Düsseldorf-Elberfeld Railway Company
Encyclopedia
The Düsseldorf-Elberfeld Railway Company (German
: Düsseldorf-Elberfelder Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, DEE) was founded in October 1835 and officially recognised by a Prussia
n government statute on 23 September 1837. This gave the company a concession for the construction and operation of the 26 kilometre long Düsseldorf–Elberfeld line
via Erkrath
, Hochdahl and Vohwinkel. One of the founders was the Elberfeld
banker and later Prussian minister of Commerce and Industry, August von der Heydt
(1801–1874).
to Erkrath (8.12 km) began on 9 April 1838 and it was opened for freight traffic on 20 December 1838. It was the first steam railway in western Germany (except for the short and sometimes horse-hauled Bavarian Ludwig Railway), the first in Prussia and the fifth in Germany. The Düsseldorf station was originally located at the south end of Königsallee
rather than at the current Central Station
.
The next section of the line from Erkrath to (Wuppertal) Vohwinkel (12.61 km) was put into operation for freight on 10 April 1841. The opening of the remaining 5.45 km to Steinbeck station in Elberfeld (now part of Wuppertal
) followed on 3 September 1841, also only for freight. Passenger operations on the line started on 1 December 1841.
s.
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
: Düsseldorf-Elberfelder Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, DEE) was founded in October 1835 and officially recognised by a Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n government statute on 23 September 1837. This gave the company a concession for the construction and operation of the 26 kilometre long Düsseldorf–Elberfeld line
Düsseldorf–Elberfeld railway
The Düsseldorf–Elberfeld railway is a 27 km long main line railway in Germany, originally built by the Düsseldorf-Elberfeld Railway Company, connecting Düsseldorf and Elberfeld via Erkrath, Hochdahl and Vohwinkel...
via Erkrath
Erkrath
Erkrath is a town in the district of Mettmann, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany-Geography:Erkrath is situated on the Düssel river, directly east of Düsseldorf and west of Wuppertal, close to the famous Neandertal....
, Hochdahl and Vohwinkel. One of the founders was the Elberfeld
Elberfeld
Elberfeld is a municipal subdivision of the German city of Wuppertal; it was an independent town until 1929.-History:The first official mentioning of the geographic area on the banks of today's Wupper River as "elverfelde" was in a document of 1161...
banker and later Prussian minister of Commerce and Industry, August von der Heydt
August von der Heydt
August von der Heydt was an influential German economist.Von der Heydt was born in Elberfeld in the Duchy of Berg. During the Revolution of 1848 he was appointed as Minister to the newly created Ministry of Commerce and Industry in the Kingdom of Prussia, serving during the reigns of kings...
(1801–1874).
Construction
The construction of the first section from DüsseldorfDüsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
to Erkrath (8.12 km) began on 9 April 1838 and it was opened for freight traffic on 20 December 1838. It was the first steam railway in western Germany (except for the short and sometimes horse-hauled Bavarian Ludwig Railway), the first in Prussia and the fifth in Germany. The Düsseldorf station was originally located at the south end of Königsallee
Königsallee
The Königsallee is an urban boulevard in Düsseldorf, state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The Königsallee is noted for both the landscaped canal that runs along its center, as well as for the fashion showrooms and luxury retail stores located along its sides.Nicknamed Kö by the...
rather than at the current Central Station
Düsseldorf–Elberfeld railway
The Düsseldorf–Elberfeld railway is a 27 km long main line railway in Germany, originally built by the Düsseldorf-Elberfeld Railway Company, connecting Düsseldorf and Elberfeld via Erkrath, Hochdahl and Vohwinkel...
.
The next section of the line from Erkrath to (Wuppertal) Vohwinkel (12.61 km) was put into operation for freight on 10 April 1841. The opening of the remaining 5.45 km to Steinbeck station in Elberfeld (now part of Wuppertal
Wuppertal
Wuppertal is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in and around the Wupper river valley, and is situated east of the city of Düsseldorf and south of the Ruhr area. With a population of approximately 350,000, it is the largest city in the Bergisches Land...
) followed on 3 September 1841, also only for freight. Passenger operations on the line started on 1 December 1841.
Erkrath–Hochdahl incline
The biggest challenge in the construction of the line was dealing with the climb between Erkrath and Hochdahl. Because of the steep slope (3.3%) in this section for a long time trains had to be hauled by cable, originally driven by a stationary steam engine. A few months later haulage by cable attached to a stationary steam engine was changed to haulage by cable attached via pulleys to a locomotive running downhill on an additional track. In 1926, cable haulage on the incline was replaced by bank engineBank engine
A bank engine or helper engine or pusher engine is a railway locomotive that temporarily assists a train that requires additional power or traction to climb a grade...
s.
Takeover
During its existence the DEE only operated its original line. After the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company (BME) was established on 18 October 1843 and which was also based in Elberfeld, the two companies worked closely together. The BME acquired the property of the DEE and its operating rights on 22 September 1856.External links
- Company memorandum, including engineering advice of Robert StephensonRobert StephensonRobert Stephenson FRS was an English civil engineer. He was the only son of George Stephenson, the famed locomotive builder and railway engineer; many of the achievements popularly credited to his father were actually the joint efforts of father and son.-Early life :He was born on the 16th of...
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