Travelling back in Time
This April, a vintage train with one electric, one steam and one diesel locomotive took off on a journey from Bielefeld via
Lehrte to Staßfurt to take part in Staßfurt railway museum‘s spring festival. By Tobias Heitmüller
The train consisted of six vintage first-class passenger carriages and a dining car. Two further second-class carriages were coupled for transfer to the railway museum in Staßfurt.
Shortly before 07:00 a.m., the train, pulled by electric locomotive 110 350 (built in 1964) took off from Bielefeld for Lehrte. Passengers relaxed in the comfortable upholstered seats in the 6-seat compartments and enjoyed the speedy drive.
The first locomotive change of the day took place at Lehrte freight station where oil-fired express steam locomotive 01 1104 (built in 1940) took over. The electric locomotive was coupled to the end of the train and supplied the dining car with power. After locomotive change and a tour around Hanover, the journey continued to Staßfurt. After a short photo-break at Lehrte station, the steam engine’s tanks were filled with water at the former GDR border-crossing station Marienborn. As the steam engine also pulled two escort wagons, the impressive train consisted of 11 wagons and the coupled electric locomotive between Lehrte and Staßfurt.
In the afternoon, the train arrived at Staßfurt railway museum where many vintage and modern locomotives which belong to private railway companies are on display.
In the evening, the return journey started on the non-electrified stretch from Staßfurt to Schönebeck Elbe with diesel loco 218 467 (built in 1976). Electric locomotive 110 350 pulled the train back to Bielefeld from there.
If you would like to go on a historic train journey and keep heritage technology alive, I highly recommend the nostalgia train travel working group called Arbeitsgemeinschaft Nostalgiezugreisen: