STEAM ON GERMANY’S LARGEST ISLAND

Compared to some of East Germany’s narrow gauge lines, the one on Ruegen is relatively inaccessible from the UK.

There are, however, good rail and road links to the island from places such as Berlin. A road bridge and road/rail bridges and causeway connect Ruegen with the mainland city of Stralsund.

As a holiday destination, this island

– at over 350 square miles – has a selection of accommodation within reasonable distance of the railway, especially in the coastal towns served by its eastern section. Putbus, for many years the line’s western terminus, is home to the major shed, as well as a direct interchange with standard gauge services. The town itself has more than 200 years of history and was laid out in neoclassical style.

Today’s line is the last survivor of a network that was once spread much more widely across the island, but which closed in stages up to 1970. The railway’s website is www.ruegensche-baederbahn.de and its telephone number is +49 (0) 38301 884012.

Also of interest is the Eisenbahn & Technik Museum Ruegen at Prora, which has a number of locomotives including Soviet ‘P36’ 4-8-4 No. 0123, re-streamlined ‘03’ 4-6-2 No. 03.193 (displayed as No. 03.002), and 2-10-0 No. 44.2397. See www.etm-ruegen.de

For anyone seeking a British connection, an ‘Oberon’ class submarine – HMS Otus – is a visitor attraction at Sassnitz (www.hms-otus.com).