Germany (December 2005)

Hilbersdorf: The first railway-line reached Chemnitz in 1958 from Zwickau. In the following years new lines to Annaberg, Aue, Dresden, Leipzig and Reitzenhain were built and Chemnitz became an important cross in the Saxonian railway network. At the end of the 19th century a new large shunting yard was established in Hilbersdorf, a village in the East of Chemnitz. Part of the shunting yard was a new locomotive-depot too. It was home for all freight engines in Chemnitz, first of all classes 44, 50, 58, 86 and 94. The substitution of steam by diesel started in 1967 with class 120, but steam kept its importance until the late 70s. Regular steam services ended in 1977, but the oil-crisis at the beginning of the 80s brought steam back to service.

Starting in 1982 again with 7 steamers in daily use, the number of engines sunk rapidly down to 2 engines in 1986. These 2 engines run on the lines around Aue, a small city in the Ore Mountains Southwest of Chemnitz. A last topic was the service of 50.3145-5 - the last pre-war engine of class 50 - in autumn 1987. Less weeks later 50.3554 hauled the last regular steam on the last day of 1987.

50.3646-2 shunting at Zwoenitz.		50.3628-0 near Hartenstein with freight train 54309.
50.3600-9 at the coaling point in the depot of Aue.		50.3694-2 with a container train to Buchholz at Aue.
50.3600-9 leaving Schwarzenberg with freight 61971 to Buchholz.		50.3646-2 is passing 86.1056-0 at Schlettau on the way back to Aue.
In the golden autumn of 1987 50.3145-5 on the way to Aue.		The famous bridge of Markersbach with 50.3145-5.

50.3145-5 with passenger train 18612 from Chemnitz to Aue having a short stop-over at Loessnitz upper station (October 1987).