ABUS service crane on the East Frisian Island of Langeoog

Tourists wishing to make their way to the East Frisian Island of Langeoog (www.langeoog.de), meaning long island in the local lingo) will have to leave their cars on the mainland and cross by ferry over to the island which is devoid of standard motorised vehicles (except for the fire engine and the ambulance). After arriving at Langeoog’s port they then reach the main town on the island via the island railway which has been running for well over a hundred years (www.inselbahn.de). Langeoog’s railway first started operating in the summer of 1901 and now can look back on a long and varied history. Starting out as a horse-drawn service it was only in the thirties that powerful Deutz diesel locomotives took over.

In July this year both ferry and train had an unusual passenger: an ABUS crane. It was an ABUS single girder rolled section crane of the ELV type with a span of 6.28 metres and a load capacity of 3.2 tonnes. This crane is now doing service in the engine shed to maintain and service the trains because it does not matter whether you have an ICE high speed train or a more leisurely island railway—each train requires regular maintenance and having all its individual components checked! But not only the way of transport was special, it was also the first ABUS crane to make its way to any North Sea Island confirmed Mr Hochmuth who has been working as a representative for ABUS in the north of Germany for well over twenty years.