Johann Marsbar Posted June 25 Author Share Posted June 25 A couple more of the tourist buses in Leipzig - A Mercedes cabriolet...... .....and rather amazingly, a genuine London bus! Was very surprised to see that given that it hasn't been "doctored" to make it a lower height - unless the Leipzig area has different vehicle height regulations to other parts of Germany. Back at the Hbf, I think this was our service on to Dresden....... Grab shot out of the train window passing through Radebeul Ost.......... Dresden had changed rather a lot since we were last there in 1981 and we had difficulty trying to find the hotel we stayed at at that time, the whole area around it being either a building site or completely rebuilt! The trams had changed considerably...... ....and the view from the river bridges was now dominated by the rebuilt Frauenkirche - still preserved as a pile of rubble back in 1981....... We were lucky enough to see a few reminders of the DDR era trams as we saw a couple of preserved ones out on charter work....... Reconstruction of the Schloss, over to the right background of the photo above, was still under way back in '81 and parts remained a gutted shell......... A second preserved car was seen on the way back to the station....... 15 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Lamb Posted June 25 Share Posted June 25 At one time there was a freight tram that carried car parts to the VW factory in Dresden. It tended to run at night. I only ever saw it once, being taken on a diversion after a late night out to find it. Bernard 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johann Marsbar Posted June 25 Author Share Posted June 25 3 hours ago, Bernard Lamb said: At one time there was a freight tram that carried car parts to the VW factory in Dresden. It tended to run at night. I only ever saw it once, being taken on a diversion after a late night out to find it. Bernard I was lucky enough to see it in 2014, but that was more by luck than judgement! I went out early (06.30, so not really that early for me when on holiday....) from the Hotel I was at in Dresden to get some tram photos and also some of the reconstructed buildings, in particular the Castle. My travelling companion wasn't particularly interested in trams so I told him the previous evening I'd meet up with him around 07.30 outside the hotel before we headed off to the Hbf for the train to Wroclaw. Walking back to the hotel - which was in the building in the background - what should come trundling past but the cargo tram......... 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johann Marsbar Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 Continuing the vintage theme, we found this Wartburg when we were on our way back to Dresden Hbf....... A couple of photos at the Hbf....... The next day, Sunday, was the Potsdam anniversary celebrations, but before heading off there we had some time in Berlin, finding this 234 on a train of Talgo sleeping car stock at Lichtenburg..... On to Potsdam and a couple of photos of their normal rolling stock.......... The main event was a tram parade from the City Centre at 12.30, but we did manage to see a few of the preserved cars passing Potsdam Hbf on their way to the event....... Car 23 was a visitor to the event from Magdeburg, one of two visiting trams from other operators, though the other one had come a bit further - actually from another Country! 15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonHMT Posted June 26 Share Posted June 26 (edited) On 24/06/2024 at 17:25, Johann Marsbar said: I didn't get there until October 1981 and I think that steam hauled services there had finished by then, but as we only stayed there one night I didn't really get a good look at what was about, particularly as the place seemed to be crawling with rather unruly football "supporters" and an equivalent number of Volks Polizei !. I know I only took one photo in the station and that was of what I assume was a driving trailer of some sort, painted blue & yellow. Can't remember if my Father took any and they are on a remote hard drive that's elsewhere at the moment. Someone who I know did go there a lot earlier than me (he's about 8 years older than I am) and he did send me this shot he took on one of his trips as he's currently scanning all his slides.... If the driving trailer was a single decker, it may have been one of these: https://www.gaugemasterretail.com/piko-53352-classic-dr-2nd-class-leipzig-s-bahn-control-coach-iv.html I bought one of the matching coaches last week cheaply from a local model shop, they really are quite attractive vehicles, though I must resist the temptation to buy the control car, for the moment at any rate! Many thanks for sharing your photos and insights, and also to others who have added to what is a delightful thread, Simon. Edited June 26 by SimonHMT Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johann Marsbar Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 2 hours ago, SimonHMT said: If the driving trailer was a single decker, it may have been one of these: https://www.gaugemasterretail.com/piko-53352-classic-dr-2nd-class-leipzig-s-bahn-control-coach-iv.html I bought one of the matching coaches last week cheaply from a local model shop, they really are quite attractive vehicles, though I must resist the temptation to buy the control car, for the moment at any rate! Many thanks for sharing your photos and insights, and also to others who have added to what is a delightful thread, Simon. That looks like the one! 7 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johann Marsbar Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 (edited) I don't normally put two full postings on here in a day, but as it's still too hot outside to do anything in the garden this evening, I might as well finish off the current trip report! This preserved Gotha set was the other one that we saw at Potsdam Hbf........ That was the usual rolling stock back in 1981....... We made our way to Platz der Einheit which was where the trams had gathered for the parade. Whilst there my Father struck up a long and interesting conversation with a bystander who turned out to be in the Luftwaffe and had spent a considerable amount of his time at the TTTE at RAF Cottesmore. The International visitor - from Vienna - led the parade out...... Followed by the preserved cars already featured and then some other ones...... ...plus a Tatra from the current fleet...... ...and a Combino in Centenary livery....... Unfortunately, our time was limited as we had to get back to a late afternoon flight from Tegel, rather than the late evening Ryotscare one from Schonefeld, but as the place is now shut, a few photos from Tegel are in order - particularly if you model early 2000's Polizei vehicles! The "contacts" re- tramway happenings in Europe had worked well on this occasion, and this would be repeated when we get to December that year, as you will see when we get that far. Three more trips between this one and then though....... . Edited June 26 by Johann Marsbar 15 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johann Marsbar Posted June 27 Author Share Posted June 27 As a footnote to the Potsdam anniversary parade, ViP do have their own vintage tram now (I don't count the 1950's/60's Gothas as vintage...) which is used for special events and in 2015 it was operating a special historic route on Sundays at least, as seen below....... Presumably that was not restored at the time of the 2007 event. 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johann Marsbar Posted June 28 Author Share Posted June 28 (edited) At the end of September 2007 I headed off to Baden Württemberg for a five day break, based for two nights at Singen and two in Freiburg im Breisgau, part of Germany I hadn't visited before and which also gave the opportunity to venture into Switzerland on a couple of the days - yet more new ground in most cases. A Germanwings Airbus A319 provided the transport from Stansted to Stuttgart....... ...and on arrival at Stuttgart mid-morning, I purchased a Baden Württemberg Lander day ticket from the machine at the airport station before heading off to the Hbf....... I caught a service from Stuttgart to Ulm Hbf where I had an hour or so break between arriving and catching an onward train to Singen. A quick look first of all at the Ulm tramway - down to just a single route at that time, but since expanded again....... ....and then back onto the station, where there was quite a variety of stock to see........... . Edited June 28 by Johann Marsbar 16 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johann Marsbar Posted June 29 Author Share Posted June 29 From Ulm I actually headed first to Friedrichshafen, where one of the vehicle ferries that traverse the Bodensee to Romanshorn in Switzerland is seen...... Loco hauled trains were still very much in evidence then, inclicing a 234 hauled IC service....... ...whilst other items of interest were this 225....... ....and a railcar from the BOB...... On to Singen, this SBB EMU is seen there, my hotel being adjacent to the station........ ...and a quite busy stabling point was also located not far away...... 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johann Marsbar Posted June 30 Author Share Posted June 30 The following day I had a rover ticket which covered the area around the Bodensee and which was valid on a selection of routes in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It's not the "Bodensee Ticket" which is the one currently available as that doesn't cover the likes of Winterthur which the one I had did. I most probably still have the ticket somewhere but I think it was called a "Hop" / "Leap" ticket or something like that as the advertising logo was a frog! I know when I tried to purchase one in Kreuzlingen the following year, it didn't appear on the station ticket machine but I found a Switzerland only ticket instead that covered all the area I really wanted to travel in - plus a bit more. First port of call for the day was Schaffhausen where the single line trolleybus route was at that time under threat of closure to be replaced by gas powered buses. A decision was made in September 2008 though to retain the trolleybuses and buy a new fleet of vehicles to replace these......... From Schaffhausen I carried on to Winterthur, location of another trolleybus network...... ...and also quite a bit of rail activity as well..... As this was all new territory for me, I attempted to cram as much as I could into the day and didn't ride some of the lines that were available on the ticket - one of these being the Frauenfeld-Wil line which I only photographed at Wil station....... I'd be back there to ride that line the following year though. Most of the trains travelled on to start with were the various Stadler built EMU's of a variety of operators, such as this Thurbo unit seen at Wil.... The "Thurbo" name on the side is in a peculiar typeface that never actually appears sharp when you view it, which is rather unusual. 16 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johann Marsbar Posted July 1 Author Share Posted July 1 One of the SBB double deck stock driving trailers at Wil..... ...after which I then moved on to Uznach where this Südostbahn EMU was seen....... ...plus this loco-hauled set........ I then caught a train that took me on to Rapperswil where I had timed my arrival to be able to see one of the classic Swiss steam paddle-steamers heading off into the distance! At least the rail activity there made up for missing that, with this older Südostbahn motor car...... ...an electric in advertising colours...... ...plus a couple of the older electric shunters........ From Rapperswil I then caught a service to St Gallen....... 17 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johann Marsbar Posted July 2 Author Share Posted July 2 At St Gallen you have the narrow gauge Appenzellerbahn and Trogenerbahn lines and the older stock in use on the latter line in 2007 is seen here.... Street running on the Trogen line features throuugh St Gallen and the tracks can be seen in the roadway in front of this photo of a St Gallen trolleybus...... Both of the narrow gauge lines will feature much more extensively - including riding on them - when we get to a trip in April 2008, as it was just a brief visit to St Gallen on this trip. Heading off on the train around the eastern end of the Bodensee to get back into Germany, I passed the lower terminus of the RhW rack line and was able to get this photo from the train..... ...though that is one line in the area I still haven't ridden on. Back in Friedrichshafen....... ...from where I took a trip on the ferry over the lake back to Romanshorn in Switzerland. On the trip over, this Zeppelin was carrying out its tourist sightseeing routine..... ..and before heading back to Singen via St Gallen and Schaffhausen, some more SBB motive power was seen at Romanshorn.... 14 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johann Marsbar Posted July 3 Author Share Posted July 3 The next morning I left Singen to head for Freiburg where I would spend the next night, with most of that day taken up by a visit to Basle. I had been to Basle, fairly briefly, back in 1980 but had never explored beyond walking round the central area. This time I had a day ticket on the local transport whilst there so was able to cover most of the City tram routes and the one remaining trolleybus line which closed in June 2008....... Some time was also spent during the day at Basle SBB...... ...and I finished off my time there by watching a procession of freights coming through Basle Bad Bhf...... 18 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johann Marsbar Posted July 4 Author Share Posted July 4 Basle Bad Bf was very busy with freight traffic at that time of day, particularly with BLS locos........ Whilst I would have liked to spend longer there, I had to continue to Freiburg for my overnight stop, though on arrival I didn't have far to walk to the hotel as it was on the station platform - one of the InterCity Hotel chain. The breakfast room in the morning had a good view straight out onto passing rail traffic! I'd not been to Freiburg before, so had a wander round the City Cente that evening, before finding a local brewery for a meal, though it was dark by then and photography was out of the question. I did head out early the next morning though to get some tram photos..... 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johann Marsbar Posted Friday at 05:15 Author Share Posted Friday at 05:15 From Freiburg I headed off to the Karlsruhe area for most of the day, some of the dwindling number of DB dual-voltage Class 181 being seen stabled at the Hbf...... The growing tram-train network in the area was also in evidence ..... Don't know anything about this rather futuristic looking LGV, other than it being parked outside the Hbf whilst I was there........ It gave the impression it had escaped from a Gerry Anderson production! The urban tram network was going over to low-floor operation..... ...though a couple of routes were still worked by the classic Duewag cars....... One route (the 5) remaining as such until 2013 at least. Karlsruhe also has a Parkeisenbahn and there is track down there somewhere, though it looked a bit incongurous trundling between the sunbathers....... Just before I left, this selection of Dispolok motive power ran through the Hbf coupled together...... I was staying overnight at Mannheim, where one of the newer RNV trams is seen outside the Hbf...... I had great fun finding my hotel there as Yahoo Maps decided that the hotel was actually about 2 miles from where it was actually located - a problem that I was going to have on a trip to the US a couple of years later as well. I did eventually find it about 5 minutes walk from the Hbf, rather than a longish tram ride out into the suburbs..... My guess is that the map programme was confused by the unusual city centre designation of areas by grid numbers rather than street names. 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erichill16 Posted Friday at 07:03 Share Posted Friday at 07:03 (edited) The Dispolok in the picture is the prototype for the Europsprinter range and therefore a one off. It was classified as BR 127 by DB. Only seen it once but couldn’t get a picture. Edited Friday at 07:58 by Erichill16 Spelling 3 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
U36B Posted Friday at 12:01 Share Posted Friday at 12:01 Quote Don't know anything about this rather futuristic looking LGV, other than it being parked outside the Hbf whilst I was there........ It gave the impression it had escaped from a Gerry Anderson production! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luigi_Colani 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johann Marsbar Posted Saturday at 05:51 Author Share Posted Saturday at 05:51 The following day I headed off back to Stuttgart for the evening flight home, starting off first in Heidelberg, where one of the fairly new Rnv trams is seen outside the Hbf there..... I then boarded a 218 hauled service to Heilbronn, passing the museum at Sinsheim where a fairly decent view was available of the Tu-144 they have there out of the train window..... More from Sinsheim later on in 2007. One of the Karlsruhe tram-train sets is seen at the tram station in Heilbronn..... I then carried on into Stuttgart where the opportunity was taken to get some "last" (or so I thought at the time) photos of the remaining metre gauge tram route there - Route 15 - on its line out to Ruhbank..... The standard gauge trackage for the U15 Stadtbahn line had been laid some time previously, but the high floor station platforms were still under construction. After that I took a run out to Weil der Stadt to cover the "track"....... ...seeing this PW railcar stabled at Stuttgart Hbf on my return...... I went back to the airport early to investigate the viewing area/museum on the passenger terminal roof and found it was a very good photo vantage point....... Even a USAF tanker from Travis AFB (California) put in an appearance...... The Germanwings service from STN to Stuttgart was also handy for day trips to the area as there were 2 flights a day at that time, but that only lasted a couple of years until it was reduced to just one flight. I'd be back there in December 2007 again, though I didn't know that when I boarded my flight back to Stansted that evening! 15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johann Marsbar Posted Monday at 08:10 Author Share Posted Monday at 08:10 I did another long weekend exploration trip in October 2007, this time staying in Düsseldorf for a couple of nights and using the Air Berlin route from Stansted direct to that City, the outward trip using one of their Fokker 100's, which made a change from the usual jets. I immediately headed off to Köln after arriving at DUS and spent some time observing traffic passing through Köln West, which is where todays selection of photos were taken...... 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johann Marsbar Posted yesterday at 05:33 Author Share Posted yesterday at 05:33 This post consists entirely of tram photos from the various operators, starting off with Düsseldorf early the next morning of the trip at the beginning of a long journey eastwards through the Ruhr carried out by tram from Düsseldorf to Bochum. In the past there was another link which would have taken me even further to Dortmund (and beyond) but nowadays the only way to do that is by using rail or bus services. Düsseldorf still had a route or two (conveniently including the one past my Hotel) served by the classic Duewag design cars and one of these (built 1965) is seen at the Hbf..... An older single unit from 1953 converted to a works car is seen passing the Hbf ..... The modern look in Düsseldorf is depicted out at Unterrath terminus..... Some 1974 stock is seen at Am Steinburg depot..... I then caught the U79 Interurban tram toute north to Duisburg, followed by the 901 eastwards to Mülheim an der Ruhr, a Duisburg car being seen here on that route...... Mülheim an der Ruhr has its own tram system and one of their 1976 built cars is seen in the City Centre...... Oberhausen trams also run into Mülheim an der Ruhr, with one of their cars seen on the 112 to Oberhausen Neumarkt....... They only operate the one tram route and even that was threatened with closure in recent years but was later reprieved. From Mülheim an der Ruhr, I continued east on the 104 to Essen, breaking my journey at Borbeck to get some photos, such as this Essen car from 1979..... From Essen, I carried on to Bochum, using tram routes U17/301/302 via Gelsenkirchen and then had to resort to rail travel to take me on to Dortmund. At least one car in Dortmund was still carrying their traditional brown livery...... ...though the rest were on the newer red/white colours...... The long tram journey was something I'd always wanted to do, but it took what seemed like an eternity compared with using the train! 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johann Marsbar Posted 3 hours ago Author Share Posted 3 hours ago As if the tram endurance test wasn't enough, I then headed off to cover a selection of rail lines I'd not been on before for the rest of the day, which included the routes in the Coesfeld area..... The last day started off rather damp but a visit was made to Solingen for the trolleybuses, with some of their unusual MAN 6-wheelers seen in the Town centre..... I've since managed to obtain HO examples of these in both liveries which were produced mainly for distribution with Wilkinson-Sword products which are manufactured in the area. The usually came in razor gift sets or the like! From Solingen I headed west over to Krefeld to travel on the tram network there. They were still using a number of (locally built) Duewag trams at that time, this one being seen outside the Hbf.... The route out to the district of St Tonis terminated in a photogenic one-way turning loop in the centre...... Then it was back into Düsseldorf for some more photos of their older cars..... ...before heading out to the Airport for the flight back to Stansted. Whilst the Wuppertal Schwebebahn is well known, there is a modern equivalent to shuttle passengers between Düsseldorf Airport and the rail station, as seen in this rather poor shot through a dirty front window of one of the cars...... That concluded the initial Ruhr reconnaissance trip and I would return there the next summer for a much longer look at the area - particularly the rail freight operations. This end of this batch of photos forms a suitable place to take a break from postings on this thread until next month, when we will head off somewhere completely different...... Some of which looked strangely familiar........ ....but the rest was rather different ........ 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 31A Posted 26 minutes ago RMweb Premium Share Posted 26 minutes ago Thank you for going to the trouble of posting these every day Johann; it's been fascinating to see where you've got to next! Looking forward to the next episode.... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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