Steam locomotive at Wernigerode waiting to depart to Mount Brocken, Harz, Germany.
The "Harzer Schmalspurbahn" (former "Harzquerbahn", Nickname "Quirl", in English: the Harz narrow gauge railway) is a network of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3⅜ in) gauge railway in the Harz mountains, in central Germany. It connects the principle cities of Wernigerode, Nordhausen and Quedlinburg and several smaller towns in the area with about 140 kilometers of track, much of which is steeply graded and picturesque. The most popular destination on the network is the Brocken, an old East German listening post on top of the tallest peak in the Harz mountains, accessed by a spiral railway line, the Brockenbahn. The railway is notable for running a significant number of its trains with steam haulage, mostly employing 1950s vintage 2-10-2 tank locomotives, hauling traditional open balcony bogie carriages. The network is currently operated by Harzer Schmalspurbahnen GmbH company, whose members are chiefly the various local authorities whose territories it serves.
Size: 5144px × 3506px
Location: Wernigerode, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.
Photo credit: © dpict / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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