ende_wup1.jpg (94116 bytes)

The end of the trolleybus catenary at the end station Wuppertal-Vohwinkel Schwebebahn seen on 13 September 2003. Due to construction works at the Schwebebahn (the famous suspended railway of Wuppertal), the catenary is removed at the corner Vohwinkeler Straße/Rubensstraße, so the bus line 683 (running to Solingen Burg where there is a turntable for busses) is operated by diesel. The building in the background is the end station of the Schwebebahn. Digital photo by Christoph Schmitz

kreuzung_ru1.jpg (136046 bytes)

The catenary configuration at the corner Gräfrather Straße/Rubensstraße seen on 13 September 2003. Busses of line 683 coming down the Gräfrather Straße turn left into the Rubensstraße here. Then they run via Vohwinkeler Straße and come up the Gräfrather Straße again. So the catenary crosses itself here. Digital photo by Christoph Schmitz

kreuzung_ze1.jpg (114149 bytes)

The catenaries near the station Zentral seen on 13 September 2003. On the left line 682 runs to Ohligs Bf, in the background line 683 leads to Wuppertal-Vohwinkel. Coming from the center of Solingen (from the right), there is a switch forking the catenaries far before this point. The switch where the catenaries coming from Ohligs and Vohwinkel join is visible in the foreground. Digital photo by Christoph Schmitz

kreuzung_ze2.jpg (102272 bytes)

The catenaries near the station Zentral seen on 13 September 2003. This is a close-up onto the crossing where the catenary to Ohligs (from right to left) crosses the catenary coming from Vohwinkel (from the background). Digital photo by Christoph Schmitz

schlagbaum1.jpg (149162 bytes)

The catenaries leaving the station Schlagbaum northbound, seen on 13 September 2003. The left catenary leads into the Kronprinzenstraße (line 681 to Ohligs Bf and line 686 to Aufderhöhe), the one in the middle into the Schlagbaumstraße (line 682 to Ohligs Bf and line 683 to Wuppertal-Vohwinkel Schwebebahn) and the right one into the Kuller Straße (line 684 and 685 to Hasselstraße). The last two fork at a switch behind the station, visible in front of the tree in the upper right corner. The left one forks before the station, and the busses use different platforms at Schlagbaum. Digital photo by Christoph Schmitz

trenner_ze1.jpg (106613 bytes)

An electric separation of the catenary, seen near the station Zentral on 13 September 2003. Note the wires coming from the right, it seems that the catenary is feeded with electricity at this point. Digital photo by Christoph Schmitz

trol683.jpg (67931 bytes)

Solingen trolleybus line 683 at the terminus in Wupertal Vohwinkel, on a bitterly cold 7-1-97. The other terminus is the famous turntable. Photo and scan by R. Helder (ronald.helder@wxs.nl)

weiche_ob1.jpg (64217 bytes)

A catenary switch at Ohligs Bf, seen on 13 September 2003. There are two tongues at each side, one for each direction. The are operated by the drives located above. This is only the tongue section of the switch, the frog section (with a third drive) is shown on a picture which should be below this one. Digital photo by Christoph Schmitz

weiche_ob2.jpg (64010 bytes)

A catenary switch at Ohligs Bf, seen on 13 September 2003. This is what is called the frog on normal (railway) switches. The drive located above moves four tongues which form the "rail" for the pantograph. As the pantographs move indipendently, it is not possible to let the other one running on the outer "rail" (visible near the edge) guide the one passing the frog (as it is done with the wheels at railways). Digital photo by Christoph Schmitz

weiche_ze1.jpg (148066 bytes)

The catenary switch at the station Zentral seen on 13 September 2003. This is where line 682 to Ohligs Bf runs to the left and line 683 to Wuppertal-Vohwinkel Schwebebahn runs to the right. The switch is far before the road crossing where the lines actually fork, this point can be in the lower left corner (at the green house). So the driver has enough time to see if the switch did the right thing and the pantographs are going to take the same way as the bus. If not, he still can stop and set them to the other catenary manually. There is also a signal showing the position of the switch, it is visible next to the house behind the yellow traffic sign and in the enlargement in the upper left corner. Digital photo by Christoph Schmitz