For 70 years, the Geilenkirchen District Railway, which was originally 38 km long, served to connect the predominantly rural areas in Germany’s westernmost region, the Selfkant, and its neighboring regions.

The end of this narrow-gauge railway seemed inevitable in 1971 when competition from road transport became overwhelming, but two years earlier, passionate railway enthusiasts had founded the "Interessengemeinschaft Historischer Schienenverkehr e.V." (IHS). They began rescuing historically valuable rail vehicles from scrapping all over Germany, often at the last minute, and collecting them on the tracks of this railway, which was now embarking on a new lease of life.

The last remaining section of the line, 5.5 km long, was leased and, since 1972, has been operated as a museum railway under its own management company, established the previous year, but under strict official supervision. Even earlier, on August 14, 1971, the inaugural train of the Selfkantbahn set off from Geilenkirchen.

Since then, on every Sunday and public holiday from Easter to the end of September, the steam trains of the Selfkantbahn delight passengers, especially children who often experience the train for the first time.

For more details, visit: Historische Selfkantbahn.