Information about the famous Stoos funicular
The great funicular to Mount Stoos runs from the valley station Hinteres Schlattli directly into village of Stoos. After a 6-minute ride, the futuristic wagon arrives in the center of the village of Stoos. The difference in altitude is 744 meters, the length of the railroad 1740 meters.
Each of the 2 cars is for 136 passengers and weighs a proud 27 tons. It has 4 cylinders on each car for 34 passengers in each cylinder. In both stations the car is horizontal. During the ride, the cylinders rotate and adjust to the incline. The passengers are always level due to the automatic leveling system, even at the maximum gradient of 110%. The round cabins were manufactured by CWA.
Because of the enormous incline, there are 86 hold-down pulleys for the haul rope and the counter rope. These hold-down pulleys prevent the ropes from taking off meters high.
With a gradient of 47.73 degrees (110%), the Stoosbahn is the world's steepest funicular with a switch and 2 cars. The public inclined elevator of Scenic World Blue Mountains in Australia reaches 52 degrees / 128% as a winch elevator with one car. Also in Switzerland there are non-public funiculars (winch funiculars with one car) which are steeper than the Stoosbahn.
The masterpiece cost 88 million Swiss francs. This makes the Stoosbahn probably the most expensive funicular railroad in the world, but it is worth every franc of this sum. The Stoosbahn is simply unique and the world's reference for funiculars.
The technical data of the new Stoosbahn:
Steepest funicular in the world with switch and 2 cars
Vehicle
Length: 22.414 meters
Width: 3 meters
Height: 4,59 meters
Diameter of a cylinder: 3.8 meters
Passengers maximum: 136 per car (4 cylinders for 34 passengers each)
Weight of empty car: 27120 kg
Payload maximum: 11880 kg (136 passengers + 1000 kg) 1 ton of goods at the same time with 136 passengers
Payload maximum goods transport: 6000 kg on the goods platform at the same time with 73 persons
Gross weight maximum (wagon weight empty + 136 passengers + 1000 kg): 39000 kg !!!
Route
Length: 1740 meters, of which 261 meters on bridges and 559 meters in tunnels
Height difference: 744 meters
Inclination minimum: 0 degrees (0%) horizontal in the two stations
Maximum inclination: 47.73 degrees (110%) below the turnouts
Rail: 46E1 (SBB I)
Track gauge: 1435 mm standard gauge = 1500 mm (center-center rail)
Bridges: 2 bridges bridge bottom station 115 meters, bridge top station 146 meters
Tunnels: 3 tunnels 216 meters, 91 meters and 252 meters (from bottom)
Traction rope
Traction rope diameter: 54 mm
Counter rope diameter: 30 mm
Tension weight in the bottom station: 12000 kg
Hold-down rollers: 86 hold-down rollers prevent the ropes from lifting off due to the incline
Speed
maximum: 10 meters per second
normal travel program: 7,5 meters per second (first 700 m), then 10 meters per second
Drive: 2 x 1360 HP = 2 x 1000 kW, 2 motors simultaneously
Transport capacity: 1500 persons per hour and per direction
■ Catalog of the Stoosbahn Mount Stoos funicular with many photos