Pöstlingbergbahn railway
Dieter Aumann, Sebastian Bauschke, Haishan Deng, Zhen Gao, Christoph March, Florian Nimmervoll, Bernhard Rogler, Mathias Roher, Andreas Schnegg, Ying Tao, Marlene Traxler, Florian Ziller
Co-operation project | 2006
Industrial Design scionic®
Every detail of the design and technical appointments was carefully considered by the team before submitting several precisely developed and specified options. Actually, the only thing to remain unchanged was the overall look of the train; in all other particulars, the new railway is a novel creation designed from scratch.
The Pöstlingbergbahn since 1898
The Pöstlingbergbahn railway was inaugurated in 1898, which roughly coincided with the unhampered triumph of electrical trams. Before that time, rail-bound public transport vehicles in Linz were drawn by horses. Originally, the tracks leading up to this popular destination for weekend outings were destined for rack railway cars. With a 10.5-percent gradient, this Linz institution is considered the world’s steepest “adhesion railway”. The first train cars featured an open design; the models today referred to as “historic” actually date from the 1950s. Pöstlingberg Hill is a top tourist attraction of Linz and also home to an indoor “grotto railway” (a ride for kids of all ages) with characters from fairytales and – also underground – a model of Linz Main Square. Yet the fact that the terminus station is located outside the city centre, in the Urfahr suburb, currently limits its passenger volume massively.
Starting in 2009, however, a new “valley station” directly in Main Square is to push the railway back into the limelight. The old cars did not correspond to the provisions of the law for the equal treatment of disabled persons, which necessitated a new design. Axel Thallemer’s groups submitted two different concepts, each with its own interior design options. Of the two, the Federal Office for the Care of Monuments preferred the “retro look” cars. Four of these are to be manufactured as custom-made units at an estimated cost of Euro 2.5 million per car. With a length of 17 to 19 metres, they are almost twice as long as their predecessors. Three of the older cars will be kept in operation by the City of Linz and the municipal utility operator LINZ AG after modernisation.
It is surprising how Thallemer’s group took account of even the smallest details. For example, ventilation is to be safeguarded by means of gaps between structural elements done in various materials to preclude draughts.
The team members also analysed passenger behaviour in traditional trams. First, they recommended positioning the doors at the centre of the cars next to each other to facilitate and accelerate boarding and getting off. Then they developed unconventional concepts to meet the needs of all passengers. For the central section, they designed seats than can be swivelled by 180 degrees to stimulate interaction between passengers. In other spots, they preferred fold-up seats to make space for wheelchairs or prams where required. The front and rear sections of the cars feature non-modifiable seats along the walls, while seats near doors were mainly designed for mobility-impaired persons.
From a vast number of sketches, two overall designs for the car interior emerged as the most successful and will now be juxtaposed and evaluated to ensure an optimum final outcome. Former Porsche star designer Thallemer is acutely aware that rashly taken decisions often prove erroneous and therefore is willing to invest the time necessary to attain the best possible results. The Pöstlingbergbahn stands to benefit from this love of detail. (Stephen Sokoloff, linz aktiv 181, p. 85, 2006)
Client/Co-operation partner
LINZ AG, DI Walter Rathberger (management board member)
Project advisers
Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Axel Thallemer, head of Industrial Design scionic®
Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Martin Danzer, head of CAID
Project run
April-June 2006
Co-operation project | 2006
Industrial Design scionic®
Every detail of the design and technical appointments was carefully considered by the team before submitting several precisely developed and specified options. Actually, the only thing to remain unchanged was the overall look of the train; in all other particulars, the new railway is a novel creation designed from scratch.
The Pöstlingbergbahn since 1898
The Pöstlingbergbahn railway was inaugurated in 1898, which roughly coincided with the unhampered triumph of electrical trams. Before that time, rail-bound public transport vehicles in Linz were drawn by horses. Originally, the tracks leading up to this popular destination for weekend outings were destined for rack railway cars. With a 10.5-percent gradient, this Linz institution is considered the world’s steepest “adhesion railway”. The first train cars featured an open design; the models today referred to as “historic” actually date from the 1950s. Pöstlingberg Hill is a top tourist attraction of Linz and also home to an indoor “grotto railway” (a ride for kids of all ages) with characters from fairytales and – also underground – a model of Linz Main Square. Yet the fact that the terminus station is located outside the city centre, in the Urfahr suburb, currently limits its passenger volume massively.
Starting in 2009, however, a new “valley station” directly in Main Square is to push the railway back into the limelight. The old cars did not correspond to the provisions of the law for the equal treatment of disabled persons, which necessitated a new design. Axel Thallemer’s groups submitted two different concepts, each with its own interior design options. Of the two, the Federal Office for the Care of Monuments preferred the “retro look” cars. Four of these are to be manufactured as custom-made units at an estimated cost of Euro 2.5 million per car. With a length of 17 to 19 metres, they are almost twice as long as their predecessors. Three of the older cars will be kept in operation by the City of Linz and the municipal utility operator LINZ AG after modernisation.
It is surprising how Thallemer’s group took account of even the smallest details. For example, ventilation is to be safeguarded by means of gaps between structural elements done in various materials to preclude draughts.
The team members also analysed passenger behaviour in traditional trams. First, they recommended positioning the doors at the centre of the cars next to each other to facilitate and accelerate boarding and getting off. Then they developed unconventional concepts to meet the needs of all passengers. For the central section, they designed seats than can be swivelled by 180 degrees to stimulate interaction between passengers. In other spots, they preferred fold-up seats to make space for wheelchairs or prams where required. The front and rear sections of the cars feature non-modifiable seats along the walls, while seats near doors were mainly designed for mobility-impaired persons.
From a vast number of sketches, two overall designs for the car interior emerged as the most successful and will now be juxtaposed and evaluated to ensure an optimum final outcome. Former Porsche star designer Thallemer is acutely aware that rashly taken decisions often prove erroneous and therefore is willing to invest the time necessary to attain the best possible results. The Pöstlingbergbahn stands to benefit from this love of detail. (Stephen Sokoloff, linz aktiv 181, p. 85, 2006)
Client/Co-operation partner
LINZ AG, DI Walter Rathberger (management board member)
Project advisers
Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Axel Thallemer, head of Industrial Design scionic®
Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Martin Danzer, head of CAID
Project run
April-June 2006
