Holiday Magazine 2023

Zeit zu bleiben 8 …

Zeit zu bleiben 8 … FÜR NATURERLEBNISSE Time to stay … FOR ADVENTURERS ©Stefan Miehe At full speed in any weathers ©Polyluchs Kreativagentur It is always a special feeling to hear the good natured wheezing of the Harz steam engine. Really majestic it is searching its way through the Harz woods and pulls a meter-high cloud of steam behind it. Each time it is a reason to stop and be amazed. Exactly that is what guests can do at a guided tour of the workshop. It leads interested visitors to the centrepiece of the Harzer Schmalspurbahnen GmbH (Harz Narrow Gauge Railways Ltd.) – which is a special steam engine workshop where repair work on the technical monuments is carried out. Visits to this new workshop are possible from autumn 2022 at the earliest and a separate visitors’ gallery is also planned where you can be very near to the old engines. In our interview, a steam engine driver told us about his exciting work in the driver‘s cab. ©Polyluchs Kreativagentur A STAFF MEMBER OF THE HARZ NARROW GAUGE RAILWAYS What fascinates you in your job as a steam engine driver and why didn’t you become a regular engine driver? As a steam engine driver with the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways it is particularly the historical technique which fascinates me in my daily work. That was also the reason why I became a steam engine driver with the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways and do not operate a high-tech train. How often do you drive the route to the Brocken in a year? Does one know each bend? As locomotive staff we know our total route by heart. But deployments on the Brocken route are only part of our work. There are deployment sites also in Nordhausen and Gernrode. Daily steam trains also start from there on the Harzquer- and Selketal railways. What is the maximum speed of the steam engine? The steam locomotives of the HSB can drive up to 50 kph. But as a rule we drive on most sectors at a comfortable speed of between 15 and 25 kph because of the topography of the Harz Mountains. Do you get in touch with guests and what is the most popular question? At the stations we like to get in touch with guests, who take a curious look from the platform to our drivers’ cab. The most asked question is “Does the locomotive really run on genuine coal?” Do you prefer driving up to the Brocken with snow or in bright sunshine? The Brocken is fascinating in any weather and the work on the steam engine is strenuous in every season. For example, in winter the radiation of the firebox warms you up, and in summer temperatures in the drivers’ cab can go up quickly. Which skills should a “good” steam engine driver have? To become a good steam engine driver you need time and experience. You should bring the love for old technology with you and you should not shy away from dirt and sweaty work. From your point of view, why is it an absolute must do for every visitor? Meanwhile there are numerous events for tourists in the Harz. Our steam trains drive 140,4 km daily on 1.000 mm gauge track the Harzquer, Selketal and Brocken railways. With that we are unique in Europe. You must have simply experienced that. At the railway station in Schierke The new steam engine workshop in Wernigerode