adhesion operations occurred in 1927 with steam locomotives that could operate on the rack sections (with Riggenbach counter-pressure brakes), which now also hauled the trains while facing uphill because of the comprehensive introduction of fail-safe air brakes and more powerful locomotives. From the 1950s, the traveling coaches were mostly reinforced by a second double-decker section. From 1971, six-axle diesel locomotives of DR class V 180 (class 118) were used, which were able to haul a load of 155 t over the steepest gradient. The journey time on timetable route 622 was at least 70 minutes for the 32 kilometres between Ilmenau and Schleusingen. From 1995 onwards it was operated with class 213 locomotives. On the steep slopes, the locomotives always required three independent braking systems. In the summer of 2006, Rennsteigbahn operated trials with class 612 (RegioSwinger) and class 650 (Regio-Shuttle) diesel multiple units, in particular to test the braking systems of these sets and their ability to handle steep grades on the line. Since the beginning of 2007, RegioSwinger sets have been able to operate to Rennsteig. On 24 March 2007, the 612 176 set first ran the line as a non-public special train to prove its suitability for Rennsteigbahn. DB Regio class 612 sets ran on the line as special excursions for the public in January 2011. The Federal Railway Authority (Eisenbahn-Bundesamt) finally granted approval for the operation of Erfurter Bahn's Regio-Shuttles on the steep grades without additional modifications on 24 January 2014 after it had been drafting a new set of rules for several years. Schleusingen–Themar This railway was opened in 1888 by the Werra-Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft to connect Schleusingen to the Werra Railway. This gave Schleusingen a long-awaited connection to the railway network, thereby giving an important stimulus to the economy and making possible a revitalisation of the Rennsteig region around Schmiedefeld. The former mayor of Ludwigsburg, Schleusingen, had long fought for it, just as he did later in relation to the Rennsteig Railway between Ilmenau and Schleusingen. The railway was purchased by the Prussian state railways in 1895. Scheduled traffic was discontinued on the line on 16 June 1998. Thus Schleusingen was separated from the rail network with the closure of the Rennsteig Railway and the Suhl–Schleusingen railway a few weeks earlier on 31 May 1997. In 2003, Rennsteigbahn GmbH rented the Rennsteig Railway along with the Schleusingen–Themar railway. Occasional special excursions are operated from Ilmenau and