Seaboard92
Engineer
Day 9: Harz Schmalspurbahn
I woke up in the morning with the intentions on catching the morning train up the Brocken mountain. So I went downstairs and had breakfast in the immaculate hotel dining room before asking if I could leave my bags in the room till I got back down from the mountain. Then I set out down into The Valley again.
I left myself enough time to walk around the town in daylight as well as catch the first train up the mountain. So I took the shortcut back down to the main square and explored and photographed most of the places I had been the night before and it’s still as beautiful. Then I walked back to the train station and bought the second ticket on the train up the mountain and went out to the platform. The consist was there minus the engine.
So I walked over to the overlook over the shops where I could see them readying multiple steam engines for the days work. Then they brought the second train into the station with their diesel switch engine which appears to be a standard gauge engine on narrow gauge trucks. Abou then they also backed 99-222 a 2-10-2T onto my train and I went and boarded the last car.
I had a wonderful view off the back porch and I don’t care how cold it could be if open vestibules or rear platforms are available I will utilize them. The Train departed at exactly the advertised time and away we were. We passed by the interchange track with DB. Now you’re probably wondering how they accomplish freight interchange with a standard gauge railroad. They have special flat cars they load the standard gauge equipment onto and then deliver with a narrow gauge freight train. A very interesting type of trans load facility.
Then we weaved around The Valley floor for a little bit before we started ascending the grade. Even seven cars back you could here this seventy year old engine really charging up the grade. As we gained elevation I could see flicks of snow that hadn’t yet melted so I was hopeful there might be some snow at the top of the mountain. We arrived in Drei Annen Haus to take on water which gave me plenty of time to photograph the train and use the facilities before we took off again. We picked up a lot of passengers here.
Also at his station we met the little one car DMU they use on runs that have less ridership. We then charged up the Brockenbahn where there were quite a few railfans out and about. I didn’t realize the next station was a fresh air stop so I was kinda miffed at myself for not taking advantage of that. Then we continued up the mountain. The Engine was earning her keep as we challenged the grade up to the top of the mountain. Eventually the Soviet Listening station came into view so I knew I was near he top. I got off the train and grabbed a photo of our train in the snow before running up the last bit of a hill to the observation point.
While everyone else was struggling With the ice I had no problem because I was still used to it. Then I went and caught the first train down which only had five passengers total as most layover for awhile at the top of the mountain. We passed by several cross country skiers on our way down. We pulled into the runaway track to allow an upgrade train to pass. I got a great video and stills of the 2-10-2T 99-234 headed upgrade.
Then we backed back onto the mainline and continued our journey downhill. The Engine wasn’t taxed at all going downhill because there is very little grades at all going that way. We stopped again for a fresh air stop at the only intermediate point on the Brocken Bahn officially and this time I used it before we went into a three way steam meet at Drei Annen Haus. On the way down I could look up the Brocken and see the train we passed going downhill arriving at its terminal even though it looked like a N scale model.
The Nordhausen-Brocken Train was on gleiss 1 with 99-7243-1 (2-10-2T), and the train on the Selke Valley Line was on gleiss 2 with 99-7237-3 (2-10-2T). They only have one water spout so I got to watch them switch the engines around to take on water for both. For the next fifteen minutes three steam powered passenger trains were sitting in this small town. If that isn’t almost heaven I don’t know what else could be. All too soon the train up the Brocken departed, followed by The Valley train, and the last one out was us.
I was having camera trouble because I only had one battery and it didn’t get a full charge and it kept getting onto one bar because as it gets colder in temperature it loses charge. So I spent a lot of time on this trip down the mountain taking it in my hands and warming it by friction heating it. Which seamed you extend the life a bit. I got off at the first Wernigerode stop and walked thru town to get to my hotel and claim my luggage.
They already brought the bags Downstairs for me and I then went back to town. I had a few options for a train an early one and a later one that both put me in München around the same time. The later one was a Full Hour later and it allows me to see the next train up the mountain charge out so naturally I chose the later train. I went downtown and got a table on the square next to the Rathaus. My favorite part of going to Europe is eating at sidewalk cafes. I didn’t have a lot of time between when I got there and the departure of the steam train up the mountain so I ate in a rush.
The Food was fantastic though and I ended up with ten minutes to spare. So I went over to the city gate to wait for the next train up the mountain. And it was definitely worth taking the later train. Imagine my surprise when not one but two engines are taking the eight car train up the hill. 99-7241-5 and 99-222 doing the honors. My photos weren’t super great because some cars turning right got in my shot. But man was that an experience. Then I walked back to the train station.
In front of the station there is a converted shipping container offering Covid tests. And to my surprise it was free so I got my Covid test to return to the USA for free. Then I caught my regional to Halberstadt. It was touch and go if we were going to make the connection because it was only timetabled for ten minutes. The whole ride I was trying to charge my camera and phone thru two various outlets. Then I switched to my next train to Halle and I enjoyed my scenic ride on a branch line opened in 1872. Now the article says it’s a mainline.
Maybe at one time this was a mainline as the infrastructure still appears to be there with a small hump yard along it. And all the station buildings are of decent size clearly built for when it was a heavy duty passenger line in the early 1900s. It looked like we were going to miss my connection to München which would throw a wrench in my dinner plans but somehow we made up ten minutes on our way there. My connection was late which is typical of Deutsche Bahn so my ten minute connection ended up being twenty minutes.
I woke up in the morning with the intentions on catching the morning train up the Brocken mountain. So I went downstairs and had breakfast in the immaculate hotel dining room before asking if I could leave my bags in the room till I got back down from the mountain. Then I set out down into The Valley again.
I left myself enough time to walk around the town in daylight as well as catch the first train up the mountain. So I took the shortcut back down to the main square and explored and photographed most of the places I had been the night before and it’s still as beautiful. Then I walked back to the train station and bought the second ticket on the train up the mountain and went out to the platform. The consist was there minus the engine.
So I walked over to the overlook over the shops where I could see them readying multiple steam engines for the days work. Then they brought the second train into the station with their diesel switch engine which appears to be a standard gauge engine on narrow gauge trucks. Abou then they also backed 99-222 a 2-10-2T onto my train and I went and boarded the last car.
I had a wonderful view off the back porch and I don’t care how cold it could be if open vestibules or rear platforms are available I will utilize them. The Train departed at exactly the advertised time and away we were. We passed by the interchange track with DB. Now you’re probably wondering how they accomplish freight interchange with a standard gauge railroad. They have special flat cars they load the standard gauge equipment onto and then deliver with a narrow gauge freight train. A very interesting type of trans load facility.
Then we weaved around The Valley floor for a little bit before we started ascending the grade. Even seven cars back you could here this seventy year old engine really charging up the grade. As we gained elevation I could see flicks of snow that hadn’t yet melted so I was hopeful there might be some snow at the top of the mountain. We arrived in Drei Annen Haus to take on water which gave me plenty of time to photograph the train and use the facilities before we took off again. We picked up a lot of passengers here.
Also at his station we met the little one car DMU they use on runs that have less ridership. We then charged up the Brockenbahn where there were quite a few railfans out and about. I didn’t realize the next station was a fresh air stop so I was kinda miffed at myself for not taking advantage of that. Then we continued up the mountain. The Engine was earning her keep as we challenged the grade up to the top of the mountain. Eventually the Soviet Listening station came into view so I knew I was near he top. I got off the train and grabbed a photo of our train in the snow before running up the last bit of a hill to the observation point.
While everyone else was struggling With the ice I had no problem because I was still used to it. Then I went and caught the first train down which only had five passengers total as most layover for awhile at the top of the mountain. We passed by several cross country skiers on our way down. We pulled into the runaway track to allow an upgrade train to pass. I got a great video and stills of the 2-10-2T 99-234 headed upgrade.
Then we backed back onto the mainline and continued our journey downhill. The Engine wasn’t taxed at all going downhill because there is very little grades at all going that way. We stopped again for a fresh air stop at the only intermediate point on the Brocken Bahn officially and this time I used it before we went into a three way steam meet at Drei Annen Haus. On the way down I could look up the Brocken and see the train we passed going downhill arriving at its terminal even though it looked like a N scale model.
The Nordhausen-Brocken Train was on gleiss 1 with 99-7243-1 (2-10-2T), and the train on the Selke Valley Line was on gleiss 2 with 99-7237-3 (2-10-2T). They only have one water spout so I got to watch them switch the engines around to take on water for both. For the next fifteen minutes three steam powered passenger trains were sitting in this small town. If that isn’t almost heaven I don’t know what else could be. All too soon the train up the Brocken departed, followed by The Valley train, and the last one out was us.
I was having camera trouble because I only had one battery and it didn’t get a full charge and it kept getting onto one bar because as it gets colder in temperature it loses charge. So I spent a lot of time on this trip down the mountain taking it in my hands and warming it by friction heating it. Which seamed you extend the life a bit. I got off at the first Wernigerode stop and walked thru town to get to my hotel and claim my luggage.
They already brought the bags Downstairs for me and I then went back to town. I had a few options for a train an early one and a later one that both put me in München around the same time. The later one was a Full Hour later and it allows me to see the next train up the mountain charge out so naturally I chose the later train. I went downtown and got a table on the square next to the Rathaus. My favorite part of going to Europe is eating at sidewalk cafes. I didn’t have a lot of time between when I got there and the departure of the steam train up the mountain so I ate in a rush.
The Food was fantastic though and I ended up with ten minutes to spare. So I went over to the city gate to wait for the next train up the mountain. And it was definitely worth taking the later train. Imagine my surprise when not one but two engines are taking the eight car train up the hill. 99-7241-5 and 99-222 doing the honors. My photos weren’t super great because some cars turning right got in my shot. But man was that an experience. Then I walked back to the train station.
In front of the station there is a converted shipping container offering Covid tests. And to my surprise it was free so I got my Covid test to return to the USA for free. Then I caught my regional to Halberstadt. It was touch and go if we were going to make the connection because it was only timetabled for ten minutes. The whole ride I was trying to charge my camera and phone thru two various outlets. Then I switched to my next train to Halle and I enjoyed my scenic ride on a branch line opened in 1872. Now the article says it’s a mainline.
Maybe at one time this was a mainline as the infrastructure still appears to be there with a small hump yard along it. And all the station buildings are of decent size clearly built for when it was a heavy duty passenger line in the early 1900s. It looked like we were going to miss my connection to München which would throw a wrench in my dinner plans but somehow we made up ten minutes on our way there. My connection was late which is typical of Deutsche Bahn so my ten minute connection ended up being twenty minutes.
