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A Visit to Cologne


Claude_Dreyfus
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A couple of weeks ago, a small group of us from our club made our biennial trip to the exhibition at Cologne. This involved Eurostar to Brussels, with a 2 hour stop-over, and thence 90 minutes or so on the ICE to Cologne. A thoroughly civilised way to make the journey. Naturally, plenty of photos were taken, some of which are below.

 

Part 1 - Belgium

 

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Our steed from London to Brussels; 4031 (left) and 4013 at Brussels Midi 

 

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Thalys and TGV at Midi

 

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SNCB Class 21 2140

 

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Class 27 2743 approaches Midi

 

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Siemens 'EuroSprinter' Class 18 1834 arrives at Midi

 

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AM08 08036

 

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Another Thalys arriving at Midi

 

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Doubling up on the approaches to Brussels

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Part 2 - Cologne

 

The Thursday saw a visit to the exhibition, followed by a wander back to Cologne (across the bridge) and a couple of hours at the station - which always provides lots of variety. This was helped by plenty of engineering activity.

 

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Bombardier Talent - 358 - pulls off of the Hohenzollern Bridge 

 

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On the approaches to Cologne, at Messe Deutz

 

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That'll be 4 class 101s on this train - one at the front, and three at the back!

 

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101 109-7 pulls out of Cologne Hbf

 

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146 260 on a local push-pull

 

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143 925 heads out of Cologne - last time we visited Cologne there were lots of these knocking around, this time their numbers were more limited.

 

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Portrait of 101 046-1 - I like the roof patterns in this picture.

 

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111 158 departs

 

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RailAdventure class 111

 

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There was engineering work taking place at the north end of the station - which provided some crane action, as well as this class 2018

 

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Yet another IC Express arrives at Cologne, behind 101 041-2

 

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IC Pushpull driving trailer and ICE3

 

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Alstom LINT81 (DB Class 620) pulls out of Cologne with a Trier service, passing a distant 363

 

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ICE4 

 

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Talent 359 in National Express livery

 

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Track machine passes through the main station

 

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IC White liveried 146 576-4 with matching stock

 

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ICE1

 

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Not a great picture, but included as it includes the regular visits of Swiss stock - hauled by the usual class 101.

 

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This is an interesting tale, and you obviously had a good time!

 

I've been contemplating a short trip to the Rhineland for a while, having done a lot of travel and photography in Germany in the 80's and 90's, but not since. It would be good to see the place a couple of decades on, and I'd be looking at next Spring.

 

I wonder if I might trouble you for some guidance on how you organised the trip. I gather it's possible to book through the Eurostar site from St.Pancras to Brussels and onto Cologne as a package, is this how you did it? Any recommendation for hotels would also be gratefully received. I was contemplating some kind of area rover ticket on the trains for three or four days, and wonder if that was something you did as well?

 

Many thanks,

 

John.

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Day 3

 

Following a rather good dinner, and an early(ish) night, a couple of hours were spent at Cologne station (again).

 

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The station was nice and convenient from the hotel - this is the view from my room window...

 

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During the night, the engineering works provided another interesting loco. A former DR V201, now owned by a maintenance company.

 

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143 555 arrives with double-decker stock

 

Now for something a little interesting. This is a Siemens 'EuroRunner' diesel, operated by Westfälische Landes-Eisenbahn Gmbh (WLE); number 22. It was hauling a set of charter coaches. It paused for about 10 minutes, giving plenty of time for a few pictures...

 

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111 129 in front of the cathedral

 

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Transdev 460 on a regional service

 

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My first Taurus 1116 121 - this one being an OBB example on a sleeper/motor rail service

 

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NS operated ICE3 on an Amsterdam service

 

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Push pull driving trailer

 

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425 599-8 approaches Cologne under a rather impressive mass of wires 

 

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ICE1, 363 117-3 and Talent in the morning sun

 

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Train Rental International (TRI) service leaves Cologne, propelled by 110 469-4

 

Following this, we ventured off to some model shops. Just up the line, are the main sheds at Cologne. A couple of pictures...

 

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The very busy 363 is parked up, with what looks to be a TEE liveried carriage in the background.

 

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218 810-0 lurks in the background.

 

Then it was off to look at some shops and have lunch...

 

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This is an interesting tale, and you obviously had a good time!

 

I've been contemplating a short trip to the Rhineland for a while, having done a lot of travel and photography in Germany in the 80's and 90's, but not since. It would be good to see the place a couple of decades on, and I'd be looking at next Spring.

 

I wonder if I might trouble you for some guidance on how you organised the trip. I gather it's possible to book through the Eurostar site from St.Pancras to Brussels and onto Cologne as a package, is this how you did it? Any recommendation for hotels would also be gratefully received. I was contemplating some kind of area rover ticket on the trains for three or four days, and wonder if that was something you did as well?

 

Many thanks,

 

John.

 

The return tickets were booked via DB. There were four of us, and we had through tickets and seat reservations (on the ICE). Prices were very reasonable - albeit booked 90 days in advance (limit for Eurostar booking). Came to about £120.00 per person for the fares. I always use Booking.com, and the hotel (Hotel Kommerz) was ideally sited, and not too badly priced given the location. It is a 3 star, but clean and warm.

 

We didn't get any rovers, although we did buy a day ticket on the Friday, €9.00 for local trains and trams. There is plenty of interest in the city, aside from the railways. The cathedral is always worth looking at.

 

Final thing, there is a good bookshop in the station itself, with an impressive railway section. There are also a number of model shops scattered around the city.  

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After lunch, the group separated to do their own thing. A couple went back to the exhibition, whilst one had to go souvenir and gift shopping before going off Taurus hunting at Cologne Sud. I on the other hand, when freight train hunting, and wandered down to the Sudbrucker (South Bridge) to see what was going on. The weather was glorious (as it was the entire time we were there), but the sun set at about 4:30, so I only had a couple of hours.

 

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A 294 crossing light engine

 

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An ELL (European Loco Leasing) Siemens Vectron crosses the bridge with a train of container flats, loaded with what look to be chemical tanker.

 

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I was under the impression this was a freight route; however talking to another photographer on the bridge, a few passenger trains were diverted due to the engineering work in the main station.

 

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186 445 caught me a little by surprise!

 

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I wasn't in the best location to get this photo of DB Gravita 265 029-9 on a train of covered hoppers.

 

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ICE on the bridge

 

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186 492 heads west atop what looks to be a scrap train

 

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185 241-7 heads east with a train of empty container flats

 

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425 106-2 on a Monchengladbach service

 

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155 083-9 with a train of steel carriers.

 

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146 002 propels a push pull set over the bridge. Interestingly, I only saw passenger services heading west during my visit.

 

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Heading so close behind the passenger train, that it still hadn't crossed the bridge, this contain train behind E189 091 crossed the bridge running 'wrong road'...

 

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...followed a matter of moments later by fellow class-mate E189 985 on another train of container flats

 

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Super-power on what I believe is an iron ore (or it could be coal) train. 145 066-7 leads a trio west-bound

 

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294 682-0 and 294 649-9 rumble east-bound across the bridge

 

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Time for another Vectron - this time heading a rake of car carriers (loaded with Suzuki SUVs)

 

By this time the sun was low and the shadows starting to get in the way. Also, it was getting chilly, so I called it a day.

 

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Not, however before I caught this one final shot of a 185 cross the bridge light engine

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Next set!

 

I returned back to Cologne Central, so dropped in for a couple more minutes before meeting up with the others and heading off for dinner.

 

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323 223-9 indulges in a little shunting, as an IC white 146 disappears in the background.

 

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The ex DR201 was still loitering around the station when I returned.

 

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146 006-2 rests at Central station later that evening.

 

The following morning was time to go home. I spent the morning wandering around a very quiet Saturday morning Cologne, picking up provision for home (a couple of 'Printenmann' and some bottles of Kleiner Feigling), not to mention a blast from the past when I stumbled across a Woolworths; complete with G gauge display layout outside. As pleasant as such diversions are, I soon found myself back at the station and in the famous location between the station and the bridge to catch a couple of pictures in the morning light.

 

Firstly, just beside the cathedral...

 

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Recently there was a little area right beside the tracks, ideal for photography. Sadly, given the number of bottles and other detritus last time, I suspect it was used for other less salubrious purposes and this time is was fenced and locked up. You can still get a decent view beside the fence, so not all was lost.

  

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111 095-6 heads out and across the bridge

 

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101 035-4 obliges for the classic photo at Cologne, with the cathedral in the background

 

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National Express Talent 353 rumbles across the bridge

 

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Another LINT81 (620) pulls out of the bridge girders and into the station

 

 

 

And that was it. We boarded our train and headed back to to Brussels. Although a stop at Aachen provided this DMU...

 

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Just outside of Brussels was this little shunter

 

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Also just outside was this Vectron - 1884

 

And that was that. An uneventful change at Brussels - involving chips and beer - before boarding our Eurostar home.

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Many thanks indeed for your prompt and helpful reply. The fare you quote is a lot better than that indicated by the Eurostar website!

 

You obviously saw a wide variety of power. Back in the late '80's when I was last there, there were classes 103 & 110 on passenger services, with 111 on the local push-pulls in grey and orange, with freights behind 140, 150 & 151. A few 215, 216 and 218 as well IIRC. So all change now, with only the attractive red 111's from the old days.

 

Thanks again,

 

John.

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I wonder if I might trouble you for some guidance on how you organised the trip. I gather it's possible to book through the Eurostar site from St.Pancras to Brussels and onto Cologne as a package, is this how you did it? Any recommendation for hotels would also be gratefully received. I was contemplating some kind of area rover ticket on the trains for three or four days, and wonder if that was something you did as well?

 

 

 

 

You can through book to most major German stations by Eurostar and all stations by DB, they have different allocations of tickets so one can be cheaper than the other and offer different booking horizons. I prefer DB and a print at home ticket and if you book at midnight 93 days out (midnight German time so 11pm uk)  you can often get 59 euro standard or 109 euro first class tickets London to most places in Germany.

 

The cheap tickets DB sell, you have to be on the DB ICE between Brussels and Cologne, which is only about 1 in 3 trains, the most useful connection is a 10.5x from StP which gives about 20 minutes in Brussels onto a something like 12.2x to Aachen, Cologne and Frankfurt.

 

Local rovers are the lander tickets in the 25-35  euro range but if you are part of a group travelling together the 2,3,4,5th passenger is only another E5, these are NOT valid on EC/IC/ICE trains

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You can through book to most major German stations by Eurostar and all stations by DB, they have different allocations of tickets so one can be cheaper than the other and offer different booking horizons. I prefer DB and a print at home ticket and if you book at midnight 93 days out (midnight German time so 11pm uk)  you can often get 59 euro standard or 109 euro first class tickets London to most places in Germany.

 

The cheap tickets DB sell, you have to be on the DB ICE between Brussels and Cologne, which is only about 1 in 3 trains, the most useful connection is a 10.5x from StP which gives about 20 minutes in Brussels onto a something like 12.2x to Aachen, Cologne and Frankfurt.

 

Local rovers are the lander tickets in the 25-35  euro range but if you are part of a group travelling together the 2,3,4,5th passenger is only another E5, these are NOT valid on EC/IC/ICE trains

 

Yes, our journey our was the from 10:58 StP. We had two hours at Brussels (plenty of time to grab a taxi to the Grand Place and have a beer), before catching the 16:23 Brussels - Cologne. We got to our hotel at about 18:00. Return was the 11:43 from Cologne, with about an hour at Brussels before onwards to StP. I live about 50 miles south of London, and got home at about 18:00.

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Always found Koln a fascinating rail hub, though I've only been there 4 times. Two of those have been in September & December 2018, and the station was every bit as busy and interesting as it was when I first went there in 1981 on a family holiday to Rudesheim am Rhine. Then it was all 103's, 110's, 140's, V200's & V100's plus varied emu's & dmu's.

The third time was a brief stopover on the way from Waterloo to Prague. I had done Eurostar to Brussels, IC forward to Koln via Aachen, for an overnight to Prague, in Dec 1994. Don't remember much other than again a very busy station, even at 8pm on a Sunday evening.

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