Memories of Wuppertal

These aren't military-connected but I've been meaning to pop off something along these lines for awhile now:

Two memories of Wuppertal have stayed with me all these years

1- The zoo
2 - The monorail

Here in Calgary, where I have resided for 30+ years now, we have what we call the LRT (Light Rapid Transit) which is essentially an urban rail system.

When it was first being considered various options were on the table -- surface, underground or elevated. One of the suggestions was to create a "futuristic" monorail system. I just chuckled because what the engineers et al were visualizing was the monorail system at TomorrowLand in Disneyland and were all puffed up about how forward thinking they were blah blah blah. Totally unaware, I suppose, that Wuppertal had had an elevated monorail system in place since the 1800s!! 1870 or some such, if memory serves me correctly. The inaugural line was opened by no less than the Kaiser himself, as I recall.

The supports for the system are, of course, massive and the whole system wends its way through the centre of the city. It could be one ugly mess, and I am sure there are Wuppertalers (Wuppertalians?) who think it is, but most of the rails are suspended over the Wupper. I thought as a kid, and still do, it was a fantastic thing. Certainly an engineering marvel.

The zoo I don't recall as clearly, although we went there several times when I was a little kid (7 or 8 years old). I do recall eating those hard heart-shaped bread things that were equal parts sweet and stale And hard as tack! Tasty though.

My Father, C/Sgt Ronald Carter - Norhamptonshire Regt together with family (inc me!) was stationed at Anglesey Barracks, Wuppertal, around 1954.

Anybody know much about the Barracks, think it was a former Wermacht barracks.

Wuppertal Barracks various and a few dates/units - German source:

https://second.wiki/wiki/wuppertaler_kasernen

To add to your post Pborn4, prior to the arrival of North Irish Horse Yeomanry RAC, the following units moved into Sagan Kaserne aka Kapellen Camp 317
3 Dec 45 – 61st Super Heavy Regiment RA with 241 and 443 Batteries
5 Dec 45 – 373 Battery of 118th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA
All command 17th Army Group RA of 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division until 15 Jan 46 then disbanded

https://britisharmyingermany.com (under construction)