Deutsches Gruben- und Feldbahnmuseum, museum in Witten, Germany
The Deutsches Gruben- und Feldbahnmuseum is a railway museum in Witten built on the grounds of a mine that closed in 1892, displaying over 90 locomotives and about 200 wagons. The collection includes diesel, electric, and compressed air engines, passenger cars, and freight wagons arranged on the historic track network across the site.
The museum was founded in 2002 after years of restoration work on the old machines to preserve vehicles from the mining era. The site itself comes from the historic Zeche Theresia colliery, which had developed in the mining region of the Ruhr Valley.
The name Muttenthalbahn comes from an old railway line that once moved coal and goods through the hills and fields near Witten. Visitors can see the different old railway cars and locomotives that carried workers, materials, or minerals, preserving a piece of local identity and working heritage.
The best way to visit is by taking a train ride from the parking area near Nachtigallstrasse, which runs directly to Zeche Theresia and the nearby Zeche Nachtigall museum. Train service operates on certain open days and offers an easy way to explore both museums and the surrounding landscape.
A landslide in 2021 heavily damaged the museum buildings and tracks, but volunteers and local companies helped repair the damage, and the museum reopened in April 2022. The site is now being expanded with plans to build new structures for additional trains and exhibits on the grounds of a former foundry.
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