[blueflow]

In germany, the privatisation and segmentation of the railway company has created many "interface points" where private entities can rent vehicles or use the tracks. This resulted in a vast amount of companies specializing in engine renting or vehicle transport, like Captrain/ITL or MRCE. The diversity in companies results in a big variety of color schemes.

Train museums use these possibilities to run extraordinary trains [1]. Rarely you can see them as replacement trains in regular service[2].

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMZAAdP431o

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YqsIzKR3Uc

[derda]

There have also been occasions where Museums or clubs owning Steam Locos bid for contracts hauling freight and provide the service using their Steamers. Example here where they supply a railway construction site [1] or here [2] were some fertiliser is pulled.

[1] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GujoYkaQf8 [2] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qoDOXvFwH0

[Doxin]

Over here in the Netherlands you'll sometimes see museum trains used to tow stranded passenger trains.[0] Quite an odd sight!

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZZIEo0NXQY

[t0mas88]

That's a special one-off kind of thing.

But the railway museum runs a historic train hourly from Utrecht Centraal (I think the largest station in the country) to their museum. That's also a strange sight to see passing by at crossings.

[Doxin]

While it isn't ordinary operating procedure, it's not exactly one-off either. It has happened a couple times already. At least once in combination with a historic diesel train as well.

[mcv]

I've been to the railway museum a lot (my son is a train nut), and in my experience it's just a regular train, not a historic one.