HSB Shops

I'm currently going through my long back catalog looking for pictures to post, just for fun, and it's often frustrating - lots of things that could have been great but are slightly out of focus (my camera's auto-focus is broken), lots of stuff I thought I shot that I didn't and so on. But in between are pictures I never ever looked at that turned out kind of cool actually. Such as this one. I did consider adjusting it some, but I actually really like how the details disappear in the darkness with only some things lit. And it's not like I haven't posted enough pictures of this type of locomotive in great light.

The context: If you ever find yourself in Wernigerode on a friday around noon, you can actually take a guided tour through the main workshop of HSB, Germany's biggest narrow-gauge railroad and, according to them, the world's biggest operator of steam locomotives (which sounds all wrong to me, but I honestly don't know anyone else who could even compete). It's pretty cool, and you can see lots of interesting sights. In their shed at Wernigerode Westerntor, they do routine maintenance and minor overhauls of their steam locomotives. For full overhauls, the machines are loaded on a truck (used to be a train car) and brought currently to Meiningen, though MaLoWa in Mansfeld has also seen some business. Currently HSB is planning a new workshop on the outskirts of Wernigerode for full overhaul of both their own locomotives and any other steamers, including normal gauge. This will also have great access for tourists and enthusiasts. I don't think it will have quite the same atmosphere as this century-old building.