Historic Monument Protection
The Wiehltalbahn is listed as historic monument in its entirety. This is the official badge that identifies a construction as historic monument - here at the station building of Oberwiehl.
“The preservation of the historic monument (the Weihltalbahn) is of public benefit because of artistic and scientific (especially architectural, technical and local historical) reasons.” This is the key sentence from the District Council on the placing of the Wiehltalbahn on the Historic Monuments List of the local community.
This listing was communicated to us on 9th.April 2003 by the District Council and indicates an awareness of the importance of the Wiehltalbahn in the regional history. This recognition was brought about as a result of the ongoing work of the historians Rainer Gries and Herbert Nicke. With this listing the railway route, together with cuttings, embankments, bridges and track, the buildings and associated works between Osbergshausen to Waldbrõl and Morsbach is protected as one Historic Monument: “The whole route from the junction of the Weihltalban with the Aggertalbahn at Osbergshausen to Waldbrõl station and from Hermesdorf to Morsbach station is worthy of Historic Monument status”, was quoted in the preservation order.
Industrial History
The regional authority of the Rhineland wrote in the preservation order: “The Wiehltalbahn, with its branch to Morsbach must be understood and valued as part of the railway and industrial history of the of the Oberbergisches Land. The linkage between the winning and transport of greywacke (a special kind of sandstone) is of special note”. And further: “In the Wiehltal there is a unique and unequivocal relationship between the railway and stone quarrying. Even today this historical relationship is still vividly obvious, since the numerous structural works of the Wiehltalbahn have been passed down from the time of its foundation and even today the stone-quarries in the Wiehltal are characteristic elements of the landscape”.
Station Buildings
Historic architectural style: Morsbach station with signalbox extension in front. Photo: Ulrich Clees, 1990
A special emphasis is placed on the architectural evolution of the station buildings. These buildings have been described thus: “ The station buildings between Wiehl and Waldbröl (built from 1906 onwards) follow very much on the original plan of the buildings with a central façade and side wings but differ clearly from the style of earlier buildings. Apparently there was a desire to show the separate parts of the buildings clearly as extensions. The dominant, mostly slated, roofs attract attention. The façades of the buildings are made from greywacke augmented by Triassic sandstone framing the windows and doors. Half-timbered detail can only be found in the pediments of the station buildings of Denklingen and also the gable facing the railway at Waldbröl. The design of these stations was influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement and English cottage architecture; a uniform type of appearance was not desired, but rather a great variaety of forms. This also includes the cambered gable of Brüchermühle station and the large roof areas that make Hermesdorf station look like a single-storey building.
Structures
The construction of this bridge in Hermesdorf is typical. Photo: Ulrich CleesThe preservation order states that the line between Osbershausen and Waldbröl was built with relatively little mechanical help and “Railway embankments and cuttings are included in the preservation order. Underbridges, mostly with semi-circular arches and built of greywacke allow connections below the line. A major greywacke bridge with a span of 13 metres (42 feet 6 ins.) near Hermesdorf, a three-arch bridge in Schneppenberg and a two-arch bridge over the B256 in Hermesdorf are also listed among the crossing places. One of the arches of this last bridge was destroyed during WW II. The bridges over the River Wiehl are among the more complex structures. A bridge east of Oberwiehl of plate girder construction built in 1905 with a span of 15 metres (49 feet) and an arched bridge made from greywacke crossing the Wiehl near Bieberstein, where it flows into the Bieberstein reservoir, with a span of (65 feet 6 inches) are especially notable. All culverts, under- and overbridges, as well as bridges over rivers and causeways are worthy of being preserved.”
The branch to Morsbach
he tunnel near Kömpel is 785 metres (858 yards) long and was renovated in the 1980s. Here a railbus leaves the tunnel on a railtour in 1994 in the direction of Morsbach and will shortly pass over three nearby bridges or viaducts. Photo: Ulrich Clees, 8-May-1993
The preservation order describes the relevance of the junction at Hermesdorf to Morsbach:- “Here, the purpose was less the exploitation of quarries but rather the completion of the railway network by establishing a fast and comfortable connection between the wiehltalbahn and the Siegtalbahn. For this a technically sophisticated railway line, with the aforementioned bridges and the tunnel near Kömpel, was built. The concrete construction is historically very interesting. Although concrete was a known and used construction material in the 19th.Century experience with this new material was lacking – as it was 100 years earlier with iron and steel. The basis for static calculations was just being developed and published, so that such concrete constructions did not appear in large numbers until after 1900.
These concrete structures have to be numbered among the pioneering buildings using this method of construction and are therefore historically important.”
The monument in its entirety, rails and platforms
“On both routes – in the Wiehltal as well as between Hermesdorf and Morsbach – the structures worthy of protection are situated in such density that the railway forms and indispensible link between the individual structures. Equally important are the previuosly unprotected track systems and platforms in the station areas”.
Conclusion
Not only bridges, embankments, cuttings and buildings are relevant for the Wiehltalbahn as a monument but also the rail system. Photo: Ulrich Clees
The preservation order concludes with the following: “The Wiehltalbahn, including the connection to Morsbach, is significant in human history and in the development of the industrial and economic history of the Oberbergisches Land. The preservation of this monument is - for artistic, scientific and in particular architectural, technological and regional/historical reasons - of public benefit.
The Wiehltalbahn is a living monument. Experience it – come and ride with us!
Further information can be found in (German) books about the Wiehltalbahn as well as here: Website des Vereins Rheinische Industriekultur e.V.