GERMANY: June 2024
Rühlermoor oilfield, Twist, Exxon Mobil
(Gauge: 900mm)
Only one of the large Schöma locos was seen in use (No.32), which was hauling one of the hot water tankers to a mobile drilling rig of just off the main Torfwerk Strasse road in the south of the site. Two of the smaller Schömas (No.25 and No.27) were in use hauling 2 flat wagons with excavators and on track maintenance respectively. There appeared to be a reduced level of activity across the site compared to previous years.
Schömas 25 and 27 heading back home to the compounds down the main road Torfwerk Strasse.
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Rühlermoor oilfield, Twist, Klasmann Deilmann
(Gauge: 900mm)
All peat harvesting and transport appeared to have recently finished on the south side of the Rühlermoor site. The temporary lines on the last peat field had recently been removed following the final trains only about 2 weeks before. The last two fields to be worked out were now being re-landscaped and will be allowed to flood.
The track formation can still be clearly see on the above photo but all evidence of the rail operations into this pit will be removed over the next few weeks.
On the northern side of the site, only one remaining peat stock pile was seen, with temporary tracks and an excavator in position for loading. However no peat trains ran on the day visited. It is unclear how long this remaining peat may take to clear, and following this it may signal the end of peat operations on these moors. The only Klasmann train seen on the visit was a track demolition train taking up tracks on another temporary line on a now exhausted pit on the north section of the site. There is just one rail crossing over the main Rühlermoor road, where originally there had been 3.
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Rühlermoor oilfield, Twist, Jan Kwade
(Gauge: 900mm)
The Jan Kwade Diema (Die Wilde 13) was available for use, attached to a flat wagon in the Jan Kwade compound but not used on the day of the visit. The other two locos were now stored off the tracks and look unlikely to be used here again.
(Posted 14.06.2024 Source: Steve Thomason)
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