One of the highlights of the Dresden Festival is parallel running on the Tharandt Ramp. This 12 km long incline with a ruling gradient of 1 in 40 was a real challenge in steam days and trains required a banker. The Festival echoes this with a steam special (on this occasion headed by 44.1486 and banked by 52.8131) which meets up with a freight train - headed by 50.3648. As they climb for 230m, the two trains ebb and flow, providing a great spectacle to line-siders and passengers alike.
