Premiere for the onlookers and for the Gimter jetty at the former water exercising site of the Bundeswehr: Employees of the Dutch water transport company >Van der Wees< assemble the last part of the ramp for loading the colossus. (Photos: Hattenbach)
After more than four hours the pontoon
boat
with the 240 tonne component cast off in
Gimte.
Hessisch Lichtenau / Gimte. The towing machine
chuffing away, the metal ramp squeaking, the colossus is on the
move. It is 18.15 hrs on Saturday. The 240 tonne component of
Maschinenfabrik Richter slowly slides onto the pontoon boat. Made
in Hessisch Lichtenau (see background, top left) it is now finally
starting its journey to Russia.
The current of the River Weser is strong and the ramp is already
shifting a little. The large and small tractor units which brought
the pontoon to the Gimter jetty at 15.40 hrs are pushing as hard as
they can. The job isn't done yet, the men in brown and blue
overalls wave their arms vigorously and give commands. "Slow, slow
- further, further."
Around one hundred curious onlookers, hobby photographers and
former sappers have collected on the jetty. "Almost like in
Bundeswehr times", calls one of the veterans.
The colossus moves further on the 96 wheels. "We are not doing
anything quickly, otherwise something will fall off or somebody
will injure themselves", says the transport project manager
Burkhard Sterz. Although the ramps have already had to carry tonnes
of cargo, they bend slightly. The wheels under the colossus press
tracking marks in the metal.
After ten minutes the sound of much applause. It's done - the
colossus is on the pontoon. The many onlookers have waited long for
this moment. Most were already here by 14 hrs.
This is the time the pontoon was expected to arrive at the jetty of
the Bundeswehr's former water exercise site. Yet it didn't come.
The people ate grilled sausages and cake while they waited. Axel
Richter, Director of the machine factory of the same name had
arranged everything for the people and insists on experiencing the
loading of "his" colossus on site on his birthday. "It's a special
event".
As the pontoon then finally arrived in Gimte, it took several
attempts to get the right angle with the jetty. A crane then
lowered the ramp and after a further one and a half hours the
colossus was ready to leave. The second 240 tonne component is next
on Wednesday afternoon.
Source: HNA dated 08.10.2007 (Pierre
Hattenbach)
