01 202

The construction of German 01 series of locomotives for high speed trains began in 1925 and continued until 1938. 242 locos were built in this series for DRG (Deutsche Reichsbahn Geselleschaft).

These enormous machines proved theirselves very well, such that on 85 of these locos, new larger boilers were fitted on RFA (West German) as well as on RDA (East German) locomotives.

01 202 entered service in March 1937 with DRG and was shedded at Dresden. It was part of the 5th batch of machines and benefited from numerous improvements, details of which can be found on the site of the association which maintains and operates it: http://www.dampflok.ch. This loco retired from service on the 3^rd January 1975 and was then used as a stationary boiler at Hof.

Monsieur Werner Bühlmann purchased this machine which arrived in Switzerland on the 2^nd October 1975. This machine was completely stripped down and overhauled piece by piece. No compromises were made in the restoration works which took place at Münsingen up to the 18^th January 1983, then at Thun until the 01 202 returned to the depot at St-Sulpice on December 19^th 1988. The members of the VVT then supported the original team for five years (it had been 18 years of work overall), before this superb locomotive was officially approved for passenger trains, first of all between Travers and Les Verrières, then all over Switzerland.

For more details (only in German) visit the site http://www.dampflok.ch.

Verein Pacific 01 202 Wehrstrasse 14 3203 Mühleberg boeschurs@bluewin.ch

http://www.voisin.ch/vvt/ : 22.07.2007