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Willingen Viaduct
Bridge
The Willingen landmark
Address
Willingen Viaduct
Waldecker Straße
34508 Willingen (Upland)
Properties:
Railroad bridge
Construction period 1914 - 1917
Length 294 m
Height 31 m
11 arches
History:
Colossal challenges were faced during the construction of the Brilon Wald - Korbach railroad line, the "Uplandbahn": Large differences in altitude had to be overcome, 250 meters between Usseln and Korbach alone. Deep cuttings and high embankments caused enormous costs and the construction of various bridges posed a particular difficulty, above all the large viaduct in Willingen: the viaduct, today's landmark.
It was rumored that each kilometer of the line between Brilon-Wald and Korbach would have cost around 100,000 gold marks, an exorbitant sum for those times. No wonder that many critical voices accompanied the construction work and it was rumored that the trains would not be able to run in winter anyway after heavy snowfall, which was typical for Upland. And indeed, just two days after the line was opened, the first train got stuck in the snow on April 3, 1917. Although such failures were to be repeated from time to time, they remained the exception in the more than 100 years of Upland's railroad history.
In 1917, the Upland Railway was primarily used by workers who previously had to walk to their workplace in Brilon Wald and by children who attended a secondary school in Korbach or Brilon, which did not yet exist in Willingen at the time.
In addition, every Monday morning you could find around 100 to 120 merchants on the platform, traveling by train to the Ruhrgebiet, Lippe and Münsterland to sell their goods. The blue linen smocks with white embroidery that they wore and the white linen sacks in which the goods, mainly linen and barrel cranes, were transported were striking. The "Linnenkerle" made Upland famous beyond its borders and so the first guests to visit Willingen were business partners of the Linnenkerle.
Initially, only a small number of trains ran, one in each direction in the morning and evening. In the afternoon, you could use a freight train to Korbach, to which a passenger carriage was attached. This journey took over two hours back then, whereas today you can reach Korbach in just 20 minutes.
The ravages of time were taking their toll on the Uplandbahn line and especially on the bridges. Rail traffic was temporarily suspended in November 1999 and resumed in December 2003 after extensive renovation work. Water and frost damage had damaged the structure of the viaduct in Willingen to such an extent that it was no longer possible to drive on it. The outer shell of natural stone, which had become dilapidated due to water and cold, no longer served as protection for the inner structure, meaning that the overall construction of the bridge was at risk. In 2003/2004, the viaduct was given a new look: hundreds of meter-deep, approx. 8 cm wide holes were drilled vertically and horizontally into the piers, into which a liquid cement mixture was pressed using a special pressure process. The natural stone shell was removed with water pressure and replaced with a shotcrete mixture, and the old sleepers from 1916 and the rails from the 1960s gave way to modern Ypsilon-shaped steel sleepers. Computer-controlled signaling technology regulates the use of the latest generation of comfortable express trains. 9 million euros were spent on the stability of the Willingen viaduct alone.
A train ride from Willingen to Korbach on the scenic route through forests and meadows, past picturesque villages, is still a great experience today.
Construction period 1914 - 1917
Length 294 m
Height 31 m
11 arches
History:
Colossal challenges were faced during the construction of the Brilon Wald - Korbach railroad line, the "Uplandbahn": Large differences in altitude had to be overcome, 250 meters between Usseln and Korbach alone. Deep cuttings and high embankments caused enormous costs and the construction of various bridges posed a particular difficulty, above all the large viaduct in Willingen: the viaduct, today's landmark.
It was rumored that each kilometer of the line between Brilon-Wald and Korbach would have cost around 100,000 gold marks, an exorbitant sum for those times. No wonder that many critical voices accompanied the construction work and it was rumored that the trains would not be able to run in winter anyway after heavy snowfall, which was typical for Upland. And indeed, just two days after the line was opened, the first train got stuck in the snow on April 3, 1917. Although such failures were to be repeated from time to time, they remained the exception in the more than 100 years of Upland's railroad history.
In 1917, the Upland Railway was primarily used by workers who previously had to walk to their workplace in Brilon Wald and by children who attended a secondary school in Korbach or Brilon, which did not yet exist in Willingen at the time.
In addition, every Monday morning you could find around 100 to 120 merchants on the platform, traveling by train to the Ruhrgebiet, Lippe and Münsterland to sell their goods. The blue linen smocks with white embroidery that they wore and the white linen sacks in which the goods, mainly linen and barrel cranes, were transported were striking. The "Linnenkerle" made Upland famous beyond its borders and so the first guests to visit Willingen were business partners of the Linnenkerle.
Initially, only a small number of trains ran, one in each direction in the morning and evening. In the afternoon, you could use a freight train to Korbach, to which a passenger carriage was attached. This journey took over two hours back then, whereas today you can reach Korbach in just 20 minutes.
The ravages of time were taking their toll on the Uplandbahn line and especially on the bridges. Rail traffic was temporarily suspended in November 1999 and resumed in December 2003 after extensive renovation work. Water and frost damage had damaged the structure of the viaduct in Willingen to such an extent that it was no longer possible to drive on it. The outer shell of natural stone, which had become dilapidated due to water and cold, no longer served as protection for the inner structure, meaning that the overall construction of the bridge was at risk. In 2003/2004, the viaduct was given a new look: hundreds of meter-deep, approx. 8 cm wide holes were drilled vertically and horizontally into the piers, into which a liquid cement mixture was pressed using a special pressure process. The natural stone shell was removed with water pressure and replaced with a shotcrete mixture, and the old sleepers from 1916 and the rails from the 1960s gave way to modern Ypsilon-shaped steel sleepers. Computer-controlled signaling technology regulates the use of the latest generation of comfortable express trains. 9 million euros were spent on the stability of the Willingen viaduct alone.
A train ride from Willingen to Korbach on the scenic route through forests and meadows, past picturesque villages, is still a great experience today.
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