Overview

• An SWR spokesperson confirmed the editorial unit will be dissolved at year’s end and no further episodes will be produced afterward.
• Episodes already in production are slated to be broadcast in 2026, providing a short-term continuation on air.
• Hagen von Ortloff, the creator and longtime presenter, criticized the decision and appealed in a YouTube video for the team to be retained.
• The series has run since 1991 and, according to von Ortloff, has yielded more than 1,000 episodes focused on steam locomotives and historic railways.
• Installments aired on SWR and other ARD third channels and Arte, with recent years adding availability on YouTube and the ARD Mediathek.