More on ‘Das Train’

Your article on the Harz Narrow-Gauge Railways (“Das Train,” Oct. 22) brought back fond memories. I grew up in Nordhausen and my parents took me almost every weekend into the Harz Mountains via this little train.

We would get off the train in either Netzkater or Eisfelder Talmuhle and hike one of the mountain trails. Usually we ended at an inn deep in the woods, where we purchased fresh cream or milk for the wild strawberries or blueberries that we had picked alongside the trails.

In winter, we would take the train to the higher parts of the Harz Mountains, where we could go skiing, skating, sledding or sleigh riding. Sundays and holidays were the busiest days of the “Bimmelbahn,” as we used to call it. Extra coaches were added to regular trains and, when necessary, extra trains were added to the schedule. Sunday night was the greatest scramble, because everybody tried to get home in time.

K.J. HERMANN

Los Angeles