2026 – 60 Years of the Museum-Railway!
Sixty years ago, the vision of a group of enthusiastic railway friends became a reality: on 2 July 1966, a train comprising the association’s own rolling stock ran for the first time in Germany on an existing railway line, with the aim of establishing it as a permanent institution. That was the first train of the Bruchhausen-Vilsen - Asendorf Museum-Railway!
The Deutscher Eisenbahn-Verein e.V. (DEV) is celebrating this anniversary with a week of festivities from Friday 24 July to Sunday 2 August 2026. The flyer opposite shows the current planning status of the festival week. The programme is subject to change; please check our website for the latest updates.
"Flyer 60th Anniversary Celebration Week (in german language)" (Acrobat-Reader File, 1,1 MB) from 24 July to 2 August 2026.- "Leaflet 2026 with full informations (in german language)" (Acrobat-Reader File, 9,2 MB), 2026 Annual Programme: everything you need to know about the museum-railway in one booklet.
Festival week from 24 July to 2 August 2026
- 24 July: Opening ceremony - followed by a laser show in the evening at the new locomotive shed in Bruchhausen-Vilsen.
- 25-26 July: Increased service between Bruchhausen-Vilsen and Asendorf - approximately hourly. (Almost) all operational DEV vehicles and guest vehicles will be in service.
- 27 July: "Rail meets Road" - photo day featuring rail and road vehicles.
- 28 July: Photography day featuring diesel vehicles - and the accompanying period-correct trains.
- 29 July: Transfer services between standard and narrow gauge rail - with V 36 005 and Locomotive 3 (Plettenberg).
- 29 July: Evening concert with Axel Zwingenberger - Boogie-Woogie.
- 30 July: Historic freight transport - on the VGH standard-gauge line with a freight train for photography.
- 31 July: Locomotive parade - at Bruchhausen-Vilsen station.
- 1-2 August: Increased service between Bruchhausen-Vilsen and Asendorf - approximately hourly. (Almost) all operational DEV vehicles and guest vehicles will be in service.
- 1-2 August: Mini Railway - will operate at Bruchhausen-Vilsen (gauge 5‘ and 7 1/4’) on an extended route.
At this year’s anniversary celebrations, the museum-railway will be running the steam locomotives HOYA, No. 3 "PLETTENBERG" and SPREEWALD. All three have been an integral part of the museum for decades and will be supported by four diesel locomotives and the association’s three operational railcars.
The Guest vehicles scheduled include the box-type steam locomotive "Rur" from Kleinbaan-Service, formerly in service at the Düren Steam Tramway, the railcar 187 001-3 from the Harz Narrow-Gauge Railways, formerly the Gernrode-Harzgerode Railway T 1, and the steam locomotive G 3/3 6 from the Blonay-Chamby Museum Railway, formerly Bière Apples Morges (BAM 6).
On the VGH standard-gauge line, in addition to the DEV railcars, a Class 86 steam locomotive from the PRESS association will also be in service. At weekends, these vehicles will provide additional shuttle services on the route between Eystrup and Syke.
At Heiligenberg station, the Kölln-Reisiek Railway Enthusiasts’ Association will be presenting a large Gauge 0 layout.
The following programme is scheduled for the weekends:
- Station festival in Bruchhausen-Vilsen and a historic fair at Asendorf station;
- the prototype of the LGB Museum Car 2026 is DEV covered goods wagon 129, it will be in service bearing the appropriate lettering;
- large LGB model railway layout at Bruchhausen-Vilsen station.