Narrow gauge in Saxony

Created in the 1870s, the Saxon narrow gauge network reached its peak at the turn of the XXth century. In the 1970s, the East German regime closed most 75cm gauge lines. Uwe Haas takes us on a tour of those that survived.

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In 1877, the kingdom of Saxony decided to build a large secondary railway network in 75cm gauge, to complement the standard gauge network. Like elsewhere, the choice was dictated by financial constraints, as narrow gauge railways were cheaper to build and to operate. By 1881, 23 lines had been opened and by 1913 representend a total mileage of more than 500km. A HUGE NETWORK In1945,asaresultofsignificant war damage,ofstock confiscations and of road competion, many lines stopped operating. In 1952, under the management of the East German Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR), the remaining lines were put back into service. But the stock was in poor condition and motley, so the DR ordrered 24 newly-built steam locomotives of the 2-10-2 T type. In 1964, line closures resumed, with some surviving only because of a…

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Voie Libre International (Digital) - 1 Issue, No. 105

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