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12.10.2024: Herbstdampf im Historischen Lokschuppen Wittenberge

Am 12. Und 13.10.2024 feiern die Dampflokfreunde im Historischen Lokschuppen Wittenberge ihre traditionellen Herbstdampftage. Dabei gibt es wieder jede Menge zu bestaunen und zu erleben, denn es dampft und dieselt wieder gewaltig in Brandenburgs größtem Eisenbahnmuseum. Besonders freuen sich die Eisenbahnfreunde über den Besuch der Dampflok 86 1744 der Press-Gruppe, die der ein oder andere Ostseebesucher vielleicht noch vom letzten Besuch auf Rügen oder Usedom im vergangenen Sommer kennt.
Sie und Fahrzeuge des Museums stehen zur Besichtigung und für Führerstandsmitfahrten zur Verfügung. Wer es gerne gemütlicher mag, kann sich in einem alten Personenwagen vom Beginn des vergangenen Jahrhunderts auf einem Rundkurs durch das Museumsgelände fahren lassen, mal eine Runde auf der Drehscheibe mitfahren oder eine muskelbetriebene Draisine bewegen. Selbstverständlich wird auch wieder für das leibliche Wohl gesorgt. Die Freiwillige Feuerwehr unterstützt dabei wieder mit ihrer selbstgekochten Erbsensuppe.
Das Museum hat an beiden Tagen ab 10:00 Uhr geöffnet und schließt seine Pforten samstags um 17 Uhr und sonntags um 16:00 Uhr. Eintrittskarten gibt es online über die Internetseite des Museums (www.dampflok-wittenberge.de) vor Ort zum Preis von € 8,- (Erwachsene) bzw. € 4,- (Kinder zwischen 5 und 14 Jahre). Für Familien ist eine Familienkarte für € 20,- im Angebot. Für Fotofreunde besteht die Gelegenheit, nach Abschluss der öffentlichen Besuchszeit am Samstag, den 12.10.24, einige inszenierte Szenen aus dem Betriebsalltag auf Film oder den Chip zu bannen. Zur blauen Stunde in der Dämmerung ab 17:30 Uhr werfen sich dafür Loks und Personale in Pose. Hierfür wird allerdings eine gesonderte Eintrittskarte zum Preis von € 40,- verkauft, die am Eingang zum Museum erhältlich ist.

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15.09.2024: Late summer news from the engine shed

The weather is still great, the school holidays are over. So there's no excuse not to work at full speed in the museum. The active members thought the same thing last weekend and worked on several sites at the same time.
On 50 3570, the lid of the steam dome, under which the so-called steam regulator is located, was opened. This is a large valve through which our engine drivers can direct steam from the boiler into the cylinders to accelerate the locomotive. This valve and the associated mechanical connections will soon be removed so that they can be refurbished as part of the main inspection of the boiler.

The rework on our Breuer shunting tractor was a little less strenuous. Once the paintwork was complete, the roof could be fitted and the lighting connected to the vehicle's electrical system. During further test drives, the tension of the drive chains was adjusted so that it now runs perfectly smooth again.


There is also news from coach 197 805, the interior of which has been undergoing a thorough renovation for some time. But you can already begin to see how beautiful it will be. We were able to complete the installation of the wooden wall panelling and the ceiling cladding and finish painting the ceiling.

Our diesel locomotive 0604 (ex Osthannoversche Eisenbahn) also received a little new paint. It has been painted with the usual yellow-black warning paint at both ends of the locomotive.

The Pwg goods wagon underwent rust restoration. Affected areas of the wagon's sheet metal skin were cut out and replaced with repair panels. Now a new coat of paint is still missing, which is to be applied in the autumn.

Our bell garden is also growing in the form of further installations, which are currently being painted and assembled. In addition, cables are being laid so that the chimes can soon be demonstrated in operation.


Last Sunday we were able to organise a very special event. As part of the ‘Klanglandschaft Prignitz’ series of events, classical music with works by Vivaldi and Mozart was performed in the engine shed. Almost a hundred music enthusiasts responded to the organisers' call and enjoyed the particularly good acoustics in our locomotive shed.

Our autumn steam event is now fast approaching. Initial preparations in the form of a radical green cut with heavy equipment were completed last Saturday.

We are particularly looking forward to the Steam Days on 12 and 13 October 2024, when we will also be welcoming steam locomotive 86 1744 from the PRESS Group. We hope to see you then!
vehicles: 50 3570-4, OHE 0604, 197 805-5, Pwg 88, Breuer Lokomotor

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25.08.2024: News from the engine shed

We and our visitors are enjoying the summertime in the Lokschuppen with glorious sunshine and a great atmosphere. The Dixieland band Blechgarage, who visited us at the museum on the occasion of the Dixieland Festival in Wittenberge - as they did last year - and played their lively pieces, made sure of this last Saturday. Many thanks again for that. That was really great!

If you want to listen to music in the engine shed again, you can do so on 8 September 2024. From 15:00 there will be classical music by Vivaldi and Mozart to enjoy. Tickets can be reserved by email at tourismus@kulturfeste.de or by calling 0331-97933-04. Beforehand, i.e. between 10:00 and 14:00, the engine shed will be open on the occasion of national Heritage Day 2024, when many museums and historic venues will be opening their doors under the motto ‘True Signs, Witnesses of History’ and also allowing a few glimpses behind the scenes. Admission to our museum is exceptionally free until 14:00.
Now that we have already taken a look at the next event, we would like to remind you of our Autumn Steam 2024 event on 12 and 13 October 2024, when the museum will once again be steaming and dieseling. In this context, we are already looking forward to a guest locomotive of the class 86, which hauled steam trains on the island of Usedom this summer.

Further guest vehicles have been requested for the autumn steam. We will provide details of this event at the end of September.
What else is new? The overhaul of our diesel locomotive 114 774 is making great progress and the maintenance of the diesel engine has been completed. A few more test runs will now be carried out in the neighbourhood before the main inspection will be officially stamped and singed. This should definitely happen before the Herbstdampf 2024 event.


Work is also being carried out on our steam locomotive 50 3570. As already reported, it had suffered a boiler failure. We are now waiting for the specialist contractors to carry out the necessary work. We are already preparing the locomotive as far as possible with our own resources in order to keep the costs as low as possible. We assume that it will be operational again by the beginning of next year at the latest.


In contrast, one of our class V22 diesel locomotives is currently being used regularly in the shunting service of our neighbours, Schienenfahrzeugwerke Wittenberge. This locomotive is being used to prepare freight wagons for repair in the workshop.

vehicles: 50 3570-4, 114 774-3, V 22 B

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07.08.2024: Breuer shunting tractor

The world has already seen some interesting railway vehicles. One of the most unconventional is certainly our Breuer shunting tractor, which was built for shunting goods wagons in very confined spaces.
Vehicles of this type were used in industrial operations in particular, where the freight wagons were turned over short turntables onto tracks leading into workshops or warehouses. The use of these turntables made the installation of points connections unnecessary. However, these turntables were often only slightly longer than a two-axle goods wagon. If the wagons were initially moved using muscle power, the greater weight of the wagons made the use of motorised aids necessary.
For this reason, the Breuer company in Höchst (now part of Frankfurt/M) developed a very short two-axle vehicle in the 1910s that was powered by a petrol engine. The unique feature of this type of vehicle was that it could drive under the buffer beam of a wagon to be moved and clamp itself there with a mechanical ram. This lifted one side of the wagon by about 20 centimetres, which meant that part of the weight of the wagon was borne by the tractor, which in turn increased its friction weight and prevented its drive wheels from spinning so quickly.

(Source: Wikipedia / Breuer company)
Our shunting tractor belongs to type III, which was equipped with a 40 hp engine. It was delivered to Maschinenfabrik Heller in Nürtingen in 1939. At some point, it was fitted with a VW Type 122 engine, which car enthusiasts will recognise in a similar form from the VW Beetle. In 1984, it came to the Friends of the Hamburg Railway Association and was exhibited in the Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg Railway Museum. It was also shown at the exhibition "150 years of the German railway" in Bochum Dahlhausen.

Unfortunately, the museum burnt to the ground in the mid-1990s after an arson attack, which also affected the shunting tractor. As there was no longer any future for it there, its owner handed the vehicle over to us on permanent loan in 2002. Some time ago, we decided to restore the vehicle to working order and thus commemorate the factory goods transport that also took place in Wittenberge on a large scale (e.g. sewing machine factory, oil mill, gas works).
What did it mean to "restore" the vehicle? We first removed the roof and the driver's cab. After inspecting the interior, we decided to remove the engine, starter, alternator, gearbox, clutch, drive shaft, brake system, axles and drive chains. The parts were completely dismantled, cleaned and partly reassembled using new or newly manufactured parts.



All cables were replaced. Finally, the driver's cab was replaced and all mechanical and electrical controls were connected to the respective parts in the vehicle. We are proud to say that since the end of July, the good thing has been moving under its own power again. And as far as we know, it is the only Breuer model in Germany that is still (or again) running.


Come and visit us at our "Autumn Steam 2024" in October. Then we will demonstrate the vehicle in operation. We are already looking forward to it!
vehicle: Breuer Lokomotor

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25.07.2024: News from Wittenberge

The holiday season has also started for us and some of our members are away. As a result, things are progressing a little more slowly at the moment, but steadily nonetheless. The last sheets have now been welded into our tender for locomotive 50 3570. It is now waiting for a fresh coat of paint and will then be ready for use again.


The refurbishment of our smallest shunting machine is also drawing to a close. Now that the engine, gearbox and brakes have been installed in the so-called Breuer tractor, the segments of the driver's cab have been fitted, from where the vehicle is operated. Now the new cables for the electrical system are still missing and then it can finally leave the workshop and stand on rails again.


Some members are now also meeting during the week to continue working on their project, the collection of bells. Last week, the final work on the large exhibits in our outdoor area was completed. In addition, a room in the nearby barracks at the coal yard is being converted to house the smaller exhibits in the collection.



vehicles: 50 3570-4, Breuer Lokomotor

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