Trains - Saxony and the Harz: books - rail lines

Narrow Gauge Railways of Saxony

Presently, Saxony, eastern Germany, boasts a collection of narrow gauge railways featuring daily steam-hauled trains - a surviving vestige of an extensive 750 mm gauge network spanning over 500 kilometers.
Originally administered by the Royal Saxon State Railway and later the federal government railway, these railways underwent transformations after World War II, with some assets claimed by the Soviet Union as reparations.
Following the war, the region became part of the German Democratic Republic, leading to the closure of deteriorating lines in the 1960s.

Despite these closures, surviving railways, mainly serving rural areas, persisted. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 marked a turning point. The railways, now privatized, continued operations, joined by enthusiast-run museum railways resurrecting previously closed sections.
John Woodhams' captivating compilation of rare, unpublished images provides a captivating glimpse into these enduring, idiosyncratic remnants of the steam era.

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Harz Revisited - Metre Gauge Railways in Central Germany

Despite being in operation since the latter years of the 19th century, the extensive metre gauge railways in the Harz Mountains of Germany were little known to the outside world until after the re-unification of the country in 1990.
Since that time the now privatised system has become a magnet for enthusiasts worldwide, as portrayed in this volume featuring the HSB in many stunning locations.

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Auf Sachsens stählernen Spuren - Reiseziele für Bahnfreunde

Saxony is considered the railway country par excellence. This text and picture book by Thomas Böttger, published by Bildverlag Böttger GbR, provides comprehensive information on all railway-related objects in Saxony, from major city stations to tram operations and locomotive monuments.

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Der Eisenbahnknoten Glauchau und sein Bahnbetriebswerk

The Glauchau railway junction with its railway depot is one of the smaller facilities in Saxony. With the closure of the Glauchau - Großbothen Muldental Railway in 2002, it has also lost some of its importance.
Glauchau station was opened on November 15, 1858 with the opening of the Chemnitz - Zwickau section of today's Saxony-Franconian main line. Due to constantly increasing traffic volumes, work began in 1913 to fundamentally expand the railway facilities. On April 30, 1926, the new station with the reception building, which is now a listed building, was finally opened.
With the opening of the first section of the Muldental Railway to Penig in 1875, the first locomotive shed with a turntable was built here. When a completely new facility with an administrative building was built here in 1916, Glauchau was elevated to the status of a railway depot.

The place became known among railway enthusiasts through the last operations of the DR class 58.30 and the scheduled steam operation until May 1988. The legendary sand trains on the Muldentalbahn, which were operated with the BR 50 and 50.35 until the end, were particularly popular. The depot with its locomotive depot in Rochlitz and the locomotive station in Oelsnitz (Erzgeb) was closed on April 1, 1994.

The Glauchau railway workers have always been concerned about the care and maintenance of historic rail vehicles. This is why the steam locomotive infrastructure is now used by the "Traditionslok 58 3047 e. V." association, which uses the currently only operational new steam locomotive of the BR 35.10 for special trips.
But steam locomotives from the DB Museum and representatives of electric and diesel traction are also stored in Glauchau. This volume now shows the interesting history of the railway in and around Glauchau in comprehensive form for the first time.

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