Museum reopening instead of whitsun steam days
The coronavirus does not like the usual spectacle. But at least the DDM reopened on whit saturday after a week-long break. Those responsible had prepared intensively for the reopening and had worked out guidelines to protect the 500 or so visitors. It was particularly pleasing that after a break of around three years, the miniature railroad was finally able to make its rounds in the open countryside again, as the rail network had been fundamentally renovated as part of the museum development concept. Free rides were offered to the visitors, which caused great joy especially among the smallest railroad enthusiasts.
What triggered a huge aha effect among the visitors right from the start in the new entrance building was the running gear of the 012 080-8 express locomotive, which was placed on a rail in the original and also started to move. District president henry schramm (CSU), who together with district administrator klaus peter sollner () and mayor alexander wunderlich (CSU) was among the first visitors, said: "it really is a great new entrance area, and with the lauerk, visitors can see very clearly how a steam locomotive works." Millions have been spent on the new entrance area alone; the redesign is intended to help make the museum more attractive.
District administrator klaus peter sollner thanked the foundation of german railroads for making the lauerk available on permanent loan. Mayor alexander wunderlich was pleased that the steam locomotive museum was able to open its doors again after the corona-related closure: "we are glad that it is now gradually becoming possible to view and admire our museum again."
Among the visitors was sven schuhmann from lauf an der pegnitz, an outspoken fan of steam locomotives, and his six-year-old son florian, who is also a railfan. "It is of course a great pity that the whitsun steam days will not take place this year, but it is great that the small steam train is running again. The new entrance building is very successful", he said.
With taimo fromel from munchberg and tobias eberhardt from fichtelberg, two members of the munchberg railroad friends were among the visitors who know the DDM inside out from the annual model railroad exhibition. Taimo fromel: "i was particularly interested in the extent to which the museum development concept has already been implemented." He had liked to see the new entrance building integrated into the railroad feeling with the reddish brick construction, but as far as the interior was concerned, he was full of praise. Tobias eberhardt also expressed his satisfaction with the concrete construction in the entrance area: "but it’s great inside, even with the lauerk, I like it a lot."