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After the rheumatic clinic Bad Bramstedt (Rheumaheilstätte), today Rheumaklinik with the bathring (the shape of the building is a circle) at the Oscar-Alexander-Street was completed in 1931 the tracks of the light train with narrow gauge 600 mm tracks were built. The tracks ran from the clinic to the sawmp area.
For Mr. Oskar Alexander the neighborhood from the clinic to the swamp of about 2 km (1.1 miles). The mud was manually loaded on lorries and then hauled to the barn (Moorschuppen) also as winter storage. Then loaded further on bigger lorries and hauled with a small engine to the clinic. (As we could find out it was an engine made by company Jung, type MS 130, which was in service here) [Info 2014].
In the mud citchen the raw material was made liquid with water in big wodden tubes and heated up with steam. Patients enjoyed a special reserved mud tube during their stay in the clinic. After the stay the mud was returned where it came from and regenerated for a period of 10 years. A closed loop.
In 1939 the train became more effecient with its first diesel engine for hauling between the barn and clinic. During the years eight engines were in service. Last engines were purchased in 1950 and 1963. Thers engines are still in service. It was always very time consuming to maintain the tracks since they slowly sink in the sawmp.
Additional modernisation steps were taken in 1977. The mud preperarion plant (the building at the entrance) was connected with pipeline to and from the clinic. This mud was used for the mud movement bath and mud tub as described above. This was the end of the train service. The tracks between the clninc and the sawmp were removed, engines and lorries were stored in the barn. Nobody took care about it; the tracks in the swamp remained.
For swamp treaments and swamp kneading trucks were used for hauling to the therapy ring (the circle building mentioned above).
Source: "Die Bad Bramstedter Moorbahn 1930 - 1977" by Jürgen Kallinich. Downloard kindly provided by Mr. Jan-Uwe Schadendorf. Download pdf-Dokument.
Translation remark: The term Moor in has various translations into english language. We use the term swamp for the material as long its in the nature. When it us used for medical purpuse we use mud or medical mud.
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In 1998, Andreas Knopf acquired the remaining rails and rolling stock. First, it was intended to make the course run as a museum-industrial course and as an opportunity for patients of the rheumatoid clinic. A year later, the track was named "Wald- und Moorbahn".
In 2002, the support association founded "Förderverein Deutsche Feldbahn e.V". The association's members have put a great deal of effort into renewing and maintaining rails, changing tracks, locomotives and carts. In 2005, the 1950 engines underwent a total engine repair.
In the years 2009-13 opetration was almost stopped, as the sleepers were rotten in many places.
In June 2013, the restoration of the rail network was completed so that driving could be resumed. Since then there has been regular operation on the course and the number of members of the association has increased. 1400 m of rails have now been laid.
Expansion of the track's rail network is still planned and for this purpose a publicly supported development project has started. The TALIT project (Technology, Work, Landscape and Industrial Culture) is described here.
The operation with visitors offers an insight into moss nature and culture. The proceeds from ticket sales and gifts are used for the operation and further expansion of the course.
The management of the course has been taken over by Andreas Knopf from 1 June 2019. Many volunteers participate in the maintenance of the track and in preserving the nature of the moss for posterity.