| Chiemsee-Bahn Chiemsee railway | |
| Start: | Prien am Chiemsee station |
| End: | Prien-Stock station |
| Linelength: | 1.9km (01.2miles) |
| Open: | July 9, 1887[1] |
The Chiemsee-Bahn is a meter gauge railway line in Prien am Chiemsee, Germany. It is one of the world's last steam tramways,[2] and the oldest continuously operated steam tramway in regular operation.[3]
The 1.90NaN0 long line connects with Prien-Stock station. Its original terminus was on the west side of the main line railway tracks at Prien am Chiemsee station, which required the Chiemsee-Bahn to cross the tracks. This situation was eliminated in the winter of 1908/1909, when the Chiemsee-Bahn moved its terminus to the east side of the station. The line, along with its steam locomotive and passenger cars, is registered as a historic monument of Bavaria, numbered D-1-87-162-66.[4]
After the death of King Ludwig II in 1886, his unfinished palace Herrenchiemsee was opened for visitors by his successor Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria.[5] Horse-drawn carriages transported the visitors from the railway station to the harbour, where they crossed over to the Herreninsel by boat. After an accident involving a horse-drawn carriage, Ludwig Feßler, operator of the Chiemsee-Schifffahrt, decided to contract Munich-based Krauss Locomotive Works with the planning for a local railway between Prien and Stock.[5] The contract for the construction was signed on March 15, 1887. Construction began on May 2, and the line opened on July 9, 1887.[5]
The rolling stock consists of one steam engine and nine passenger cars,[5] which still are in their original condition from 1887.[1] Since 1982, the Chiemsee-Bahn also has a Deutz diesel engine, which was built in 1962 and was bought from the Halbergerhütte in Saarland.[6]