Weilberg Railway - Tour along the tracks

Tour along the "Weilberg" Railway

We start our excursion at the car park below Auf dem Scheid station. Visitors are greeted here by one of the information boards that convey the geological features of the Weilberg. The facility for reloading from the railway to truck is also located here. On weekdays, tipper wagons are loaded with the material from the unstable slag heap, which is now gradually disappearing. At weekends, there are unloading presentations here for visitors.

The board provides information on geology, the timetable of the "Weilberg" Railway and an overview of the hiking trails.

This is also where the tipper wagons are unloaded and the slag is transported onwards by truck.

"Auf dem Scheid" station

Just above the car park is the Auf dem Scheid operating centre, named after the former station, where the connection to the Weilberg branched off from the narrow gauge railway down the rhine valley. The main track 1 with platform edge is primarily used for passenger traffic. The length here allows for two passenger trains (track 1a and 1b). The passing track is used for unloading the tipper wagons (2a), but can also be used by passenger trains. Since the locomotives always stay on the downhill side, a lot of traffic is possible on this manageable track layout.

Busy times at "Auf dem Scheid" station - trains to "Weilberg" and "Stenzelberg" can be dispatched at the same time.

At the depot

To the right of Auf dem Scheid station, there is the small depot. Steam engines can be supplied there with kindling wood, coal and water from the hydrant. A barrel with a hand pump is sufficient for the diesel engines. The shed has room for two locomotives, on which minor maintenance work can also be carried out.

The locomotive shed with the reasonable equipped workshop.

The locomotives are supplied at the small depot. Even before the appearance of any steam engine in the collection, coal and water were already thought of here.

The machine equipment allows for small maintenance jobs.

Direction "Stenzelberg"

To the right, the track crosses a small stream on a stone bridge, meets a hiking trail and then reaches the tunnel to the Stenzelberg. This tunnel section is used as Stenzelberg staging yard.

After the junction with the hiking trail, the track soon disappears into the tunnel.

Returning trains must stop at the signal and obtain clearance to enter by phone.

Direction "Weilberg"

To the left, the tracks leave Auf dem Scheid station in the direction to Weilberg and first do run in a cutting. The track is crossed from the siding to the lower quarry on a simple steel girder bridge and then disappears in the tunnel.

A simple steel girder bridge supports the siding to the lower quarry.

A simple bridge crosses the hiking trail and the stream.

Along the reservoir

The uphill trains then emerge out of the middle tunnel portal and cross the hiking trail and stream on a simple bridge construction just in front of the small reservoir, before reaching Kirchweg station.

"Kirchweg" station

The simple Kirchweg station - named after a path of the same name from the village Heisterbacherrott to the church down the valley - only has basic facilities. The siding to the lower quarry also branches off there and ends at the layout edge, behind which it probably once continued.

An unpaved platform, bench and telephone will have to suffice here.

A small crane at the site of the former basalt column loading.

Once again across the stream

On leaving Kirchweg station, the track is crossed by the footpath to the lower quarry and then runs for a short distance in dense forest. Shortly before entering the Weilberg terminus, the stream is crossed again.

In the forest, the stream is crossed again on a small culvert.

"Weilberg" terminus

Now we enter the double-track Weilberg terminus. The central platform is of use to both tracks; tipper wagons head for the basalt loading silo on track 1.

Passengers will find a shelter here, which also offers a view of the lake below in the old quarry. The visitor tour of the Geopark begins here, and visitors will walk through the former quarry outside the layout to Kirchweg station, from where they return to Auf dem Scheid station.

At "Weilberg" terminus, the visitor tour begins and leaves the platform to the left in the picture. The gentleman with the red jacket probably wants to note times for the return trip.

Rest and refreshment at the reservoir

The small reservoir in the centre of the layout collects rainwater from the upper Weilberg in an old quarry area. Aside visitors can have a snack and catch their breath at the kiosk.

The reservoir in the centre of the layout.

The reservoir allows the collected rainwater from the upper Weilberg to flow downhill in a controlled manner.

After the tour, you can refresh yourself at the kiosk, where wine from Oberdollendorf will certainly be on tap.

Last update: 28.02.2023. This website presents the model railroad "Weilbergbahn" by Wulf Pompetzki, Duisburg, Germany. Please send enquiries and suggestions to: Spambots protected! Please activate JavaScript to see the mail address!