OHE
Encyclopedia
The Osthannoversche Eisenbahnen AG (OHE) is a Celle
based transportation company with railway network in North-eastern Lower Saxony
around the Lüneburg Heath
area of over 250 km.
The OHE's main business is the transportation of freight through their own routes as well as the network of the Deutsche Bahn AG.
Historically the company also operated passenger trains, which completely ended in 1977 after previous partial closures. After the de-monopolisation of the German railways in the 1990s the company re-entered the rail passenger market through the company NiedersachsenBahn GmbH which has a large stake in the company metronom
In March 2007 the OHE became majority owned by Arriva Deutschland GmbH.
The company was formed on the 10th of July 1944 from a number of small railways previously under the management of the Niedersächsisches Landeskleinbahnamt (LKA):
Additionally the Kleinbahn Wittingen-Oebisfelde (KWOe) was also incorporated on the same day. The new company Osthannoverschen Railways AG 1944 had routes of 340 km total length: it was for decades the largest of the non-federal railways of Germany
At its founding in 1944 the main shareholders were the Prussian State and the Province of Hanover with 53% of the shares combined, the districts of Celle
, Fallingbostel, Gifhorn
, Harburg
and Lüneburg
also had owned shares.
By the end of 2006 the OHE was still state-owned with 40.2% held by the state of Lower Saxony and 33.8% by the German state
In July 2006 the German state, the state of Lower Saxony and DB Regio AG decided to sell their shares as part of a privatisation process. The successful bidder was Arriva-Bachstein GmbH; a consortium made up of Arriva
(86%) and Verkehrsbetriebe Bach Stein GmbH (14%), with an offer of 30million Euros, and various supplementary promises, subject to regulatory and parliamentary approval.
Shareholders as of 2008 were: Arriva Bachstein GmbH - 85.118 %, Celle council - 5.615 %, Gifhorn council - 3.224 %, Lüneburg council- 2.178 %, Soltau-Fallingbostel council- 2.160 %, City of Celle - 1.187 %, City of Wittingen - 0.468 %, Flecken Brome - 0.050 %
Decommissioned and closed routes:
The network is open to other rail companies, the OHE offers cheaper track access charges for through workings than for trains starting or ending on its own tracks.
and Bergen
. The relative amounts of freight were : wood 47%, chemicals/oil 17%, aggregates/building materials 16%, container 8%, other 7%, military 4%. As a railway company OHE transported in 2006 Germany 1.6 million tonnes (2005: 0.95 million tons) with unit train
loads being the main type of transport.
The OHE also operates in partnership with the Deutsche Bahn AG.
1 July 1945: Rühen–Oebisfelde
22 May 1955: Beedenbostel–Mariaglück (works transport remained until 1958)
28 May 1961: Soltau–Neuenkirchen
22 May 1966: Winsen–Niedermarschacht
31 May 1970: Hermannsburg–Munster (Lager) und Salzhausen–Hützel
3 June 1973: Bleckede–Alt Garge
26 May 1974: Steinhorst–Wittingen und Wittingen–Rühen Horst
5 July 1974: Winsen–Salzhausen
1 June 1975: Bergen–Soltau
26 June 1975: Soltau–Hützel–Schwindebeck
30 May 1976: Celle Nord–Bergen und Beckedorf–Hermannsburg
23 June 1976: Celle Nord–Steinhorst Celle
22 May 1977: Lüneburg–Bleckede und Lüneburg–Schwindebeck
As a replacement for the rail closures the OHE ran bus services instead.
Through the subsidiary NiedersachsenBahn GmbH (60% owned with a 40% stake from Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser
(EVB) ) the OHE became involved in rail passenger transport once again with the company metronom which has operated since 2003 on the tracks of the Deutsche Bahn. Maintenance of metronom vehicles is carried out at the OHE owned works at Uelzen
(EVB) ) Buxtehude-Harsefelder Eisenbahn GmbH (BHE) (since July 1993 managed by Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser) Eisenbahn Gittelde-Bad Grund GmbH (decommissioned 30 December 1971) Lüchow-Schmarsauer Eisenbahn GmbH (LSE) (until 30 March 1969, subsequently self managed) Niederweserbahn GmbH (NWB) (decommissioned 26 September 1964) Steinhuder Meer-Bahn GmbH (StMB) (acquisition of the remaining rail operations by the OHE in March 2000) Wilstedt-Zeven-Tostedter Eisenbahn GmbH (WZTE) (until 1980 : in 1982 the company merged with the Bremervörde-Osterholzer Eisenbahn GmbH to form the Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser
)
Since 1995 workings on the Rinteln-Stadthagener Verkehrs GmbH (RStV) have been operated by the OHE, the Verkehrsbetriebe Grafschaft Hoya was managed by OHE between 1993 and 2001. (The operations subsequently taken over by the WeserBahn GmbH)
In addition, the operation of the 15 km long railway line from Bomlitz
to Walsrode
(Bomlitz–Walsrode railway
) is operated by the OHE for the benefit of Dow Wolff Cellulosics
, 56
, 75.6, 76
, 91
, 92
) were acquired to meet the demands of the increased traffic on its lines; they were operated under their old class names (but with new serial numbers); at the same time the existing locomotives were given new designations: Three locomotives were classified as Series 89, four as a 92.
Additionally 13 railcars were used on the OHE, inherited from predecessor companies, including four Wismar railbus
es.
Between 1954 and 1959 seven large MaK
locomotives and some Esslingen railbus
es were acquired. In 1965, the last steam engine retired.
The OHE operates a fleet of 30 diesel locomotives of various types; from small shunters, to the giant diesel locomotives of the AdTranz
Blue Tiger
family. Whilst previously the 'connecting rod' MaK
diesel locomotives were the backbone of the fleet, the company now makes use of articulated B'B' locomotives from MaK
such as the MaK G 1202, G 1204 and G 1205
, additionally three original 1600 hp G 1600 locomotives are still in use, and a further two similar locomotives of lower power.
A notable set of three locomotives are the extensively modified "DH 1504" DB Class 216 types (see Class V 160 variants) - OHE designation 2000 85, 2000 86 and 2000 87. Another 'attraction' are the 'Blue Tiger' locomotives - which replaced the Deutz diesel locomotives of type DG 2000 CCM
Many of the locomotives have been modernized and equipped with new engines, radio control etc.
For mainline route service, the OHE uses the DH 1504 (2000 hp), the Bombardier DE AC33C (3300 hp) as well as three locomotives of the EuroRunner
type (Siemens ER 20) (2700 HP) In the late 2000s four Vossloh G2000 BB
(3000 hp) and one Vossloh G1700 BB
(2300 hp) have also been leased.
In addition, several electric locomotives of the Bombardier Traxx family are operated.
Celle
Celle is a town and capital of the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the River Aller, a tributary of the Weser and has a population of about 71,000...
based transportation company with railway network in North-eastern Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
around the Lüneburg Heath
Lüneburg Heath
The Lüneburg Heath is a large area of heath, geest and woodland in northeastern part of the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. It forms part of the hinterland for the cities of Hamburg, Hanover, and Bremen and is named after the town of Lüneburg. Most of the area is a nature reserve...
area of over 250 km.
The OHE's main business is the transportation of freight through their own routes as well as the network of the Deutsche Bahn AG.
Historically the company also operated passenger trains, which completely ended in 1977 after previous partial closures. After the de-monopolisation of the German railways in the 1990s the company re-entered the rail passenger market through the company NiedersachsenBahn GmbH which has a large stake in the company metronom
Metronom Eisenbahngesellschaft
Metronom Eisenbahngesellschaft mbH is a non State-owned railway company based in Uelzen, Lower Saxony, the largest since December 2005. The company is exclusively for passenger and operates on behalf of the public transportation trains on the lines Hamburg-Bremen, Hannover and...
In March 2007 the OHE became majority owned by Arriva Deutschland GmbH.
Formation
In 1944 the OHE arose from the merger of several companies from the northeast area of Lower Saxony, its creation was not purely for economic reasons, but also being politically favourable to the national socialist Gau Osthannover government.The company was formed on the 10th of July 1944 from a number of small railways previously under the management of the Niedersächsisches Landeskleinbahnamt (LKA):
- Celler Eisenbahnen AG - formed in March 1944 from the merger of two companies:
- Eisenbahn Celle-Wittingen AG; before 1940 the Kleinbahn Celle-Wittingen (CW) (established 1904)
- Eisenbahn Celle-Soltau, Celle–Munster; before 1940 known as the Kleinbahn Celle-Soltau-Munster GmbH (CSM) before 1910 known as the Kleinbahn Garßen-Bergen (first established 1902)
- Winsener Eisenbahn GmbH - formed in 1933 from the merger of two companies:
- Kleinbahn Winsen–Niedermarschacht
- Kleinbahn Winsen–Evendorf–Hützel (WEH)
- Lüneburg-Bleckeder Eisenbahn GmbH formed from the Bleckeder Kleinbahn GmbH (BI.KB) in September 1943.
- Lüneburg-Soltauer Eisenbahn formed in 1943 from the Kleinbahn Lüneburg-Soltau GmbH (founded 1913)
- Kleinbahn Soltau–Neuenkirchen (founded 1920)
Additionally the Kleinbahn Wittingen-Oebisfelde (KWOe) was also incorporated on the same day. The new company Osthannoverschen Railways AG 1944 had routes of 340 km total length: it was for decades the largest of the non-federal railways of Germany
At its founding in 1944 the main shareholders were the Prussian State and the Province of Hanover with 53% of the shares combined, the districts of Celle
Celle (district)
Celle is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Uelzen, Gifhorn, Hanover and Heidekreis.- Geography :...
, Fallingbostel, Gifhorn
Gifhorn (district)
-Geography:The district is located at the border of Saxony-Anhalt and extends from the southern edge of the Lüneburg Heath in the north to the suburbs of Braunschweig and Wolfsburg in the south. The Aller River enters the district in the southeast, runs through the town of Gifhorn, is joined by...
, Harburg
Harburg
Harburg is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It takes its name from the town of Harburg upon Elbe, which used to be the capital of the district but is now part of Hamburg...
and Lüneburg
Lüneburg (district)
Lüneburg is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Lüchow-Dannenberg, Uelzen, Heidekreis and Harburg, and the states of Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania .-History:The Amt of Lüneburg appeared in 1862...
also had owned shares.
By the end of 2006 the OHE was still state-owned with 40.2% held by the state of Lower Saxony and 33.8% by the German state
In July 2006 the German state, the state of Lower Saxony and DB Regio AG decided to sell their shares as part of a privatisation process. The successful bidder was Arriva-Bachstein GmbH; a consortium made up of Arriva
Arriva
Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
(86%) and Verkehrsbetriebe Bach Stein GmbH (14%), with an offer of 30million Euros, and various supplementary promises, subject to regulatory and parliamentary approval.
Shareholders as of 2008 were: Arriva Bachstein GmbH - 85.118 %, Celle council - 5.615 %, Gifhorn council - 3.224 %, Lüneburg council- 2.178 %, Soltau-Fallingbostel council- 2.160 %, City of Celle - 1.187 %, City of Wittingen - 0.468 %, Flecken Brome - 0.050 %
Rail network
| Route | Length km |
Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celle–Soltau Celle–Soltau railway The Celle–Soltau railway is a standard gauge railway in the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany that belongs to the East Hanoverian Railways . It is the OHE's busiest line.- History :... |
58.9 | Falkenberg Railway | |
| Beckedorf–Munster Beckedorf–Munster railway The standard gauge Beckedorf–Munster railway in north Germany is owned by the East Hanoverian Railways .- History :The line was built by the Celle-Soltau, Celle-Munster Light Railway Company . It was intended as a branch of the Celle–Soltau railway that had been opened in 1902 as far as Bergen... |
23.9 | Örtze Valley Railway | |
| Lüneburg Süd–Soltau Lüneburg–Soltau railway The Lüneburg–Soltau railway is a standard gauge railway line in North Germany operated by the East Hanoverian Railways .- History :... |
57.1 | Hill Railway (Gebirgsbahn) | |
| Lüneburg Nord–Bleckede | 23.0 | Geestrand Railway | Separated from the rest of OHE by the tracks of DBAG |
| Winsen (Luhe)–Hützel | 41.1 | Luhe Railway | |
| Winsen (Luhe)–Marschacht | 16.0 | Elbe Marsh Railway | |
| Celle–Wittingen Celle–Wittingen railway The Celle–Wittingen railway is a line belonging to the East Hanoverian Railways . Because its western portion runs along the River Lachte, it is also known as the Lachte Valley Railway .... |
51.0 | Lachte Valley Railway | |
| Without connection to the main network | |||
| Wunstorf Wunstorf Wunstorf is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 22 km west of Hanover. The following localities belong to the city of Wunstorf: Blumenau , Bokeloh, Grossenheidorn, Idensen , Klein Heidorn, Kolenfeld, Luthe, Mesmerode, Steinhude, Wunstorf.... –Mesmerode |
6.0 | Since 2000; the former Steinhuder Meer-Bahn StMB | |
Decommissioned and closed routes:
| Route | Length km |
Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soltau–Neuenkirchen Soltau–Neuenkirchen railway The Soltau–Neuenkirchen railway was a standard gauge line built for the East Hanoverian Railways in North Germany.- History :... |
12.0 | 1996 closed, 2006 completely eliminated | |
| Beedenbostel–Mariaglück Celle–Wittingen railway The Celle–Wittingen railway is a line belonging to the East Hanoverian Railways . Because its western portion runs along the River Lachte, it is also known as the Lachte Valley Railway .... |
5.6 | Salt Line (Salzbahn) | 2005 closed |
| Marschacht–Niedermarschacht | 1.1 | Elbe Marsh Railway | 1996 closed |
| Radenbeck–Oebisfelde | 43.1 | Ohre Valley Railway | 14.2 km Witttingen Radenbeck section closed, on offer to other railway companies until 2009 ; the later sections to Oebisfelde Oebisfelde Oebisfelde is a village and a former municipality in the Börde district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Oebisfelde-Weferlingen. It is accessed by Bundesstraße 188.- Geography :... have been shut down since 1945: Rühen–Oebisfelde 1945, Radenbeck–Rühen 1983 : closed |
| Celle–Wietzenbruch Aller Valley Railway The Aller Valley Railway was a railway line of regional importance in Lower Saxony. It ran along the river Aller and linked Gifhorn with Verden via Celle, Schwarmstedt, Rethem and Wahnebergen.... |
4.3 | prior to 1998 part of DB. 2005 closed, 2006 dismantled |
The network is open to other rail companies, the OHE offers cheaper track access charges for through workings than for trains starting or ending on its own tracks.
Rail freight
The transportation of freight has always been an important part of the railway: in 2006 1.4 million of materials were transported, including wood, other construction materials, chemicals and fertilizers and military equipment for the military training grounds at MunsterMunster, Lower Saxony
Munster, also called Munster , is a small town in the district of Heidekreis, in Lower Saxony, Germany almost equidistant from Hamburg and Hanover. The town is home to the German Army's largest garrison and is situated between the two training areas of Munster North and Munster South. It is also...
and Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
. The relative amounts of freight were : wood 47%, chemicals/oil 17%, aggregates/building materials 16%, container 8%, other 7%, military 4%. As a railway company OHE transported in 2006 Germany 1.6 million tonnes (2005: 0.95 million tons) with unit train
Unit train
A unit train, also called a block train, is a railway train in which all the cars making it up are shipped from the same origin to the same destination, without being split up or stored en route...
loads being the main type of transport.
The OHE also operates in partnership with the Deutsche Bahn AG.
Passenger
Passenger work on OHE lines was at its peak at the very beginning of the companies history. In the subsequent decades a few passenger routes were shut, by 1970s many remained but by 1977 all had closed:1 July 1945: Rühen–Oebisfelde
22 May 1955: Beedenbostel–Mariaglück (works transport remained until 1958)
28 May 1961: Soltau–Neuenkirchen
22 May 1966: Winsen–Niedermarschacht
31 May 1970: Hermannsburg–Munster (Lager) und Salzhausen–Hützel
3 June 1973: Bleckede–Alt Garge
26 May 1974: Steinhorst–Wittingen und Wittingen–Rühen Horst
5 July 1974: Winsen–Salzhausen
1 June 1975: Bergen–Soltau
26 June 1975: Soltau–Hützel–Schwindebeck
30 May 1976: Celle Nord–Bergen und Beckedorf–Hermannsburg
23 June 1976: Celle Nord–Steinhorst Celle
22 May 1977: Lüneburg–Bleckede und Lüneburg–Schwindebeck
As a replacement for the rail closures the OHE ran bus services instead.
Through the subsidiary NiedersachsenBahn GmbH (60% owned with a 40% stake from Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser
Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser
EVB Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser GmbH is a German railway and bus company offering passenger and freight services that is headquartered in Zeven and Bremervörde...
(EVB) ) the OHE became involved in rail passenger transport once again with the company metronom which has operated since 2003 on the tracks of the Deutsche Bahn. Maintenance of metronom vehicles is carried out at the OHE owned works at Uelzen
Uelzen
Uelzen is a town in northeast Lower Saxony, Germany, and capital of the county of Uelzen. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, a Hanseatic town and an independent municipality....
Heritage traffic
Through the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Verkehrsfreunde Lüneburg e.V. (AVL) ("Association of friends of Lüneburg transport eV") the Heide-Express is run on the OHE network with rolling stock from yesteryear.Management of other railway lines
With the dissolution of the Niedersächsisches Landeseisenbahnamt (NLEA) in 1959 the OHE (along with the Bentheimer Eisenbahn) took over some of the operations of the railway companies previously managed by the NLEA:Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser
EVB Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser GmbH is a German railway and bus company offering passenger and freight services that is headquartered in Zeven and Bremervörde...
(EVB) ) Buxtehude-Harsefelder Eisenbahn GmbH (BHE) (since July 1993 managed by Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser) Eisenbahn Gittelde-Bad Grund GmbH (decommissioned 30 December 1971) Lüchow-Schmarsauer Eisenbahn GmbH (LSE) (until 30 March 1969, subsequently self managed) Niederweserbahn GmbH (NWB) (decommissioned 26 September 1964) Steinhuder Meer-Bahn GmbH (StMB) (acquisition of the remaining rail operations by the OHE in March 2000) Wilstedt-Zeven-Tostedter Eisenbahn GmbH (WZTE) (until 1980 : in 1982 the company merged with the Bremervörde-Osterholzer Eisenbahn GmbH to form the Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser
Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser
EVB Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser GmbH is a German railway and bus company offering passenger and freight services that is headquartered in Zeven and Bremervörde...
)
Since 1995 workings on the Rinteln-Stadthagener Verkehrs GmbH (RStV) have been operated by the OHE, the Verkehrsbetriebe Grafschaft Hoya was managed by OHE between 1993 and 2001. (The operations subsequently taken over by the WeserBahn GmbH)
In addition, the operation of the 15 km long railway line from Bomlitz
Bomlitz
Bomlitz is a municipality in the Heidekreis district, in Lower Saxony, Germany.- Location :Bomlitz lies on the Lüneburg Heath in a heavily wooded area...
to Walsrode
Walsrode
-Middle Ages:986 Foundation of Walsrode Abbey by Count Walo. The first recorded mentionof the town is dated May 7, 986.1383 The dukes of Brunswick and Lüneburg grant Walsrode a town charter.1479 First recorded instance of Walsrode's coat of arms...
(Bomlitz–Walsrode railway
Bomlitz–Walsrode railway
The Bomlitz–Walsrode railway is a railway line in the German state of Lower Saxony that is operated by the Osthannoverschen Eisenbahn .- Route :*Bomlitz–Gleisdreieck –Cordingen...
) is operated by the OHE for the benefit of Dow Wolff Cellulosics
Subsidiaries
In addition to the company metronom and its main rail transport business the OHE operates a number of subsidiaries - mostly symbiotic to its main operational mode:- Kraftverkehr Osthannover GmbH (KOG) - a road transport business established 1973.
- Kraftverkehr Celle Stadt und Land GmbH (KVC) - a shareholder of Cebus GmbH & Co. KG, operator of coach transport.
- Osthannoversche Umschlagsgesellschaft mbH (OHU) - provides storage and handling facilities at the ports of Hafen Wittingen on the ElbeseitenkanalElbe-SeitenkanalThe Elbe Lateral Canal, or the Elbe-Seitenkanal in German, is a long canal in Lower Saxony, Germany. It runs from the Elbe near Lauenburg/Elbe to the Mittelland Canal near Gifhorn. It forms an important transport connection between southern and northern Germany, and it provides a bypass of a...
- Uelzener Hafenbetriebs- und Umschlags-GmbH (UHU) - Operates the port of Uelzener Hafen on the Elbeseitkanal.
- Unikai Hafenbetrieb Lüneburg GmbH - Operates the port of Hafen Luneberg
- Verkehrsbetrieb Osthannover GmbH (VOG) - A bus route operator with over 50 vehicles operating in the counties of Soltau-FallingbostelSoltau-FallingbostelHeidekreis is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Harburg, Lüneburg, Uelzen, Celle, Hanover, Nienburg, Verden and Rotenburg.-History:...
, LunebergLüneburg (district)Lüneburg is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Lüchow-Dannenberg, Uelzen, Heidekreis and Harburg, and the states of Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania .-History:The Amt of Lüneburg appeared in 1862...
und HarburgHarburgHarburg is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It takes its name from the town of Harburg upon Elbe, which used to be the capital of the district but is now part of Hamburg...
of northeast Lower SaxonyLower SaxonyLower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
Rolling stock
A variety of steam locomotives were inherited from the predecessor companies. Between 1946/49 22 steam locomotives of the Deutsche Reichsbahn (Classes 55Prussian G 8
The Prussian Class G 8 locomotives were eight-coupled, superheated, freight locomotives operated by the Prussian state railways. There were two variants: the G 8 built from 1902 with a 14 tonne axle load and the "reinforced G 8" built from 1913 with a 17 tonne axle load...
, 56
Prussian G 8.3
The Prussian G 8.3 was a 2-8-0, superheated, freight locomotive with three cylinders. It was developed to redress the lack of goods locomotives after the First World War. The inspiration to design a 2-8-0 locomotive based on the 2-10-0 Prussian G 12 came from Württemberg. The first vehicle was...
, 75.6, 76
Prussian T 10
The Prussian Class T 10s were tank locomotives operated by the Prussian state railways. They were procured for duties between Frankfurt and Wiesbaden between 1909 and 1912. This 41 km long route between the two termini was to be worked without turning the locomotive. Because the engine tended...
, 91
Prussian T 9
The Prussian T 9 was a class of German steam locomotive which included several types of tank engine, all with six coupled wheels and two carrying wheels operated by the Prussian state railways.-T 9.1:...
, 92
Württemberg T 6
The Württemberg T 6 was a German, 0-8-0T, goods train, tank locomotive operated by the Royal Württemberg State Railways.The T 6 was specially procured for heavy shunting duties and was mainly used in the Stuttgart area....
) were acquired to meet the demands of the increased traffic on its lines; they were operated under their old class names (but with new serial numbers); at the same time the existing locomotives were given new designations: Three locomotives were classified as Series 89, four as a 92.
Additionally 13 railcars were used on the OHE, inherited from predecessor companies, including four Wismar railbus
Wismar railbus
The 'Hanover version' of the Wismar railbus was developed in the early 1930s as a light railbus for economical passenger services on branch lines in Germany.- History :...
es.
Between 1954 and 1959 seven large MaK
Maschinenbau Kiel
Maschinenbau Kiel GmbH designed, manufactured and marketed marine diesel engines, diesel locomotives and tracked vehicles under the MaK brand name. The three primary operating divisions of Maschinenbau Kiel GmbH were sold to different companies in the 1990s.Rheinmetall acquired the military...
locomotives and some Esslingen railbus
Esslingen railbus
The Esslingen railbus is a diesel railbus first delivered in 1951 for private railways in Germany.- History :...
es were acquired. In 1965, the last steam engine retired.
The OHE operates a fleet of 30 diesel locomotives of various types; from small shunters, to the giant diesel locomotives of the AdTranz
Adtranz
ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation , commonly known under its brand Adtranz, was a multi-national rail transport equipment manufacturer with facilities concentrated in Europe and the USA....
Blue Tiger
Blue Tiger (locomotive)
The Blue Tiger is a type of high powered diesel-electric locomotive developed by AdTranz in association with General Electric.- History and design :The prototype was unveiled in 1996....
family. Whilst previously the 'connecting rod' MaK
Maschinenbau Kiel
Maschinenbau Kiel GmbH designed, manufactured and marketed marine diesel engines, diesel locomotives and tracked vehicles under the MaK brand name. The three primary operating divisions of Maschinenbau Kiel GmbH were sold to different companies in the 1990s.Rheinmetall acquired the military...
diesel locomotives were the backbone of the fleet, the company now makes use of articulated B'B' locomotives from MaK
Maschinenbau Kiel
Maschinenbau Kiel GmbH designed, manufactured and marketed marine diesel engines, diesel locomotives and tracked vehicles under the MaK brand name. The three primary operating divisions of Maschinenbau Kiel GmbH were sold to different companies in the 1990s.Rheinmetall acquired the military...
such as the MaK G 1202, G 1204 and G 1205
MaK G 1205
The MaK G 1205 is a class of four axle B'B' diesel-hydraulic locomotives built by the Maschinenbau Kiel factory.-Description and operations:The locomotives are of a similar design to the MaK G 1204 BB locomotives, with hydraulic tranzmission, B'B' wheel arrangement, and off-centre cab.The first...
, additionally three original 1600 hp G 1600 locomotives are still in use, and a further two similar locomotives of lower power.
A notable set of three locomotives are the extensively modified "DH 1504" DB Class 216 types (see Class V 160 variants) - OHE designation 2000 85, 2000 86 and 2000 87. Another 'attraction' are the 'Blue Tiger' locomotives - which replaced the Deutz diesel locomotives of type DG 2000 CCM
Many of the locomotives have been modernized and equipped with new engines, radio control etc.
For mainline route service, the OHE uses the DH 1504 (2000 hp), the Bombardier DE AC33C (3300 hp) as well as three locomotives of the EuroRunner
Eurorunner
The Eurorunner family of locomotives are a series of medium to high power diesel electric locomotives built by Siemens for the European market. Introduced from 2002 onwards, they share design characteristics with the successful Eurosprinter range of electric locomotives, also built by Siemens.The...
type (Siemens ER 20) (2700 HP) In the late 2000s four Vossloh G2000 BB
Vossloh G2000 BB
The Vossloh G 2000 BB is a four axle heavy shunting and mainline locomotive built at the former MaK plant in Kiel. At the time of its introduction in 2000 it was the most powerful hydraulic transmission locomotive in Vossloh's range....
(3000 hp) and one Vossloh G1700 BB
Vossloh G1700 BB
The Vossloh G1700 BB is a four axle B'B' medium power diesel-hydraulic locomotive manufactured by Vossloh Locomotives GmbH. in Kiel.The locomotive type is operated by private rail operators in Germany and Austria...
(2300 hp) have also been leased.
In addition, several electric locomotives of the Bombardier Traxx family are operated.
Literature
- Hütter, Bretschneider, Uhl, Kasper: Vom Kleinbahnnetz zu den Osthannoverschen Eisenbahnen. Verlag Kenning, Nordhorn 1997, ISBN 3-927587-71-0
- Hans Wolfgang Rogl: Die Osthannoverschen Eisenbahnen. Alba, Düsseldorf 1996, ISBN 3-87094-232-0
Sources
- OHE company website ohe-transport.de
- Private website about the OHE - Information on history, rolling stock and track network of the OHE. Also photographic galleries by region bahnbetriebswerk-13.de
- Private website about the OHE - History, stock lists, photographs, information on models produced of OHE rolling stock kdtroeger.de
External links
- Arbeitsgemeinschaft Lüneburger Verkehrsfreunde e.V. "Heide-Express" website heide-express.de
- Private Website with OHE locomotive details wunnicom.de