The German Steam Locomotive Museum (Deutsches Dampflokomotiv-Museum) or DDM is located at the foot of the famous Schiefe Ebene ramp on the Ludwig South-North Railway in Neuenmarkt, Upper Franconia. This region is in northern Bavaria, Germany. The DDM was founded in 1977.
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The museum is in the former locomotive shed (Bahnbetriebswerk) at Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg station[1]. It comprises a 15-road roundhouse, a turntable, water cranes, a coaling facility and a Ruge coal crane in a newly built 'old fashioned' working coal yard.
The locomotive shed was built in 1895 by the Royal Bavarian State Railways and extended in 1923 by the Deutsche Reichsbahn. Amongst others, pusher locomotives e. g. DRG Class 95s (ex-Prussian T 20s) and Class 96s (ex-Bavarian Gt 2x4/4 Mallet locomotives) were stationed there. One example of a Class 95 may be seen in the museum.
Around 30 steam locomotives may be seen, including a Bavarian S 3/6 express engine, a Bavarian PtL 2/2 (a tiny tank engine known as the Glaskasten, literally: 'glass box', the only complete surviving member of its class), a Prussian P 8 passenger train engine and a Saxon XIV HT. Deutsche Reichsbahn locomotives represented include Class 01, 03, 44, 50, 64, and 86 engines and there are Deutsche Bundesbahn Class 10 and 23 locomotives, as well as industrial engines. In addition there is a museum-owned narrow-gauge line on the land which is worked by steam and diesel locomotives. An electric express train locomotive, the DB Class 103, may temporarily be seen in the DDM as a museum locomotive.
Except where stated, all locomotives depicted belong to the DDM.
Various steam locomotive parts are also displayed, such as the smokebox, wheelset and cylinder block from locomotive number 18 610 (S 3/6) as well as the sectioned boiler from a Prussian G 8. Other exhibits of railway history include a steam crane, a saloon coach from Adolf Hitler's special train that was used in 1955 by German chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, on his historic visit to Moscow, a snow plough, a dining car and a historical telegraph station.
In addition there is a large model railway layout (Theme: the Schiefe Ebene).
Also from engine number 18 610 is its tender which is coupled to 18 612.
The museum runs trips over the Schiefe Ebene during the summer from Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg to Marktschorgast and the Mönchshof Brewery at Kulmbach[3]. A Class 796 Uerdingen railbus is stabled at the museum for these services and steam locomotives are also employed.
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