Narrow-gauge railways in Germany
A number of narrow-gauge lines survive, largely as a consequence of German reunification, in the former
In the Western part of Germany, Selfkantbahn (close to Heinsberg near Aachen) and Brohltalbahn (Linz/Rhine) are the best known ones, offering services in summer weekends.
Baden-Württemberg
1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge lines
- Albbähnle Amstetten (Württemberg) – Laichingen; closed in 1985, Currently Amstetten – Oppingen is a heritage railway
- Odenwaldexpress – Mosbach–Mudau; 27,51 km, closed in 1973.
- ; converted to standard gauge in 1990.
- Härtsfeldbahn – Aalen–Dillingen an der Donau; 55,49 km, closed in 1972; heritage railway on part of the line.
- Lokalbahn Rhein–Ettenheimmünster; converted to standard gauge in 1922/1927
- Mittelbadische Eisenbahnen; converted to standard gauge in 1973, now closed.
- Obere Wiesentalbahn (Todtnauerli.); 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in), closed in 1967
- Oberrheinische Eisenbahn – Mannheim–Heidelberg–Weinheim–Mannheim; currently operating as an electrified tram.
- Schmalspurbahn Nagold–Altensteig („Altensteigerle“); closed in 1967.
750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) gauge lines
- Bottwartalbahn – Heilbronn-Süd–Marbach am Neckar; 37 km, closed in 1968.
- Federseebahn Bad Schussenried – Riedlingen; 29.34 km, closed in 1964.
- Jagsttalbahn Möckmühl – Dörzbach; 39,1 km, closed in 1988 and currently reconstructed as a heritage railway
- "Öchsle" – Since 1985 a heritage railway between Warthausen and Ochsenhausen
- Zabergäubahn – Lauffen am Neckar–Leonbronn; converted to standard gauge in 1964/1965, closed in 1994.
381 mm (15 in) gauge lines
- miniature railway).
Bavaria
1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge lines
- cog railway
- Chiemsee-Bahn from Prien to Prien-Stock; 1,91 km
- Kleinbahn Wallersdorf–Münchshöfen; 7,7 km, closed in 1949
- Eichstätt-Kinding Bahn; 46,4 km, converted to standard gauge in 1934
- Staatliche Waldbahn Ruhpolding–Reit im Winkl; 22,5 km, closed in 1940
- Walhallabahn from Regensburg to Donaustauf; 23,4 km, closed in 1968
- cog railway
900 mm (2 ft 11+7⁄16 in) gauge lines
- Tirol; 6,1 km and electrified
600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) gauge lines
- Neuhauser Bockerlbahn; 12 km, closed in 1922
- Spiegelauer Waldbahn; 100 km, closed in 1960
- Zwieselauer Waldbahn; 14,5 km, closed in 1958
Berlin
600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) gauge lines
- Berliner Parkeisenbahn; 7,50 km
- Britzer Museumsbahn; 5,0 km
Brandenburg
1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge lines
- Spreewaldbahn („Bimmelguste“) from Lübben to Cottbus via Burg (Spreewald); most lines closed until 1970, last spurs converted to standard gauge in 1983.
750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) gauge lines
- Jüterbog-Luckenwalder Kreiskleinbahnen (JLKB, „Märkische Bähnle“); closed in 1965
- Kleinbahnen der Kreise West- und Ostprignitz; closed until 1969, heritage railway "Pollo" relaid on a 9 km stretch.
- Kreisbahn Rathenow-Senzke-Nauen; 51,7 km, parts closed in the 1930s and in 1949, finally closed in 1961
600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) gauge lines
- Cottbuser Parkeisenbahn; 3,20 km, in service
Hesse
1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge lines
- Biebertalbahn; 9,5 km, closed
900 mm (2 ft 11+7⁄16 in) gauge lines
- Spessartbahn; 21,2 km, closed in 1951
800 mm (2 ft 7+1⁄2 in) gauge lines
- Ernstbahn; 7,6 km, closed
600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) gauge lines
- Bad Orber Kleinbahn; former standard-gauge railway, partly relaid as a feldbahn to serve as a museum railway
- Frankfurter Feldbahnmuseum
- Kuhrbahn Bad Schwalbach; closed.
410 mm (16+5⁄32 in) gauge lines
- Kinderstraßenbahn Frankfurt am Main ; 220 m.
Lower Saxony
1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge lines
- Inselbahn Juist; 2,8 km, from 1896 to 1982, tracks lifted.
- Inselbahn Langeoog; 2,6 km.
- Kehdinger Kreisbahn; 51,8 km, closed.
- Kleinbahn Bremen–Tarmstedt; 27,0 km, closed in 1956.
- Kleinbahn Hoya – Syke – Asendorf
- Kreisbahn Aurich; 84,6 km, closed in 1969.
- Kreisbahn Emden–Pewsum–Greetsiel; 22,8 km, closed in 1963.
- Spiekerooger Inselbahn ; 3,5 km, heritage railway.
- Steinhuder Meer-Bahn StMB; 52,7 km
- Tanne;
- Wangerooger Inselbahn; 5,9 km.
900 mm (2 ft 11+7⁄16 in) gauge lines
- Borkumer Kleinbahn; 7,5 km
750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) gauge lines
- Bleckeder Kreisbahn; 47,25 km, closed.
- Gartetalbahn Göttingen – Duderstadt; 35,6 km, closed in 1957
- Hümmlinger Kreisbahn; 28,9 km, converted to standard gauge in 1957.
- Kleinbahn Lingen–Berge–Quakenbrück; 55,3 km, closed in 1952.
- Kleinbahn Ocholt – Westerstede; 7 km, converted to standard gauge in 1904.
- Kreisbahn Cloppenburg; 29,2 km, closed in 1952.
- Kreisbahn Osterode–Kreiensen; 32,7 km, converted to standard gauge in 1967.
600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) gauge lines
- Inselbahn Baltrum; 0,6 km, Goods traffic from 1949 to 1985, tracks lifted.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge lines
- Franzburger Kreisbahnen; 67,22 km, closed in 1971
900 mm (2 ft 11+7⁄16 in) gauge lines
- Bäderbahn Molli von Bad Doberan nach Kühlungsborn; 15,4 km
- Schmalspurbahn Neubukow Obere Weiche–Bastorf; 14,4 km, closed in 1946
750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) gauge lines
- Rügensche Bäderbahn („Rasender Roland“); 59,4 km, on the island of Rügen
- Demminer Bahnen; 50,9 km, closed.
600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) gauge lines
- Mecklenburg-Pommersche Schmalspurbahn (MPSB); closed in 1969, part revived as a heritage railway
North Rhine-Westphalia
1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge lines
- Bielefelder Kreisbahnen; 23 km, closed in 1956
- cog railway; 1,5 km
- Dürener Eisenbahn; closed in 1965.
- Euskirchener Kreisbahnen; 57 km, closed in 1959
- Herforder Kleinbahn; 40,8 km, closed in 1966.
- Hohenlimburger Kleinbahn; closed in 1983
- Iserlohner Kreisbahn; 1900–1964
- Kleinbahn Haspe–Voerde–Breckerfeld; 18,39 km, closed in 1963
- Kreis Altenaer Eisenbahn; 14,6 km, closed in 1976.
- Leppetalbahn (Engelskirchen-Marienheider Eisenbahn); 18,4 km, closed in 1958.
- Märkische Museums-Eisenbahn e. V. (MME) – Sauerländer Kleinbahn, Museumseisenbahn im Elsetal, Herscheid-Hüinghausen – Köbbinghauser-Hammer; 2,3 km
- Plettenberger Kleinbahn (Plettenberger Straßenbahn AG); closed in 1962.
- Kreis Heinsberg, partly operating as a heritage railway, the Selfkantbahn(GKB)
- Straßenbahn Essen; 52,5 km
- Tecklenburger Nordbahn; converted to standard gauge in 1935
785 mm (2 ft 6+29⁄32 in) gauge lines
- Bröltalbahn; 87,3 km, first narrow-gauge railway in Germany.
750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) gauge lines
- Heisterbacher Talbahn; 7,2 km, 1891–1950
- Kleinbahn Steinhelle–Medebach; 36,3 km, closed in 1953.
600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) gauge lines
- Oekoven(Rhein-Kreis Neuss); Museumsbahn
- Dampf-Kleinbahn Mühlenstroth; 1,5 km, heritage railway
Rhineland-Palatinate
1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge lines
- Brohltalbahn („Vulkan-Express“) – Brohl (Rhein) – Engeln; 23,83 km, heritage railway
- Ludwigshafen am Rhein–Mannheim; 16,4 km, electrified
- Pfälzer Lokalbahn – Ludwigshafen – Meckenheim; closed
- Nassauische Kleinbahnen; closed
750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) gauge lines
- Kreuznacher Kleinbahnen; 28 km, closed in 1936.
Saxony
Saxony-Anhalt
1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge lines
- Harzer Schmalspurbahnen, 140 km network consisting of the Selketalbahn, Harzquerbahn and the Brockenbahn, the largest narrow-gauge network in Germany
- Industriebahn Halle; closed in 1992.
- Südharz-Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft; closed in 1963
750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) gauge lines
- Mansfelder Bergwerksbahn; heritage railway on remaining 11.8 km
900 mm (2 ft 11+7⁄16 in) gauge lines
- Pfännerschaftliche Kohlebahn in Halle (Saale); 5.6 km, industrial railway, closed
Schleswig-Holstein
1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge lines
- Apenrader Kreisbahn ; 86 km, closed (reunited with Denmark in 1920)
- Eckernförder Kreisbahnen ; 28,7 km, closed in 1959.
- Flensburger Kreisbahn ; 49,5 km, closed in 1953.
- Haderslebener Kreisbahn ; 18,5 km, closed (reunited with Denmark in 1920)
- Kleinbahn Niebüll–Dagebüll ; 13,7 km, opened in 1895, converted to standard gauge in 1926
- Kreisbahn auf Alsen (Danish: Amtsbanerne på Als); 19 km, converted to standard gauge in 1933 (reunited with Denmark in 1920).
- Kreisbahn Norderdithmarschen ; closed in 1937
- Rendsburger Kreisbahn ; 46 km, closed in 1957.
- Sylter Inselbahn , closed in 1970.
900 mm (2 ft 11+7⁄16 in) gauge lines
- Amrumer Inselbahn; 14 km, closed in 1939.
- Halligbahn Dagebüll–Oland–Langeneß; 9 km
600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) gauge lines
Thuringia
1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge lines
- Feldabahn; 27,7 km, converted to standard gauge in 1934.
- Schmalspurbahn Eisfeld–Schönbrunn (Gründerla) in the Thuringian Forest; 17,8 km, closed in 1973.
- Heldburger Bahn in Grabfeld; 29,7 km, closed in 1946.
- Gera-Meuselwitz-Wuitzer Eisenbahn; 30,1 km, closed in 1969.
- Weimar-Buttelstedt-Großrudestedter Eisenbahn; 54 km, 1946 stillgelegt
- Part of the Harzer Schmalspurbahnen at Nordhausen
750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) gauge lines
- Trusebahn in the Thuringian Forest (Wernshausen–Trusetal); 9 km, closed in 1966.
600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) gauge lines
- Parkeisenbahn Gera; 0,8 km
- Feldbahn Brotterode-Wernshausen; in use only 1896/1897, later partly replaced by Trusebahn
See also
References
- Machel, Wolf-Dietger (2011). Enzyklopädie der deutschen Schmalspurbahnen [Encyclopedia of the German Narrow Gauge Railways] (in German). München: GeraMond Verlag. ISBN 9783862451012.
- Organ, John (2004). North East German Narrow Gauge: Harz Mountains and Baltic Region. Narrow Gauge Branch Lines series. Midhurst, West Sussex, UK: Middleton Press. ISBN 1904474446.
- Organ, John (2005). Saxony Narrow Gauge: featuring the extensive 75cm, 60cm and 38cm lines. Narrow Gauge Branch Lines series. Midhurst, West Sussex, UK: Middleton Press. ISBN 1904474470.
- Organ, John (2007). West German Narrow Gauge. Narrow Gauge Branch Lines series. Midhurst, West Sussex, UK: Middleton Press. ISBN 978-1904474937.
- Organ, John (2014). Harz Revisited: Metre Gauge Railways in Central Germany. Narrow Gauge Branch Lines series. Midhurst, West Sussex, UK: Middleton Press. ISBN 9781908174628.
- Organ, John (2015). Saxony & Baltic Germany Revisited. Narrow Gauge Branch Lines series. Midhurst, West Sussex, UK: Middleton Press. ISBN 9781908174710.
External links
Media related to Narrow gauge railways in Germany at Wikimedia Commons