Germany

Elsterwerda: In 1874 the railway line from Kohlfurt reached Elsterwerda. With the new lines form Berlin, Dresden and Riesa the city became a node in Prussian network and border-station to Saxony. Because of this Elsterwerda got a large depot with a round-shed, home of the Prussian classes P8 and G8². After WW 2 the depot came under administration of the new-founded railway-district Cottbus and became home of the wartime engines class 52 for many years.

The end came with the electrification of the line Dresden - Berlin between 1979 and 1982, when many steam-services were replaced by diesel. In spring of 1983 steam has run out officially, but some engines were further in use for heating purposes. With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the following decrease of freight traffic Elsterwerda lost it's meaning and the depot was closed down. Hardly destroyed by a big railway crash in 1997 (derailment of a tank-car train) the area was completely pulled down in the following years. Today nothing reminds on the former depot.

52.8009-4 in the depot.		52.8015-1 with a passenger-train to Biehla.
52.8111-8 in the depot.		52.8149-8 was based in Elsterwerda for 30 years (1956-1986)!
52.8134-0 is heating in the depot.		Foreign guest from Luckau: 65.1008-5 at the turntable.
Last farewell to the steam: Parade on 09.06.1990 at the turntable.		52.8015-1 with to class 44 engines near Groeditz.