Work train around Zeitz
111 002-2 by the White Elster
Saturday, 15.03.2025
On March 15, 2025, a work train hauled by locomotive 142 001 set out as a "forerunner" to the Städteexpress. It was the third attempt to get this specific train running for us enthusiasts—and the last one, too.
As is well known, the line from Leipzig-Knauthain to Gera is undergoing complete reconstruction starting in May 2025, meaning the old "Reichsbahn flair" will vanish for good. It was all the more special, then, that this train was able to embark on its symbolic journey.
The train’s day began in Gera. Through a series of shuttle runs to Crossen, Bad Köstritz, Haynsburg, and Zeitz, it gradually made its way to Leipzig-Knauthain. From there, it undertook further shuttle trips back to Zeitz, Crossen, and Bad Köstritz before returning to Gera.
There, at the unloading ramp for the T174, a delightful surprise awaited: an IFA S4000 truck with a raised tipper body—the kind often used by coal merchants—was standing by for the long-awaited "Weimar excavator," which was now ready to begin its work. It was the perfect finale to a magnificent day.
