Thalbahn Habsheim

Thalbahn Habsheim
File:Einschnitt der Thalbahn bei km 12,2.jpg Cutting of the Thalbahn at km 12.2
Technical
Line length	25.7 km (16.0 mi)
Track gauge	600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Route map File:Thalbahn (Febamt Habsheim) - Gedruckt von Vermess. Abteilung №13 (Württ.).jpg Thalbahn (Light Railway Office Habsheim), Survey Department №13 (Württemberg) File:BSicon STR+4.svg from Mulhouse-Ville File:BSicon exSTR+l.svg File:BSicon exKBHFeq.svg File:BSicon BHF.svg 0.0 km (0.0 mi) Habsheim File:BSicon exBHF.svg File:BSicon STR.svg 1.7 km (1.1 mi) Eschenzweiler File:BSicon exSTR.svg File:BSicon exKBHFa.svg File:BSicon BHF.svg +3.0 km (2 mi) Schlierbach File:BSicon exABZg+l.svg File:BSicon exSTRr.svg File:BSicon STR2.svg to St. Ludwig (Saint-Louis) File:BSicon exBHF.svg 3.3 km (2.1 mi) Dietweiler File:BSicon exBHF.svg 5.6 km (3.5 mi) Landser File:BSicon exABZgl.svg File:BSicon exENDEeq.svg +0.3 km (0.2 mi) Ammunitions depot Kägymühle File:BSicon exBHF.svg 7.8 km (4.8 mi) Niedersteinbrunn File:BSicon exBHF.svg 9.8 km (6.1 mi) Obersteinbrunn File:BSicon exBHF.svg 11.1 km (6.9 mi) Steige File:BSicon exENDEaq.svg File:BSicon exABZgr.svg +0.5 km (0.3 mi) Pioneer Park Steige File:BSicon exCSTRae.svg 12.2 km (7.6 mi) Cutting File:BSicon exBHF.svg 13.1 km (8.1 mi) Obermorschweiler File:BSicon exSTR.svg File:BSicon exKBHFa.svg +2.0 km (1.2 mi) Wahlbach File:BSicon exSTR.svg File:BSicon exBHF.svg +0.5 km (0.3 mi) Heiweiler File:BSicon exABZl+l.svg File:BSicon exBHFr.svg 15.5 km (9.6 mi) Tagsdorf File:BSicon exBHF.svg 16.5 km (10.3 mi) Emlingen File:BSicon exBHF.svg 17.6 km (10.9 mi) Wittersdorf File:BSicon STR+4.svg File:BSicon exSTR.svg from Mulhouse-Ville via Illfurt Illfurth File:BSicon BHF.svg File:BSicon exKBHFe.svg 19.6 km (12 mi) Altkirch File:BSicon STR3.svg to Belfort

The Thalbahn Habsheim (German for Habsheim Valley Railway) was a 24.6 km (15.3 mi) long narrow-gauge railway with a gauge of 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) at Habsheim in Alsace.

History

The Thalbahn was built during the First World War by German soldiers and Romanian prisoners of war as a military light railway with a gauge of 600 mm. For the construction of the route, steel rails were permanently laid onto wooden sleepers.

Route

The route ran initially from Habsheim railway station to the southwest to Tagsdorf. On the way, there was a 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) long branch line to Schlierbach and secondary spurs to the ammunition depot Kägymühle and the Pioneer Park Steige. The main route was later extended by 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to Altkirch and by 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) to Wahlbach.

Buildings

The railway staff's offices were located in Landser's town hall and on the first floor of the Le Bœuf Rouge restaurant.

The camp of the Romanian prisoners of war was located within a military camp at the eastern exit of Dietweiler. Many prisoners of war died due to malnutrition, forced labor and poor living conditions and were buried in the Romanian cemetery in Dietweiler.

Locomotives

File:Thalbahn Habsheim - La locomotive du train militaire spécial passait par le jardin des Erhart à Landser.jpg

One of the Thalbahn locomotives in Landser

File:Orenstein-Koppel-12.jpg

O&K 0-10-0 steam locomotive No. 8285/1917

One of the locomotives was the O&K ten-wheeler No. 8285/1917 (0-10-0). It was delivered on 13 June 1917 from Berlin and is now preserved on the Chemin de fer Froissy-Dompierre.

External links

• Error creating thumbnail: File missing Media related to at Wikimedia Commons
• A commemoration of the travels on railways that were built or operated by Kodeis B (commander of the railway troops) in the period from 28 May to 3 June 1918, Goswin von Haag, Captain & Commander of the Railway Troops