Hinter den Kulissen des Bahnhofs

A film with a short storyline showing how locomotives and carriages are handled at stations from the arrival of a D-train until its next departure. The son of a train driver, who has to write an essay at school entitled "What I saw at the station," learns about the technical facilities of the marshalling yard along with the viewers: coal loading, water extraction, slag removal, work in the locomotive shed, cleaning the boilers, and maintaining the passenger cars. From the arrival of a train at the platform to its departure, the focus is on operational safety, cleanliness, and passenger comfort.

Directed by Curt Wesse, Hinter den Kulissen des Bahnhofs leans on a strong ensemble — Grete Reinwald, Hans Meyer-Hanno — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 1937.