The L\u00f6ssnitzgrundbahn dates back 135 years. This narrow-gauge railway, also fondly known as the \u2018L\u00f6ssnitz Dachshund\u2019, runs between Radeburg and Radebeul. So what is it that makes this train so special? We talked to someone well qualified to answer the question: Kay-Torsten Zimmermann is a train driver, rail enthusiast and volunteer member of Traditionsbahn Radebeul, the association that manages the line. Sitting in his office, which nestles in the L\u00f6ssnitzgrund gorge, we can hear the locomotives chugging away in the background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Herr Zimmermann, how did you end up in this line of work, which must surely count as a dream job for any youngster?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Yes, it is, and it was what I always wanted to do from a very early age. I started out working on the Parkeisenbahnpark in Dresden, which also used to be known as the \u2018Pioneer Railway\u2019. And then I graduated to being an actual train driver on the Reichsbahn, the state railway in the former GDR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So you don\u2019t just drive a steam locomotive on the L\u00f6ssnitzgrundbahn?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s right. During the week, I work on the DB Regio network driving electric and diesel trains in the Dresden area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So you drive these old locomotives on a voluntary basis?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Yes, the heritage line is entirely voluntary. I\u2019ve recently become deputy railway manager here, but I still also drive the steam and diesel locomotives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s so special about the L\u00f6ssnitzgrundbahn?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The L\u00f6ssnitzgrundbahn is one of Germany\u2019s few narrow-gauge railways that are still in existence, and there is a high concentration of them here in Saxony. What makes this line so special is the variety; it goes through changing scenery. First of all, you have the L\u00f6ssnitzgrund, which is a steep-sided valley, then Moritzburg with its lakes and finally the approach to Radeburg through undulating landscape. So you get a lot of variety over the relatively short distance of 16.5 kilometres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The L\u00f6ssnitzgrundbahn has acquired the nickname \u2018Dackel\u2019 which is short for \u2018Dachshund\u2019. How did that come about?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
There are different versions of the story, but the most common is that, in earlier years, there were locomotives that looked a bit like a dachshund while they were on the move. Hence the nickname.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is there an atmosphere on heritage railways that you won\u2019t find on their modern equivalents?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Yes, of course. Our oldest trains are from 1895. They look just the way they did when they belonged to the K\u00f6niglich S\u00e4chsische Staatseisenbahn \u2013 the Royal Saxon State Railways \u2013 during the period until the end of the First World War. These trains have a unique character, with open platforms and coal-fired heating. There are luggage nets, beautiful upholstered seats and even some wooden ones. In those days, they still had Third Class compartments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The inside of a coach. You can easily forget that the wooden seats of the Third Class compartments were once considered uncomfortable. \u00a9 Michael Sperl<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
What makes driving one of these trains such an enjoyable experience?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
In a modern driver\u2019s cabin, you\u2019re on your own. The exertions are of a more physical nature. In a steam locomotive, however, it\u2019s quite different. The crew have much more of a connection with each other. You have a train driver and a stoker \u2013 that\u2019s teamwork! You can also clearly sense what the machine is doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hard work: A steam locomotive needs a fireman. A strenuous job, especially in Summer. \u00a9 Lukas Kuntzsch<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Do the trains here run all the time?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The S\u00e4chsische Dampfeisenbahngesellschaft is responsible for the regular timetable. The train operates daily but with slightly more modern rolling stock: locomotives from the 50s with carriages that were overhauled in the 70s. And in addition, there is our historic train which we use for special trips, of which there are around 40 per year. For these, we send out even older rolling stock from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We are, of course, organising a special outing to commemorate the anniversary of the L\u00f6ssnitzgrundbahn. The season starts every year in February with a service for visitors to the Radeburger Carnival. There are monthly trips with different themes. Easter trips, for example, and the Karl May Festival in Radebeul with a staged hold-up by bandits! Now, in September, we have our own Schmalspurbahn-Festival, and in December there will be a St Nicholas outing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do you have a favourite railway? A heritage line on which you would like to drive the locomotive?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
There are quite a few railways that I haven\u2019t been on yet. I\u2019ve never had an out-and-out favourite, but two years ago, I went for a ride on the Rhodope railway in Bulgaria. I would like to go there again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dampfbahn-Route Sachsen<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Back in 1900, the narrow-gauge railways in Saxony were the most important networks of their kind in Germany. The routes covered a total distance of more than 500 kilometres and were particularly popular for excursions \u2013 a legacy that is being preserved by railway associations and volunteers. You have the opportunity to join in the celebrations for the 135th anniversary of the L\u00f6ssnitzgrundbahn at the Schmalspurbahn-Festival<\/a> to be held on the weekend of 14th\/15th September at Moritzburg station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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