Harz Railway

Harz Railway
Train heading towards the Brocken on the Trans-Harz Railway near Drei Annen Hohne
Overview
Native name	Harzquerbahn
Line number	9700
Locale	Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Germany
Termini	Nordhausen Wernigerode
Service
Route number	326 Nordhausen–Drei Annen Hohne 325 Drei Annen Hohne–Wernigerode
Technical
Line length	60.5 km (37.6 mi)
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge
Minimum radius	60 m (196.9 ft)
Operating speed	40 km/h (24.9 mph) (maximum)
Maximum incline	3.3%
Route map Legend Tramway from the inner town Nordhausen Bahnhofsplatz Tramway to the inner town 0.0 Nordhausen Nord interchange with DB Netz 184 m System change BOStrab / ESBO 0.2 from tramway (line 10, since 2004) 1.1 Nordhausen Übergabebahnhof 1.5 Nordhausen Hesseröder Straße 2.2 Nordhausen Altentor 189 m 3.0 Nordhausen Ricarda-Huch-Straße 3.8 Nordhausen Schurzfell 4.5 Nordhausen Krimderode 198 m Zorge B 4 6.0 Niedersachswerfen Herkulesmarkt from Harzungen Lager 7.0 Niedersachswerfen Ost 213 m 8.0 Niedersachswerfen Ilfelder Straße 9.9 Ilfeld Schreiberwiese 10.7 Ilfeld earlier Ilfeld-Wiegersdorf 254 m 11.5 Ilfeld Neanderklinik (terminus of line 10) 267 m B 4 11.7 Paper factory siding 12.6 Ilfeld Bad 287 m Bere, Ilfeld Viaduct B 4 14.0 Netzkater 309 m Brandesbach Kleiner Merkelsbach Großer Merkelsbach 17.3 Eisfelder Talmühle 352 m to Stiege B 81 Bere 19.5 Tiefenbachmühle 411 m 21.5 Sophienhof 445 m Thuringia Saxony-Anhalt state border 25.1 Zlst (DTC) Kälberbruch (formerly timber loading) Dammbach Rappbode 29.8 Benneckenstein 530 m 33.4 Sorge (since 1974) 490 m 33.9 Warme Bode B 242 34.2 Sorge (lower station / NWE) until 1974 490 m to Braunlage Walkenried–Braunlage/Tanne railway 37.4 Zlst (DTC) Allerbach (formerly timber loading) Kleiner Allerbach 38.2 line peak 556 m Ochsenbach 40.5 B 27 41.1 Kalte Bode 41.6 Elend 509 m Wormke Dammastbach Steinbach from Schierke 46.4 Drei Annen Hohne formerly to Rübeland Railway Zillierbach Drängetalwasser 50.4 Drängetal 51.6 Thumkuhlenkopf Tunnel (58 m) Braunes Wasser 52.7 Schotterwerk Thumkuhlental 54.6 Steinerne Renne 311 m 54.9 Marble works siding Holtemme Holtemme Holtemme Holtemme 56.2 Wernigerode-Hasserode 280 m Braunes Wasser 55.7 Stone loading siding 57.1 Hasserode II - Frankenfeldstraße (until 1922) 57.5 Paper factory siding 58.0 WR-Hochschule Harz (WR-Kirchstraße) 256 m 58.5 Marschhausen paper factory siding 59.0 Westerntor (until 1936) 59.3 Westerntor crossing B 244 Zillierbach 59.5 Wernigerode-Westerntor 238 m Wernigerode transfer station 60.5 Wernigerode interchange with DB Netz 234 m Source: German railway atlas[1][2]

The Harz Railway or Trans-Harz Railway (German: Harzquerbahn) was formerly the main line of the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways (Harzer Schmalspurbahnen or HSB) and runs north to south right across the Harz Mountains from Wernigerode to Nordhausen. However, the tourist attraction of the Brocken, the highest mountain in the Harz, is so great that the Brocken Railway is effectively the main line today. The Trans-Harz Railway joins up with the Selke Valley Railway to Quedlinburg at Eisfelder Talmühle where all trains are organised to make good connections.