Buckower Kleinbahn, Heritage railway in Buckow, Germany
Buckower Kleinbahn is a 4.9 km single-track railway from Müncheberg (Mark) Kleinbahnhof to Buckow (Märkische Schweiz), with one intermediate stop at Waldsieversdorf. It is standard gauge, electrified at 800 volts direct current, and has no passing loops, only run-round facilities at the two termini. A maintenance hall stands in Buckow.
The Buckower Kleinbahn opened on 26 July 1897 as a 750 mm narrow-gauge steam line from Müncheberg to Buckow, built by the firm Phillip Balke and financed by the town, district, province, state and private investors. In June 1906 Waldsieversdorf received the line's only intermediate stop. After excursion traffic reached nearly 180,000 passengers in 1925, the line was rebuilt to standard gauge and electrified at 800 volts direct current, with electric operation beginning on 15 May 1930.
The line is run by the Förderverein Buckower Kleinbahn, founded in 1999 to raise funds for reopening; services resumed in 2002 as a museum railway. Since 23 May 1993 the electric vehicles have been replaced by diesel traction. The front of one railcar carries a white sign reading "85 Jahre" with the name Buckower Kleinbahn.
The line is single-track with no passing loops, so trains reverse at the two terminal stations, Müncheberg Kleinbahnhof and Buckow, where the maintenance hall stands. Waldsieversdorf, the only intermediate stop, is served on request only. The whole run covers 4.9 km.
The railway operates on its own electrical system that is completely independent from Germany's national power grid, with its own conversion station. This isolation makes it a rare example of a self-sufficient railway power system in Europe.
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