News

27.04.2024: On the home straight to our anniversary

Less than a week to go until we celebrate our 30th anniversary. Everyone involved is currently working flat out on the final preparations and today we would like to offer a glimpse behind the scenes.
Many people will be thinking: ‘Yes, they're open and some exhibits are on display in the factory. It can't be that much work.’ If only that were the case! We already have weeks of preparation behind us. We have drawn up exhibition and personnel plans, ordered and stocked up on operating materials and finalised our T174 excavator.

The vehicles were prepared for operation, equipped with operating fluids and lubricants and cleaned again. The premises were thoroughly cleaned, the outside areas tidied up and the lawns mowed. Finally, the tracks were measured to ensure safe operation on the site.

In addition, the food and drinks that can be stored have already been bought and stocked. A new stamp game was designed for the children. We have also written and printed a commemorative publication for our anniversary.
We were in constant contact with the friendly clubs and companies that enriched our festival with their vehicles. They have also been working hard to ensure that no technical difficulties stand in the way of their visit. For example, the express steam locomotive 01 1531 from Arnstadt completed a rolling test last Sunday to ensure that no bearings would run hot during the journey to Wittenberge at the end of the week. The colleagues from Arnstadt have made a short video available. It shows the train passing the engine shed in Arnstadt:

In addition, the V200 diesel locomotive was put into operation, which will provide the necessary traction during the transfer on sections of the line:

We also installed a historical clock at the engine shed and connected it to a master clock so that it also shows the correct time.


We also edited press releases and news for the social media in cross-location telephone conferences and published them afterwards.
Just in time for the event, a small storage room in our signal box Wm was also cleared out and prepared as a lounge for the supervisors of our cab rides, which start right next to it.

We are hopeful that we have prepared everything that can be prepared. There are always surprises from time to time. But as the saying goes: you can only prepare 80 per cent, 20 per cent is always improvisation. It is fitting that the company LokOST has today confirmed the participation of two large diesel locomotives of the 232 and 110 series at short notice. We are delighted about this. The site is really filling up.
Incidentally, the hot phase begins for those involved on Wednesday this week. This is when the first shunting movements are carried out to make room for the guest vehicles. On Thursday, the first steam locomotives, which need several hours to get up to operating temperature, will be fired up. On Friday, further shunting manoeuvres and functional tests of our diesel locomotives will be carried out, visitor guidance systems will be set up, the catering area will be set up and so on ... So, it will be a bit like a beehive. Please understand that we cannot allow unauthorised persons onto the site on these preparation days. This also applies if the barrier at the gatehouse should be open.
Let's keep our fingers crossed that everything works as planned, that we have a great festival together, a good mood, great experiences and good weather, that you get to us safely and back home again and, last but not least, that our colleagues can transfer their vehicles smoothly.
You can look forward to it! We look forward to seeing you.
A small hint in advance about the next event: On 1 and 2 June 2024, there will be a large, international meeting of diesel locomotives from the Swedish manufacturer NoHAB at our museum in Wittenberge. We will provide more detailed information about this after our festival in the week after 5 May here and in the usual places on the Internet.overview