REPORT ON TRIP TO GERMANY: 18 TO 25 MAY 1996 Date: 2 June 1996 By: Philip Richards CompuServe: 101471,731 Introduction I have been visiting Germany for over 10 years now, from memory I have lost count of the number of actual trips made, that is certainly an indication I have some liking for the country and its railway! A lot has happened over those years, the biggest change being the merging of the former DDR with the BRD. By the time that had happened I was getting well acquainted with "West" Germany. The "East" was very much a no go area, no rail passes available, no discounts/free rail travel for other European Railway staff, but worse still the difficulties you had to go through to get visas etc. As soon as the Berlin wall came down and the door began to open up to another world. Unfortunately by them main line steam in the East had all but gone, the narrow gauge steam was the first centre of attraction but very soon I was beginning to discover an immense network of quiet rural routes and dead end branches to explore. Political views aside, it was inevitable that the sort of network like the former DR would not last forever. Virtually from the start of unification passenger loadings on many lines dropped to serious levels, the writing was on the wall almost straight away. I decided to make a big effort over the early part of the 1990s to visit as much of the old DR as I could. Inevitably I have missed out on one or two bits. Planning the trips has always been a work of art in itself, frequency on some lines has not helped but introduction of some sort of a regular interval timetable on other lines (as per most of the former West) is beginning to become the norm on most of the lines that are likely to stay with us. I haven't neglected the former DB, though compared to the former DR I find it very stereotyped and the mass introduction of the Class 628 railcars to replace diesel loco hauled services on many secondary and branch lines has taken away some of the sparkle. Its almost a repeat story of that in Britain, accountants now rule the railway, the public seem to like the new vehicles so rail enthusiasts will have to face facts. The other big change that is beginning to take place in Germany is privatisation. The big discussion point here in Britain at present, it would seem the German approach is different in by selling off individual lines to private operators. I covered a couple of ex DB lines this time - my first time of venturing off the main network. Saturday 18 May 1996 This particular trip started off with my normal exit from the UK - Eurostar. Eighteen months in service and the Bruxelles services are still (generally) poorly loaded. I still say it is the fare structure at fault and the fact it is not easy for neighbouring countries (e.g. Germany) to sell. One benefit is a therefore a nice spacious environment to start the trip off. Uneventful, on time as usual. On arrival in Bruxelles I have to buy a ticket to Aachen and since there are no decent bars at Midi station I head for Nord instead for 30 minutes or so before picking up EC47 "Alexander von Humboldt" as far as Koln. Presumably due to no availability of the booked multi-voltage Class 16 or 18 Class an impromptu loco change during the booked 3 minute stop Aachen for SNCB 2760 to be exchanged by DB 110.252! The DB conductors had there usual feast of collecting the 6DM InterCity/EuroCity supplements as soon as the train pulled out of Aachen. Fortunately I had pre paid mine, but the Supplement system across Europe is one of the most annoying factors for travellers who are not acquainted. The DB seem geared up for it, they seemed to be able to get everyone to pay up by asking in virtually language! Slightly late into Koln where I changed for my run on to Bremen, InterCity hauled by 103.179. My destination for the night was a town called Bremervorde, a change at Bremen for Bremerhaven where I alighted at the unstaffed halt called Wuhlsdorf. I had to buy a ticket for the remainder of the journey since the line has been handed over from the DB to the Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser GmbH (EVB). The self service ticket machine on the platform was vandalised and the driver showed a degree of dexterity by writing me out a ticket and driving the train at the same time! The EVB would appear to have at least 4 railcars identical to DB Class 628 (numbered 151 and above), DB 628.522 was also in traffic on the EVB along with ex DB 216.067. One other loco 286 (ex DB Class 211?) and a power car plus trailer 4 wheel railbus set. Sunday 19 May 1996 Despite breakfast was officially from 0800 on Sundays, a couple of coach parties meant an earlier start was allowed for breakfast, there is nothing like starting the day off with a German self buffet breakfast! My train went at 0816 so as to complete the line as far as Buxtehude where it joins up with the DB on the Cuxhaven to Hamburg line. Push pull set with 218.427 complete with a reversal at Hamburg-Harburg took me into Hamburg Hbf. On to Altona next, the starting station for trains on the line to Westerland my one and only timetable reading error for the trip came to light as we were pulling into the stop in between, Hamburg-Dammtor. I forgot to check that since last September InterRegio and InterCity trains from south of Hamburg going towards Kiel and Flensburg no longer have to reverse and change over to diesel traction at Altona. "This train does not stop in Altona!" the conductor announces. Oops! So I quickly have to jump off not realising I could have stayed on as far as Elmshorn and picked up my plan from there! Fortunately there was a train right up behind going into Altona and I made my connection. 218.184 as far as Heide (Holst) where I covered the branch to Busum worked by 628.683. The Busum branch saw a reasonable level of traffic, is one that is kept open all weekend, several DB branches in the former West see no service usually after around 1400 on Saturday and nothing at all on Sundays. From Heide it was further on up the Westerland line to Husum (218.109 powering), where I covered the next branch to Bad St Peter-Ording (worked by 628.221) complete with reversal at Tonning. Again quite healthy traffic levels. I completed the day by taking one of the more unique workings left in Germany these days and as far as I can work out the only through workings off the main system on to a private line. 218.156+218.185 on one of the through InterCitys to Westerland as far as Niebull where the two leading coaches are detached and shunted on by the 218s onto the single railcar to work the Dagebull branch. This branch owned by Nordfriesische Verkhrsbetriebe AG (NVAG) isn't exactly well off for rolling stock. The train down the branch consisted of the sole railcar on their books (T4 - identical to the OBB Class 5047) plus the two DB coaches. In order to access the branch the railcar has to propel the train right back to the junction of the former line to Tonder in Denmark before pulling forward on to the NVAG line which runs behind the DB station. I had to buy a ticket off the NVAG conductor who seemed a little bemused that I didn't want a ticket for the connecting ferry! The landscape was flat and uninteresting and the train went at a very sedate pace to end up at Dagebull Mole (translation = pier) where ferries depart to the off shore islands of Wyk and Amrum. The small village of Dagebull must be one of the more unusual places I have stopped in Germany for the night but it does boast 4 rather reasonable hotels and plenty of places to eat. Monday 20 May 1996 I awoke to find it was very wet and windy, after breakfast I wandered down the road back to the harbour, the train back up the branch was again 2 DB coaches, two NVAG coaches hauled by the one and only loco owned by NVAG DL2. One again I confused another conductor by the fact that I had somehow got on the train before the two connecting boats had arrived! The shunting movements at Niebull were a lot more straight forward than on the way down since the two through coaches (ending up in Passau!) simply had to be coupled on the back. The same two locos were in use on the InterCity which I took as far as Heide. I had 90 or so minutes to kill so after a couple of lineside photos I wandered off into the town to the tourist thing, buy postcards etc. The next few hours were spent covering the AKN Eisenbahn AG network. The line from Heide to Neumunster was another line that until recently was operated by the DB, there was still DB freight on the line and the passenger trains carried at DB train number although worked by AKN rolling stock. The whole of the AKN is worked by a fleet of very modern 2 car diesel railcars based at a depot at Kaltenkirchen. The first run was via the Neumunster line where I changed trains for the rest of the system. The best the DB at Heide could do for me ticket wise was as far as Ulzburg, by then I was well into the Hamburg area (HVV) and the easiest way of covering the rest of the system was to get a 9 hour HVV all system ticket. From Neumunster I went as far as Ulzburg Sud, completed the short branch to Garsted, back then to Ulzburg before completing the rest of the system to Hamburg Eidelstedt. I am afraid the whole system impressed me very little except perhaps the way that it runs very efficiently, most of it on single track. It is very much a modern, purpose built system, a case of cover it the once and that's it. The AKN joins up with the Hamburg S-Bahn at Eidelstedt which I took as far as Hbf for a well earned drink, bite to eat and visit to the WC - no provisions for any of them on AKN trains or stations! I was never all that impressed with the ICE first time I sampled it about three years ago, but in order to get to Gottingen in time to complete my days plans I had little choice. I am not over impressed with the whole design, there seems to be too much wasted space, wide spaces, weird colour scheme and the hard seats. However set 401.083 despite leaving Hamburg about 10 minutes late on train ICE777 made most of the lost time on a superb non stop run to Hannover followed by a very impressive run on the Neubaustrecke after Hannover. My personal favourite high speed train design has got to be the TGV/AVE/Eurostar all of which are quite similar in style inside the train. On arrival at Gottingen, I doubled back to Northeim behind 103.105 on IR2478 before completing a circular trip back to Gottingen via Bodenfelde - the last two runs of the day being in 628 Railcars. Tuesday 21 May 1996 Last nights German TV news got me a bit worried - it looked as though there was about to be a wave of strikes affecting public services - tram services in some cities were affected and I had to walk right past a picket line outside the main Post Office in Gottingen on my way to the station in the morning! Needless to say the DB wasn't to be affected by any such strikes. Today was to be quite a hectic day, numerous short runs with some tight connections. For the next 3 days or so I was to spend in the former East, on the plan for today was 4 short dead end branch lines before ending up in Leipzig for the night. The day started off at 0816 with 140.809 for the short run to Eichenberg where I changed to go via one of the lines re-opened up after unification namely that from Eichenberg to Heiligenstadt. I took 143.302 as far as Bleicherode Ost for the first of the branch lines - namely that to Bischofferode. The line like several in the area is now worked by ex DR 4 wheeled railbuses affectionately known as "Ferkeltaxis" or "Piglet Taxis". The track on many of the branches is in an absolute dreadful state, I can only presume that years of working most of the lines with loco hauled stock and poor maintenance has resulted much of the infrastructure in reaching that state. The railbuses make traversing the line quite fun, loadings very light and just a couple of minutes turn around time at the end of the line to get in one's photos. Up and back with single car 771.035, 143.263 back to Leinefelde and then a traverse of the branch to Teistungen, this time worked by 772.162 with driving trailer 972.762. Back again to Leinefelde, then onto Muhlhausen behind my favourite German loco Class the 232s - Russian built for the DR and now vastly under utilised to the point where several have been withdrawn from service despite being only 20 years old or so. I took 232.179 to Muhlhausen for the third branch of the day to Schlotheim, again "Piglet Taxi" worked (771.057). More 232 haulage in the form of 232.589 via Erfurt to Goschwitz on the outskirts of Jena before taking 143.644 on double deck stock stock to Orlamunde. Highlight of the day must have been the forth an final branch 204.680 on load one (ex DR main line compartment type) up and back to Possneck unt Bf - my own private train both up and back! I am rather partial to the ex DR class 201/202/204 family which resemble the DB class 211/212 and perform similar duties. Whilst in the former West the DB utilised push pull to avoid run rounds at the end of the journey, the practice is a lot less common in the former East. In fact only double deck stock is push pull fitted, though turns up all over the ex DR, most dead end branches are loco and conventional stock (now nearly all ex main line - and very comfortable too!) Running round is therefore a very common occurrence with the train crew quite often performing out the task themselves. It makes the photography/video-taping aspect just that little more interesting! Back to Orlamunde and it was time to head onto Leipzig with 155.069 on a stopper as far as Jena Saalbf where I picked up IC704 worked by 103.139. Arrival in Leipzig Hbf, an impressive station to say the least to find the major rebuilding works well under way with a huge excavation on the former concourse! Wednesday 22 May 1996 My first objective of the day was to cover the line to Trebsen, not one that's under any immediate threat but one I have never got around to covering despite several visits to the Leipzig area in the past. 202.528 from Leipzig as far as Beucha, the branch line train was quite well loaded worked up and back by 772.119 + trailer 972.719. 202.262 took me back into Leipzig where I had a few free hours. First thing to do was find out what was going on between Reisa and Leipzig since engineering works involving building a replacement new bridge near Oschatz (on the main Leipzig to Dresden line) had over run. The DB computerResiseplanner got put to one side whilst it took the lady on the information desk on the concourse (trying to cope with all the noise from the building works going on!) a good 10 minutes fumbling through papers to sort the revised times back from Reisa to Leipzig for tomorrow night. Alas it added over an hour on to an already late finish so I had to set about re-planning tomorrows plan later in the day! I decided to visit one of the depots in Leipzig in the spare time I had, I had no trouble in finding the depot to find one of the half roundhouses at Bw Leipzig West shut for building works so I tried my luck on the other side of the line. After (eventually) finding the right person to arrange permission, I was given an impromptu visit around the shed just as the heavens opened up! A couple of interesting things on shed, albeit tucked right at the back and too dark to photograph, E04.01 and E44.046 both now reserved for special workings. Making my way back to the Hbf and after some lunch I embarked on covering some lines to the south east of Leipzig, awkward to cover as far as the timetable is concerned and it took a whole afternoon to cover very little in fact. A quick run on the Leipzig S-Bahn to Leipzig-Leutzsch (143.211) where several trains to the outlying secondary routes start rather than at the Hbf. 202.454 to Porsten a junction station what appeared to be in the middle of nowhere where I had a 70 minute wait for my next train! Fortunately there was life about a Km along the road where I found a bar for a quick drink before returning back to the station. The peace and tranquillity of the afternoon was then broken when 232.677 on its load of two at a real snail's pace came around the corner to take me on to Deuben, under utilization or what? One of the first evidence of lines being taken over in the former East by private owners was evident at Deuben, the Karlsdorfer Eisenbahn GmbH (KEG) are in the process of taking over some of the lines in the area, though still crewed by DB staff and my DB ticket was accepted, the stock ex AKN has been bought by the new company to take over loco hauled services from the DB. I had a couple of runs in the 4 wheeled railbuses from Deuben to Teuchern then on to Naumburg. A brief main line line run behind 143.124 to Grosskorbetha to complete the network of lines with 202.457 back via Porsten and Deuben on to Zeitz. 628s are getting everywhere in Germany and the delivery of several examples to Leipzig has seen them take over virtually all services on the Gera line so it wasn't too much of a surprise when 628.595 appeared around the corner to take me back to Leipzig to finish off the day. Thursday 23 May 1996 I had managed to re-plan today's moves, centred mainly on the lines around Cottbus, several of them electrified but somehow not covered in the past. Nice and leisurely start with 143.831 on the 0903 out of Leipzig Hbf (IR2853) all the way to Cottbus. Top priority was then to cover the line via Forst to Weisswasser, the section beyond Forst due to close on 1 June. Load 2 double deck coaches worked by 202.795 - many others on the train beyond Forst - not a soul! Back from Weisswasser to Cottbus via the direct route via Spremberg (232.162) it is interesting to note that most of the station names in this area are bilingual German and Polish though all other signs etc. are in German. After a quick lunch, a series of runs all behind Class 143 electrics - Cottbus - Senftenberg - Doberlub-Kirchaain - Falkenberg - Ruhland. I then had a break from electric traction with 232.264 sporting a slogan on the side "Selektive Entladung DA FEW mit CAN-BUS" - presumably re-engined. The 232 and its newly fitted engine was certainly not under any great tests here - a very sedate run to Ortrand, 30 minute wait, 18 minutes run to Grossenhain Cottbusser Bf for another 30 minutes station stop before the final 5 minutes to Priesterwitz - hardly surprising the trains don't seem to fill up! I took 155.112 as far as Reisa to be faced with another slow journey back to Leipzig, there was no point going via Dobeln since that wouldn't get me back to Leipzig until midnight! A shuttle service was operating to Oschatz, bus to Dornreichenbach (to by pass the engineering works), then not one, but two trains into Leipzig - by then I had enough for one day - it is the sort of farce you normally expect in Britain, usually I have not been mucked around like this in Germany! Friday 24 May 1996 I said my farewells to Frau Felmann the proprietress of the small hotel I use in Leipzig each time I go, I was jokingly instructed I must come back again next year! Today's moves started off with exactly the same train as yesterday, this time in the hands of 143.821 as far as Torgau. I then took 202.741 on the threatened line to Pretzsch for another long wait, so it was a case of seeking out the village to see what was there on offer. I eventually located a bar to enjoy a beer before returning to the station. I then continued onto Lutherstadt Wittenberg behind 202.249, another train with a load one before making my way on to Bunde via Dessau, Magdeburg and Hannover. The InterCity between Magdeburg and Hannover being a Friday was very well loaded and I almost gave up looking for a seat. I ended up in Bunde for the night simply to be in a good place to start in the morning. Bunde isn't exactly a lively town by any means, the hotel I booked into was virtually empty and I didn't feel like spending the evening there so I ventured off to and came across a good restaurant at the other end of the town. Saturday 25 May 1996 Last day today, it rained constantly all morning, photo shots at the end of the lines this morning were something of a total washout! Before heading back home I fitted in a couple of lines, formerly through routes, now only dead end branches. The first from Bunde to Rahden which used to be extended through to Basum, 628.540 up and then back to Bielefeld. Then the branch on to Dissen Bad Rothenfelde - until a few years ago extended through to Osnabruck, 628.613 up and back before returning home Bielefeld to Maidstone in a little under 9 hours. EC46 back all the way to Bruxelles, 103.158 to Koln, SNCB 1606 taking over for the rest with assistance up the banks at Aachen being provided by 215.024 and Liege with 2722. Spot on time arrival in to Bruxelles Midi, one wonders what might have happened if the connection was late - hold a Eurostar back - I don't think so somehow. Yet again lightly loaded Eurostar mainly shoppers out on special day return tickets. Conclusions If anything a fairly general run of the mill trip to Germany. On a plus note timekeeping was exceptionally good, worst delay was 10 minutes or so (apart from the delays around Reisa), in the past I have found the DB to be unpredictable, like Britain you can have some bad days with missed connections and the like. My first venture out onto private owned lines was an eye opener, I wasn't all that excited about the AKN but I have never been all that excited about urban systems anyway. After numerous trips in the past, photography seems to be becoming less of an activity for me in Germany. Whilst the former DR branch line termini are excellent locations for photography, ones on the former DB seem to be full of obstacles - posts everywhere getting in the way. The other hindering fact is a noticeable increase in graffiti on the rolling stock, presumably lack of security results in the spray can artists having the freedom to display their works of "art". This is by no means the last trip, there is still more lines to cover, but the list is getting shorter and I look forward to my next return, hopefully within a year. Finally if anyone has enjoyed reading this article, has any questions, comments etc. to make please let me know, my CompuServe ID is at the beginning of the article.