Meiningen maintenance depot puts Molli back on the tracks

In a collision between Mecklenburgische Bäderbahn Molli and a tractor standing on an ungated level crossing in Kühlungsborn, the locomotive was severely damaged. The steam locomotive (900-millimetre gauge) serves a 15 kilometres long stretch between Bad Doberan and the Baltic seaside resort of Kühlungsborn. Around 560,000 passengers travel on Molli every year. Bäderbahn commissioned the Meiningen maintenance depot of DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung with the repair. The locomotive was transported to the depot by road on a low loader.

The Meiningen staff proved to be flexible: they managed to fit the repair work in between other ongoing orders without further ado. To assess the damage, they dismantled the axles and a damaged buffer beam and removed the driver's cab. The repair work involved renewing the buffer beam, measuring and correcting the vehicle frame and re-lining the axle bearings. The team also reconditioned parts of the steam engine's control system. The depot then carried out additional work that was not caused by the accident: profiling the wheelsets, reconditioning the plunger buffers and engine, and partially repainting the running gear. "We kept to the schedule and carried out all the work to the complete satisfaction of our customer," says depot manager Marcel Scholz. Thanks to the flexibility of the Meiningen maintenance depot and the immediate repair, the locomotive is now back in service after only a short downtime.