Overhead railway locomotive – starting up

About the sound

The sound of the engine of an overhead monorail locomotive starting up. The locomotive makes a warning signal as it starts up. It was manufactured by the German company Scharf in 2000. The overhead monorail is a vital part of modern mining for the transportation of materials and workers. This is a diesel-electric locomotive with driving cabins on either side, and is capable of delivering 130kW of power. It can handle inclines up to 20°.

The sound was recorded in the Trbovlje-Hrastnik coal mine which has a long tradition. The first mine in the Trbovlje area, founded by the entrepreneur Franz Maurer from Wiener Neustadt, Austria, started to operate in 1804. It was later followed by several smaller mines. The arrival of the Austrian Southern Railway to the Zasavje region in 1849 was a double gain: it facilitated the transport of coal to clients whilst simultaneously the railway itself was a major customer itself, having a great need for coal. In 1873 all the coal mines in Zasavje were merged under Trboveljska Premogokopna Družba (Trbovlje Coal Mining Company) which remained the proprietor until WWII. After 1946 all coal mines were nationalised by the new socialist authorities. Zasavje coal mines reached their peak of production and technological development in the second half of the 20th century. After 1991 coal was no longer considered the energy source of the future, and so the state decided to gradually close the mine. The extraction of coal ceased in 2010 and the company focused exclusively on closing it down which should be completed by 2018.

Sound recordist: Boštjan Troha
Photographer: Irena Marušič
Video Recordist: Irena Marušič