railroad - Austria / II. Republic of Austria 2010 - 65 Euro Cent

The Mendelbahn was once not only the first electrically operated funicular railway in Austria, it was also the steepest funicular on mainland Europe and the longest cable car in the world. The stretch of the Mendelbahn leads from St. Anton (Caldaro, South Tyrol) up to the Mendel Pass (Italian "Passo della Mendola", mountain pass southwest of Bolzano, deepest cut of the Etsch valley parallel Mendelkammes between the 1737 m high Penegal in the north and the 2116 m high Roen in the south). At first, the train initially consisted of two parts, but along with the present funicular railway was also called the link from Kaltern station to St. Anton as Mendelbahn. This part was abandoned in 1963 together with the Überetscher Bahn. The train overcomes today on its approximately 2,370 meters long and twelve-minute romantic ride a difference in altitude of just over 850 meters. It begins at an altitude of 510 meters and leads steeply up to 1,364 meters; the gradient varies between a staggering 57 and 64 percent. The official start of operation of the Mendelbahn is dated October 19, 1903. Probably the most prominent guest of the railway was no one less than Emperor Franz Josef, as he was traveling in 1905 to the great military maneuvers in the Nonstag. From 1916 then the Mendelbahn was only available for military tasks. After the annexation of South Tyrol to Italy, the Austrian guests - and especially those from the higher social circles - remained more and more. As a result, the Mendel lost as a health resort of the "higher circles" strongly in importance. It is remarkable, however, that the railway was able to hold its own despite the construction of the road. While the adhesion route was abandoned together with the Überetscher Bahn in 1963, the funicular continued to operate. In 1983, the railway was closed because of serious safety deficiencies, only five years later, in 1988, traffic with modern railway equipment could be resumed. Today, the so-called "SAD Nahverkehr AG" is responsible for the Mendelbahn; In addition to numerous regional bus services, the company also operates the Vinschgerbahn, the Rittner cable car and the Rittnerbahn itself. At the beginning of last year, the Mendelbahn was equipped with new wagons, and in August 2009, the opening of a newly built intermediate station took place halfway up the hikers of the popular Kalterer Höhenweg can use the train comfortably.