More Mysteries

[carlwebus]

Hi All

 

Two more photos from my collection that I would appreciate some facts for:

 

Photo 6: while quite a lot of the photos in the job lot I bought are Austria (and this one may be) it looks German narrow gauge to me (loco has a sort of Hartz feel)?

 

Photo 7: at first  glance I thought this was GWR - but a closer look maybe Irish.  There's a number on the front buffer beam which even at 1200 dpi scan I cannot  discern.  But it  should be easy for you buffs as I've also scanned  the notes on the back of the photo. Plainly "New tunnel south of ??????  23/5/70 186."   But I cannot read  the location!  If it is locomotive 186 (which it looks like it could be) then its a Sharp Stewart J15 of 1879 origin from the Great Southern Railway - preserved by the RPSI at Whitehead.

 

Can anybody help me with detail on  these photos?

 

 

[iands]

2nd photo: Possibly Nobber (MGW)?

[MarkSG]

15 minutes ago, iands said:

2nd photo: Possibly Nobber (MGW)?

 

That was my first thought, too. But, according to Wikipedia, the railway at Nobber closed in 1963. Which doesn't fit with a date of 1970.

 

Edit: No, it may well still be. The station at Nobber closed, but the line itself stayed open a lot longer - the track is still there on the Google aerial view. Although it's described as a "tunnel", it's clearly more of a bridge - most likely, a new road, which is entirely plausible for 1970. From the angles of the parapets, I suspect it may be this one:

https://goo.gl/maps/oWMTGigdANTnmcQ79

Edited January 27, 2021 by MarkSG

[iands]

5 minutes ago, MarkSG said:

 

That was my first thought, too. But, according to Wikipedia, the railway at Nobber closed in 1963. Which doesn't fit with a date of 1970.

I referred to 2nd Edition Quail Map for Ireland (dated 2004). Yes, Nobber is shown as a closed station but the Quail map infers the line still being open in November 2003 (that's how I read the info). Is the Quail map information incorrect?

[MarkSG]

15 minutes ago, iands said:

I referred to 2nd Edition Quail Map for Ireland (dated 2004). Yes, Nobber is shown as a closed station but the Quail map infers the line still being open in November 2003 (that's how I read the info). Is the Quail map information incorrect?

 

Yes, sorry, I was misreading the Wikipedia article. See my edited version, above!

[MarkSG]

The assumption that the bridge was new in 1970 also fits with other observations. In 1943, the road crossed the line via a zig-zag level crossing, as shown on maps from that date. The former route of that crossing can still be seen on the Google aerial view. Compare these two screenshots:

 

[MarkSG]

As far as the top photo is concerned, the signal is German rather than Austrian, so the Harz is certainly plausible. But I can't offer any more than that.

Edited January 27, 2021 by MarkSG

[bécasse]

8 minutes ago, MarkSG said:

As far as the top photo is concerned, the signal is German rather than Austrian, so the Harz is certainly plausible. But I can't offer any more than that.

I agree that it is German and the loco looks as if it may be an 86, in which case it is standard gauge (and could be almost anywhere in a large country with, then, a large number of single track lines). I wonder whether the first vehicle is a "bogie bolster" conveying a portable hut for use at some works site.

[dick rowland]

The line is the Hollentalbahn, in the Black Forest close to the Finsterranktunnel, in Deutsche Reichsbahn Gesellschaft days,

 

The loco is a Br85 2-10-2T, om a circus train.

 

The signal arm is perforated, to reduce wind loading..

This is from information on the Railways of Germany website.

 

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/germanrailfr/viewtopic.php?p=66380#p66380

[MarkSG]

12 hours ago, dick rowland said:

The line is the Hollentalbahn, in the Black Forest close to the Finsterranktunnel, in Deutsche Reichsbahn Gesellschaft days,

 

Excellent piece of detective work!

Here's the location on Bing Maps aerial view (which, in this location, is better than Google):

 

https://www.bing.com/maps?osid=a9e0f896-8e07-4e33-96ec-e0f5b8b3091a&cp=47.915971~8.078052&lvl=18&style=a&imgid=14925ed2-61ec-4ed4-9d98-baec494016ad&v=2&sV=2&form=S00027

 

The building in the centre is the one in the photo. The photographer is on the side of the road where it skirts the line just to the north, with the photo taken towards the south. It's still a popular transpotting location, if the number of similar images on the Internet is anything to go by. For example, this one:

https://www.bahnbilder.de/bild/deutschland~dieselloks--92-80-~br-1-225-db-v163-umbau/1075085/225-133-8-und-225-099-1-mit.html

[carlwebus]

Thank you so much to all  responders. Everything I wanted to know!  

 

There's a lot more interest in both photos  than would appear at first glance.

 

I'm  sure the loco is No 186 - probably on an RPSI railtour.