Ozubnicova zeleznica zo Strby na Strbske Pleso spolu s Tatranskou elektrickou zeleznicou z Popradu na Strbske Pleso su charakteristickymi prostriedkami verejnej dopravy vo Vysokych Tatrach. V hlavnej sezone leto/zima su vyuzivane z vacsej casti turistami, z mensej casti domacimi, mimosezony je to pochopitelne opacne. Kym turisti prichadzajuci z vacsej ci mensej dialky povazuju tieto dopravne prostriedky za atrakciu, pre domacich je to bezny sposob prepravy z ich bydliska do prace, 
za priatelmi alebo len tak na vylet do blizkeho okolia. Nie je to tak davno, ked sme s kamaratmi jazdievali poslednou vecernou zubackou na diskoteku na Strbske Pleso a prvou rannou sme sa vracali domov. Ked niekomu poviem, ze som chodieval z diskoteky zubackou, tak sa najprv na mna pozrie, ci si robim srandu a potom sa rozosmeje nad nezvycajnym dopravnym prostriedkom, ktorym sa bezne z diskoteky nechodieva :-) Nuz, kto nechcel ist drahym taxikom alebo peso (aj takych bolo), tak isiel zubackou.
Zubacka v dnesnej podobe premava od r.1970 a za tie roky sa zmenil len personal (rusnovodici, sprievodcovia) a po r.2004 aj okolie trate. Samozrejme aj ceny listkov, ale o tom tu nechcem pisat :-) Les, ktorym sa zubacka prediera, po veternej kalamite vyrazne zredol. Otvorili sa vyhlady do Podtatranskej kotliny dosial nikomu nepoznane a uz ani v tom lese nie je v lete tak prijemne a chladok ako to kedysi byvalo. Aj napriek tomu, ze od kalamity je uz niekolko rokov, mnoho ludi si stale na „novy“ les nezvyklo a pohlady na nekonecne rubaniska v nich vyvolavaju pocit uzkosti.
The cog-railway from Strba to Strbske Pleso along with the Tatra Electric Railway from Poprad to Strbske Pleso are typical means of public transport in the High Tatras. During the main season (summer/winter) they are mainly being used by tourists, partly by locals, in off-season it’s naturally vice versa. While tourists coming from far or near see those means of transport as an attraction, for locals it’s just absolutely ordinary way of transport to get to work, to their friends or just for trips. It’s not so long ago when we used to travel by the last night cog-railway line to Strbske Pleso to a disco and returned by the first early morning line back home. When mentioning to someone that I was using cog-railway to get to and from a disco, at first they think I am just kidding and then marvel at the unusual means of transport which is not commonly used to travel to or from a disco :-) Well, who didn’t want to pay for taxi or to go home on foot (some did), the cog-railway was the choice.
The cog-railway as it is today operates from 1970 and till now just the personnel changed (engine-drivers, conductors) and after 2004 the surrounding of the track as well. Of course, also the ticket prices are not the same, but that’s not the theme :-) The forest, the cog-railway goes through, has turned into an open woodland after the windstorm. So far unseen views into Podtatranska kotlina opened and it‘s no more as cool and fine in the forest as it used to be before. Despite many years passed from the windstorm, people still have not got used to the „new“ forest and views of neverending glades make them feel anxious.
Historia
Vystavba „prvej verzie“ zubacky zacala v r.1895 a o rok neskor, 27.7.1896 si uz razila cestu na vrchol prva parna masinka (rusen + 2 vozne pred nim). Trat bola dlha 4,75 km a prekonavala prevysenie 454 m pri stupani 127 ‰. Je zaujimave, ze s cestou, ktora viedla pozdlz trate, sa krizovala 17-krat, a to bez pouzitia zabezpecovacich zariadeni. Ako sposob ozubenia bol zvoleny system Riggenbach. Prevadzku ukoncila v r.1933, pretoze bola nahradena autobusovou dopravou.
History
Building of the very first version of the cog-railway began in 1895 and one year later, 27 July 1896, the first steam machine made its way up to the hill (engine + 2 carriages). The track was 4.75 km long and climbed 454 m of altitude at elevation 127 ‰. There is an interesting fact that the track was crossing the nearby road 17 times and without interlocking. As a rack system the Riggenbach system was used. Operation of the cog-railway was stopped in 1933, as it was substituted by bus.
Sucasnost
K obnoveniu ozubnicovej zeleznice zo Strby na Strbske Pleso sa pristupilo pred r.1970, kedy sa konali na Strbskom Plese majstrovstva sveta v klasickych severskych disciplinach. Zaciatok druhej ery zubacky sa datuje na 12. februar 1970.
Dlzka zrekonstruovanej trate je 4,78 km s maximalnym stupanim 150 ‰. Zmenil sa pouzity system ozubenia na Strube. Zeleznica je napajana jednosmernym napatim 1 500 V.
Udolna stanica v Strbe ma podobu ocelovej haly s dvoma nastupistami a je prepojena s rychlikovou stanicou Strba. Vo vrcholovej stanici Strbske Pleso bola postavena nova vypravna budova, ktora sluzi aj pre potreby Tatranskych elektrickych zeleznic. Vrcholova stanica povodnej ozubnicovej trate stala totiz na brehu jazera Strbske pleso. Sucasny park vozidiel disponuje troma dvojvoznovymi osobnymi supravami (Brown-Bover Baden a SLM Wintherthur), privesnou jednonapravovou snehovou frezou, motorovou drezinou a troma vozikmi na prepravu batoziny.
Today
Renovation of the cog-railway happened before 1970, when the World Championship in nordic skiing was held in Strbske Pleso. The second era of the cog-railway is dated on 12 February 1970.
The length of the reconstructed track is 4.78 km with maximum elevation 150 ‰. The rack system has changed to Strube. The railway is supplied by direct voltage 1500 V.
The cog-railway station in Strba is a steel building with two platforms and connection with train station Strba. There was a new station building built in Strbske Pleso which serves also for Tatra Electric Railway. The former top station building was located near the lake Strbske pleso. Current carriage stock consists of 3 two-carriage trains (Brown-Bover Baden and SLM Wintherthur), 1 two-wheeled rotary plough, 1 track motor car and 3 luggage carts.
K 115. narodeninam, ktore zubacka oslavila len nedavno, jej zakladame vlastnu kesku :-)
Nachadza sa na zastavke Tatransky Lieskovec. Ak pridete v case pred odchodom zubacky, okolie moze byt znacne zamuklene, tak si pockajte, kym spoj odvezie vsetkych prec.
For its 115th birthday, which the cog-railway celebrated not long ago, we are placing a cache :-)
It is located at the cog-railway stop Tatransky Lieskovec. If you come before train arrival, there might be a lot of muggles waiting, so please wait until the train leaves.