LW construction site 0: the Härtsfeldbahn
Risk. Will. Vision: In 1900, our then 20-year-old founder, Leonhard Weiß, won the contract to extend a 10-kilometers-section of the Härtsfeldbahn railway and successfully completed the project. This contract marked the beginning of our family business.
An all too demanding first building site
The Härtsfeldbahn, a narrow-gauge railway opened in 1901, connected Aalen and Dillingen on the Danube and was mainly used for freight transport. At the time, the project as a whole was a major challenge, with workers using shovels, picks and targeted blasting to work their way through the inhospitable terrain. A total of 220 meters of elevation had to be overcome by climbing the Alb.
The route had many tight bends, led over an impressive viaduct and through a tunnel, now bricked up and used as a bat sanctuary. The 350 or so track builders completed about 700 meters a day. A distance that can now be covered by a 25-man team in just under three hours. Despite the challenges, Leonhard Weiß managed to complete the project on time.
The importance for our company
The Härtsfeldbahn allowed him to apply all the technical and entrepreneurial knowledge he had acquired from an early age. After the line went into operation in 1901, follow-up orders were no problem for him.
The joint history continued after the death of the company founder. After the Second World War, the company was involved in the renewal of the track systems, and in the 1970s LEONHARD WEISS was also involved in the dismantling and reconstruction of the museum railway.
Today, a steam train with goods wagons once again crosses the Swabian Alb. Thanks to the Härtsfeldbahn Railway Association, many anecdotes about the legendary Schättere have also been recorded. For example, the story of the young engineer Leonhard Weiß, who proved that he had what it takes to be a successful builder during the tricky construction work. The rest is history.
