Open-Air Railway Museum

Chemnitz and the railway simply belong together. Saxony’s first locomotives were being built here from 1848 – even before the Saxon industrial metropolis was connected to the railway network in 1852. Richard Hartmann’s celebrated »Sächsische Maschinen­fabrik« was the only factory to produce locomotives – they ran on many tracks all over the world. The SCHAUPLATZ EISENBAHN museum is located on the unique and historic railway site of the former marshalling yard, alongside the railway depot roundhouses. The museum harbours more than 30 historic locomotives as well as unique technical equipment such as the world’s only cable winding system, which made it possible to rebuild freight trains without using locomotives. With 260,000 square metres of floor space, the museum gives visitors the chance to expe­rience railways up-close. Highlights include a demonstration of the unique shunting technology, rides on the approx. 1,000-metre-long light railway circuit and several model railway layouts. The Schau­platz Express runs between the museum’s two main buildings.