December 2014

At first glance, the gear box of the M00A no. 126 was intact and should not be worked up actually. However, the oil seals at the output shaft were obviously untight and oil exuded. So a dismounting was inevitable. It was found that the motor-side driver was totally worn and not fixed on the drive shaft and its conical seat had to be repaired. This meant a new production of - fortunately short - shaft and the seat in the driver disk by a friendly mechanic company. In addition, it was necessary to replace all bearings in the gearbox, as they were all worn too.

November 2014

Parallel to the works at her younger sister even those on the L180 no. 1361 go on. The LD2 no. 5863 is to be considered in terms of weight and performance as a successor to the L180, which is emphasized by the lying engine, which was very popular at the early mining locos. The benzol loco had a protective casing around the drive sprocket of the jackshaft originally. Unfortunately only the mounting brackets remained, so that the form had to be redesigned, as well as in the spare parts list was no representation of it. Without this case there is a risk of damaging the gears by picked up stones or metal parts from the track .
The wooden (oak) buffer inserts were long time ready for mount and now fitted, the tow hooks too. The fitting springs are in progress. The circumferential, strong metal strips of the buffers are made of of spring steel and struggled successfully all tries of bagging with the 3 ton-jack.

October 2014

Thanks to the active help of a hobby friend the frame and the axes of the LD2 no. 6331 are painted and now ready for assembling. Because of the new springs there is now enough space between the whieels an the frame for the exaust pipe. The next step now can be the refurbishing of the engine-gearbox-block.

August 2014

The wheel rims of the LD2 no. 6331 have been build-up welded and turned, so the profiles enable a correct working of the locomotive on the track. The exhaust gas scrubber must be re-fixed to overcome previous botch. The sand-blasted parts show many blowholes that need to be filled before painting.

July 2014

Since 2001 is an article on the website of Mauro Bottegal about the surviving locomotives of the gravel railway in Carturo (PD). A site visit at the time showed four under a large shed roof parked machines, the RL2 no. 3391, the RL4 no. 20028 and LD2 no. 10387 of O&K as well as a locomotive of the American manufacturer Whitcomb. Like Mauro wrote the state was quite good thanks to the roof, despite obvious long shut-down. The owners, two very old brothers, couldn’t get contacted. But at every journey in the region during the next following years a visit to the machines was made, however there was no changes except for a decline of the buildings.
Three years ago, a chance offered the first personal contact with the current owner, who said that nothing is to sell except an old digger. The key hint came by a years old post in an Italian web forum, referred to the purchase of a Decauville loco. The added photo in the post showed the RL2, in Carturo yet. So it was urgent necessary to check how it looks there! Fortunately, not the RL2, but the Whitcomb had been sold.
But that meant that the owner probably now considered to sell the locomotives. By another lucky circumstance, it was possible to find out an English speaking young man in a group of residents, who was able to get the phone number of the owner. With the friendly help by phone of a native speaker it could be made sure that the "Montanias" came up for sale. The rest was easy to manage unless the problem to order an empty truck, immediately before the start of the summer holidays in Italy.
The loading was done with the help a local crane company , probably one of the smartest from across the region, with a small, agile and strong (22t) "magic crane".
However, it got stuck at first on a wet meadow (it had recently rained properly), just like the truck, which should pull it out. But there was still the big tractor that was supposed to haul the locomotives from the dilapidated shed but didn’t have the slightest chance.

So the locomotives looked before starting of the works. They seemed to wait for the awake kissing. Sorry, no princes were present. However, three side panels have been lost in recent years, adjacent to the beautiful, large cooler of the RL2. The front panel of the RL2 and a side plate of the RL4 were missing already in 2001.



With difficulty the growth of the recent decades has to be removed.



Now, the crane can lift and drag, getting bit by bit with the telescope. With the help of the wheels he wasn't able to make it.



And at the end of the second, crooked shed he can lift the locomotive. The 8t the RL4 didn't seem to be a burden for the crane. The shed threatened to collapse all the time, but could not be pushed aside for the action. Then the bulidung lease would have been lost for...



A kind of procession was the way to the truck. Finally, someone had to keep the locomotive on the "track". For the loading the crana stands on the same place and the truck moved backwards.For the observer a confusing relative movement.



Now the RL2 could by lifted the same kind whereat it lent risky and left a deep furrow in the soft sand. But in the end, she was hooked.



The LD2 had to be brought "outside the box" to reach the "main line", no problem for the crane with the light locomotive. Compared to its big sisters it is almost a toy. By the way, the head of the crane team was, due to his technique, of respectable figure. And finally, a pure "Montania" loaded truck appeared. He was later completed with a MD2, for which the necessary space was left.



The locomotives reemaind under the shed since the year 1968. While the RL2 and LD2 complete the own collection, the RL4 goes to a fellow collector in Thuringia.

At once with the Carturo locos another Montania locomotive was acquired in Italy, which once was in duty for a construction company. This is - so far known - the last built machine of the type MD2 from 1963, still equipped with the original engine (two-cylinder in line). It is factory fitted with an electrical system and starter and mounted in the workshop Sesto San Giovanni, near Milan. Obviously it had from the beginning a red finish, as used by O&K later for the construction machines. The loading with a forklift was'nt without problems, so some volunteers had to support with their own weight. With this fourth locomotive the truck was fully utilized with 23 tons.

April 2014

The works on the frame of the M00A no. 126 go ahead, so that they will be back on their "feet" soon, after finally painting the bottom. Previously, the completely broken springs are changed by new ones and the missing weights on the left side are replaced. One of the two weights under the footplate was re-mounted and all buffer screws were exchanged. During the last operation of the locomotive the mechanics obviously believed that casting buffers could be welded, a mistake. The remaining weldseams have to be removed by grinding. The exhaust wash box was apparently used without water, but filled for better sound attenuation with old, crumpled cylinder head gaskets.

February 2014

The LD2 no. 6331 in mining design will be restored together with a similar loco, owned by a friend. So it will be easier to copy missing parts of one of the locos after the existing parts of the other. The result will be two nearly identic locos with only few differences. The decomposition showed a good substance of the machine despite of some superficial damage and considerable pitting. So the liner and the bearing of the motor and the axle bearings are perfectly. , However, only remnants of the suspension springs exists and the radiator needs a new gauze. The element of the injection pump has to be replaced but the nozzle insert could be refurbished. The cooling water pump was broken and all internal parts except the paddle had to be rebuilt. The axles have to be overlay welded and turned. The metal parts of the hood must be new built widely. However, the rareness of the loco justifies the effort.

January 2014

During the Christmas holidays the hint of a light railway friend offered the opportunity to buy MD3 no. 11709 from the Swedish Decauville railway museum at Frövi. The locomotive has no engine, but several years ago this was sold as a spare part to the Feldbahnmuseum Herrenleite, because it's cylinder heads were lost in Sweden. Luckily in Pirna the engine was not needed because the local MD3 could be restored without it's help. But the required cylinder heads are already existing and now it is possible to complete the loco. When attempting to mount a chanded engine, the hood was removed in Frövi and not completed. However, all housing parts incl. cooler are remaining. The substance of the locomotive is good at first glance, more details will be seen during disassembly.