Viadukt Willingen

Railway bridge
Construction period 1914 – 1917
Length 294 m
Height 31 m
11 bows
 
History:
During the construction of the Brilon Wald railway line – KorbachThe “Upland Railway” faced colossal challenges: Large differences in altitude had to be overcome, especially between Usseln and Korbach A difference in altitude of 250 meters. Deep cuts and high dams caused enormous costs, and the construction of various bridges, especially the large valley bridge in [location missing], presented a particular challenge. Willingen: the viaduct, today's landmark.
Rumor had it that every kilometer of the route between Brilon Wald and Korbach It would have cost around 100.000 gold marks, an exorbitant sum for the time. No wonder the construction work was met with much criticism, and it was predicted that trains wouldn't be able to run in winter after heavy snowfalls, which were quite typical for the Upland region. And indeed, just two days after the line opened, the first train got stuck in the snow on April 3, 1917. While such disruptions would occur from time to time, they remained the exception in the more than 100-year history of the Upland railway.
 
In 1917, the Upland Railway was primarily used by workers who previously had to walk to their workplace in Brilon Wald and by children who lived in Korbach or attended a higher school in Brilon, which existed at that time in Willingen did not yet exist.
Furthermore, every Monday morning, around 100 to 120 merchants could be found on the platform, traveling by train to the Ruhr region, Lippe, and Münsterland to sell their wares. They were easily recognizable by the blue linen smocks with white embroidery they wore and the white linen sacks in which they transported their goods, mainly linen and barrels. These "linen men" made the Upland region famous far beyond its borders, and they were among the first visitors to the area. Willingen visited, business partners of the linen men.   
 
Initially, only a small number of trains ran, one in each direction in the morning and one in the evening. In the afternoon, a freight train could be found heading towards... Korbach used to pull a passenger car. This journey took over two hours back then; today you can reach Korbach in just 20 minutes.
 
The ravages of time had taken their toll on the Upland Railway line, and especially on the bridges. Rail service was temporarily suspended in November 1999 and resumed in December 2003 after extensive renovations. Water and frost damage had affected the structure of the viaduct in Willingen The viaduct was so badly damaged that it was no longer passable. The outer shell of natural stone, deteriorated by water and cold, no longer protected the inner structure, thus endangering the entire bridge's construction. In 2003/2004, the viaduct was given a new look: Hundreds of meters-deep, approximately 8 cm wide holes were drilled vertically and horizontally into the piers, into which a liquid cement mixture was injected using a special pressure technique. The natural stone shell was removed with water pressure and replaced with a shotcrete mixture. The old sleepers from 1916 and the rails from the 1960s were replaced with modern Y-shaped steel sleepers. A computer-controlled signaling system regulates the operation of the latest generation of comfortable high-speed trains. Nine million euros were invested in ensuring the structural stability of the Willingen Viaduct alone.
 
A train journey from [location] is still a great experience today. Willingen to Korbach on the scenic route through forests and meadows, past picturesque villages.