News
15.05.2022: After the party is before the party
After everyone recovered from the quite exhausting last weekend with our first big event this year, some already started cleaning up again. So our steam locomotives 50 3570, Emma and Pritzwalk were stripped and filled with new supplies.
On 50 3570, the supply line from the valve box pressure gauge was also removed because it was leaking. The associated pressure gauge on the locomotive's cab shows the engineer how high the pressure of the steam flowing into the drive cylinders is.
On our steam locomotive Emma, we noticed that some grate bars were bent. These are cast iron bars on which the fire in the boiler burns. Between the grate bars are gaps through which the combustion residues such as slag and ash can fall into a collecting container, the so-called ash box. Due to thermal effects, the grate bars bend over time and have to be replaced. Unfortunately, you cannot buy such grate bars in the store around the corner, but they have to be custom-made. Unfortunately, this is expensive and time-consuming. Do you have the possibility to support us financially? Please donate with the intended purpose "Emma". Donations to our association are tax deductible. If you would like to do so or if you have any questions, please contact our board (info@dampflok-wittenberge.de).
Not without reason the title of our news is "After the party is before the party". The next events are on the horizon. Namely, in the next few weeks our rather robust exhibits will be combined with the fine, beautiful arts. So there will be two concerts in the Lokschuppen as part of the event series "Klanglandschaft Prignitz 2022". At the first concert on Sunday, May 29th, suites by Bach and texts by M. Maeterlinck will be performed starting at 4 pm. The concert on Saturday, June 26th offers "legendary journeys" to the music centers of the 18th century with the Trio Tiefsaits starting at 5 pm. Tickets are available at the box office on site. More information is also available on the website of the City of Wittenberge at https://www.wittenberge.de.
11.05.2022: Review of the spring festival
Last weekend was the first event of this year when our visitors could see our vehicles in action. From our point of view it was a complete success, because we had many satisfied guests, the weather cooperated and the technology also played along. Thank God! So we look back on the past days with satisfaction.
In the week before the event, scheduled track maintenance was still on the agenda, in the course of which various wooden sleepers were replaced with those made of concrete. In addition, remnants of switches and crossings were removed that no longer serve any purpose today.
On the Friday before the event, our operable exhibits were rigged. They were loaded with coal, the water tanks were filled and they were cleaned. Steam locomotive 50 3570 was also decorated because it is celebrating its 80th birthday these days.
The cab of steam locomotive 50 3624 was prepared for visitors. For example, all the controls on the cab have been marked and the lighting has been added. In addition, a friendly mannequin in a fireman's uniform invites visitors to enter the cab.
The "Pritzwalk" steam locomotive has been fitted with new lanterns that look similar to the original.
In addition, the railroad company Potsdam contributed some exhibits for the locomotive exhibition in the outdoor area. Many thanks again for that! In the following picture, you can see the diesel locomotive 221 145 of the former Deutsche Bundesbahn in dark red livery next to its sister 118 692 of the Deutsche Reichsbahn.
In the following we show some more pictures of the event itself and the photo session on Saturday evening, where we set up some vehicles for railroad photographers to be photographed or to be brought to life with theatrical smoke.
vehicles: 50 3570-4, 50 3624-9, Pritzwalk
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Operation am Herzen einer Lok23.04.2022: The track vehicle is running again
There is good news today about our Skl 24 series track vehicle. The vehicle comes from a series of about 700 vehicles that the Deutsche Reichsbahn, some large industrial companies with their own rail infrastructure and streetcar companies purchased in the 1960s and 1970s for track maintenance. It was built at the Reichsbahn's Schöneweide repair plant using truck technology. The maximum permissible speed is 45 km/h.
We reported earlier that we wanted to restore the vehicle's technology to the point where it could be presented in working order. For this purpose we had installed a new starter motor. Now also new starter batteries arrived and the ignition lock was rewired.
The work paid off. At the weekend the engine of the car could be started for the first time in a long time.
Along the way, the boiler of our steam locomotive 50 3570 was completed. Here a refurbished steam regulator was installed.
Already in the course of the last week, some of our vehicles had some run-out. Our two class V22 diesel locomotives hauled a short special train through the port of Wittenberge. The occasion was the retirement of a railwayman from active service.
vehicles: 50 3570-4, Schwerkleinwagen Typ Schöneweide
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17.04.2022: We wish you Happy Easter!
Dear friends of the Historic Engine Shed Wittenberge, we wish you Happy Easter 2022 and hope that you spend or have spent the days pleasantly.
The active members of the museum spent the Easter Saturday with preparations of the new season. In particular, the steam locomotive 50 3570 was supplied with water and coal, the bearings were oiled and wood was loaded to light the fire in the locomotive boiler.
In addition, the floor of our Pwg baggage car was removed in the entrance area, because it had unfortunately suffered somewhat due to moisture penetration.
Apart from that, some maintenance work was done in the outside area.
We did all this in anticipation of our first steam locomotive festival this year. It will take place on 7. and 8.5.2022. We hope that you have already made a note of this date in your calendars. Please feel free to give friends and acquaintances a tip about our event. We are looking forward to numerous guests. If you do not want to wait until then, you can already visit the museum on Saturdays between 10 and 16 o'clock.
vehicles: 50 3570-4, Pwg 88
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09.04.2022: Groundbreaking and small jobs
Before we talk about the pleasant events of the past two weeks, there are also annoying things to report. Some time ago, for example, the roller shutter on track 4 derailed from its guide rails. In the process, the slats of the roller shutter had disengaged and it could therefore no longer be raised. You may ask why we are reporting on this? Because such a repair is also part of the museum's operation, ties up a lot of manpower and you can't see anything afterwards. So, three people spent a day on the repair. The good news is that it works reliably again. Thanks again to the hard-working helpers. The picture shows the repaired gate. It was torn apart at the light slat in the upper third when it derailed. This had to be replaced now.
But now we come to something more pleasant: We thank you again for all the letters regarding our problem with the rail truck Skl, whose starter was defective. Thanks also for the tips on converting the starter to more modern technology. We have kept that in mind in case we run out of spare parts. However, we now have a working solenoid switch and would like to use it to restore the car to original specs. For those who don't know what your solenoid switch is: When you turn the ignition key, the solenoid switch engages the starter gear on the ring gear located on the engine flywheel. Once this is done, the magnetic switch releases the electrical circuit to the starter motor. This now rotates and sets the combustion engine in motion. Once the internal combustion engine has taken up ignition, the magnetic switch pulls the starter pinion back again, so that the starter motor disengages from the ring gear.
There is also good news to report from the KARLSRUHE steam locomotive. Here, a specialist company had meanwhile installed the new heating tubes in the boiler. In the meantime, the boiler has passed its hydraulic test and can soon be put under steam for the first time in decades.
The following video shows the rolling of a heating tube into the rear tube wall. The tube, which is initially loose in a hole in the tube wall, is expanded by a roller and crimped at the end. This makes the pipe watertight and vapor-tight in the pipe wall. A deafening affair! Some may wonder why this is done in such a complicated way. The answer lies in the different materials. The pipe wall is made of copper, the pipes of steel. Unfortunately, this combination cannot be welded.
Something pleasant also happened during the past week: Since the city of Wittenberge had applied to host the State Garden Show, the jury which decides on the award on behalf of the state of Brandenburg traveled to Wittenberge to get an on-site overview of the conditions. The start of this day took place in the reception area of our museum. We are pleased to have been able to make our presence felt in this context and hope that the town of Wittenberge will be awarded the contract.
What else was there to report? Work continued on steam locomotive 50 3570. Here, the sliding roof and the side ventilation flaps in the driver's cab were made passable again.
In addition, the storage tank for the water treatment agents was primed.
With the following picture we say goodbye for this week and hope that you again enjoyed reading about our activities.
Oh yes, we almost forgot something important. The Historic Engine Shed Wittenberge celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. We have set up a special page for this purpose, on which we contrast some pictures from about 10 years ago with the situation today. Have fun browsing and marveling!
vehicles: 50 3570-4, Karlsruhe