Verden (district)
Verden () is a "Kreis" (district) in the centre of Lower Saxony, Germany. Adjoining it are (from the northwest clockwise) the districts of Osterholz, Rotenburg, Heidekreis, Nienburg and Diepholz, as well as the city of Bremen.
Verden–Walsrode Railway
The Verden Railway Society ("Verdener Eisenbahnfreunde") was founded on 20 March 1989. Initially it was intended to operate a museum railway on the former DB route from Verden to Rethem, which is why they chose the station at Hülsen on the line as their base. But they soon decided, as a result of another pending line closure, to open discussions with the "Verden-Walsroder Eisenbahn" about using the 12 km long narrow gauge line from Verden-Süd to Stemmen. After a successful conclusion to these negotiations the museum train, bought from the Weserbergland Steam Railway ("Dampfeisenbahn Weserbergland"), comprising the former VWE diesel engine, no. 241 (now V 11) and three trailer cars, was moved to Verden. The old Deutz diesel engine did not get its operating licence however. As a substitute the VWE diesel engine DL2 (Gmeinder, built in 1947) was hired. The engine, now designated as V 20, then hauled museum trains from 1993. It was joined at about the same time by another diesel, no. V 22 "Magdeburger", a former East German DR Class V 22. The V 22 was refurbished in order to act as a substitute when V 20 went in for its general inspection. 
When in 2000 the V 20 was accepted, now belonging to the railway society, it was placed in timetabled service again. Since then the train formation has also changed, the trailer cars gave way to coaches with end platforms. The introduction of a "Donnerbüchse" coach (number 1) in 2005 finally rendered the use of the last trailer car, TA 10, superfluous. This left Verden at the beginning of 2006, in order to act as an extra wagon for the Lüneburg Railway Society (AVL).