Afternoon all!

 

Came up with a suitably catchy headline only in the middle of writing the below travelogue, so since I initially posted it on ERs, I should now like to regale the rest of the RMweb community with an interest in trams as well!

 

First leg of my round this morning was to the terminus of Line 1 at Lausen, travelling through tue boroughs of Schleußig, along the border of Plagwitz and Kleinzschocher, and through the "Plattenbau" parts of Grünau.

 

 

 

On weekdays, every second turn of Line 1 goes to the Volbedingstraße loop in the Schönefeld borough, signed as Line 1E, while the rest proceed to Mockau as Line 1. As the Mockau branch is also served by Line 9 to and from Thekla, interval frequency is still sufficient on that section. Here, 2101 and company are ready for the next up turn to Mockau.

 

 

 

The Lausen loop also serves as a stabling point for tram and PW stock, and thus is fenced in and under CCTV surveillance.

 

 

 

My ride for the next leg would be 2140 and company on a Line 1E turn to Schönefeld.

 

 

Along the way, I hopped off and had a look at the major construction site across the railway line south of Plagwitz Station. I understand the Antonien Bridges had to be demolished and are to be rebuilt, so the tram tracks had to be provisionally relaid across the temporary bridge, yielding a rather serpentine path!

 

 

 

 

 

Halfway across the temporary bridge, the line merges down to one track on the western approach. Note the catenary-mounted signals and associated route request switches which tell the automated routing system to prioritise any tram travelling west and not allow any trams going the opposite way into the single-track section.

 

Generally, route setting on German tram systems is provided by induction-based transmission with onboard and ground transceiver units, the latter most commonly being located inside the running rails. Each car (or formation) is assigned a specific turn number similar in function to a train reporting number, which is transmitted any time the car passes a set of route setting transceivers. Each turn number is assigned a specific route, so that all points are set automatically to direct the car to its destination. It is, of course, possible to override the default route when detours are necessary. Common alternate routes are usually provided, and in addition, drivers may also use a set of route setting buttons provided on the instrument panel. Finally, points can usually be reset manually using a lever carried in the cab of each car if the electronic systems should fail.

 

 

 

The project information board, which in cases of public engineering projects are, to my knowledge, mandated by law.

 

 

 

Looking towards Plagwitz Station…

 

 

 

 

…and south.

 

 

 

 

 

Doesn't qualify as a real portrait, I know, but I liked the view of this Line 1 service headed by 2108 snaking its way through the maze.

 

 

 

 

Telephoto capture of 1142 "Ulrich von Hutten" on Line 2 to Naunhofer Straße. For the duration of this construction project, Line 2 operates on a 20-minute minimum interval to relieve route congestion.

 

 

 

 

Another reason for the extended minimum interval is that public engineering works are also in progress on Könneritzstraße, requiring an extended single track section as the water piping is renewed.

 

 

 

 

2111 and company creep through the single track section…

 

 

 

 

 

…as is 1119 "Kaiser Friedrich III." which is, technically, in wrong line operation.

 

 

 

But the Day of Detours did not end just yet. Due to an abandoned building in imminent danger of collapse along Georg-Schumann-Straße, Line 10 was rerouted to the Line 4 terminus at Landsberger Straße in Gohlis, and Line 11 proceeded as Line 16 to the Trade Fair Centre,

 

 

 

 

1154 "August Bebel" is seen here on a rerouted Line 10 turn, calling at Coppiplatz (near which, I should add, we actually reside).

 

 

 

 

1124 "Marianne von Ziegler" rolls through the Landsberger Straße loop, which every few minutes was filling up with Line 4 and Line 10 cars…

 

 

 

 

 

…and back onto the road for its next Line 10 turn to Lößnig.