On 07.10.2023, two more road rollers from our collection moved from the outdoor storage area to the core area. The outdoor storage area will no longer be there in the future, as the ICE cleaning facility (www.boxenstopp-darmstadt.de) is being built in this area and the railway museum will therefore have to vacate the space.

The trailers had already been salvaged and made runnable at the beginning of the year. A R40H4 from 1938 was brought over. This vehicle is considered the forefather of all road trailers and was even allowed to transport a turntable as a load. In addition, an LS 160 from 1962 rolled into the new quarters. This was the top model of the road trailers with a 160-ton load capacity. Its nickname “centipede” is self-explanatory (see pictures).

Even though the transfer took place only a few 100 metres on a farm road, the event was still special: road trailers that actually still drive on the road are very rarely seen.

The trailers were pulled by the heavy-duty tractor MAN 19.362 FAK (former DB). 6 personnel accompanied the transport and secured it – in constant exchange by radio. Particularly in the core area, coordination was a challenge and shunting had to be carried out to within a few centimetres.

Three more trailers will have to be moved by the end of the year. At the new location, the vehicles will be made accessible to the public and gradually refurbished.

Many thanks to all the helpers. This example shows that there are also areas of activity at the Railway Museum beyond the work on railway vehicles. Are you interested in helping out? New members are always welcome. Just drop by on Saturdays from 10 a.m. onwards!