7th September 2013 - Meininger DampfloktageSaturday 7th September 2013 No rest for the wicked, an even earlier start this morning at 05:20 but at least there wasn’t such a long walk to the station today though we were there for 05:00 waiting to purchase breakfast from the bakery. The reason for the early start was a special steam-hauled train to Meiningen Works open day run by the Lausitzer Dampflok Club and booked to be worked by their own 2-6-2 loco, no. 35 1019, but this had been replaced by 4-6-2 no. 03 2155 in the previous weeks for reasons which were not stated.
Meiningen Works is the biggest steam locomotive works in Western Europe and its annual open days always attract huge crowds and up to half a dozen special trains from all over Germany. This was one of five special trains this year, four of which were steam-hauled and we chose this particular trip as we fancied a spin behind 35 1019 and that booking on-line was possible without the need to send a succession of e-mails asking to book and pay on the day. Apart from a couple of notable exceptions we have found that some of these small groups / societies are not very good at responding even when contacted in German. The run to Halle (Saale) was quite spirited but we arrived there late due to having stood twice for a few minutes on the approach to the city. Here the loco was to take water and have an assisting diesel attached for the run over the steep gradients between Arnstadt and Oberhof (Thür); we also decided to take water and dashed downstairs to get two large cups of tea.
The diesel loco on the rear also turned out to different to the one that was advertised, 231 012 rather than 242 001, but as the owners of 03 2155 (Wedler Franz Logistik) also own 231 012 it was not that much of a surprise. In any case, the 231 and 242 look the same, are in DR red livery, both have un-modified cooling fans and were required for haulage so we were not complaining.
The train departed 22 minutes late from Halle and passed 132 158 on the charter from Leipzig a short distance further on with much blowing of the horn and whistling ensuing. Good progress was being made until we were put in the loop at Weißenfels, we assumed for an IC train to pass but 132 158 came rushing past instead! Our progress was halted again at Naumburg (Saale) where 143 169 on a Saalfeld-bound local service went first before we set off again with the 231 on the back giving the steam loco on the front a run for its money in the “who can make most smoke stakes”.
The train stopped at Erfurt to drop off the passengers who had chosen the city tour option then continued to head south, past the museum at Arnstadt, a further brief stop in the loop at Plaue then a good run up the bank to Oberhof with 03 2155 sounding good on the front accompanied by the howling fans of 231 012 on the rear. Meiningen was eventually reached 50 minutes late which wasn’t too bad considering the number of times we had been stopped. The works open day was excellent as usual with plenty to look at from whole locos to various bits, diesel locos, snowploughs (which the works maintain) and plenty of stands selling all manner of stuff though photography was a little fraught due the sheer number of people milling round. Highlights included both narrow and stand gauge steam locos giving cab rides, the engines off the charters coming onto the “shed” section for servicing and turning and children being allowed to try their hand at operating a breakdown crane lifting a coach bogie – suppose you could call it child’s play!
Other items of note included the discovery of the Mariazell Museumstramway’s steam loco still in the works three years after we first saw it which would maybe explain why there was no steam when we visited the line in August. We can only assume that the loco required more work on it than the society had anticipated or budgeted for and it made more sense for it to stay at Meiningen whilst further funds were raised than be sent all the way back to Austria. In fact the Lausitzer Dampflok Club’s 4-6-2 03 204 is in a similar situation and has been at Meiningen since April 2012 when it was dismantled and found to need a new boiler, the various bits being scattered around the site and being worked on as funds trickle in. (if anybody would like to make a donation towards the €500,000 cost of a new boiler you can do so here).
The LDC’s other loco, 35 1019 which was originally intended to have worked from Cottbus, was also there in light steam leading us to hope that it might work back “home” but it remained stubbornly ensconced in the works compound and didn’t venture out. There was time for one final wander round, a couple more attempts at taking photos and a quick chat with two friends who we bumped into and were also over in Germany for a few days then a walk back to the station to wait for the train back to Cottbus. The sidings here were a hive of activity as preparations were made for the return of the five charter trains and a few photos were taken but many of the passengers were now massing for their journeys home so the most unobstructed picture we managed was of the V100 diesel loco with the coaches from Frankfurt out of the window as our train departed.
Our coach was on the front for the return journey so there was plenty of noise from 03 2155 ascending the hill towards Oberhof despite the exhaust fumes from 231 012 on the rear proving that it was giving a decent shove though we thought that the climb in the opposite direction was marginally more exhilarating. Some final pictures as water was taken and the Kolumna removed at Halle then a fast run back towards Cottbus in the dark apart from a couple of stops outside stations where access to one of the platforms is across the track. We had an extended stop at Falkenberg (Elster) due to what appeared to be a minor problem with the loco and departed there 20 minutes late but some spirited running saw us arrive back in Cottbus 14 late at just before 10pm and the end of a very long but satisfying day.
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