The Straussee Ferry (
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
: ''Strausseefähre'') is a passenger
cable ferry
A cable ferry (including the terms chain ferry, swing ferry, floating bridge, or punt) is a ferry that is guided (and in many cases propelled) across a river or large body of water by cables connected to both shores. Early cable ferries often ...
that crosses the
Straussee
The Straussee is a German lake located in Strausberg, Brandenburg. It is situated about north-east of the city of Berlin. The town of Strausberg occupies the eastern shore of the lake, whilst the forest of the Strausberger Forest is on the western ...
lake, near the town of
Strausberg
Strausberg () is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, located 30 km east of Berlin. With a population of about 27,000 it is the largest town in the district of Märkisch-Oderland.
History
Strausberg was founded ''circa'' 1240, and in 1333 its firs ...
in
Brandenburg
Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a states of Germany, state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an ar ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
.
Overview
The ferry service is operated by the
Strausberg Railway
The Strausberg Railway (') is a light railway serving the town of Strausberg in Brandenburg, Germany. It links central Strausberg with the Strausberg railway station, where it connects with trains on the Berlin S-Bahn and the Niederbarnimer Eise ...
, using the ferry ''Steffi'', which can carry up to 100 passengers at a time. The ferry is unusual in that it is electrically operated, with an overhead supply at 170
volt
The volt (symbol: V) is the unit of electric potential, electric potential difference (voltage), and electromotive force in the International System of Units (SI). It is named after the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta (1745–1827).
Defi ...
s. Although there are other operations of this type in the world, this operation is believed to be unique in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
.
The overhead wire for the power supply of the ferry is fixed on two lattice towers, one on the eastern shore of Straussee at the edge of the city of Strausberg and one on the western shore of Straussee at the edge of Strausberg forest. The distance between both towers is 370 metres making it to the longest span of an overhead wire used for vehicle power supply.
The tower on the eastern shore, which also carries a clock, has a height of 9.6 metres and replaced in 2006 an older tower, while the tower on the western shore measures 9.7 metres in height and was erected in 1915. The minimum clearance of the overhead wire over Straussee is 5.8 metres.
The ferry service is numbered as route F39 by the
Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg
The Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (VBB) is a transport association run by public transport providers in the German states of Berlin and Brandenburg. It is a private limited company owned jointly by the states of Berlin and Brandenburg (with ...
(VBB), the joint transport association for the states of
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
and Brandenburg. However it has its own fare structure and does accept the common tariff fares of the VBB.
See also
*
Ferry transport in Berlin
Ferry transport forms part of the transport network of Berlin
due to the city's extensive network of rivers, lakes, and canals. 6 routes operate within the city boundaries and one serves the city of Potsdam, which are part of the common pub ...
*
Canby Ferry, an electrically-driven cable ferry in
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
, United States
*
Princeton Ferry, an electrically-driven cable ferry in
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, United States (defunct)
References
External links
Official web page of the Strausseefähre(in German)
Photographs of the ferry(captions in German)
Ferry
A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...
Ferry transport in Brandenburg
Cable ferries in Germany
Ferry
A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...
Trolley ferries
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