The route initially ran for a short way parallel to the Nuremberg-Schwandorf railway, crossed the River Vils and turned westwards at Drahthammer station whilst still within the Amberg town limits. Crossing the heathland of the Köferinger Heide it entered the landscape of the Franconian Jura where it climbed up quite steep inclines into the Lauterach valley, which it then followed upstream to Markt Kastl, dominated by an impressive monastery (Klosterburg). At the terminal station of Lauterhofen a quarry provided additional custom on top of the usual freight from an otherwise heavily agricultural region. In spite of that, goods services officially closed on 1 April 1972. The last goods train had already left on 29 March 1972.