The Altenhundem train station
The village of Altenhundem (today a part of Lennestadt) grew up with the railroad, railroad and region formed a unit here for decades. From 1861 onwards, through traffic was possible between the industrial areas on the Ruhr and Sieg rivers. A locomotive station was already built when the line was constructed in 1861. This became eminently important with the increase in traffic on the Ruhr-Sieg line, not least because of the southern ramp in the direction of Welschen Ennest. The first major changes took place at the turn of the century, when a water tower was built (1895) and the locomotive shed was extended (1898 and 1904). For the next decades, the local railroad line was an important freight rolling road (mainly coal from the Ruhrgebiet).
In 1921 the new semi-circular shed was built. Prussian G 12s (58.10) were often found in freight service. After the series deliveries of the heavy 44s started (from 1937), this machine actually became the synonym for the Altenhundem depot in the following years. It was one of the most important railroad depots of the Wuppertal-based directorate and was also the largest employer far and wide. This period ended only with the electrification of the line in 1965.
A railroad junction was created by the two branch lines that led through the upper Lenne valley to Fredeburg (1886, from 1911 continuous to Wennemen in the Ruhrtal) and to Birkelbach in the Wittgensteiner Land to the Rothaarbahn (1914). This railroad glory also largely ended in the 1960s.
Picture 1: The depot in 1951 (Photo: Carl Bellingrodt, collection Klaus Meschede)
Photo2: The extensive track system of Altenhundem station at the end of the 1950s (Photo: Klaus Meschede Collection)
Figure 3: The station forecourt in the 1930s (Photo: Lennestadt Municipal Archives)
