Have any readers visited Germany's steam-powered Vennbahn? This line is located just south of the Aachen area, near the and Belgian border. They list Stolberg as the northern terminal. I used to visit the Stolberg roundhouse regularly and would like to know if it still exists.

http://www.vennbahn.de/
ryarger@rypn.org

Bob,

I am not personally familiar with the area, so I can't give you my own assessment of what is going on, but I hope the following helps you understand some more where things stand. And I hope I am not carrying owls to Athens because you're literate in German and have read all this yourself.

The web site to which your link is pointing has last been updated on May 19, and the railroad is still in existence, although not running right now. It has operated through last year when they've had some 8000 passengers.

The home page reads as follows:

The Tourist Museum Railroad in the High Venn Mountains

Notice!!!

Based on a decision of Deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft [lit.: German-Speaking Association - HJT] (Government of Eastern Belgium), operation is currently not possible! As soon as it will be resumed, you will learn about it here!

Link is to pages on "Shooting of the American Movie "Renecanse" on 21 Feb. 2002."

To understand this notice, you need to know that the right of way apparently belongs to Belgium even where the line runs on the German side of the border. That's why the government of Eastern Belgium has a say here.

On the press page ("Presseberichte"), there's a collection of various local and regional reports, largely drawn from local newspapers, foremost the Grenz-Echo ("Border Echo"). A report from mid April identifies severely deteriorated track as the reason for the government-forced shutdown of operations. The government appears interested in restoring operations, but with the Vennbahn company in apparently financial dire straits, it won't come about quickly. A court has appointed an attorney to assist the Vennbahn company; I don't understand the legal situation sufficiently, so this may or may not mean receivership. Point by point fixes have been ruled out, and a broad-based overhaul of the track, particularly rails and ties, is in order. The secretary for transportation said, it will take a few months and careful planning and execution to get the job done. The local tourism industry is quite badly hurt as the railroad has played an important role in the touristic plans of the towns along the line, and this is recognized by the government.

Cheers, Jochen

jochen@metronet.com

Thanks for your translation. My German is not good enough to do so.

> Bob,

> I am not personally familiar with the area,
> so I can't give you my own assessment of
> what is going on, but I hope the following
> helps you understand some more where things
> stand. And I hope I am not carrying owls to
> Athens because you're literate in German and
> have read all this yourself.

> The web site to which your link is pointing
> has last been updated on May 19, and the
> railroad is still in existence, although not
> running right now. It has operated through
> last year when they've had some 8000
> passengers.

> The home page reads as follows:

> The Tourist Museum Railroad in the High Venn
> Mountains

> Notice!!!

> Based on a decision of Deutschsprachige
> Gemeinschaft [lit.: German-Speaking
> Association - HJT] (Government of Eastern
> Belgium), operation is currently not
> possible! As soon as it will be resumed, you
> will learn about it here!

> Link is to pages on "Shooting of the
> American Movie "Renecanse" on 21
> Feb. 2002."

> To understand this notice, you need to know
> that the right of way apparently belongs to
> Belgium even where the line runs on the
> German side of the border. That's why the
> government of Eastern Belgium has a say
> here.

> On the press page
> ("Presseberichte"), there's a
> collection of various local and regional
> reports, largely drawn from local
> newspapers, foremost the Grenz-Echo
> ("Border Echo"). A report from mid
> April identifies severely deteriorated track
> as the reason for the government-forced
> shutdown of operations. The government
> appears interested in restoring operations,
> but with the Vennbahn company in apparently
> financial dire straits, it won't come about
> quickly. A court has appointed an attorney
> to assist the Vennbahn company; I don't
> understand the legal situation sufficiently,
> so this may or may not mean receivership.
> Point by point fixes have been ruled out,
> and a broad-based overhaul of the track,
> particularly rails and ties, is in order.
> The secretary for transportation said, it
> will take a few months and careful planning
> and execution to get the job done. The local
> tourism industry is quite badly hurt as the
> railroad has played an important role in the
> touristic plans of the towns along the line,
> and this is recognized by the government.

> Cheers, Jochen


ryarger@rypn.org