Copyright © Uwe Rau

The history of "The Laura" by Uwe Rau

The towns and municipalities of the Weimarer district fought for a train connection at the end of the 19th century. A committee was founded after numerous activities on 12-20-1880 which represented the interests of the municipalities. The district council besides other suggestions, the train project Weimar–Rastenberg (and Grossrudestedt) had agreed, and ways of the financing had to be searched after that. The Grand Duchy of Saxony Weimar was well at a "Secundairbahn" (this was a private local railway) but financing wasn't interested on. The "Weimar-Rastenberger Eisenbahn-Aktiengesellschaft" train company founded on 3-29-1886 in Weimar. The Dresden banking corporation was even almost the great and late only major shareholder next to the city of Rastenberg and the grand ducal government. Saxony Weimar became assigned the franchise for the train building and business of the government of the Grand Duchy on 4-1-1886. The WRE was a private narrow-gauge secondary train and became in accordance with the "law for trains of subordinate meaning of 6-12-1878" as 1-meter-narrow-gauge train builtly and operated. The train business was opened for the passenger traffic and on 8-29-1887 for the freight traffic on these distances on 6-26-1887: Weimar – Buttelstedt (14.62 km), Buttelstedt–Rastenberg (16.79 km) and Buttelstedt–Grossrudestedt (19.63 km). The railroad traffic from Mannstedt to Buttstädt (2.83 km) was taken on 11-18-1891. At first five machines for Hartmann (year of construction was 1886) performed the traffic. 1888 and 1891 two new machines were invested. The economic associated field was of the beginning weakly, no considerable trade settlements took place after the train building either. One of the few taller train customers was the brickworks in Buttelstedt. The good emerge which sufficed it was so low adjust (Pmg) the freight cars into passenger trains. Regularly pure freight trains merely were in use with beets and grain or other products at the reaping time.The brickworks also had to transport great crowds at raw materials and products. However, a hindrance remained the expensive and time expensive good cover in Weimar or Grossrudestedt. A rolling buck business failed because of the weak superstructure and the bad financial position. The hoped upswing failed to appear therefore. When the railroad didn't meet the expectations put into her, the owners sold this for a bargain price on 4-1-1898 to the Berlin train businessman Herrmann Bachstein. The "Bachstein" company, this one "Centralverwaltung for Secundairbahnen Herrmann Bachstein Berlin", was already since 1897 a business leader of the secondary train. Herrmann Bachstein was born in Apolda on 4-15-1834. He collected experiences as employee of the Berlin train businessman Richard Strousberg already early at the building and the financing of trains. The Gotha–Ohrdruffer railroad was Bachsteins first project on Thuringian territory. He received the order to the making of this train as independent businessman on 1-19-1875. He founds his train enterprise of his own, the "Centralverwaltung for Secundairbahnen Herrmann Bachstein GmbH" (CV) with seat in Berlin, for 1878/79.His son, Herrmann jun. took the buissnes after the death of Herrmann senior 2-4-1908. The CV had numerous narrow-gauge railroads in the German small states and was the at that time largest German private train enterprise. All Thuringians' "Bachstein" railroads (among others Esperstedt-Oldislebener railroad, railroad Wutha-Ruhla and Weimar-Berka-Blankenhainer railroad) were put under the authority of the business department Thuringia with seat in Weimar. As economic result of the first World War the end of the WRE considered next to Bachstein. However, protests and a rejection on the part of the state government Weimar prevented this. Bachstein negotiated with new train customer after that and built the "Buttstädt-Rastenberger Eisenbahn" railroad to go in into the lucrative potassium salt business near Rastenberg. On 5-30-1910 were the passenger traffic opened at the destination Rastenberg–Buttstädt and made the narrow-gauge railroad superfluous to Buttstädt. Mannstedt to Buttstädt was shutting down in October 1910 the short distance after that. WRE distance branch to Rastenberg a financial participation of the municipalities didn't take place, put Bachstein on 6-17-1923 after quiet, also this one. Under the supremacy of the CV 1923 arose due to the generally bad financial position, the foundation of the Thuringians railroad company (Theag). This capital company the management was centralized and simplified. The workshop service for example was transferred for all "Bachstein"-railroads to Weimar to the new central workshop at the Berkaer station. At first with the Theag the unprofitable trains seemed to be saved under the "Bachstein" direction how the losses compensated for the Weimar-Berka-Blankenhainer railroad (WBBlE), then profitable trains. In 1923 the railroad named in "Weimar-Großrudestedter Eisenbahn" (WGE). All greater repairs and periods weren't carried out in Buttelstedt but in the Theag central workshop in Weimar now any more. Bachstein also increased the freight rates; however, not obtained the hoped upswing with that. The customers simply took her product to the nearest state railroad station. The motor traffic moreover made competition to the train enterprise increasingly. Used S.H.E.-Mallet engines came in 1925/26 from another "Bachstein" train – called "Südharzeisenbahn". The train operating also becomes a modern style with a factory-new railcar for WGE T06 from Dessau and as of 1934. 1939 a stronger benzene railcar (WGE T07) was still passed on temporarily to the WGE of the SHE. 1943 planned for the branch line to the fascist concentration camp "Buchenwald" and the Gustloff factorys the "Bachstein" company in the order of the fascist regime and also took the management. After the move of the American troops in April 1945 the business was stopped temporarily on the narrow-gauge railroad. The Theag fortune was confiscated and it was discussed as the further business could be made possible. The complete track material should but and the vehicles of the WGE are taken away in the Soviet union, one however couldn't transfer the traffic performances to the motor traffic at first since it was a lack of trucks, busses and fuel. The "Laura" still had a chance till April 1946. One agreed with the Weimar district to get the "Buchenwald" distance for the important removal of country economic products and for the passenger transport at least. A passenger transport was carried out between the Weimar north and Grossobringen to the end of the branch line and the narrow-gauge railroad after negotiations of 11-11-1946 up to 10-3-1953. The beet transport also could be guaranteed so after attitude of the narrow-gauge railroad. At first runner of the almost 11 km long distance was the head office of businesses owned by the Land, Thuringian train AG, Weimar, called "Hauptverwaltung Landeseigener Betriebe, Thüringische Eisenbahn AG – Weimar", an enterprise followed from the Theag. Only on 4-1-1949 the East German National Railways ("Deutsche Reichsbahn") took the freight and public transport up to the finally end of the public traffic on 1.4.1959. To make a freight transport in the north of Weimar possible furthermore the tracks were till flagged shortly before the railroadbridge "Dürrebachbrücke". 1995 the freight transport ended to the Weimar north definitely and the tracks were dismantled.

source: "Die Laura, Die Buchenwaldbahn", Fromm/Rockstuhl, B.Langensalza, 2005

"Weimar-Rastenberger Eisenbahn" railway

Station Guthmannshausen with WRE reception building

Map (1910)   •   Map (1943)   •   Map (1952)

SHE-Engines

Recovery of car W.R.E. Nr. 6 BCi

Field railway 600-mm