From the 18th to the 22nd February 2008 the 52 8154 – a 2-10-0 based in Leipzig – hauled scheduled freight trains of the Neusser Eisenbahn (NE) which is a subsidiary of the Neuss-Duesseldorfer Haefen GmbH & Co.KG.
The Plandampf was initiated by Alexander Schroeter who is employed at the Neusser Eisenbahn as a loco driver. Alexander proposed the Plandampf to his company as it was seaking for an unusual event to celebrate the amalgamation of the rhine ports Neuss and Duesseldorf five years ago. He is member of the club Eisenbahnmuseum Bayerischer Bahnhof zu Leipzig who owns and operates the class 52.80.
Of similar importance to the success of the Plandampf was Thorsten Fratscher, the manager of operations at the Neusser Eisenbahn. He welcomed the steam locomotive with cheers at the Neuss depot when it arrived from Leipzig on February 17th. The loco left its home base the day before and stayed overnight at Kassel.
The Plandampf was paid by the Neusser Eisenbahn. In December 2007 Alexander Schroeter approached the Revierdampf Team for assistance in publication and raising of additional funds for the maintenance of the locomotive. The Revierdampf Team accepted with pleasure and marketed the Plandampf among the railway enthusiasts under the usual procedure. The subscribers to the Plandampf received an information package with timetables and recommended photo positions in return for their participant fee, which was dedicated to the next scheduled overhaul of the steam locomotive. About 70 enthusiasts subscribed to the Plandampf, including visitors from Great Britain, The Netherlands and Spain.
The Plandampf trains carried limestone from the open cast mines of the Rheinkalk company in Wuelfrath-Rhodenhaus to the power plants of the Rheinbraun company in Grevenbroich-Gustorf and Bergheim-Niederaussem, where the limestone was used in the smoke filter process. In addition to the loaded trains the diagram of the steam locomotive included the empty stock workings. in support of the visiting railway enthusiasts the Neusser Eisenbahn had decided to operate the trains in any case even if the power stations had ordered no limestone.
That decision was stressed already at the start of the 6-day Plandampf. On Monday as well as on Tuesday all trains ran empty (length 395 meters, weight 650 tons) due to supplies of good coal to the powerplants which then required no limestone for filtering. From Wednesday February 20th the operations with 'real' trains commenced, up to a load of 1680 tons. The servicing of the loco over noon at Neuss depot took more time than expected, resulting in delays for most trains in the afternoon. The weather was mixed, with blue skies on Monday and Tuesday but clouds later in the week.
On Thursday February 21st the steam diagram terminated at noon to allow the loco to be presented at Neuss depot for VIPs and guests. The Neusser Eisenbahn had invited customers and media for the celebrations to the 5th anniversary. The party enjoyed the steam locomotive as it offered footplate rides in the depot area.
On Friday February 22nd the loco suffered a bearing damage just before taking over the loaded train at Wuelfrath in the morning. The operations were taken over by a diesel. The bearing was repaired on February 23rd at the workshop in Krefeld. So the participant fees could be used appropriately although earlier than planned. The bearing was fitted on Saturday evening in time to enable the 52.80 to travel back to Leipzig under its own steam on Sunday.
Looking back at a successful Plandampf we hope that the Neusser Eisenbahn will employ steam locomotives in future on more occasions for marketing purpose, and that other freight operation companies follow its example.
