News

20.12.2025: Christmas greetings from Wittenberge

Dear friends of our museum,

Another year has passed and we are approaching Christmas and the turn of the year. Of course, this is a time for thinking about presents. We are no exception. We are particularly delighted with our biggest Christmas present this year. Our diesel locomotive 118 748 is now operational again. A few words about the locomotive: it was built in 1968 at the Karl Marx Locomotive Factory in Potsdam-Babelsberg, has two diesel engines with 1,200 hp each and can reach a maximum speed of 120 km/h. This makes it a universal locomotive that was used for both passenger and freight transport. After being decommissioned by Deutsche Bahn AG in 1999, it was sold to Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn, which passed it on to PRESS in 2020. Since then, it has enriched our vehicle collection, but so far only as a functional exhibit without track approval. In 2024, a member of our association acquired the locomotive.
In recent months, it has been thoroughly refurbished by Malowa in Klostermansfeld on the eastern edge of the Harz Mountains. Among other things, the engines, bogies, axles and brakes were repaired during the work. It was also fitted with a modern train control and radio system to enable it to be used on Deutsche Bahn AG lines.
After completion of the technical work, it has been repainted in recent days and now shines again in its old red and white colours. The first two photos show it a few days ago in the paint shop of a well-known railway workshop in Klostermannsfeld. Don't worry, the black stripes visible in the locomotive's paintwork are just reflections from the surroundings.


Last Thursday, a test run was carried out from Klostermannsfeld to Nordhausen and back, which proved satisfactory to our colleagues. The following pictures show it during the test run on 18 December 2025 in Klostermansfeld, in Nordhausen and during the engine inspection inside the locomotive.




In the late afternoon, sufficient provisions were stowed away and our colleagues set off for Wittenberge with the locomotive.

The journey first took us via Hettstedt, Staßfurt and Magdeburg to Stendal. They took a break there, as they had to wait for one of the few gaps in the construction work around Wittenberge station before tackling the final stage of the journey.
The following night shots were taken in Stendal.

This means that one of our big dreams has come true, and we would like to thank everyone involved for their generosity and dedication, without which the project would never have been possible. We wish the locomotive safe travels and hope that you, dear friends of the museum, will at least smile when you see the locomotive in our museum or on the tracks in the near future.
The transfer was only possible because the new track access to the Wittenberge depot and thus also to our museum has just been completed. Remember? Wittenberge station is currently being adapted to meet increased traffic demand. We will report on this shortly in a separate newsletter.
Otherwise, we have used the time in Wittenberge to rearrange the locomotive shed and workshop a little. We reported that we were able to purchase two replacement engines for our two diesel locomotives 118 748 and 114 774, which we have now stored in the locomotive shed, protected from the weather. So if you visit us next season, you can marvel at them here.
Incidentally, such an engine weighs several tonnes and is not easy to move without the necessary equipment. Fortunately, we now have a large forklift truck manufactured in the GDR at our disposal, which was previously used in the nearby sewing machine factory. For technology enthusiasts: it is a Takraf DFG6302/HG from 1977. It was built by VEB Verlade- und Transportanlagen Leipzig "Paul Fröhlich" and is powered by a diesel engine similar to those found in GDR W50 trucks.


Unfortunately, we occasionally have to deal with unforeseen tasks, as was the case last weekend. During the recent rainy days, it became apparent that the roof of the former emergency power generator hall had started to leak. A tarpaulin was put up as a temporary measure until spring, when the weather will allow new roofing felt to be installed.



As you can see, there is always something to do. Help is always welcome. So if you've resolved to actively support us in the new year, then go ahead and you're very welcome! No prior knowledge or expertise is required.
We now conclude our reporting from 2025 with best wishes for Christmas to you, your family and friends. Stay tuned and join us in looking forward to next year. It will be exciting. One of the highlights will certainly be the grand reopening of the renovated station building, in which we will participate.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2026!

vehicles: Emma, 114 774-3, 118 748-3

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22.10.2025: End of season

Dear friends of the Wittenberge Historic Locomotive Shed, Autumn has unmistakably arrived and once again we have (almost) completed another season. Most recently, we held our Autumn Steam 2025 event at the beginning of October. Unfortunately, we were only able to welcome significantly fewer visitors than usual this time. There were obviously several reasons for this: Firstly, the weather was terrible. Continuous rain and wind made things difficult for us. Secondly, we were not accessible by train. This had a significant impact, as many guests from the metropolitan areas of Hamburg and Berlin usually travel to us by local and long-distance transport. But at least we were delighted to welcome a good 700 visitors. Thank you for visiting us despite the adverse conditions!
If you're thinking that you should stop by again this year, you still have this coming Saturday. That's when our museum will be open to visitors for the last time this year, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last admission at 4 p.m.).
What else is new? Something very remarkable, absolutely delightful for us and certainly quite unexpected for the railway enthusiast scene. Our diesel locomotive 118 748 has passed its general inspection in the last few days and, following extensive work on the chassis, engines, brakes and electrical and radio equipment, is now fully operational again throughout Germany. So if you see it outside its home town of Wittenberge on special assignments in the near future, please don't be surprised, but delighted. We would also love to see pictures of her in action ( info@dampflok-wittenberge.de). We will be happy to include selected pictures in our next newsletter, crediting the photographer if desired.


Fortunately, our T174 excavator is also making progress. Now that all work on its interior and bodywork has been completed, it is currently being painted in the typical green colour that some of you may remember from the GDR era. Now the new or reconditioned windows and lamps have to be installed. Finally, it will be labelled and will then hopefully be available to us again for a long time for work in the museum.



Our colleagues who look after our historical bell collection have also been busy again. They have now been able to set up another system after it had been derusted and repainted. Great work!



Dear readers, we know from various letters that many of you enjoy following what is happening here. We will therefore continue to keep you informed about new developments in and around the museum in the coming weeks and months. Stay tuned and stay with us! Thank you, and we hope to welcome you back to Wittenberge next season. The museum will be open regularly on Saturdays again from Easter Saturday, 11 April 2026. The first event next year will already take place in mid-April 2026. We will inform you in good time.
vehicle: 118 748-3

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16.09.2025: News of our museum

Today, we are particularly pleased to report that we have received a public grant for the repair of our steam locomotive 50 3570 from the Brandenburg state gambling tax. Don't be misled by the name: the upcoming boiler repair of the locomotive is, of course, not a game of chance. However, the funds now made available come from the portion of lottery stakes that are not distributed as part of the lottery, but are used by the state for charitable purposes. Minister Keller from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour, Energy and Climate Protection personally delivered the good news and also presented us with a symbolic cheque for the grant amount. We are very grateful for this, as the funds secure our future as a living museum.
The following picture shows the beaming faces at the handover of the funding: Minister Daniel Keller, Doris Müller (first chair of our association), Dennis Kathke (second chair of our association), Dr Oliver Hermann (mayor of the city of Wittenberge).

There are also other very encouraging developments to report. Last Saturday evening, our diesel locomotive 114 774 took its first steps on the museum grounds after completion of work on its engine. The short test runs on our workshop tracks were satisfactory, so that we can now consider test and adjustment runs outside the museum grounds.

As we all know, you can never have enough spare parts for operational locomotives, so we are delighted to welcome two heavyweight new additions in the form of two diesel engines. They fit into our diesel locomotives 114 774 and 118 754 and will initially be stored on the museum grounds in the hope that we won't need them any time soon. But as the saying goes, better to have them than need them.

The expansion of our bell collection also continues. The active members were able to add another exhibit.


You can see the new additions soon. On Saturday, 20 September, "Railway Day" will be celebrated nationwide, with many railway companies and museums presenting their work. We will also be available for you on this day between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
From 5 p.m., there will be a concert in the locomotive shed, featuring classical music in the form of works by Handel, Haydn and Mozart. For the first time, the special backdrop of the locomotive shed will also be used for a programme contribution by the ballet group of the district music school. Admission to the concert costs 14 Euro, or 9 Euro for concessions (school pupils, students, benefit recipients). Further information can also be found at www.klanglandschaft-prignitz.de.
Our Herbstdampf event will take place on the first weekend in October. On 4 and 5 October, we will once again make the hearts of railway fans of all ages beat faster when our historic vehicles are back in action.

vehicles: 50 3570-4, 114 774-3

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03.09.2025: Preview of upcoming events

We are pleased to announce several events taking place in September. Open Monument Day will be held on Sunday, 14 September 2025, with the theme: "Valuable: priceless or irreplaceable" In Brandenburg, as throughout Germany, historic buildings and sites will be open to the public. We are happy to join this initiative and will open our museum on an unscheduled basis this Sunday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. What makes this day special is that the usual admission fee will be waived and you can visit our museum free of charge. We would of course appreciate donations, as running the museum on this day also costs money.
A list of all other monuments open in the area can be found on the website of the German Foundation for Monument Protection https://www.tag-des-offenen-denkmals.de/programm . There is a search function in place. If you enter "Landkreis" as the location and "Prignitz" in the field for the town under the heading "Programm", you will also find a number of other interesting places that you can easily combine with a visit to our museum.
On Saturday, 20 September, Germany will also celebrate the "Railway Day", when many railway companies and museums will showcase their work. We will also be available for you on this day between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. From 5 p.m., there will be a concert in the locomotive shed, serving up classical music in the form of works by Handel, Haydn and Mozart. For the first time, the unique backdrop of the locomotive shed will also be used for a performance by the ballet group of the district music school.
Concerts like this have been held for a few years now as part of the Klanglandschaft Prignitz event series and already have their own fan base, because classical music combined with our unique atmosphere has a very special appeal. Admission to the concert costs 14 Euro, or 9 Euro for concessions (school pupils, students, benefit recipients). You can find more information at www.klanglandschaft-prignitz.de .
And while we're on the subject of dates: our Autumn Steam event will take place on the first weekend in October. On 4 and 5 October, we will once again make the hearts of railway fans of all ages beat faster when our historic vehicles are back in action. More information will be available here soon.

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18.08.2025: News about the V100 diesel locomotive

We have already reported several times on the refurbishment of our V100.1 diesel locomotive, which bears the number 114 774-3. After having already taken care of the locomotive's chassis and brakes some time ago, the engine has been the focus of attention in recent weeks. For technology enthusiasts, it is worth mentioning that the engine was manufactured by VEB Kühlautomat Berlin-Johannistal. With its 12 cylinders and turbocharger, it generates an output of just under 1,500 hp. This makes it the most powerful engine variant ever installed in locomotives of this type.
Although our engine had only run for a few dozen operating hours since its last major overhaul a few years ago, leaks had developed in the turbocharger during the long period of inactivity since the locomotive was taken out of service by its last commercial owner. These leaks had to be repaired before we can put the locomotive back into service. To do this, the turbocharger and various other attachments were removed from the engine compartment so that they could be reconditioned.
Once the refurbishment work was complete, our diesel locomotive experts were able to resume assembly work. A few photos of the project are attached to this short report. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Schienenfahrzeugbau Wittenberge for their support. The work will be completed shortly. We are already looking forward to the test run of the engine and locomotive.









Work has also been completed on our G10 freight waggon, which we had dismantled down to its frame in recent years. It has now been reassembled, fitted with a new sliding door and repainted. The crowning glory was the recent addition of the lettering. We will be presenting it in future as a materials car for the Wittenberge railway depot. Such wagons were formerly used for internal transport within large railway depots or repair shops, including in Wittenberge.

We would also like to take this opportunity to draw your attention to our upcoming events. We will also be opening our museum on Sunday, 14 September 2025, to mark Open Monument Day. On this day, we will be waiving the usual admission fees. Of course, we would still appreciate donations. We will also be participating in "Railway Day" on 20 September 2025. On this day, many railway companies across Germany will be presenting their activities. Our Autumn Steam Days will also take place on the first weekend in October. We look forward to seeing you there!
vehicles: 114 774-3, G 10

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