Interactively experiencing and understanding historical steam locomotive technology

Historical steam locomotives and innovative learning media are not a contradiction. This paper describes the use of interactive three-dimensional graphical computer models to visualize and understand the technology of historical steam locomotives. The software presented has been applied to the "Harzer Schmalspurbahnen", a railroad company still operating narrow gauge steam locomotives on a daily basis and thus has an ongoing need to train its own staff as well as to explain the technology to honorary engineers and interested enthusiasts. The Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation (IFF) researched and created the methodology underlying the creation of virtual interactive environments. It is focused on providing a tool that instructors can use to create dynamic models of complex technical equipment. This paper briefly presents the modelling approach and describes how the resulting virtual environments can be employed to enhance learning.