Key takeaways
- A private siding is not part of the rail network, but a private track system with its own rulebook behind the handover point.
- Service providers such as AnschlussBahnProfis build nothing – they take on operation, maintenance and qualification for others.
- Old vehicles survive on factory tracks: shunting locomotives sometimes run there decades longer than on the main line.
- The handover point is the crucial boundary – ahead of it a railway undertaking works, behind it the private siding operation.
- Almost the only thing visible to you is the handover run, because the rest happens on inaccessible ground.
Contents
- 1.Fact file
- 2.Business areas
- 3.History at a glance
- 4.How to recognise the company
- 5.Strengths and weaknesses
- 6.What’s different behind the handover point
- 7.Why businesses hand off railway operations
- 8.The vehicle world of factory tracks
- 9.Where you actually get to see private-siding traffic
- 10.Is this a private siding or already part of the rail network?
- 11.Conclusion
- 12.Frequently asked questions
Fact file
| Role in the system | Service provider for private sidings – operation, technology and organisation of private track systems |
|---|---|
| Country of registration | Germany |
| Field of work | Factory and port tracks behind the handover point to the public network |
| Typical customers | Industrial plants, ports, transhipment facilities and logistics sites |
| Own vehicle manufacturing | none – customers' vehicle fleets consist of used and hired locomotives |
| Relationship to the railway undertaking | complementary: the line operator's responsibility ends at the private siding |
| State of sources | thin – there is no reliable public information on size or locations |
| Official website | www.anschlussbahnprofis.com |
Business areas
History at a glance
How to recognise AnschlussBahnProfis
Does the train really belong to AnschlussBahnProfis?
- Yellow barriers and handover tracks – the point where the public network ends is usually clearly marked
- Small shunters instead of main-line locomotives – two- and three-axle shunting vehicles dominate factory tracks
- Locomotives without an operator's livery – often second-hand vehicles in works colours or with no paint scheme at all
- Very low speeds – shunting movements on private sidings run at walking pace
- Staff in high-visibility clothing beside the train – shunting attendants walk alongside instead of sitting in the cab
- Wagon groups instead of full trains – working happens in small units, not with complete trains
Strengths and weaknesses
What the company stands for
- Private sidings show vehicles that have long since vanished from the main line
- Shunting movements run slowly – good conditions for clean shots from a public road
- Small vehicle fleets mean recurring one-offs rather than interchangeable batches
- Handover runs to the public network are often tied to fixed time slots and therefore plannable
Where it falls short
- Most of what happens takes place on private land and isn't accessible
- There's hardly any publicly reliable information about the company itself
- Vehicles frequently carry neither operator nor service-provider markings
- Working movements happen irregularly and are barely predictable in advance
- Factory sites and port areas are mostly off-limits for photography
Updated: August 2026 – Freight traffic doesn’t end at the marshalling yard, but at a loading ramp behind a factory gate. In between lies the private siding: a few hundred metres of private track with its own order, its own staff and usually one very old locomotive. AnschlussBahnProfis works exactly there – not as a vehicle builder, but as a service provider for operations behind the handover point.
Log handover runs before they vanish into the factory
Locomotive, wagon group, time – captured in seconds, even without timetable data.
What’s different behind the handover point
The handover point is one of the most important invisible boundaries in the railway system. On one side, the rules of the public network apply, with signals, paths and authorised railway undertakings. On the other side begins a private facility, where the operator largely decides for itself how work is done – within the limits set by the supervisory authority and the trade association.
That explains why it looks so different there. No continuous signalling, very low speeds, staff walking alongside the vehicle instead of sitting in it, and vehicles that would stand no chance in main-line service any more. On factory tracks, what counts is reliability at walking pace, not performance at 100 km/h.
There is no reliable public source on the size of the company, the number of sites it looks after, or customer names. This page therefore describes the field of activity and leaves out any figure that can’t be verified.
Why businesses hand off railway operations
A factory with a rail connection runs a railway whether it wants to or not. That brings obligations: qualified staff, inspected track systems, documented walkovers, rules for shunting movements. For an operation with two working movements a week, that effort is out of all proportion to the benefit.
That’s exactly where service providers come in. They bundle the task across several sites, keep the expertise on hand, and provide staff when needed. For the customer, a permanent obligation becomes a service that can simply be ordered.
Small vehicle fleets are a gift for the logbook
Private sidings often run for decades with the same one or two locomotives. Once you've cleanly logged one of them with its number, you've effectively documented the entire fleet at that site – an effort-to-reward ratio you'll never get on the main line.
The vehicle world of factory tracks
Technology survives on private sidings that’s long since been scrapped elsewhere. The reason is simple: few operating hours, low speeds and a manageable duty profile extend service life considerably.
| Vehicle type | Typical use | Recognition feature | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy main-line diesel locomotive | Handover to the public network | four axles, centre cab | MaK G 1206 |
| Classic shunting locomotive | Distributing wagons within the factory | short bonnet, high-mounted cab | Class V 60 |
| Modern small shunter | Replacement for older vehicles | compact body, low-emission engine | Vossloh G 6 |
| Very small works locomotive | A few wagons over short distances | very short, often two-axle | Gmeinder D 75 BB |
| Former main-line vehicles | Second life after withdrawal | old body style, new works colours | Class 294 |
For you at the fence, that means: a vehicle you’d never meet on the main network can be everyday business on a factory track. These locomotives frequently carry neither an operator’s logo nor clear lettering – the vehicle number in the data panel is therefore the only reliable piece of information. How to read it is set out in the guide Who’s actually running this train?
Find the handover track
Look for the point where a track branches off the main network and disappears behind a gate. There's usually a public path or level crossing there.
Watch the working times
Handovers often run at recurring times. Two visits are usually enough to spot a pattern.
Stay in public space
Factory land is off-limits. Roads, paths and bridges are entirely sufficient for good shots.
Note the number, not the colour
Works liveries change, the vehicle number stays. Without it, the sighting can't be identified later.
Record the wagon group too
Which wagon types are being worked often says more about the site than the locomotive itself.
Works locomotives are one-offs – treat them as such
With the Traintrack app you record which machine runs at which site.
Is waiting at the factory gate worth it?
Your own observation beats any guess – private sidings follow factory schedules, not timetables.
Where you actually get to see private-siding traffic
Looking for private sidings isn’t a search for stations, but for edges: places where a track branches off the network and leads onto a site. Good starting points are freight hubs with industry nearby. At Duisburg-Hochfeld Süd, handovers branch off into the surrounding port and factory facilities; at Hagen-Vorhalle, traffic from the South Westphalia region gathers.
Working is done by companies specialised in exactly this business – such as ITB Industrietransportgesellschaft or port railways such as Wanne-Herner Eisenbahn und Hafen. Such runs are short, unspectacular and therefore barely documented, which makes them all the more interesting for a collection of your own.
In practice, the same method helps here as at a marshalling yard: observe, spot a pattern, come back. The guide to marshalling yard spotting describes the approach; which wagons run in the process you classify with Recognising freight wagon types.
Is this a private siding or already part of the rail network?
Private siding, if …
- the track leads behind a gate onto private land
- shunting rather than running happens, with staff on the ground
- there's no continuous main-line signalling
Look more closely, if …
- a port railway crosses public roads and mixes both worlds
- a connection runs for several kilometres and looks like a branch line
- the same locomotive is seen sometimes on the main line, sometimes in the factory
Public network, if …
- signals, line kilometre markers and paths are recognisable
- trains pass through at full speed
- a railway undertaking runs services with a train number
Private land is not a grey area
Factory and port areas are fenced because work happens there. Entering without permission is not allowed, not even for a single photo, and shunting movements run without the safeguards of the public network. Stay on paths and roads; the rules are set out in Safety distance at the track.
Conclusion
AnschlussBahnProfis stands for a layer of the railway system that almost no one documents: operations behind the factory gate. It’s not about vehicle building or main-line traffic there, but about the question of who actually puts the wagons at the ramp.
For spotters this is a rewarding side field. The vehicles are old, the fleets small, the operating forms unusual – and all of it can be observed from the public road, if you know the right handover point and bring patience.
In brief
Not a manufacturer in the strict sense, but an operations service provider for private track systems. The work only becomes visible at the handover run – and through shunting locomotives that have long since disappeared from main-line service.
Document the invisible layer of freight traffic
Works locomotives, handovers and wagon groups – logged properly instead of just glimpsed in passing.
Summary
- The rail connection is the most invisible layer of the railway system, and at the same time the one where freight traffic actually begins and ends.
- Anyone who watches handover runs sees vehicles and operating forms that have long since disappeared from main-line service.
- The service provider itself stays invisible at the trackside; only the facilities and vehicles it looks after are recognisable.
- There is no credible public source on this company's size or the sites it looks after – so this page sticks to the principle involved.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is a private siding?
A private track system connecting a site to the public network – typically a factory, a port or a transhipment yard. It doesn't belong to the rail network and is subject to its own rules. The handover point marks the boundary: up to there, a railway undertaking brings the wagons; behind it, the private siding operation takes over.
Does AnschlussBahnProfis build vehicles?
No. Despite being classified under manufacturers and rail technology, this is about service provision: operations management, maintaining track systems, inspections and training. Vehicles come from customers' own fleets, the used market, or hire, for instance through providers such as On Rail.
Which locomotives will I see on private sidings?
Mostly rugged shunting machines with a long service life. Typical examples are the MaK G 1206, the Class V 60 and modern small shunters such as the Vossloh G 6. Because these vehicles rack up hardly any mileage, they last exceptionally long.
Am I allowed onto a factory site to photograph?
No, not without explicit permission. Private sidings sit on private land, where the owner's house rules apply without restriction. Photography happens from the public road. The basics are set out in the article on house rules at stations and operational railway land.
Who runs the wagons to the factory?
A railway undertaking working on the customer's behalf. That can be a large provider or a specialised firm such as ITB Industrietransportgesellschaft or the Industriebahn-Gesellschaft Berlin. Their responsibility ends at the handover point, and the private siding operation takes over.
Why do businesses outsource their railway operations?
Because the effort doesn't match the scale of operation. A factory with two working movements a week still needs qualified staff, inspected facilities and complete documentation. Keeping that in-house permanently is expensive. An external service provider spreads this effort across several customers.
Where can I legally observe private-siding traffic?
Where handover tracks border public roads or paths, and in areas with level crossings. Good opportunities are offered by freight hubs with industry nearby, such as Duisburg-Hochfeld Süd or Hagen-Vorhalle, where handover runs branch off into the surrounding industry. Tips on the approach are given in the guide to marshalling yard spotting.
How do I recognise a handover run?
By its composition and speed. Handovers consist of a few wagons, often of mixed types, run very slowly and are frequently accompanied by staff on the ground. They carry no passenger-service train number and don't appear in apps. How to classify the wagon types involved is explained in Recognising freight wagon types.
Is a private siding operation a railway undertaking?
Usually not in the full sense. Anyone shunting purely on private tracks doesn't need the same authorisation as a company running trains over the public network. That very distinction is why such operations are often missing from the railway undertaking database, even though vehicles are moved there every day.
Log vehicles from AnschlussBahnProfis
Company, vehicle, location and date logged in seconds – and visible to the community.
The operational level in the railway operator database
Who actually runs the trains, with keeper markings and identifying features on the vehicle.
ITB Industrietransportgesellschaft mbH
ITB Industrietransportgesellschaft mbH carries its business area in its name. Industrial traffic doesn't follow a regular timetable but the shift pattern of the plant it serves.
FreightIndustriebahn-Gesellschaft Berlin mbH
Industriebahn-Gesellschaft Berlin mbH stands for freight traffic on industrial and siding tracks. Its workplace isn't the main line, but the last stretch of track before the loading ramp.
FreightWanne-Herner Eisenbahn und Hafen GmbH
The Wanne-Herner Eisenbahn und Hafen GmbH carries two modes of transport in its name. This page explains why ports exist inland and how they work together with the railway.
FreightHafen- und Bahnbetriebe der Stadt Krefeld
Hafen- und Bahnbetriebe der Stadt Krefeld carries its municipal ownership right in its name. Learning to read shunting signals makes such operations far easier to understand.
Typical vehicles
MaK G 1206
The MaK G 1206 is a four-axle centre-cab locomotive for freight and heavy shunting duties – and turns up almost everywhere on private railways.
ClassDB Class V 60 (DB 260/261/360/361/364/365)
The V 60 is the classic three-axle shunting locomotive of the Bundesbahn – identifiable by coupling rods and a rigid frame. Its many numbers tell the story of its rebuilds.
ClassVossloh G 6
The Vossloh G 6 is a modern three-axle diesel shunting loco from Kiel. Three axles in a rigid frame are the feature you'll identify it by first.
ClassClass 294
The 294 is the radio-remote-controlled variant of the V 90: same design, different fitting-out status. Why that matters for safety in shunting areas.
ClassGmeinder D 75 BB
The Gmeinder D 75 BB is a four-axle industrial locomotive with two bogies. The BB in the name is the key piece of information – here's how to read it correctly.
Where you will find AnschlussBahnProfis
Spotting locations where you will regularly come across vehicles from this organisation – with viewpoints, the best light and coordinates.
Duisburg-Hochfeld Süd
Duisburg is the freight hub of the Ruhr region, and Hochfeld Süd is the point where the trains cross the Rhine. If you're after heavy freight trains, port traffic and locomotives from private operators rather than ICE units, you'll find one of Germany's busiest freight lines here.
Freight hubHagen-Vorhalle Marshalling Yard
Hagen-Vorhalle is one of Germany's large marshalling yards, sitting at the northern end of the Ruhr-Sieg line. Observation is strictly from public roads and bridges – accept that, and you get to see operations that modern freight hubs no longer show.
Freight hubRangierbahnhof Maschen
The Maschen marshalling yard south of Hamburg is the largest facility of its kind in Europe: two complete hump yards, two humps, around seven kilometres in length. It can only be observed from public road bridges – the operational site itself is off limits and stays that way.
Junction stationHamm (Westf) Hauptbahnhof
At Hamm, the Ruhr region's great routes go their separate ways: towards Hanover, towards Münster and towards Kassel. Add to that a freight share that hardly any other German main station of this size reaches – and a platform hall that ties the whole operation together.
More companies
On Rail
On Rail, based in Mettmann, leases and trades wagons and locomotives – and in the 1990s had its own rebuild concept developed. The result is a locomotive whose build year is correct twice over: once for the frame, once for everything above it.
ManufacturerGmeinder Lokomotiven
Gmeinder of Mosbach never built an ICE, but for decades it built the vehicles that shunt at every works site and every port. Once you understand its type scheme of drive, power class and wheel arrangement, a small locomotive tells you more than many a main-line locomotive.
ManufacturerSchöma Kleinlokomotiven
Schöma has been building small diesel locomotives in Diepholz since the 1930s – today mostly tunnel locomotives for construction sites around the world. These vehicles don't carry a class number but a works type. Identifying them means working differently than you would on a platform.
ManufacturerVossloh
In spotting logs, Vossloh stands for a whole family of diesel locomotives – and today builds not a single one any more. The company has long since shifted to rail fastening, points and rail machining. The G-locos keep running regardless, under new owners.
Related guides from the blog
- Marshalling yard spotting: how to tackle Maschen, Hamm and co.
- Identifying Freight Wagon Types: From Habbiins to Sgns
- Property Rights at the Station: Where You May Stand and Where You May Not
- Who's Actually Running That Train? How to Identify Railway Operators
- Safety Distance at the Track: The Rules That Save Lives
