schermbeck
Germany
Gauge : 600mm
Status : Ceased sometime before 2004?
(Click on images for full size picture)
Looking at the back of the brickworks, the track divides up as it enters
the works through a set of gates. The right hand track leads to the main tipping shed.
Just visible to the right of this is another turnout, leading to the loco shed which is indicated by the set of closed doors on the right.
For the first 0.5km, after leaving the brickworks, the line runs alongside the road,
and as seen here, crosses the access road to a lay-by on the main road. The brickworks
can just be seen in the centre of the photo, between the trees.
The line has a very difficult route out to the claypits. After running next to the lay-by,
it travels over a large combined road/rail bridge, over a canal, and then a river. After this, it crosses underneath another main road as seen here, before entering a wood, and negotiating an ungated road crossing to access the pit.
The tracks emerge into a clearing, and on the far side a large bucket and chain excavator
is used to load the Diema hydraulic wagons. Until recently the pit was worked on both sides
and in 1996, when these photos were taken, overgrown tracks just infront of the camera were still in situ, and a second excavator was nearly hidden in the undergrowth nearby.
The wagons are pushed out to the pit, as there are no run round facilities. The wagons remain permanently coupled to the loco which takes approx 1 hour for a round trip.
One of the two large river bridges. The road traffic runs on the otherside of the train.
Returning to the works, running alongside the main road. Diema No.2947 in charge.
In 1996, there were 4 locos here, 2 Diemas, a Schöma which was dismantled and unlikely to see service again, and an elderly Jung loco.
In September 1997, the larger Diema (No.2361) was in action. This is a DSL90 loco of 82hp.