News

15.09.2022: Event information

Our last newsletter was a bit short on information about upcoming events. Therefore, we are issuing a special newsletter at this point. Please support us by passing it on to friends and family. We are happy about every visitor.
Next Saturday, 17.09.2022, the nationwide Rail Day 2022, our neighbours, the Potsdam Railway Company, are holding an open day at their workshop in Wittenberge. Visitors are invited to visit the company and locomotive shed III in Wittenberge between 10 am and 4 pm and find out about the work of the EGP. Of course, our museum in the Historic Locomotive Shed II will also be open and we will offer rides in the grounds with a small museum train.

On 8 and 9 October, the Historische Lokschuppen Wittenberg will celebrate its 10th anniversary. You can visit us on both days between 10 am and 5 pm (Saturday) and 10 am and 4 pm (Sunday) and experience a lot. There will be a large vehicle presentation, round trips with the museum train, driver's cab rides and trips with the trolley. A number of guest vehicles have also registered. We will report on this as soon as the appropriate feeds and returns of the vehicles to and from their usual locations have been secured.

We look forward to your visit!

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11.09.2022: A locomotive comes to life

You have probably already been excited by the title of this news item. And rightly so, because there are some amazing things to report. But more on that later. First, let's turn to the little progress we've made in the last few days.
First, the cylinder cocks of steam locomotive 50 3570 were removed and cleaned. They consist of round valve seats in which small valve cones are located that can be opened from the driver's cab via a shaft. The engine drivers open them when the engine's drive cylinders are cold after a longer standstill and steam is then fed in. Some of the steam then condenses on the cold liners of the cylinders and condenses on them. In order to release the water in a controlled manner, these valves are opened and the water can run out or is forced out by the steam flowing in and the piston movement.

Master painter Klecks is still painting the driver's cab ceiling of steam locomotive 50 3570 with a radiant light grey.

One of our class V22 diesel locomotives needed new starter batteries because the previous ones were getting on in years and eventually one of them developed a cell shortage. So a bit of investment had to be made. As you can see in the picture below, such a battery looks like one you might know from your car. But it is much bigger and therefore unfortunately much more expensive.

Our diesel locomotive 102 076 was allowed to make a little excursion to the harbour. There it picked up a tanker from the IOI company, which had made it available to the hazardous materials unit of the Prignitz district as a training object. The wagon was placed in the harbour.


The trolley cars also need maintenance from time to time. Here you can see the underside of a hand lever trolley whose gear drive has been checked and lubricated,

Now to our main topic of today's news: On Monday, 29.09.2022, a fire was lit in the boiler of the steam locomotive Karlsruhe for the first time in 57 years. The locomotive was built in 1919 for a gas works in Karlsruhe as a shunting locomotive and was in service there until 1965.

After the small locomotive had been thoroughly overhauled at the Wittenberge site and fitted with new boiler tubes, the so-called warm pressure test was now carried out. The boiler was heated up and brought to maximum pressure to see if there were any leaks that could prevent it from being used. Fortunately, this was not the case and in the presence of the boiler inspector the safety valves could be set to the permissible operating pressure. The following picture shows a view into the driver's cab during the heating process. In the foreground you can see (lying on its side) the calibrated test manometer of the boiler inspector. In the following picture you can see how a safety valve is adjusted. It must open automatically when the maximum permissible operating pressure is exceeded.


After that, a small function test of the locomotive could be done. And indeed, it moved under its own power, which greatly moved the owners and the workshop staff. Below you will find a link to a video showing the first metres of the locomotive. Have fun watching it!

Unfortunately, the little locomotive will be leaving us shortly and probably will not be on display for our anniversary event in early October 2022. Instead, it will be presented at another location in Northern Germany. But don't be sad, the visit to our anniversary will still be worthwhile. Other guests have already registered. More information will be available soon here and on our other information channels like Instagram and YouTube.
vehicles: 50 3570-4, Karlsruhe, V 22 B

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20.08.2022: Maintenance work and visit

Further maintenance work on our steam locomotive 50 3570 was on the program. So the seals, which seal the piston rods against the steam cylinders, were checked and repaired. The seals are metal rings consisting of various segments that enclose the piston rods. These segments are held together by springs so that they fit tightly against the piston rods. The sealing effect decreases over time because oil carbon builds up between the segments, causing gaps to form.
The following picture shows the piston position and the upper half of the housing in which the seals are located. The lower half of the housing has already been removed and a total of five sealing rings can be seen.

In addition, the pressure relief valves on the steam cylinders have been removed and cleaned. They are used in particular to release water residues in the steam cylinders into the open air in an emergency. The water can form in the steam cylinders in particular if the cylinder walls are still cold before the locomotive starts running and steam is fed into the cylinders, some of which then condenses on the cold surface. As you remember from physics class in school, water cannot be compressed. Now, when condensed water collects in the piston, its pressure can increase so much due to the piston movement that the wall of the steam cylinders or the cylinder heads are blown apart. To prevent this, the safety valves of the cylinders open at a certain pressure.
The next pictures show the disassembly and two safety valves in the disassembled state.


Also on our permanent patient, the future tender of the 50 3570, welding was done again. It turned out that the outer walls of the water tank had lost considerable wall thickness due to corrosion. The affected areas above the floor were cut out and new sheets welded in place.

The weekend before last, we welcomed a larger tour group. This time it was motorcyclists who were on a pilgrimage. Very interesting discussions ensued, even beyond the subject of technology.
If you, dear readers of our news, would also like to visit us with a group, please contact us (mailto: info@dampflok-wittenberge.de). We can tailor visit programs to your wishes, whether you would like guided tours, food and beverages, round trips with our small museum train in the railings or to the Wittenberg harbor, etc. We will be happy to help you. You help us with this and you and your fellow travelers / guests will certainly have an unforgettable experience.

vehicle: 50 3570-4

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08.08.2022: Paint and glass

During the summer holidays, some colleagues are on their well-deserved holidays. Therefore, things move a little slower at this time. But at least something is happening. So the cab roof of the 50 3570 was repainted. The ceiling cladding was soot-blackened by years of use of the locomotive and now enjoys a light grey colour again. Some may think that it is not a good idea to apply light paint in a sooty place. This is only half true, because the light colour reflects the dim lighting on the driver's cab better at night. This makes it easier to read the pressure gauges and water levels. Of course, you have to clean it from time to time.

After finishing the work, the floor was also cleaned and impregnated. In the following picture you can see the difference: On the left the old condition, on the right the condition after cleaning and impregnation.

The Trabant trolley also had to undergo a small repair. During the last operation, the windscreen had been damaged and had to be replaced. Fortunately, new panes of safety glass could be procured and installed.


There are also good news about the integration into the museum landscape in Wittenberge. The town of Wittenberge is justifiably proud of its industrial history and there are various places in the town where it can be traced. One of these places is the Historic Engine Shed Wittenberge.
To give visitors a bit of the history of the engine shed during and outside our opening hours, a short description has been attached to our gatehouse, which also includes a barcode to an audio guide. Here, and at other locations around the city, visitors can use their smartphones to listen to facts and stories about the object in question. Other audio guides can be accessed at the oil mill, the rayon factory, the warehouses in the harbour and the city museum, among others. We support this idea because, as the saying goes: "The future comes from origins".
vehicles: 50 3570-4, Typ 1 Schienentrabbi

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16.07.2022: At full pressure

This weekend, the preparations after our summer festival were running at full speed. The steam locomotives had to be cleaned and prepared for their next use. The dirt on 50 3570 was cleaned with a high-pressure cleaner. The result is impressive:
Here the cleaned firebox:

The cleaned floor on the driver's cab:

Here an eager colleague in the smoke box of the locomotive and the result of his efforts:


However, the action did not leave the colleague completely unscathed and we are happy for him that there are functioning showers in the locomotive shed:

Smaller repairs were also carried out on the steam locomotive Emma. For example, the two non-return valves had to be removed, which prevent the water from the boiler from flowing back into the feed pipes. In the course of time, some lime deposits had formed here which prevented the valves from closing completely.
The following picture shows such a check valve. On the outside you can see the round seat. At the top, the movable insert is sticking out, which is coloured red and brown by the lime deposits.

We can also report about progress on our trailer 190 851. Here the first front side could be repainted. You can already see from the reflective paint what a gem the car will become.

vehicles: 50 3570-4, Emma, 190 851-6

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