Pfänderbahn

Pfänderbahn Pfänderbahn
Overview
Status	Operational
Character	Elevated
Location	Bregenz and Lochau, Vorarlberg
Country	Austria
Termini	Bregenz Pfänder
Elevation	lowest:  419 m (1,375 ft) highest: 1,022 m (3,353 ft)
No. of stations	2
Open	1927
Reopened	1994
Operation
Carrier capacity	80
Trips daily	max. 6 per hour
Trip duration	6 minutes
Technical features
Aerial lift type	aerial tramway
Line length	2,063 m (6,768 ft)
No. of support towers	2
No. of cables	2
Operating speed	12 m/s (39 ft/s)

The Pfänderbahn (lit. 'Mount Pfänder cable car') is an aerial tramway in Bregenz in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg. It connects the shore of Lake Constance (Bodensee) at 419 m (1,375 ft) above sea level with the 1,022 m (3,353 ft) high mountain station near the Pfänderspitze.

The valley station in Bregenz is located ca. 600 m (0.37 mi) from Bregenz Hafen and 1.2 km (0.75 mi) from Bregenz railway stations.

Originally, the establishment of a cog railway was considered, but it was eventually decided for cost and ease of use in times of heavy snow.

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

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.^[1] In 1998, the Pfänderbahn museum opened.

The height difference of 603 m (1,978 ft) is covered in a total distance of 2,063 m (6,768 ft) using a dual aerial tramway. The sloping portions comprises about 1,980 m (6,500 ft); the horizontal portion about 80 m (260 ft). 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.

• 
  Monitor path control
• 
  Coupling of the analog signals in the supporting cable
• 
  Wheels
• 
  Hydraulic cylinder for cable tension
• 
  Control panel in the cab
• 
  Weight for the counterweight shaft
• 
  Hydraulic control
• 
  Zugumseilumlenkrolle

Settlements

Austria	Bregenz Hard Höchst Hörbranz Fussach Gaissau Lochau
Germany	Allensbach Bodman-Ludwigshafen Eriskirch Friedrichshafen Gaienhofen Hagnau Immenstaad Konstanz Dingelsdorf Litzelstetten Paradies Petershausen Wallhausen Kressbronn Langenargen Lindau Meersburg Moos Nonnenhorn Öhningen Radolfzell Reichenau Sipplingen Stetten Überlingen Hödingen Uhldingen-Mühlhofen Unteruhldingen Wasserburg
Switzerland	Altnau Arbon Berlingen Bottighofen Egnach Ermatingen Triboltingen Eschenz Frasnacht Goldach Gottlieben Güttingen Heiden Horn Kesswil Kreuzlingen Lutzenberg Mammern Münsterlingen Romanshorn Rorschach Rorschacherberg Salmsach Salenstein Steinach Steckborn Stein am Rhein Tägerwilen Tägermoos Thal Uttwil Walzenhausen Wolfhalden

IslandsRiversValleysMountainsLandmarks

Buildings	Alt Dettingen Castle Arbon Castle Arenenberg Castle Bernegg Castle Castell Castle Eugensberg Castle Freudenfels Castle Gottlieben Castle Heiligenberg Castle Hohenfels Castle Hohenklingen Castle Hohentwiel Castle Konstanz Minster Louisenberg Castle Mammern Castle Meersburg Castle New Castle (Meersburg) Petershausen Abbey Reichenau Abbey Seeburg Castle Wettingen-Mehrerau Abbey
Touristic	Bregenzer Festspiele Pile Dwellings Museum Sea Life (Konstanz) Zeppelin Museum

Transportation

Railway

Bodensee–Toggenburg Railway Gürtelbahn International Rhine Regulation Railway Rheineck–Walzenhausen Mountain Railway Rorschach–Heiden Railway Seehas SWEG Thurbo Chur–Rorschach S2 S4 S5 S7 Friedrichshafen–Lindau RB 93 High Rhine Line S6 RE 2 Lake Line S1 S7 S14 S44 RE1 Radolfzell–Mengen RB 31 RB 32 IRE 3 Stahringen–Friedrichshafen RB 31 IRE 3 St. Margrethen–Lauterach S3 S7 R5 Vorarlberg Line S1 S3 S7 S-Bahn Bodensee St. Gallen Vorarlberg Stations Allensbach Altnau Arbon Arbon Seemoosriet Berlingen Bermatingen-Ahausen Bottighofen Bregenz Bregenz Hafen Bregenz Riedenburg Egnach Enzisweiler Eriskirch Ermatingen Eschenz Friedrichshafen Stadt Friedrichshafen-Fischbach Friedrichshafen Hafen Friedrichshafen Kluftern Friedrichshafen Landratsamt Friedrichshafen-Manzell Friedrichshafen Ost Güttingen Hard-Fussach Hegne Heiden Horn Kesswil Kreuzlingen Kreuzlingen Hafen Konstanz Konstanz-Fürstenberg Konstanz-Petershausen Konstanz-Wollmatingen Kressbronn Kurzrickenbach Seepark Landschlacht Langenargen Lindau-Aeschach Lindau-Insel Lindau-Reutin Lochau-Hörbranz Ludwigshafen (Bodensee) Lustenau Mammern Mannenbach-Salenstein Markdorf (Baden) Markelfingen Münsterlingen-Scherzingen Münsterlingen Spital Nonnenhorn Nussdorf Radolfzell Reichenau (Baden) Rheineck Rorschach Rorschach Hafen Romanshorn Ruderbach Salem (Baden) Sandbüchel Schwendi bei Heiden Seebleiche Sipplingen Staad Stahringen Steckborn Stein am Rhein Steinach St. Margrethen Tägerwilen-Gottlieben Triboltingen Überlingen Überlingen Therme Uhldingen-Mühlhofen Uttwil Walzenhausen Wartensee Wasserburg Wienacht-Tobel

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