The Railway Enthusiasts' Trail
Even though Gelsenkirchen doesn't have a large showpiece station, it's still becoming ever more of a draw for railway buffs. Why?
Well, which of us doesn't dream of building a big model railway in the spare room?
The Deutschland Express, one of the largest Märklin railways in the world!
Model railway fans can come and marvel at some 200 Märklin trains and up to 300 wagons and coaches at the Deutschland Express, on the north side of the Nordsternpark. On the ground floor, experience a journey taking in countless bridges and stations, passing through scenery recreating the fairytale landscape and villages of the Swiss Alps, past the winding towers of the Ruhr and on to the North Sea coast. Plus upstairs there's a giant model railway (1:32 scale) for the kids to play with.
Also on offer: kids' corner for the little ones, a look behind the scenes, and film showings on rotation in the cinema.
Deutschland Express model railway
Am Bugapark 1 C
45899 Gelsenkirchen-Horst
Tel.: +49 209/508 36 60
Fax: +49 209/508 36 61
www.der-deutschlandexpress.de
Opening hours:
Monday: closed
Tuesday and Wednesday: groups by appointment
Thursday: 10 am till 7.30 pm
Friday to Sunday: 10 am till 6 pm
Open bank holidays and every day during school holidays
Closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve
Entrance prices:
Adults: 5 €
Children (6-14 years): 4 €
Family ticket: 13 €
Groups of 10 or more visitors receive a reduction of 0.80 € per person
Travel by bus:
Lines CE 56 and 383
Alight at Nordsternpark bus stop
The Gelsenkirchen-Bismarck railway depot
The railway depot and its round, brick-built engine sheds were put up between 1924 and 1926. It is the largest remaining steam railway depot complete with engine sheds and turntable in the whole of the Ruhr. The depot made a name for itself as a storage yard for coal-fired 44-series locomotives, which were used until the end of the steam age for transporting coal by rail from our "town of a thousand fires". When the steam trains were eventually replaced by large diesel engines, the Gelsenkirchen-Bismarck depot remained in use as a terminus.
The depot, where the steam loco 41360 was restored, has featured in many railway films and is now home to several other series of engines. The buildings have been preserved almost unchanged, apart from the coal refuelling station and water tower, which were dismantled in 1978. Thanks to the intervention of several railway enthusiasts, a preservation order was put in place to save everything from being demolished at the hands of the national railway, and the resident development committee acted to prevent dereliction setting in, so that engines typical for this mining region can be seen here today. Besides electric, diesel and fireless steam locomotives and a number of carriages, the depot is also home to a Krupp-Ardelt rail crane. The development of diesel engines between the 30s and 50s is illustrated by the small diesel locos on show here, the oldest of which was built by Krupp in 1935. Like the other locos used in factories around the region, it remains in working order.
Fireless locomotives were put to use where there was a risk of fire or explosion and operating ordinary steam engines would have proved dangerous. The golden age of rail in the Ruhr valley is still in the air here, where visitors are presented with the working world of the former railway. The short distance to the Rhine-Herne canal and the harbour at Grimberg illustrates how a good transport infrastructure was essential for the industrial development of the Ruhr in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Come and learn more by reliving the golden age of the railway. Viewing is always available by arrangement. The site, buildings and engines can be viewed most Saturdays.
Please contact:
The Friends of the Bismarck Railway Depot Development Committee, Gelsenkirchen
c/o Paul Lindemann
Wanner Strasse 34
45888 Gelsenkirchen
Tel.: +49 209/211 21
Location: Gelsenkirchen-Bismarck Railway Depot, between Grimbergstrasse and the A42 motorway
Travel by tram:
Line 301
Alight at the Ruhr Zoo stop (approx. 10-15 minutes away on foot)
The Panorama Experience cycle and hiking trail - the ore railway
An uninterrupted nine-kilometre path for cyclists and walkers is being built from the Rhine-Herne canal at Grimberg harbour to the west end of Bochum city centre, as part of a project to convert the railway line once used for transporting mineral ore. At up to 15m above ground level it's quite literally an outstanding way to catch a glimpse of the area's impressive urban and industrial landscape. Many of the 15 bridges which it will be possible to cross once the project is completed bear witness to the region's industrial and architectural history. A small number, however, are having to be renovated or completely rebuilt. The longest pillar bridge is 265m long.
The ore railway served the smelting works, such as the "Schalker Verein" or Schalke Union, with ore unloaded at Grimberg docks. It was built rather late for an industrial railway, starting in 1912. Since by this stage a good number of lines already existed, this one had to be laid higher up, to ensure a quick, reliable, trouble-free supply of ore to the smelters.
In the opposite direction, pits were able to send their coal, and coking plants their coke, to the port in the north. Some other plants were not connected to the railway until years later (the Alma colliery and coking plant in 1918-19, and the Bochum Union smelter not until 1929).
As mining shifted to the north and blast furnaces began to be decommissioned as a consequence, the southern section of the railway was shut down at the end of the 60s, the remainder being finally closed at the beginning of the 90s, when Consolidation Colliery in the Gelsenkirchen district of Bismarck was mothballed.
Explanatory notices along the route outline the context of various points of interest. By following regional route R27, which constantly intersects the ore railway, cyclists and hikers can trace its route at ground level through regional green space D even before the completion of the conversion project.
Points of interest along the way:
Grimberg docks
The loading cranes at the docks are not to be missed. The name of Grimberg can be traced back to the 14th-century castle of the same name. This seat of power used to lie around 100m to the east of the docks. A small wooded area rich in ecological diversity has developed where the castle park once lay, in contrast to the commercial and industrial operations which dominate the harbour.
The Alma site
The site once occupied by the mine and coking plant is now home to an ecologically valuable industrial wasteland. Over 250 kinds of flora and 50 bird species have been observed here.
Blumenkamp
South of the bridge over Günnigfelder Strasse, wetlands have appeared as a result of the mineshafts that were dug here. Part of the area is covered by a nature protection order because of its notable amphibian wildlife.
The Dahlhauser Heath residential area
This housing estate, built between 1906 and 1915 for the workers of the neighbouring Hannover Colliery, provides a prime example of a garden village.
Bochum city centre west
Where the Krupp steel works once stood, a multi-purpose area for recreation, services and housing has been developed in a parkland setting. At its heart stands the Century Hall (Jahrhunderthalle), once a machine room, but today a venue which impresses visitors with its sheer size and steel design.
How to get there
No single bus route calls at all the stops along the way, and we therefore strongly recommend following the route on foot or by bike: it's the only way to experience everything on offer. At present, cyclists should use the R27 regional cycle route, which intersects the ore railway, until the project to convert the latter into a cycle and hiking path has been completed.
Information
Ore railway leaflet
Kommunalverband Ruhrgebiet
Kronprinzenstrasse 35
45128 Essen
Tel.: +49 201/20 69 0
The Bochum-Gelsenkirchen bogie tram (Bogestra)
Enjoy beer, food, music and lots of fun in a brightly-coloured tram with up to 40 like-minded people while trundling along the Gelsenkirchen, Bochum, Herne and Witten tram network.
Give the Bogestra a call!
Tel.: +49 234/303 24 57
Historic carriages are available for hire by calling +49 234/303 23 84.
Responsible for the contents: Stadtmarketing Gesellschaft Gelsenkirchen mbH