The commemorative locomotive
The commemorative locomotive is situated at the intersection of Altmuehlstrasse – Buergermeister-Doebler-Allee alongside the “Parkexpress” miniature train for children. The mighty locomotive, one of the famous express trains from the 01 series, was installed in 1969 and commemorates the construction of the railroad 100 years beforehand. It also commemorates the fact that Treuchtlingen’s history is closely related to the railway network. The economical growth which the railway brought about allowed Treuchtlingen to go from a market municipality to a town in 1898.
Treuchtlingen became a railway junction and a town of railway workers (“Eisenbahnerstadt”). While the town may have been full of soot as a result, the move brought about a period of job security. However, during the Second World War much of the town’s strategically important railway equipment was destroyed and, following the railway’s reconstruction and the electrification of the tracks, more than a thousand jobs were lost.
Treuchtlingen is still located at a railway junction and is an important stop for a lot of regional and long-distance trains. As a result the town enjoys excellent transport links in all directions.
The 01 series locomotive was based in Treuchtlingen’s railway depot and hauled express trains on the Munich-Frankfort connection and further. The 01 220 train was built in 1937 by the Henschel company in Kassel. In 1968 the train was withdrawn from service. During its service it covered a distance of 4.5 million kilometres. It weighs 184 tons, is 24 metres long and was capable of a top speed of 130 kilometres per hour.