Three locomotives become fourÉ

They’re not the first, or only, engines on this line – but the 2-8-2Ts built from 1932 onwards are unique to this railway. Their tapered-in cabs help cope with the tight clearances in Bad Doberan, and the roughly 3ft 7in driving wheels allow them to scamper cross-country at 50kph (31mph) – much faster than the 30kph of much of East Germany’s surviving narrow gauge. Even the 900mm track width is unusual – like so much here it’s about being able to squeeze along streets…

Orenstein & Koppel built three 2-8-2Ts for the line in 1932. Much rebuilt, all are still in traffic; however as well as Nos. 99.2321-99.2323, there’s now also a No. 99.2324…

With a daily need for two engines, three in total are not enough – which meant the line regularly called on reserve 0-8-0T No. 99.2331. That, though, has little 31½in wheels, was built for industrial work elsewhere, and isn’t really ideal for summer traffic. So in 2008/2009 Meiningen Works constructed a fourth 2-8-2T.

What of No. 99.2331? This is now mainly used in winter, or on special trains. Classmate No. 99.2332 has been out of use since the mid-1990s, but is displayed for part of the year on a spare road outside the ‘Mollimuseum’ at Ostseebad Kühlungsborn West. Although ‘second-hand’, both engines have been on this line since the turn of the 1950s/1960s.

The steam fleet is, therefore, as follows:

99.2321... 2-8-2T ... O&K, 1932

99.2322... 2-8-2T ... O&K, 1932

99.2323... 2-8-2T ... O&K, 1932

99.2324... 2-8-2T ... Dampflokwerk Meiningen, 2009

99.2331... 0-8-0T ... Lokomotivbau Karl Marx, 1951

99.2332... 0-8-0T ... Lokomotivbau Karl Marx, 1951