Cuckoo Railway, Heritage railway in Palatine Forest, Germany
The Cuckoo Railway is a narrow-gauge railway that runs for about 13 kilometers through the Palatine Forest, connecting the towns of Lambrecht and Elmstein. The line follows the Speyerbach valley and has several intermediate stations where passengers can board.
The railway opened in 1909 and initially served to transport timber from the forests. After passenger services ended in 1960 and freight operations ceased in 1976, it was reactivated as a heritage railway.
The railway's name comes from the cuckoo bird that lives in the region's forests and whose call was once a familiar sound to travelers on the line. Today, this name recalls the close connection between the railway and the natural surroundings it passes through.
The railway is easily accessible from Lambrecht or Elmstein station, with additional entry points at Erfenstein and Breitenstein stations. Visitors should note that trains travel through open areas and can get wet in bad weather.
When the railway started operations in January 1909, an accident occurred at Elmstein station because a turnout was set incorrectly, damaging the locomotive shed. This first mishap shows that problems can happen even with new technical projects.
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