Feldbahnmuseum Herrenleite

About the museum

The collection goes back to a working group of the Dresden "Freunde des Verkehrsmuseums" (Friends of the Transport Museum), who in the late 1970s salvaged a retired narrow-gauge electric locomotive from a brickworks. On a municipal sanitation department site in Dresden-Klotzsche, this grew into a collection of more than 30 locomotives by 1990; the first exhibition was held in 1983. When almost all narrow-gauge railway operations in East Germany were shut down after reunification, the Historische Feldbahn Dresden association, founded in 1991, was able to take over numerous typical vehicles.

As space in Klotzsche ran out, the association leased the site of the former mineral oil plant in the Herrenleite near Lohmen in 1998. Sandstone had been quarried in the valley since the 19th century; from 1944 a hidden fuel production facility was built here, operating until 1964, after which the East German army (NVA) used the area as a fuel depot. By 2001 the association had moved more than 1,000 tons of material and converted an NVA truck hall into the museum hall.

The Feldbahnmuseum Herrenleite opened at Pentecost 2003. In 2006 the association acquired ownership of the site, including a siding about 2.4 kilometers long, and relocated a historic engine shed here from a granite quarry in Demitz-Thumitz; since 2008 it has displayed electric overhead-wire locomotives. Since then, a newly built line into the upper quarry, a depot with a lecture room and an exhibition on the Dresden rubble railway have been added; a 1920s-style tipper wagon smithy is under construction.

The museum is run entirely by volunteers. The collection includes steam, diesel, battery and overhead-wire locomotives, tipper wagons and passenger cars as well as standard-gauge vehicles, and is continually expanded with vehicles from industrial and mining operations.

Highlights

• Rides on the visitor train on 600 mm track into the upper quarry
• Historic electric locomotive shed with overhead-wire locomotives
• Exhibition on the Dresden rubble railway
• Draisine rides on the standard-gauge siding on event days
• Major narrow-gauge railway shows at Pentecost and on October 3

Permanent exhibitions

• Museumshalle und Ellokschuppen – Cross-section of the vehicle collection in the 300 m² museum hall and in the relocated engine shed from Demitz-Thumitz, plus display panels on the history of narrow-gauge railways and the site.
• Dresdner Trümmerbahn – Small exhibition in the lecture room about the narrow-gauge railways used after 1945 to haul away the rubble of Dresden's destroyed city center.

Founded

2003

Operated by

Historische Feldbahn Dresden e. V.

Admission & discounts

Free admission: No admission is charged during regular Saturday openings (and on May 1); donations are requested.

Admission is charged on event days only; it includes unlimited rides on the visitor train, guided tours and talks. Locomotive cab rides and draisine rides cost extra. Cash only.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

No accessibility information; the grounds are marked by steep differences in elevation, and the tracks in front of the museum hall are set in paving.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Free admission for children up to 16; children under 12 only when accompanied by an adult. On event days, unlimited rides on the visitor train, crafts with sandstone and natural materials, and draisine rides.

Getting there & parking

By car via Pirna and the Kauflandkreuzung toward Stadt Wehlen; in the Mockethal district, follow the signs for approx. 3 km through the Herrenleitetal.

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop

Information and literature stand in the museum hall; on event days, snacks, Feldbahn coffee with cake, ice cream, and souvenirs. Visitor restrooms in the depot building.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit