German logistics and railroads

Yes, rail beds were a problem for the Germans...Only the main lines used a stone/gravel/rock bed, while the other lines used a sand bed or no bed at all - just tracks & rails laid on the ground.

Bridges were another problem, in that they were not well constructed and could not take the heavy loads the Germans intended to haul on them. Not that it mattered, near about all railway bridges were blown up as the Soviets retreated.


A good overview of railways in the East can be found at Feldgrau: Deutsche Reichsbahn - The German State Railway

And one of the best AHF threads on the matter: https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=66&t=203286

 

Great thread! Long as hell though...

 

Check out the infamous BoB thread if you think that one is long ....

 

where do I look for primary souses in order to research German Rail roads?

 

Get a copy of "The Most Valuable Asset of the Reich: A History of the German National Railway Volume 2, 1933-1945" and look its source material citations. That and search the bundesarchiv.

 

I think the axis history thread also sites some sources a portion of them may be primaries.