On tour

I had the pleasure of being out exploring narrow gauge railways this weekend. With friends from the Danish Industrial Railway Society (IBK) I visited the 600 mm. gauge railway from Lüttmoorsiel to the tiny island of Nordstrandischmoor in northern Germany. 3 km. of narrow gauge railway straight out to sea on a narrow stone dam. The inhabitants’ only means of land transport is the railway and they have a range of colourful speeders at their disposal. The German costal authorities also use the line when carrying out costal protection works. For this purpose they have four locos and an assortment of skips and flat wagons.

Boarding the small train

Two speeders and a wagon parked in front of the small hotel on Nordstrandischmoor. A splendid way to arrive!

The small speeders are dwarfed by the vastness of the sea.

More photos from the railway on my Flickr site.

I’m sure I will have a hard time resisting building a covered speeder like one of those I saw on this charming little railway acting as the island’s lifeline to the mainland.

Less than 30 km. to the north at Dagebüll is an even longer 900 mm. gauge line serving two islands in a similar way. The speeders on that line is a testemony to the creativity of the islanders.