Steamysandy

There's also a German version with a Harz 2-10-2t. I saw it advertised on the back page of a German magazine!

Yes Auto correct is a pain!Obviously I meant Consett (D5100 is one I remember but I think all of the D 5096 to D5112 batch appeared in East Lothian during these early days!)

My first sighting of an English Electric type3 in Scotland was D6857 on Haymarket shed freshly transferred. One found itself on the 14-25 Edinburgh to Newcastle and was recorded as noteworthy at the time.(This train had some very interesting motive power at times - including Gatesheads Class 24s later used on the Concert ore trains!)

Popfarben was applied in the mid 1970s (1974 onward but was very short lived in most cases) I visited Rheine - Emden in 1975/6. The Expresses to Norddeich Mole were in Popfarben being formed of 3 blue banded 2nds and an orange banded1st.A fifth vehicle was noted in three different colours ( Green,Pop Blue band and Torquoise and Cream) I believe repainting was carried out by 1980 or shortly thereafter

The combination of the two Germany's railways didn't take place until 1994.I transited through Berlin en route to Poland in May 1992 and went on a steam hauled railtour to Meiningen Works in October 1993. There was still a different feel about things even then. That was my last European trip. Locos were 44 1093 and 50 3501 with SSN 23 023 from Meiningen back to Rotterdam ( all three locos on the train from Meiningen to Arnstadt!!)

My first visit out of Britain was to the Mosel Valley with the LCGB on 4 th of October 1970.140-231 picked us up at Venlo and took us to Monchengladbach where 4-6-2 no 003 111-2 took over for the run to Koblenz Lutzel via Koln and the right bank mainline.After an engine change ,001-073-6 headed along the Model Valley to Bullay where the train was split and a section made an out and back run to Traben Trarbach edit behind 0-10-0 t no 094 640 normally a shunter at Dillingen steelworks. 001073-6 continued toTrier where the train reversed to head over the EifelBahn behind 044 178 to Euskirchen. We ended steam in the dark with 055 647 and 848 to Aachen where 140 231 was waiting to take us back to Venlo. I got to Koblenz in 1986 and Tried ( behind 41 241!) in 1992 but I've never been back to the actual valley.

The section from Inverkeithing South Junction to Rosyth Junction where the Admiralty line into Rosyth Dockyard still exists as far as I know.This saw regular workings including daily workman's trains known to have been worked by D11/2 Directors.More recently the then brand new class 159s for Network South East were sent to Rosyth for fitting out by Babcock and Willcox by this route On the other side a spur ran into the Ship Breaking Yard where many fine vessels met their end. The Cunard liner Mauretania was one example while some of the upturned hulk's of German battleships recovered from Scapa Flow were among others. A number of Britannia class locos including 70004 William Shakespeare were also cut up here. Hope this is of interest

A native of Magdeburg lived nearby for some time. He had seen quite a bit but he had kept in touch with someone in Magdeburg. One of his observations was that if the Russians could have put wheels on it,the Cathedral would have went East as well!

Strangely enough photographing steam was apparently a regular thing .There's a DVD titled Steam to the Borders which was a record of a British Group going round the various narrow gauge lines by bus just before the wall came down. I've seen film of the End of West German steam at Rheine in 1977.On one of the Special trains a group have a load of photos--- of East German Steam! I know someone who visited Saalfeld on a number of occasions. I think the best one was when a group in West Berlin organised a charter within West Berlin.The Reichsbahn sent 18-201 and some of the latest double deckers and that was only weeks before the wall came down! I think the need to acquire hard currency meant even railway enthusiasts were catered for to the extent of making a film titled Traktion mit Tradition showing railfans filming a train and then showing examples of the various Locomotives There was also the production of model trains of HO and TT gauges- Piko,Schicht,Tillig and Berliner Bahn being noteworthy.

Eisenbahn Kurier DVDs have a selection of programmes which cover the changeover and the opening up of the wall They're available through Platform 5 publications but bear in mind they're in German.Ive bought a load of them. Here's some that will be of interest:- 8158 Verkehrsknoten Berlin (Transport Hub)History of Berlin 8243 Interzonenzuge Interzone trains operation of services 8318 Grenzenlos Uber Deutschen Schienen. Frontier Posts over German Rails ( Pre war Germany) 8325 Die DR zur wende The DR during the change These four give you a basic starting set but there are more ,many duplicating material from above. Hope this is of interest

Hi Dave J8029.jpg 47457 on Harwich to Edinburgh / Glasgow. For a time was known as the European and terminated at Waverley.The stock was then used to form a rush hour all stations service to Dunbar,returning to Craigentinny as ECS.

I personally felt it wasn't as good as the Chris Tarrant programme which showed the derelict locos etc left behind when the original Ghan line closed

I believe that the class 100 Gloucester RCW units were banned from hauling tail traffic after an Edinburgh Area set had to be condemned with a stretched underframe having been thus used.

Hi Dave C18531 :- I remember seeing these trains heading north past Longniddry on their way to Rosyth Great Photos as usually

Hi Dave C12076 - The late pattern bracket semaphores are shown at their magnificent best!