Back to Life – Express Steam Locomotive 01 1104 is Alive and Chugging!

It‘s Friday, 30.06.2023, and we are at a former train depot in Bielefeld. Amazing things are happening on the grounds of local railway enthusiasts Bielefelder Eisenbahnfreunde e.V.; 01 1104 aka 012 104 is making a guest appearance. By Tobias Heitmüller

How cute … a steam locomotive… many of you may say, but this is not “just” any old steam loco. After 48 years out of service, 01 1104 is back and newly refurbished as of 08.06.2023. It is ready for operation once again thanks to the Faszination Dampf e.V. association of steam enthusiasts and their sponsors who invested a lot of time, money and work in the loco in the last few years and refurbished it with the support of specialized railway workshops.  

I welcomed the opportunity to view the spick and span 01 1104 at my leisure. The association founder also treated me to an almost two-hour rundown of the special technical features and the history of the 01 1104. 

This particular Friday evening, the Faszination Dampf e.V. was full of anticipation as they fired up 01 1104, eagerly awaiting the trip planned from Bielefeld to Hamburg the following day. The next absolute highlight was already on the horizon. The following weekend (08.07.2023), 01 1104 was to travel on its original route from Hamburg to Westerland on the island of Sylt. The very route that the 01.10 series, to which the 01 1104 belongs, often travelled in its early days. As I learned from reports a few days later, this trip to Westerland was a huge success.  01 1104 easily mastered the journey with 11 long passenger coaches without the support of an extra back-up locomotive, and arrived dead on time!