Museumseisenbahn Hamm

Description

In the Hamm area the Museumseisenbahn Hamm e. V. is dedicated to preserving historic railway vehicles and maintaining the Hamm–Lippborg line.

Two track connections at Hamm RLG station are available for workshop operations and vehicle stabling; this station is often referred to today as Hamm Süd to distinguish it from the Deutsche Bahn station Hamm (Westf). The earlier designation originally referred to a halt at line-kilometre 1.8, whose platform edge still bears traces. On the section of the Ruhr-Lippe-Eisenbahn between (Hamm)-Schmehausen and Lippborg-Heintrop that was taken over, the museum railway operates scheduled services; in addition, it organises special excursions within a radius of about 250 kilometres on the Deutsche Bahn network.

The Hammer Eisenbahnfreunde, which began in 1977 as a department of the Verkehrsverein, gave rise in 1983 to a non-profit support association that has since been the owner of the vehicle fleet. Since 1990 the organisation has been active as a railway transport and infrastructure company. In the same year the approximately four-kilometre section of line threatened with closure was taken over and, through extensive refurbishment, was largely restored by around 2006. A close cooperation with the Westfälisches Eisenbahnmuseum Münster culminated, after its closure in early 2011, in the takeover of its exhibits.

In 2011 the collection comprised a total of 56 vehicles. Notable are two historically significant train formations: a passenger train from the 1930s with open-platform third- and fourth-class coaches, and a train composed of rebuilt coaches of the 3yg type, which illustrates the various coach types of the 1950s; six of these coaches are operational. The collection is complemented by various historic freight wagons.

The locomotive roster includes steam locomotives such as 80 039 (after retirement used at collieries, currently stored), the industrial locomotive Radbod 3 of the "Crefeld" type (stored, currently labelled as RAG D‑712), and the steam locomotive "Hermann Heye", which was sold. The diesel fleet includes, among others, V 200 033 (main inspection expired, externally restored, approved for DB routes), V 100 2079 (operational since 27 September 2019 as 212 079, externally refurbished, certified), V 60 615 (externally refurbished, certified), several Deutz types (D52 stored, D53 on long-term loan to the Eisenbahnmuseum Stadtlohn), several Köf II locomotives in varying operational condition, the DEL 110 under overhaul, as well as the heavy track-maintenance vehicle Klv 53 0660, which serves for line maintenance and is under overhaul. The electric locomotive 194 158 is on long-term loan from Rail4U and is in serviceable condition.