The Harz hills are alive with the sound of steam engines

Feb 9, 2010, 11:07 GMT

Wernigerode, Germany - Snorting steam locomotives were once part of the winter landscape in Germany until progress banished most of them to the scrapyard.

Squeaky-clean electric locos and streamlined power cars have taken their place, but in the Harz hills, which straddle what used to be the two parts of Germany, the glory of narrow gauge steam traction has survived as a popular tourist attraction.

The Fichtel Valley in the Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge) which form the border between Germany and the Czech Republic is another much- loved steam haunt.

Tim Schroeter from Leipzig has turned his love of of railway lore into a hobby and he recommends both routes to visitors who want to be transported back to a gentler and more picturesque age of public transport.

'Our company runs the largest narrow gauge steam network in the land,' says Heide Baumgaertner, spokeswoman for the Harz Narrow Gauge Railway. The main attraction is a trip to the summit of the Brocken, the highest mountain in Northern Germany.

Between seven and eight steam-hauled trains a day chug back and forth to the summit, taking 90 minutes to overcome a climb of nearly 900 metres.

The puffing and clanking as the trains press forward past numerous hikers is one of the main tourist features in these parts and many passengers brave the winter chill by standing on the open platforms between the carriages and watching the upland countryside roll past.

Inside the train it is nice and cosy. 'The steam from the locomotive is used to heat the entire train,' explained Baumgaertner.

The comprehensive Harz railway network extends for 140 kilometres and for rail fans the most satisfying all-round experience is the trip from the charming medieval town of Quedlinburg to the Brocken.

The journey takes five hours but for the first three of them the train is seldom crowded. Most visitors buy their tickets to the summit for the final more scenic leg of the journey in the little town of Wernigerode.

The Fichtelberg narrow gauge railway branches off from the standard main line at Cranzahl before wending its way to the ski resort of Oberwiesenthal in the Erzgebirge mountains. The route is much shorter but has its own particular delights.

Perched some 900 metres aloft the skiing town can rely on getting snow every winter. Six train-pairs operate the 60-minute journey on a daily basis.

In eastern Saxony the steam-operated Weisseritz Valley railway connects Freital near Dresden with another Erzgebirge resort, the town of Kipsdorf. The railway was badly damaged in the severe flooding of 2002 and currently only operates over the 15 kilometres to Dippoldiswalde, about half the overall distance.

'Since we reopened in December 2008 we have carried almost 200,000 visitors,' said Kati Schmidt who is in charge of the railway's marketing department.

The section to Kipsdorf is due to be reopened in 2010. There is no snow guarantee here but the route itself is the attraction since the rail lines cling closely to the river valley.

Train buff Schroeter can point to several other narrow-gauge steam railways still active in Germany. The 'Rasender Roland' or 'rushing Roland' on the Baltic island of Ruegen attracts many visitors along with the 'Molli' between Bad Doberan and Kuehlungsborn along the mainland coast.

'Most of these steam-powered railways are laid up for maintenance in the months of January and February,' said Ingrid Schuette from the Federation of Germany Preserved and Tourist Railways (VDMT).

Counting all the lines up and down the country, there are probably around 200 preserved railways in Germany, although not all use steam locomotion.