Harz narrow guage.

When I was going to Europe frequently on business, the steam powered Harz narrow gauge system was a favorite destination if I had a weekend to kill away from home. The Harz narrow gauge had been an integral part of the East German Reichsbahn system before reunification, but when the DR was integrated into the more modern West German DB, the narrow gauge lines were spun off as a regional system (HSB), mostly for tourists but with some local services. While steam continues to power most of the tourist trains to the top of Brocken, the highest mountain in northern Germany, the majority of local services are now diesel railcars. However most lines seem to have at least one steam roundrip per day, although that may depend on the season. The Harz region is pleasant with many small towns with typical old half-timbered buildings, and Wernigerode, the headquarters of the HSB, has evolved into a rather upscale tourist center, with nice hotels and good restaurants. More HSB images can be found HERE.