- Multitudes of attendees celebrated the dual rail anniversary in the Harz region.
Thrilling Steam Train Extravaganza at Harz Narrow Gauge Railways
Reports suggest that a massive crowd of thousands flocked to the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways to kick-start their 125th anniversary celebrations honoring the Harzquer and Brocken railways. The buzzing atmosphere at the new steam locomotive workshop in Wernigerode remained lively throughout the day, pulling in train enthusiasts and families, as per the remarks of spokesperson Heide Baumgaertner to the German Press Agency. "The sun was shining bright, the attendees were full of life, and the queues were long." Sources confirm that the festivities will carry on this Sunday.
Vintage Trains Taking Center Stage
The itinerary includes displays of historical vehicles, a miniature railway for kids, workshops visitals, and journeys in the engine cab as shared earlier. The star of the show is the 125-year-old steam locomotive "Hoya" from the German Railway Association, named after the Hoya-Syke-Asendorf narrow-gauge railway, where it was delivered in 1899. Another old-time locomotive from the dawn of the Harzquer and Brocken railways, constructed in 1897, received widespread admiration, primarily from train enthusiasts and aficionados.
Shuttle rides with the "Schweineschnauze," a 1932 railcar, were another crowd-pleaser. In 1899, the first train reached the 1,141-meter-high Brocken, and the complete Harzquerbahn network, connecting the cities of Nordhausen (Thuringia) and Wernigerode (Saxony-Anhalt), initiated operations. Prior to this, the Harzquerbahn had been in operation on partial routes. The third HSB railway is the Selketalbahn.
The HSB runs the longest continuous narrow-gauge railway network in Germany, encompassing around 140 km. The track measures an impressive one meter in width. The Harz region's renowned steam locomotives of the company are an unmissable draw for tourists.
The German Press Agency reported on the worldwide interest in the upcoming vintage train events at Harz Narrow Gauge Railways, particularly highlighting the star of the show, the 125-year-old steam locomotive "Hoya." Visitors were also thrilled by shuttle rides with the "Schweineschnauze," a 1932 railcar, as revealed by the spokesperson to the German Press Agency based in Wernigerode.
