Oberweißbacher Bergbahn

The Oberweißbacher Bergbahn is a German railway in the Thuringian Highland, Thuringia. Since 1922 it connects Obstfelderschmiede (Mellenbach-Glasbach) with the village Lichtenhain, Oberweißbach and Cursdorf. The train consists of 1.351 km broad gauge cable railway and connects to a 2.635 km standard gauge electrified adhesion railway.

History
Both railways are operationally closely linked. Since January 1982 the Oberweissbacher-Bergbahn is a historical monument. The railway is operated by Deutsche Bahn AG and offers a half-hourly service from 5:30 am to 8:00 pm. with capacity for about 30 passengers.

Operation
This funicular is unusual because instead of using two purpose-built passenger vehicles, it only features one. The other vehicle is a flat wagon that is designed to carry a single standard gauge passenger car, freight wagon or locomotive between the conventional railway systems at the bottom and the top. At the top, both vehicles pull into a passenger halt at Lichtenhain/Bergbahn, but the standard gauge track on the flat wagon can interface with the standard gauge railway.

At the bottom, there is a turnout that sends the two vehicles into separate termini. The passenger vehicle is directed into a conventional funicular passenger halt, but the flat wagon is directed to interface with a turntable on the Schwartzatalbahn adjacent to Obstfelderschmiede station. In normal day-to-day passenger service, the flatbed vehicle is loaded with a dedicated passenger car carrying the Oberweißbacher Bergbahn branding. Passenger access to this car is provided at the terminus.