency generator and batteries are available. Communication between valley and mountain stations is analogous via the cable itself. File:A-V-Bregenz - Pfaenderbahn 7929.JPG, File:A-V-Bregenz - Pfaenderbahn 7896.JPG, File:A-V-Bregenz - Pfaenderbahn 7889.JPG, File:A-V-Bregenz - Pfaenderbahn 7870.JPG, File:Bedienpult im Führerstand der Pfänderbahn.jpg, File:Gewichtsschacht der Pfänderbahn.jpg, File:Detail der Hydrauliksteuerung der Pfänderbahn.jpg, File:Zugseilumlenkrolle (Pfänderbahn).jpg,

References

External links

Official website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pfanderbahn Bregenz Cable cars in Austria 1927 establishments in Austria