When the "Adler" locomotive made its maiden journey from Nuremberg to Fürth on 7 December 1835, nobody could have guessed the amazing pace at which railway would develop in future. In anniversary year 2010, the DB Museum shows just how revolutionary the new means of transport was worldwide. The "Planet Rail" exhibition and display of vintage vehicles deal with the railways far beyond Germany's national borders. 

Exhibition "Planet Eisenbahn"
July 2010 till the end of February 2011

Visitors to the "Planet Rail" anniversary exhibition can find out when and where the first railways were established in other countries. The ten exhibition sections also spotlight the past and present of railways throughout the world.

Who put up the money for the construction of the railways in Europe and elsewhere – for instance in America? Did the construction of the railway have the same effect on the mobility of people in Asian cities as it did in Europe? What accounts for the worldwide fascination of the railway – not only for model railway enthusiasts, but also for the "normal" population? What might the future of the railway look like?

A large number of exhibits and staged displays provide interesting and vivid answers to all these questions and many more. Visitors can also obtain more detailed information in a special volume of essays which will be published to accompany the exhibition.

Vehicle show "Adler, Rocket & Co. The first locomotives in Europe"
6 August to 31 October 2010

In addition to the anniversary exhibition, the DB Museum will also stage a major display of rare vehicles from the early days of the railway. Pioneer locomotives from all over Europe, including the "Rocket" which was built in England in 1829, will be presented in the first-ever joint show on this scale.

The international exhibits will be shown alongside vintage German vehicles such as the "Adler" locomotive, the replica of which is permanently on display at the DB Museum.

Accompanying programme

To accompany the special exhibition and the vehicle show, the DB Museum is planning to offer public trips with the "Adler", probably at weekends in May 2010. The exact dates and terms will be announced on our website in due course.

There will also be a special steam locomotive convention on the outdoor exhibition area at the DB Museum on 21 and 22 August 2010.

To accompany the exhibition, the DB Museum is also publishing a special book about the history of the first locomotives used in Germany. The "Adler" book – the second volume in the new series "History of the Exhibits at the DB Museum" – will be available as from April 2010.