The Herzogstandbahn has been under revision since Monday and will stand still until December 25th.
Operations manager Jörg Findeisen looks back on what he says was a "changeable season".
Kochel am See
- "We are financially at about the same level as last year," says the operations manager.
He could not give concrete figures yet, because the settlement will not take place until the end of December.
Overall, however, income and visitor numbers would again be significantly below those in pre-Corona years.
Still: “It's enough to survive.
We can make ends meet. ”This time it is an advantage that the Herzogstandbahn is not as winter-heavy as it is in other mountain regions.
Revision earlier than usual this year
The revision starts a few days earlier than usual this year. The maintenance and control work will keep the eight employees busy in the coming weeks until Christmas. The inspection of the railway is prescribed both by law and by the manufacturer with numerous regulations. "We have an in-depth understanding of security," says Findeisen.
The first work takes place outside, so that one is happy that the weather is still reasonably good, i.e. dry, at the moment.
The employees check, for example, the running wheels on the supports and see whether the rubber mounts are in order.
The same applies to the ball bearings, which are also checked, lubricated or replaced.
Rope controls will also take place in the coming days.
Then the drive and gearbox of the electrical system are checked in the operation building.
"We can do that later, if the weather is bad," says Findeisen with a smile.
"We're inside."
Training courses for employees
Unscheduled this year is that the large yellow discs on the pull cables are checked. "We have already noticed on the basis of various indicators that the ball bearings have to be replaced," says Findeisen. That is relatively time-consuming. You have to relieve the tension ropes first, then you can lower the disc and only then replace the ball bearings.
In the coming weeks, however, there will also be training for employees on the program as well as the mandatory health examinations, says Findeisen.
That is what the employers' liability insurance association prescribes.
Employees over 50 have to be checked annually, younger people only every two years.
It will be checked whether they are able to control, drive and monitor a cable car or whether one is suitable for work with the risk of falling.
In this context, the employees also train in an emergency so that every move is correct in an emergency, for example during a rescue.
Hope for a good winter
So there is a lot to do for the whole team.
And what feelings does Findeisen have on the upcoming winter, including corona requirements?
“I can't read the crystal ball either,” he says with a smile.
He hopes that regulatory requirements won't come back overnight.
"Because it is always difficult to implement something from one day to the next." In general, he keeps it with the motto: "Wait, stay calm and then implement targeted measures."
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