"BAD DOBERAN TO KÜHLUNGSBORN" Bad Doberan by AsturArcadia

This is a 15.4 km, 900 mm gauge railway, inaugurated on 9 July 1886 from the market town of Bad Doberan to Heiligendamm (6.5 km) and extended to the Baltic resort of Ostseebad Kühlungsborn on 12 May 1910. The line, its motive power and rolling stock were declared a technical monument in 1976, and in pre-Unification days around a million passengers a year were carried. The first kilometre or so of the route runs through the narrow streets of Bad Doberan, the remainder across open arable farmland and through the coastal woods. The 128 metre summit of the forested Kühlung ridge provides a landmark over to the west. In March 2009 the line – now operated by the private company Mecklenburgische Bäderbahn Molli – took delivery of a brand new steam locomotive. 99 2324 was built by Dampflokwerk Meiningen, which is a subsidiary of the state rail operator DB, using 1932 blueprints with construction realised using modern technology and incorporating modern safety standards. The locomotive was built in just 15 months, made its first test run at Meiningen on 20 January 2009, and was exhibited at the National Tourism trade Fair in Berlin between 11 and 15 March. It was scheduled to enter service, working alongside its three sisters, 99 2321m 2322 and 2323 (built by Orenstein & Koppel in 1932), in June.