Hespertal Railway

Take a ride on the historical coaches of the Hespertalbahn (Herspertal railway) and enjoy the trip along the Baldeney lake. The museum railway takes you from Essen-Kupferdreh to Haus Scheppen, a former vassal estate of the abbey of Werden.

Travelling through the today's recreational landscape visitors can hardly imagine the collieries once employing hundreds of people nor the cement plant coating the trees with grey powder or the smelting works producing steel. Only the Hespertalbahn bears witness of the region's industrial history. Built in 1877 as a standard gauge steam railway its main objective was to transport ores, limestone, coal and overburden. A passenger service for miners was established in 1927.

When the colliery Pörtingssiepen was shut down in 1973 a railway was no longer required. Two years later railway enthusiasts established an association to preserve the outstanding industrial monument. Ever since the Hespertalbahn e.V. operates the railway with historic steam and diesel locomotives.