Drive check & major cabin service

Thousands of trips, countless metres of elevation gain and all kinds of weather conditions: the Grünberg mountain railway works hard from March to November. To ensure that you can still float relaxed and safely at 1,004 metres above sea level, the facility regularly takes a technically intensive break.

This year, the focus was on several major items on the agenda, including the 6-year drive inspection and the 12-year major service of the cabins. You can read more about what this involves for us and what measures are being taken below.

For most of you, the drive is invisible – yet it plays one of the most important roles in the entire system. It connects the cabin to the pull rope and ensures smooth, stable rides on the suspension cables.

Every six years, this component is inspected particularly thoroughly. An overview of the steps involved:

• Removing the cabins from the valley station
  The gondolas are carefully lifted off the cable with the aid of a crane. Only then can the drive units be easily accessed for inspection.gruenberg.info

• Disassembly, cleaning, inspection

  The rollers, bearings and fasteners are disassembled piece by piece, cleaned and checked for wear. The smallest cracks, play in the bearings or signs of wear would be noticed here.

• Focus on safety-relevant components

  Tension cable clamp and spring pack: the connection between the movable tension cable and the drive is ensured by two clamps on the drive box and a disc spring pack. Here, too, each spring is checked individually and the required force is set and tested by means of pull-off tests on the cable. Thirty-three disc springs per clamp provide the necessary force (one clamp would be sufficient to maintain the acceleration and deceleration forces).

During this work, our colleagues are on the ride wearing climbing harnesses and safety equipment – a demanding balancing act that requires full concentration and ensures year after year that your ride is as unspectacular as possible – in other words, smooth and safe.

Parallel to the drive overhaul, the cabins themselves underwent a comprehensive 12-year service. To this end, they left Grünberg for a short time and were taken to Carvatech – a specialist company for cable car cabins.

What exactly happens there?

Over the years, wind, weather, UV radiation and fine scratches leave their mark on the windows. During the major service:

• All window panes are replaced

• UV and sun protection films are renewed

This gives you a clear view of Lake Traunsee, Gmunden and the Salzkammergut again – and at the same time provides better protection from the sun's rays.

Seals around doors and windows keep draughts, moisture and cold out. Over time, they can become brittle or lose their elasticity. During servicing, they are:

• checked

• replaced if necessary

• reworked in critical areas

You will notice the result immediately: a pleasantly protected cabin, even when it is windy or damp outside.

The cabin is the first thing you see when you arrive at Grünberg. Accordingly, great importance is attached to its external appearance:

• Painted surfaces are thoroughly cleaned and polished

• External glass surfaces are reconditioned

This ensures that the cabin is not only in top technical condition but also looks its best, representing Grünberg as a modern destination.

The tie rods – the solid connections that attach the cabins to the running gear – are particularly critical for safety. As part of the major service, they are inspected using special testing procedures:

• Visual inspection for cracks and deformations

• Non-destructive testing methods to detect material defects inside

Only when all values are within the green range are the cabins returned to the cables.

The combination of a 6-year drive inspection and 12-year major service ensures that your trip up Gmunden's local mountain goes exactly as you want it to: quietly, smoothly and safely.

The next time you step into the cabin, you'll know that behind the short ride up the Grünberg lie months of planning, a wealth of expertise and a great deal of manual labour – so that your time out on the mountain can begin without a care in the world.