Gossau–Wasserauen railway line

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Gossau–Wasserauen
AB-114-43-248-143 Gonten 2015-05.jpg
Train on the Appenzell Railways operated by BDe 4/4 II 43 railcar near Gonten.
Overview
LocaleSwitzerland
Service
Route number854
Technical
Line length32.10
Track gauge1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge
Electrification1500 V DC overhead catenary
Maximum incline3.7%
Route map

Legend
km
elev
to Winterthur
0.00
Gossau SG
terminus of S23
638 m
St. Gallen Winkeln
(until 1913)
655 m
to St. Gallen
Heinrichsbad (19 m)
Ziegelhütte (35 m)
from St. Gallen
5.03
 Herisau
745 m
to Wattwil
Mühlebühl (61 m)
Mühlebühl (15 m)
 Herisau
(until 1910)
763 m
6.81
 Wilen
759 m
9.29
 Waldstatt
814 m
12.06
 Sulzbrunn
804 m
13.55
 Zürchersmühle
807 m
15.17
 Urnäsch
824 m
19.05
 Jakobsbad
873 m
20.88
 Gonten
899 m
22.92
 Gontenbad
887 m
Kaubach (99 m)
25.92
 Appenzell
786 m
to St. Gallen
27.79
 Steinegg
800 m
29.03
 Weissbad
817 m
30.35
 Schwende
839 m
32.10
terminus of S23
869 m
Source: Swiss railway atlas[1]

The Gossau–Wasserauen railway line is a metre-gauge adhesion railway of the Appenzell Railways (Appenzeller Bahnen; AB). It runs from Gossau via Appenzell to Wasserauen in Switzerland and is given the abbreviation of GAW by the operator. The connection was built and electrified in several stages by different companies and has been operating continuously since 1949.

History[]

The line was developed in the following stages:

  • Gossau SG–Herisau, opened on 1 October 1913 by the (Appenzeller Bahn, which has been called the Appenzeller Bahnen since 1988), replacing the St. Gallen Winkeln–Herisau section, opened on 12 April 1875
  • Herisau–Urnäsch, opened on 21 September 1875 by the Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Localbahnen (Swiss company for local railways; called the Appenzell Railway from 1885)
  • Urnäsch–Appenzell, opened on 16 August (to Gontenbad) and 29 October 1886 by the Appenzell Railway
  • Gossau–Appenzell has been operated electrically with 1500 volts DC since 23 April 1933
  • Appenzell–Wasserauen, opened on 13 July 1912 by the  [de] (Säntis Railway) and initially electrified at 1000 volts DC; converted to 1500 volts DC by the Appenzell Railway to allow through operations on 22 April 1949[2]
Steam locomotive G 3/4 "Hochalp" of the Appenzell Railway built in 1887

In order to be able to carry standard-gauge wagons on the metre-gauge network, a Rollbock system was opened in Gossau on 1 July 1978, allowing operations on the Gossau–Wasserauen route. Rollbock operations were extended on the Appenzell–Gais–Teufen route from 1989. Goods traffic ended by the end of 2003 and the Rollbock system was taken out of service on 1 August 2010.

References[]

Footnotes[]

  1. ^ Eisenbahnatlas Schweiz [Swiss railway atlas]. Schweers + Wall. 2012. p. 14. ISBN 978-3-89494-130-7.
  2. ^ Lutz, Schaufelberger & Hug 1975, p. 48.

Sources[]

  • Lutz, Emil; Schaufelberger, Peter E.; Hug, Hans (1975). 100 Jahre Appenzeller Bahn (in German). Herisau: Verlag Appenzeller Bahn.
  • Müller, Stephan (1981). Die Geschichte der Appenzeller Bahnen AB/SGA/AG/SB (in German). Herisau. ISBN 3-85822-014-0.
  • Wägli, Hans G. (2010). Schienennetz Schweiz und Bahnprofil Schweiz CH+ (in German). AS Verlag. ISBN 978-3-909111-74-9.
  • Willen, Peter (1971). Lokomotiven der Schweiz 2. Schmalspur Triebfahrzeuge (in German). Zürich: Orell Füssli Verlag.
  • Zeller, Emil; Hardegger, Josef (1986). 1886–1986 100 Jahre Eisenbahn in Appenzell Innerrhoden (in German). Herisau: Verlag Appenzeller Bahn.
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