Evening all!

 

As promised elsewhere on RMweb, I should like to regale you with a selection of photos taken during a special charter which me, several colleagues and a number of public transport enthusiasts from Leipzig and Berlin attended yesterday.

 

This charter was arranged on the occasion of plans for taking Leoliner 1302 – the second of the two prototypes – out of passenger service this summer and refitting it as our new training car to replace the Tatra T4D car 5001 in this role in order to have a suitable replacement available when the remaining fleet of Tatras will commence retirement. 1302 will most likely be extensively modified for this role, among other things including – as per our information – the removal of Door 1 and conversion of the area above Bogie 1 in the forward body segment into an enclosed, air conditioned saloon for learner drivers and the instructor while on the route.

 

In addition, 1301 will be withdrawn from passenger service as well, and also be converted in a departmental tram. However, the precise purpose has yet to be decided upon.

 

Our itinerary covered a sizeable part of our network, starting at Angerbrücke Depot at 8 am on a day of glorious sunshine.

 

 

 

 

In a sense, this image on the Zeppelin Bridge spanning the Elster Basin could be said to foreshadow 1302's destiny.

 

 

 

 

It was a quiet morning still when we stopped at Koehlerstraße in the borough of Reudnitz, though we did attract curious looks from passers-by wherever we went. I wonder why!

 

 

On our way to Stötteritz near the Stötteritz Station stop on Stötteritzer Straße. Can you follow?

 

 

This location is on Prager Straße, just beyond the Old Exhibition Centre which, as mentioned elsewhere, has been converted into a business and retail park.

 

 

 

 

Approaching Lößnig, which is the shared terminus of Lines 10 and 16.

 

 

 

 

This curve from Wiedebachplatz onto Bornaische Straße will be regularly worked in just a couple of weeks when Dölitz Depot goes back on line after its extensive refurbishment. In a sense, the signage on 1302 thus again foreshadows future events.

 

 

 

 

During their first years in service, 1301 and 1302 were exclusively booked onto Line 11E Wahren-Dölitz, and almost invariably run as a "tract". At that time, these two cars could be combined with either in the lead, though today, it is only possible to couple them with 1302 leading as 1302 has electric control contacts only on the rear coupler and 1301 only on the front coupler.

 

It's also worth remembering that at the time, the prototypes had conducting couplers, so the trailing car could leave its pantograph down and be fed traction current from the leading car – much like our Tatras are configured.

 

 

 

 

This was already on Markkleeberg's terrain where the final stretch to the Schillerplatz loop is single-tracked and set in the centre of Bornaische Straße.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, we simulated a short turn around Wiedebachplatz, returning to Connewitz Kreuz along Arno-Nitzsche-Straße and then travelling right up to Schkeuditz.

 

 

 

 

Of course, the sign on the OHLE mast applies only to the uninitiated!

 

 

 

 

The Sternburg Mansion in the borough of Lützschena on the very outskirts of Leipzig.

 

 

 

 

Sure is nice to be out driving when the entire city is in green and bloom! This was at the Exhibition Centre…

 

 

 

 

…where we simulated a Line 16E service as operated for extra exhibition transport schemes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This location on Wittenberger Straße in the borough of Eutritzsch was, in fact, on Line 14's route for years before it was first modified to terminate and reverse through the holding area on Kurt-Schumacher-Straße immediately west of Central Station, and now into a quasi "Circle Line" rounding the city centre and starting and terminating at Plagwitz Station.

 

 

 

 

At Thekla, we commemorated the one and only Line 9 there ever was.

 

 

 

 

To the left in the background, you can see one of the two stabling areas of Wittenberger Straße Depot…

 

 

 

 

…where we rolled in to say hi.

 

 

 

 

At the Landsberger Straße terminus in the north of Gohlis. Line 56 was one of the night tram lines which, if I'm not mistaken, existed till the second half of the 1990s.

 

 

 

 

On Lindenthaler Straße just south of Coppiplatz.

 

 

We then rode out to Miltitz and stopped on Lützner Straße against this colourful mural.

 

 

 

 

A simulated Line 8 service and a real one!

 

 

 

 

Concrete slab prefab housing blocks in Miltitz which had most likely been the rage during the GDR era.

 

 

Leaving the terminus. The destination signage is something of an in-joke as Probstheida is where Lokomotive Leipzig, one of the two best-known local football clubs, have their stadium.

 

 

 

 

We also paid a visit to the old Leutzsch Depot…

 

 

 

 

…which is actually located in a rather pleasant area with numerous early-1900s mansions.

 

 

 

 

Our final jaunt took us out to Grünau and Lausen where we next stopped between Kurt-Kresse-Straße and Herrmann-Meyer-Straße.

 

 

 

 

Trackage to Grünau is completely grade-separated for an exciting high speed experience!

 

 

 

 

Passing the parkland along Klingerweg.

 

 

 

 

And while I personally will completely stay out of the rivalry thing between Lok Leipzig and RB Leipzig, we did take the opportunity of the latter club just having moved up to the German Premier League that day for signing 1302 accordingly.

 

After that, we returned to Angerbrücke after a long but absolutely fun day out on the rails!

 

Thanks for looking and do feel free to ask any questions you might have .