I am forever intrigued by historical photographs, and the photo on Page 35 of both German and English NI 2025 catalogue is no exception.
Thsi photo ostensibly dispalys a location somewhere along the Geislinger Steige to support the Märklin re-issue of the BR59 and the E93/193 locomotives.
Both of these locos represent the powerful locomtives required for this ascent.

The photo does not show either of these locomotives, but the detail intrigues me.
Look at the track in close-up.
The sleepers are of formed (pressed or cast) steel and not timber.
So I ask when was the photo taken?
I know that formed steel sleepers were used here in Queensland.
This is because timber had limited life in the harsh tropics, but I don't know when they were introduced.

Kimball

Actually, German railways have used steel sleepers since the 1880s, particularly on stretches of line where there are tight curves, like going up horseshoe grades. They are now frequently used for high speed lines where stability and structural integrity are key.