Saxon Railroad Museum
Chemnitz-Hilbersdorf

Sächsisches Eisenbahnmuseum

ABOVE: Visitors gawk at steam locomotive 38 205, the "Sächsischen Rollwagen," which was in service from 1928 until 1968. INSET BELOW: The museum's official beer, and a high-speed train from the German Democratic Republic.

by Durant Imboden

For sheer "wow factor," the Sächsisches Eisenbahnmuseum in the Hilbersdorf district of Chemnitz is hard to beat. To begin with, the place is huge: Two brick roundhouses accommodate 26 locomotives, and the late 19th Century marshalling yards (which lie directly next to the Deutsche Bahn's tracks) include historic structures such as a coal bunker, water cranes, and maintenance shops where steam locomotives can be overhauled at a cost of half a million euros each.

But that's just the infrastructure. The real excitement comes from a huge collection of historic steam, diesel, and electric locomotives from Eastern Germany, along with a fleet of freight cars, passenger carriages, and other rolling stock. Visit in late August, during the Boiler House Festival, and you can see a "steam engine parade" of 10 coal-fired locomotives. (The annual exhibit draws some 15,000 visitors, many of whom vie for seats on excursion trains between the museum and Leipzig. The museum also has 20 to 30 other steam excursions during the year.)

If you're visiting Saxony and you're interested in railroading, the Saxon Railroad Museum is a "must see" destination. It's easy to reach from downtown Chemnitz by train, car, or CVAG city bus. For more information, including hours of operation and directions, visit the museum's Web site at www.sem-chemnitz.de.

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