German commuter trains have rush hour restrictions for bikes on board that many Americans who travel by train and bike are familiar with. "Die Zacke" cog railroad between Marienplatz in South Stuttgart to Degerloch, however, features this fantastic platform just for bikes.
This "Vorstellwagen" was first available in 1983 to ferry biking commuters between Stuttgart and the mountain town. It travels just 2 kilometers, but with over 200 meters of elevation change between the two stations and a maximum 20% slope.
More --> City of Stuttgard Fahrrad und Bahn ("Bikes and Train") info page.
Another view here, and many views here. Props to Steve Vance and other helpful voices on The Streetsblog Network.
2 comments:
Vorstellwagen has a nice ring to it.
A German-speaking friend tells me "vor" means in front of and "stellen" means to place so vorstellwagen is the "place in front." But she also says this could be a pun because the word "vorstellen" means to imagine with a connotation of something magical, so the "Vortellwagen" could be like a magic carpet ride!
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