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NGT6 1315

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  1. NGT6 1315
    Morning, everyone!
     
    Understanding that German steam locos and narrow gauge are subjects keenly followed by numerous RMwebbers, I wouldn't dare withhold a couple of photos which I took on a day trip to the HSB narrow gauge railway yesterday, which my wife has given me/us for my birthday.
    I probably don't need to say that much about the 1,000 mm gauge network in the Harz Mountains which has been operated by Harzer Schmalspurbahnen since 1 February, 1993. Consisting of the Cross Harz Railway ("Harzquerbahn"), Selke Valley Railway and Brocken Railway, the entire system comprises 140.4 km of trackage. And although the majority of services continues to be provided by a fleet of lovingly cared-for steam locomotives, HSB should not be mistaken to be just a museum railway, instead running to regular timetables and indeed contributing to regional passenger traffic in the Harz region.
     
    We began our trip at Wernigerode, which is a town of about 33,500 residents and the place where HSB are headquartered. Along with Nordhausen Nord and Gernrode, the town also comprises one of the three depots, as well as the workshops at Wernigerode Westerntor Station.
     
     

     
    An outbuilding adjacent to the locomotive shed has had a viewing platform set atop which is obviously convenient for enthusiasts! Here, two coach formations had been prepared at the platforms, and connected to steam pre-heating outlets until the locomotives would couple up.
     
     
     

     
    Standard coaching stock on the HSB comprises the KB4ip series of reconstructed bogie coaches, which are steam heated and air braked.
     
     

     

     
    Draw gear consists of central buffers and double screw link couplers with balancing levers.
     
     
     

     
    This would be our train, still waiting for the locomotive to couple up.
     
     

     
    Preparations were going on in the depot grounds, with 99 236 sitting outside the shed and providing steam pre-heating. This is one of eleven Class 99.23 2-10-2 tanks built in the mid-1950s by the Karl Marx Locomotive Works of Babelsberg which form the backbone of HSB's locomotive fleet, with 99 236 (or 99 7236, actually) – works number 134013 – having been built in 1955.
     
     
     

     
    These locomotives were obtained to replace the ageing pre-WW2 and indeed pre-WW1 locomotives which had long been the regular fare for the Harz narrow gauge lines.
     
     

     
    99 7241 was standing by inside the shed, making steam.
     
     
     

     
    Signal box and turntable inside the depot grounds.
     
     

     
    Our locomotive for the special we were booked on was 99 5902, seen here finishing preparations outside the signal box and with a Class 648 DMU departing Wernigerode on the HEX 80222 HarzExpress service for Goslar on the standard gauge line.
     
     

     
    99 7239 was first to emerge from the depot, however – running up for working the timetabled HSB 8925 service to the Brocken.
     
     
     

     
    In time, 99 5902 was making her appearance, too…
     
     

     
    …and coupling up.
     
     

     
    She was built in 1898 and is one of three remaining B'B configured ex-NWE Mallet locomotives later operated by Deutsche Reichsbahn as Class 99.590. NWE, or Nordhausen-Wernigeroder Eisenbahn, was one of the two independent companies (the other company having been Gernrode-Harzgeroder Eisenbahn) which had built the network of metre gauge lines in the Harz, and had been absorbed by Deutsche Reichsbahn on 1 April, 1949.
     
     
     
     

     
    At Drei Annen Hohne, the tiny Mallet needed to take on water, and was duly scrutinised by crowds of enthusiasts and travellers.
     
     

     
    Further up the line at Schierke, we needed to await the HSB 8932 service from Brocken Station…
     
     
     

     
    …which was powered by 99 7247.
     
     

     
     

     
     
     

     
    Upon arrival at Brocken Station, not too far below the mountain's summit of 1,142 m or 3,747 ft, 99 5902 was uncoupled and ran around the coaches.
     
     

     
    The Brocken has a subarctic microclimate, characterised by figures such as an average of 300 days of misty and foggy weather, mean annual temperature of 2.9°C, and a maximum wind speed of 263 kph to have been recorded in 1984. The greatest snow depth to have been recorded on the mountain was 380 cm, in April 1970.
     
     

     
    And it was very windy at the summit indeed, which together with the dense, drifting fog and natural scenery made it easy to comprehend why so many folk tales of mystery and witchcraft developed in areas like these. In fact, one cultural event having taken place on the Brocken for a couple of years now is a rock opera performance of Goethe's "Faust", which I haven't seen myself yet but which I'm sure is an excellent idea and a creative modern adaptation of this cornerstone of literature.
     
     

     
    Back at the station, 99 7241 was running around her coach formation, having arrived with HSB 8920 from Nordhausen Nord and preparing to sortie with HSB 8922 for Drei Annen Hohne…
     
     

     
    …while 99 5902 was sitting and waiting with the windows blanked with stiff tarpaulins.
     
     
     

     
    I rather liked this impression of 99 7241 in dense fog, hissing and steaming like a ghost of steel.
     
     

     
    Back at Drei Annen Hohne during the return to Wernigerode, 99 5902 and 99 7239 at the head of HSB 8904 from Eisfelder Talmühle for Wernigerode needed to replenish water.
     
     

     
    Draw gear, brake and heating lines…
     
     

     

     
    …and the LP and HP engine on our little Mallet.
     
     

     
    I found the idea of having digital passenger information displays concealed like old style departure boards quite intriguing, too!
     
    Night had fallen already as we arrived back at Wernigerode, concluding an enjoyable day out!
     
    Thanks for reading!
  2. NGT6 1315
    ...I am still waiting for my package from the ?–BB Advertising Centre with the limited series class 1116 engine in the "Fire Brigades" special livery in it. But of course I cannot know how exactly they handle their shipments. Will keep you updated as to when it arrives!
     
    As an aside, my next purchase has been set in stone as well, but I won't reveal what it will be just yet .
     
    Other than that, nothing special to report as of yet. But some Earl Grey tea does help getting started!
     
    On the railway side: An item which may be of interest to fans of the German railways could be a recent report on Drehscheibe Online stating that additional DBS engines may be hired to DB Regio for at least until the end of the year. This could involve eighteen class 145 and thirteen class 185 engines, and would follow the recent decision to hand all 182s over to Regio as well. The latter, of course, would mean that DB Regio would get hold of the fastest engines in the entire DB inventory - the 182 having a top speed of 230 kph, 10 kph faster than the 101. However, aside from the Nuremberg-Munich RE line, which is operated with refurbished former IC rakes, there is no place where they might get even close to that speed - conventional DB regional stock having a maximum speed of 160 kph.
     
    Also, the last thirteen class 423 S-Bahn units meant for Frankfurt are supposed to be delivered by December at last. They have been sitting at the Bombardier plant in Hennigsdorf for the better part of three years .
  3. NGT6 1315
    Well, here I am, back from a brief vacation over the Easter weekend . As my girlfriend's uncle had his 60th birthday yesterday we had assembled at Kaub on the east bank of the Rhine - which of course is a major transit artery both on the water as well as on rails.
     
    As some of you will probably know, two major rail lines have been built along both banks of the Rhine. The West Rhine Railway ("Linke Rheinstrecke") serves to connect Cologne and Mainz, passing Bonn and Koblenz along the way, while the East Rhine Railway ("Rechte Rheinstrecke") connects Cologne and Wiesbaden. The lines have a length of 181 and 179 kilometres respectively, and are fully electrified. River crossings exist at Niederlahnstein and Neuwied. The West Rhine Railway handles long distance passenger services as well as regional and goods traffic, while the East Rhine Railway is dominated by regional and goods traffic. Naturally, both lines are favourite spots for railfans, both due to the variety of motive power and the outstanding natural beauty of the region .
     
    Anyway - I naturally shot a number of rail photos, which I would like to share with you!
     
    In order to unwind after arriving at Kaub on Friday I headed for the station and spent some two hours snapping away, and while the amount of traffic was not that big - probably owing as much to the holidays as to the weekend as such - there were a few nice bits of prey, if you will .
     
     

     
    First up was 185 294 which I believe was heading the FR 52925 service from Koblenz-Lützel to the Mannheim marshalling yard. However, I should like to caution you that I am not completely sure whether the service number references for the goods trains in this report are correct.
     
     
     

     
    Then came 152 113, at the head of what probably was the TEC 43246 road-rail service from Verona to Cologne's Eifeltor marshalling yard...
     
     
     

     
    ...and 143 198 heading the RB 15530 regional from Wiesbaden Central Station to Koblenz Central Station. As you can see, the weather was quite unsteady that day.
     
     
     

     
    Then came 185 574, owned by MRCE Dispolok and hired to Railservice Alexander Neubauer (RAN), a small independent goods operator from Karlsruhe. This was the first of three trains that day where the driver greeted me with his horn .
     
     
     

     
    A few minutes later the signals in both directions were showing clear, and it soon became apparent that whatever would come up would be a close call to photograph. This here was 185 202 with a rake of tankers...
     
     

     
    ...immediately followed by 155 168 coming the other way with another set of tankers. This might have been the CSQ 47563 service from Antwerp Noord to the BASF chemical plant at Ludwigshafen - if it was, it would have been delayed by about thirty minutes, which does happen frequently enough with international goods trains.
     
     
     

     
    The clouds then finally broke and allowed a satisfying amount of illumination for me to capture 145 063 with what I would assume to be the FE 45206 service from Gremberg to Woippy...
     
     
     

     
    ...but decided to close up again for Crossrail's 185 578 - actually owned by CBRail - on what looks like the DGS 40183 service from Muizen to Brindisi. However, this service would normally operate on the West Rhine Railway, but it can, of course, have been detoured for some reason or other.
     
     
     

     
    There was still quite a bit of sun on the hills in the background, but not on 189 996 (ES 64 F4-096) which is currently hired to TX Logistik. Again, the driver blew his horn in what I hope was a greeting .
     
     

     
    There also was something for the "old school" fans, namely 140 037 on what may have been the FR 52325 service from Gremberg to the Bischofsheim marshalling yard in Mainz.
     
     
     

     
    And then there was a streak of luck in the shape of 103 235 travelling light . This was actually the first time I ever snapped a 103, and, fittingly, her driver greeted me with the whistle.
     
     
    I then called it a day after this photo and headed back to our apartment. The next day, however, a trip to Koblenz was on the agenda, and there, too, I took some time for spotting around Central Station.
     
     

     
    These here were 218 137 and 151, stabled to the northern end of the station with a breakdown assistance van behind them.
     
     
     

     
    Next, IC 335 arrived from Luxembourg with 181 214. The engine stayed behind, though, and was replaced by a 101 for the remainder of the trip to Norddeich. Here, she was shunting out from platform 8 and was then stabled behind the breakdown assistance van. 181 214 has been named "Mosel" and is one of four of her class to carry a name - the others being 181 211 "Lorraine", 181 212 "Luxembourg" and 181 213 "Saar".
     
     

     
    After that 145 059 caught me just a little bit by surprise .
     
     
     

     
    Later, IC 336 came in from Emden and changed direction for the remainder of the trip to Luxembourg. Having been hauled by a 101 up till this point, it was taken over by 181 222 at Koblenz as this class is fitted for the French and Luxembourgian 25 kV overhead system.
     
     

     
    The last photo I took at Koblenz Central Station was this one of transregio EMU 460 010, moving in for the MRB 84141 service to Mainz Central Station. The stopping services from Cologne to Koblenz and Koblenz to Mainz on the West Rhine Railway have been taken over by this operator in December 2008. The 460 is a Siemens Desiro Mainline type unit consisting of two powered end cars and an unpowered trailer in the middle, and having a top speed of 160 kph. Similar units have since been ordered by the Belgian and Russian state railways.
     
     
    Before the big birthday dinner on Sunday night, then, I briefly went out for another round of photos . Weather was very much April-like with intermittent showers, wind and only a few patches of sunlight.
     
     

     
    152 045 was heading south during a shower...
     
     
     

     
    ...after which I changed position and captured 143 923 on the RE 15431 regional to Frankfurt Central Station...
     
     
     

     
    ...followed by 155 084 on a tanker service.
     
     
    Well - and that is it for this time!
  4. NGT6 1315
    Afternoon all!
     
    Always trying to provide a catchy tag line for my blog entries, what came to my mind this time was that the subject of today's entry will be marked by an ever-friendly colour which at this time of year will most certainly be doubly attractive for many of us!
     
    Those of you who may have tapped into the field of urban transport worldwide may be aware of the fact that, after Melbourne and Saint Petersburg, the Berlin tram system is the third-largest in the world, with a total route length of 189.4 kilometres as of late 2015. Opened in 1865 and utilising horse-drawn trams till electrification began in 1881, the network, such as it exists today, has been operated by Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe – today abbreviated BVG – since 1929. It is also worth noting that due to the decades-long division of Berlin during the Cold War and radically different political developments on many levels between former West and East Germany, the Berlin tram system of this day covers mostly former East Berlin only, whereas in old West Berlin, decisions which began to be made in 1954 resulted in the suppression of all tram operations by 1967 in favour of individual traffic, buses and, eventually, the Underground. However, by the 1990s and with Germany having been reunited, the realisation of new potentials of this mode of transport led to gradual refurbishment and evolution of the remaining tram system, which since that time has even begun to slowly expand back into old West Berlin again.
     
    That, of course, really is only a highly abridged summary of what in fact is a very complex and faceted history, which you may, for example, follow up on Wikipedia.
     
    At present, the system comprises 22 individual lines, of which nine were uprated to "Metrotram" status as part of a modernisation scheme introduced in December 2004. To complement the city's extensive suburban railway system, BVG had redrawn much of their tram and bus system to better cover those inner urban areas not within immediate reach of the suburban system, with the so-called Metrotram and Metrobus lines usually providing 24-hour service throughout the year and at 10-minute intervals at daytime and 30 minutest at the longest by night. The non-Metrotram lines serve to cover numerous outlying areas of the city.
     
    As of today, BVG's tram inventory for revenue service consists of 105 single-cab ADtranz GT6N cars and 45 dual-cab GT6N-ZR cars, obtained from 1992 till 2003, and a growing fleet of the new Bombardier Flexity Berlin trams in four different variants. As per the original order, the latter comprise the following numbers:

    24 7-segment, single-cab cars; designated GT8-08ER/F8E; 8000 series running numbers,
    35 5-segment, dual-cab cars; designated GT6-08ZR/F6Z; 4000 series running numbers,
    20 5-segment, single-cab cars; designated GT6-08ER/F6E; 3000 series running numbers,
    20 7-segment, dual-cab cars; designated GT6-08ZR/F8Z; 9000 series running numbers.

    Where GT6-08 and GT8-08 are shorthand for "Articulated Tram (Gelenktriebwagen) with six/eight wheelsets, 2008 design, single/dual cab (Einrichtungs-/Zweirichtungsausführung); while F6E, F6Z, F8E and F8Z are internal BVG designations spelling out as "Flexity car, six/eight wheelsets, single/dual cab (Einrichtungs-/Zweirichtungsausführung)".
     
    Do note that there is not really a uniform type classification system valid across all German tram systems, which I think I will write a few lines about in a separate blog entry!
     
    BVG have also retained an operational reserve of twenty CKD KT4D trams inherited from East Berlin's People-Owned Enterprise Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVB), which are expected to be withdrawn by 2017 when a sufficient number of Flexity trams are available.
     
     
    The first four Flexity Berlin cars, serving as pre-production prototype and evaluation units, were rolled out in 2008 and delivered between September 2008 and January 2009. These four prototypes comprised one example each of the 5- and 7-segment versions with one and two cabs respectively. The BVG board agreed to obtain an initial batch – as described above – on 20 June, 2009, with the first deliveries having commenced on 5 September, 2011. The framework agreement with Bombardier specifies a total of up to 206 cars. In June 2012, 39 additional cars were ordered, bringing the total number ordered as of now to 142 – including the prototypes. Deliveries of these 2nd batch trams commenced the same year.
     
     

     
    F6Z set 4012 at Bornholmer Straße, working Line 50 for Französisch Buchholz, Guyotstraße. Photo by Kurt Rasmussen.
     
     
     

     
    F8E set 8019 at Otto-Braun-Straße/Mollstraße intersection, working Line M4 for Hackescher Markt Suburban Railway Station. This being a single-cab set, note the absence of rear view mirrors on the left hand side. Photo by Kurt Rasmussen.
     

     
     
    Technically, the Flexity Berlin is strongly influenced by the ADtranz Incentro tram – as operated in Nottingham and Nantes – which was added to the Bombardier portfolio when ADtranz was bought up by Bombardier in 2001. Most importantly, the Flexity Berlin is characterised by a 100% low floor configuration and bogies – possibly more properly referred to as running gears – with independent wheels rather than traditional wheelsets. The visual styling was provided by IFS Design and has been nominated for the 2011 German Design Award, and won the 2010 IF Design Award.
     
    With the 5-segment units measuring 30.8 metres in length and the 7-segment sets being 40 metres long, the body width is 2.4 metres, and the height 3.45 metres. The minimum curve radius is 17.25 metres, while service weights range from 37.9 tonnes for the F6E sets to 39.1 tonnes for the F6Z, 50.1 tonnes for the F8E, and 51.5 tonnes for the F8Z.
     
    The 5-segment sets are powered by eight wheel-mounted 50 kW asynchronous AC traction motors, while the 7-segment sets have twelve motors, for a total power rating of 400 and 600 kW respectively. The bogie/running gear underneath the pantograph carrying body segments are unpowered. Wheel diameter is 660 mm when new and floor height 355 mm.
     
    Passenger capacities are:

    60 seated, 129 standing (F6E),
    52 seated, 132 standing (F6Z),
    84 seated, 164 standing (F8E),
    72 seated, 173 standing (F8Z).

    In addition to the larger order by BVG, Strausberger Eisenbahn, operating a small 6.2 kilometre tram route in the town of Strausberg east of Berlin, obtained two 5-segment dual-cab Flexity Berlin sets, which entered service in 2013.
     
     
     
    Now, as for the model…! As I mentioned elsewhere, models of underground sets, LRVs and trams are probably more of a niche subject generally, so a lot of what does exist is available either as kits, as limited run productions, or from small suppliers (or all at once). It may also mean that the overall design of such models tends to be a bit simpler than, for example, railway models from large producers with corresponding design and production facilities, though of course, there appears to be a lot of variation here, too.
     
     
    The Flexity Berlin tram model is produced by Austrian specialty producer Halling. So far, only the 5-segment dual-cab variant has been produced, for distribution both by Halling themselves and by BVG through their merchandising department. Far as I am informed, two versions have been produced so far, representing sets 4002 and 4005. Like the majority of Halling LRV and tram models, the Flexity Berlin model is available both powered and unpowered, and it is possible to equip unpowered models with motor units if desired. For the moment, I personally am quite happy with the unpowered variants!
     

     
    In my impression, Halling models have evolved over the years, though I do not claim to have expert knowledge here. Generally, their models were designed with bodyshells made of transparent plastic painted as appropriate, and with few physical surface details or none at all, which is to say that items like panel lines, door buttons or others were only printed on. Of course, it may be argued that on modern trams in particular, body surfaces are generally smooth and with few raised or recessed structures in any case, so I can, in a way, understand this reasoning.
     
    Halling models usually do come with a smallish but varying number of add-on parts, mainly comprising rear view mirrors and, in many cases, sheets with a variety of adhesive destination signs. Naturally, you might always choose to enhance these models further with your own means, which I may well elect to do at some point as I've noticed a couple of items which might merit addition, such as turn signal casings on the body sides or perhaps cab details…
     
     

     
    BVG elected not to specify MU capability for their Flexities, so the removable parts of the frontal skirts conceal only fold-out emergency towing couplers. Note that the rear view mirrors, as provided, depict the stowed position only. Ordinarily, the right hand mirror on the cab travelling in front will be extended automatically when the corresponding cab is active, while the left hand mirror can be folded out as required. Obviously, drivers will need to ensure sufficient lateral clearance with oncoming trams!
     
     
     

     
    Having mentioned possibly adding turn signal casings further up, I suppose you can see where the lateral turn signals are located. You may also notice that small lateral wipers are provided on the cab side windows to ensure sufficient mirror vision, which is an item us at LVB in Leipzig also have on our low floor trams – though only on the right hand window as we have single cab trams only.
     
     

     
    I figure I might also elect to tweak the pantograph a bit as the head contacts have open run-off ends. The motor unit, should I eventually decide to outfit the model thus, would go on the bogie underneath the 3rd body segment.
     
     

     
    Rooftop equipment on modern trams mostly comprises only casings for traction and auxiliary inverters, as well as A/C modules.
     
     
    Thanks for reading and do watch this space for possible tweaks I might yet apply to this model!
  5. NGT6 1315
    Morning all!
     
    As you will have noticed, this is the first new entry on this-here blog after my move to Leipzig, and fittingly, we'll be looking at a class 143 locomotive connoisseurs of the German railway scene will know to have originated in the former German Democratic Republic. Furthermore, the model we'll be looking at depicts a 143 owned by Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn – abbreviated as MEG – , who are a freight TOC headquartered at Schkopau, located 11 kilometres south of Halle and therefore almost halfway between there and Leipzig.
     
    Edit – 9 April 2014
    Due to some fleet restructuring measures, I parted with the "old" DB Regio 143 a couple of months ago, and will be replacing it with a modified model which Roco are to release this summer. So, let me just copy over the general loco profile for the 143 so that you can still look up this information.
     
    So, as usual, let me begin by outlining the development and technical background for this class, which since German unification has proven to be a valuable pillar of Deutsche Bahn's regional locomotive inventory – though several locos have since found their way to private operators as well. Overall, the story of the family of locomotives now known as classes 112, 114 and 143 is quite complex, and also very much reflective of the political workings in the former East Bloc, in which context they need to be seen.
     
     
    History and development
     
    The first electric locomotives to have been designed and built in the German Democratic Republic were the classes E 11 and E 42 – known as 211 and 242 from 1970 onwards as well as 109 and 142 after reunification – whose prototypes appeared in 1961 and 1962. These were Bo‘Bo‘ configured, 2,740 kW locomotives with a top speed of 120 and 100 kph (75 and 62 mph) respectively, with the E 11 having been meant primarily for passenger work and the E 42 having been more of a mixed traffic loco with slower gearing, but higher tractive effort. However, they were rather simple designs even for the standards of the time, and not really up to par with West German designs like the hugely successful E 10/E 40 family. Nevertheless, 96 and 292 units were built respectively and many of these were indeed carried over into the unified DB AG inventory, but retired until about 1999. A couple of either class survive in service of a number of private TOCs.
     
    The remainder of the 1960s then saw significant indecision on the side of the GDR's political leadership where the future of railway development was concerned. The big question at the time was how the large inventory of Deutsche Reichsbahn's steam locomotives should be replaced. Around 1966, the points were set, so to speak, towards dieselisation initially, which but meant that it was necessary to procure large mainline diesels which could not be produced in the GDR proper. This was due to COMECON obligations on one hand as well as the fact that the GDR loco builders – much like those from West Germany – were specialised in diesel-hydraulics, which could not yet be built with a power output of about 3,000 kW at the time. Thus was created the V 300 family of Co‘Co‘ configured diesel-electrics, which included the class 132 (232 after reunification), built by the Lugansk Locomotive Works in the Soviet Union. Of course, the availability of cheap oil from the Soviet Union was another contributing factor in favour of dieselisation.
     
    However, the situation changed by the early 1970s when both the Western world and the East Bloc began to be permanently affected by rising oil prices in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis, meaning that the GDR had to deal with reduced crude oil imports. As a result, further electrification was back on the agenda by about 1976, with the lines radiating from Berlin having had priority, closely followed by those in the brown coal mining country in the Lausitz. As the class 211 and 242 locos had since proven to be less than optimal for heavy passenger and freight trains – even in MU formation – a new generation of electric locos needed to be designed, the first of these being the famous class 250 (redesignated 155 in 1992) Co‘Co‘ locomotive first presented in 1974 and put in production from 1977 onwards. These were to be complemented by a new Bo‘Bo‘ type, the first specifications for which were brought forth by the Engineering Research and Evaluation Centre (Versuchs- und Entwicklungsstelle Maschinenwirtschaft, VES-M) at Halle in the summer of 1973. These defined a platform from which both a 160 kph/100 mph capable express passenger variant as well as a 120 kph/75 mph mixed traffic variant could be derived, which were provisionally designated as classes 212 and 243 respectively. In September 1973, the sketches were forwarded to the People-Owned Locomotive and Electrical Engineering Works “Hans Beimler” (LEW) at Hennigsdorf near Berlin, who were the only factory to have remained specialised in electric motive power and had evolved from a former pre-war AEG production facility. There already were a few design changes at this early stage, such as the inclusion of a LEW-designed quill drive with conical rubber suspension elements which was also part of the 250's design. You can find an earlier blog post about Roco's rendition of the class 155/250 electric here: The East is Red.
     
    What followed next was a brief dispute about which of the two variants defined in the original proposals was to be built. While VES-M (renamed, quite simply, to Railway Institute/Institut für Eisenbahnwesen, IfE in 1979) and LEW insisted that their design was perfectly safe for use at up to 160 kph and could be built without hesitation, the Reichsbahn‘s technical directorate maintained that a top speed of 120 kph was sufficient for the GDR‘s railway network, and would eventually prevail in light of the fact that it had political backing. However, it would, of course, turn out that allowing for a top speed of 160 kph during the design stage had been a wise decision several years later when the 160 kph capable class 112 locos were, in fact, procured shortly after reunification.
     
    In early 1982, the prototype for the new locomotive was presented, called 212 001 at the time. After it had been exhibited at the Leipzig Spring Fair, the loco was first powered up at the Jüterbog depot on 5 July, and then transferred to the Halle depot under its own power, there to begin its trial phase. As the loco was, for the moment, fitted for 160 kph, Halle was a logical choice insofar as several sections on the Halle – Bitterfeld – Lutherstadt Wittenberg line were capable of handling that speed. The trials were specified to include the following stages:

    measuring phase,
    operational tests,
    depot level servicing tests,
    repair works level servicing tests, including a full disassembly and the rebuild to the 120 kph top speed intended for the production locos.

    The last stage commenced in September 1983 when the loco was transferred to the Dessau repair works, there to be stripped down and given a slower gearing as planned. From that point, it was designated 243 001 and resumed its route trials from the Dresden depot. The first batch of twenty production locomotives was delivered in 1984, followed by eighty in 1985, 100 in 1986, 110 in 1987 and 114 in 1988. The last class 243 loco, designated 243 659, was delivered on 2 January 1991, bringing the total number to 646. One thing which should be pointed out was that the running numbers were not strictly sequential, with the numbers ranging from 001 through 370, 551 through 662 and 801 through 973, and these sequences not being uninterrupted either.
     
    The following years then saw large numbers of the class – redesignated 143 from 1992 onwards – transferred to what used to be West Germany, where they quickly found a new home in several regions. Most notably, they began to take over suburban services in the Ruhr area from the Bundesbahn class 111 locos, which at the time happened to have reliability problems as a consequence of their operational pattern of frequent acceleration and braking from and to a full halt, for which they had not been explicitly designed. Other locos were allocated to Baden-Württemberg where they took over regional workings in the Black Forest, and to freight services around Dortmund. After the creation of DB AG in 1994, they spread even further. On Nuremberg‘s suburban network, which has been operated with loco-hauled sets of the same „x“ type coaches also found in the Ruhr area and is currently being converted to class 442 EMUs, they replaced the original class 141 locos – which were even older than the 111s, had no electrodynamic brake and which – according to various sources – even were the target of complaints by residents along the lines who disapproved of the „popping“ noise from their low voltage tap changers.
     
    In a parallel development, the class 212/112 express locos with their 160 kph top speed were procured from 1991 onwards, intended as a stop-gap measure to augment the DB and DR motive power inventories for use on the increasing number of IC and IR services from the old states to Berlin and other major cities in the new states. In total, 128 class 112 locos were built in two batches, with the first batch eventually being transferred to DB Regio and redesignated as class 114, and the second batch – also known as class 112.1 and fitted with LZB cab signalling – by 1 January 2004.
     
    Another plan called for upgrading significant numbers of class 143 locos to a top speed of either 140 or 160 kph, so as to replace older ex-Bundesbahn class 110 electrics. 143 171 was thus chosen as the testbed for the 160 kph upgrade, receiving modified gearing, strengthened windscreens, new SSS 87 type pantographs with carbon damage detectors, rotational motion dampers and augmented braking equipment as well as modifications to its train protection suite and being redesignated 114 101. Likewise, 143 120 was given the less extensive 140 kph upgrade which did not require modified gearing and yaw dampers, and redesignated 114 301. The cost of both upgrades was calculated to be around 300,000 € per locomotive for the 160 kph package and 40,000 € for the 140 kph package. The latter was thus considered sufficient, but only a small number of locos have actually been rebuilt. At this time, either upgrade has been put on hold.
     
    Meanwhile, 112 025 had been allocated to the Central Engineering Department (formerly known as VES-M/IfE) in 1992 as a departmental loco, later to be redesignated accordingly as 755 025, and then anew to 114 501.
     
    Of all 143s to have been built, around eighty have been withdrawn over the years due to various accidents. Many of these withdrawals were related to the fact that the loco‘s body is easily deformed even by light impacts, usually folding immediately behind the cab which almost inevitably constitutes an irreparable damage. On the other hand, twelve locos have been sold to two other operators – both of which are DB AG subsidiaries – with 143 041, 069, 186, 191, 286 and 874 having been transferred to RBH Logistics and 143 179, 204, 257, 344, 857 and 864 to Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahngesellschaft (MEG). Also, the prototype 143 001 remains in service till this day, now being property of Arcelor Mittal and having been brought largely to the same standard as the production locos.
    While the first scheduled withdrawals of 143s commenced in 2008, all three classes from this family remain an important part of Deutsche Bahn‘s motive power inventory, the 143s usually working regional express and stopping services on lines where their 120 kph top speed is not a problem. Also, significant portions of suburban services in the Ruhr area remain in the hands of the 143 for at least the next few years.
     
     
    Technical description
     
    The 112/114/143 – I will use only „143“ in the remainder of this article for easier reading, unless there should be differences specific to one of these classes only – are Bo‘Bo‘ configured locomotives whose bogies have a wheelbase of 3,300 mm and a welded steel frame consisting of two longitudinal beams, one central transversal beam and two auxiliary transversal beams at both ends. The central beam also carries the bearing for the pivot pin, while the outer transversal beams facing towards the bufferbeams are depressed in the centre in order to allow sufficient clearance for the draw gear and axle load compensator. Between the bogie and the locomotive body, helical Flexicoil springs provide primary suspension and also serve to centre the bogie after curves. Rubber pads prevent the bogie frame from colliding with the inside of the running frame. Primary suspension also consists of helical springs which are augmented by hydraulic shock absorbers. As previously mentioned, an axle load compensation device is installed as well, consisting of a pneumatic cylinder which provides a downward force to the outer end of each bogie while accelerating from a stop and thus reduces the risk of wheelslip on the leading wheelset. Similar mechanisms, though also based on cable pulleys, have been used on Swiss locomotives such as the BLS Re 4/4. The wheelsets have cylindrical roller bearings which are sealed against dirt and moisture while the suspension arms are attached such that both lateral and longitudinal movements and shocks are absorbed.
     
    The wheels have a diameter of 1,250 mm in new condition and a permitted minimum diameter of 1,160 mm. They consist of disks which are pressed onto the axles and have separate tyres. Flange greasers are installed on the outer wheelsets of both bogies and are actuated though a speed-controlled mechanism. Likewise, sanding units are present as well, also acting on the outer wheelsets only.
     
    As previously mentioned, power is transmitted to the wheelsets by way of a LEW-designed quill drive with connecting rubber elements and gear wheels on both sides. These rubber elements also carry part of the traction motors‘ weight, the other sides of which are connected to the bogie frames themselves with another set of rubber elements – the rubber suspension ensuring the motors being insulated from shocks, thereby preventing damage.
     
    The locomotive‘s body is based on a welded running frame consisting of two main longitudinal and transversal beams each – the latter of which double as bufferbeams – and a number of additional longitudinal and transversal supports, including those holding the pivot pins located above the bogie centres, as well as those located under the transformer. The pivot pins themselves extend to a height of 600 millimetres above the rail heads. The body itself is a welded assembly consisting mainly of steel, with the cab fronts, roofs and sides, the engine room bulkheads and sides as well as the four engine room roof elements being principal subassemblies. The engine room sides are corrugated, adding distinctiveness to the locomotive‘s appearance, while each of the roof segments – consisting of aluminium rather than steel – can be removed independently as required for internal maintenance. Rooftop walkways are provided, while the ventilation grilles in the pitched roof planes are fitted with dirt interceptors. The cab sections had an angular transition to the roof plane up till 143 298, followed by a rounded transition beginning with 143 299.
     
    The loco‘s pneumatic braking gear consists of eight brake cylinders in both bogies, acting on two-sided tread brakes, and are complemented by a mechanical handbrake acting on the 2nd and 3rd wheelset. Brake controls include a multiple-lapped indirect brake valve and a direct shunting brake valve. In addition, the pneumatic brake is blended with the rheostatic brake, which in turn is dependent on OHLE power to be available for excitation. The pneumatic brake offers four settings – G, P, P2 and R – , with the P2 and R settings offering speed-dependent brake force adjustment. The „high effect“ setting is activated from 70 kph onwards, and deactivated when decelerating below 50 kph. The brakes also provide wheelslip control during both acceleration and braking.
    One main compressor and one auxiliary compressor are provided, the latter being capable of running under battery power when the locomotive is completely powered down, and provides sufficient air for actuating the circuit breaker and pantographs. The main compressor provides 124 cubic metres of compressed air per hour and feeds two main air reservoirs, which have a capacity of 400 litres and operating pressure of up to ten atmospheres each. Other pneumatically powered systems include the windscreen wipers and washing nozzles, sanding units, flange greasers, and various switches.
     
    The cab interiors are one of the most innovative elements of the 143. While the control desks were designed to mirror the same general dimensions and instrument placement also found on all other post-war DR electrics, they were also set up such as to also allow for easier handling and better workplace ergonomics than on previous classes. Improved ergonomics had been considered especially desirable in light of planned electrification projects which would increase the locomotives‘ operational radius even further. Design work for the cabs was carried out in a joint effort by the Bureau of Industrial Design, Railway Institute (IfE) and a collective of external design experts titled „Shape and Society“. This was an ongoing project which was even supported by constructing wooden cab mockups and placing these on flatcars, which were then propelled over numerous lines the locomotives were to work on in order to evaluate the suitability of the numerous suggestions which were entered into the process.
     
    Among the numerous new items to be implemented on the production locos were indirectly lit instruments for good readability at night, and a driver‘s seat which included a mechanism to automatically move it backwards by about one foot upon the driver getting to their feet to work from a standing position, such as while shunting. However, the single most innovative feature was the loco being equipped with a power control suite built around a sophisticated speed control device. While this system was fundamentally similar to the AFB suite which had first been introduced on the West German class 103 and 111 electrics and later installed on a wider variety of newly designed motive power, it was explicitly intended to not just be an extra, but the standard operating method for the class. In the most general terms, the 143‘s control suite allows the driver to set target values for running speed and maximum tractive effort, with the controls then automatically governing the tap changer and dynamic brake as required. With the 143‘s control circuits being based on a logic board-based computer which had been fairly advanced for its time, the power control suite also provides various supplementary operating modes to suit different route and timetable profiles which the standard mode is not completely suitable for:

    „Freier Auslauf“ (roughly: „Free Power-Down“) can be triggered to manually shift the tap changer to idle, with the automatic brake governor also being disabled so as to allow the loco to coast along with neither power nor dynamic brake force applied.

    „Bedingter Auslauf“ („Conditional Power-Down“) is intended for maximising acceleration for tight timetable situations or short distances between stations. To this end, the tap changer will remain powering up till just before reaching the selected target speed, after which the control suite will automatically switch to „Freier Auslauf.“ In this mode, the wheelslip control circuit will allow a greater percentage of „creep“ as well to maximise adhesion by way of allowing the tap changer to shift up to two notches higher at any point during the acceleration phase than in normal mode. Consequently, it is recommended for the driver to manually order a power-down ahead of time by way of the provided „Delete“ key as required because the loco might else exceed the selected speed.

    „Nur Fahren“ („Power only“) is intended for uphill gradients, and has the controls disregard the dynamic brake altogether. In other words, using this mode, speed is controlled only by powering up and down, relying on gravity and friction to slow the train as required rather than engaging the dynamic brake, for which purpose the tap changer must have shifted down to idle, usually leading to an unnecessarily large speed loss due to the time required to run down to idle and power up anew.

    „Nur Bremsen“ („Braking only“) is the opposite to „Nur Fahren“ and is intended for longer downhill gradients, preventing the tap changer from powering up, with speed being governed only through the dynamic brake.

    The same system was also used on the class 156 locomotives, which but never left the prototype stage and whose only four examples are now in service of Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn. As I also have a model of this loco, you might also have a look here: Mega-Trabbi: Gützold's rendition of Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn's class 156 electric.
     
     
    On the electrical side, the 112 and 143 were the first DR locos to be factory-fitted with single arm pantographs – prototypes for these having been tested on various older locomotives, including a pre-WWII class E 18. These pantographs are known as the VSH 2F2 type – with the later class 112.1 160 kph locos having been fitted with improved versions, called VSH 2F4 and 2F5 – and feature double carbon heads to allow the loco to operate with only one pan raised. The supporting insulators were designed for a tension of 25 kV, though the locomotive was meant to operate under 15 kV only. The VSH 2 pans consist mainly of aluminium, provide an upward force of eight kilonewtons and require 12 to 16 seconds for raising, and five to seven for lowering.
     
    On the 143 and 112.0, two pantograph cut-off switches were provided on the roof, enabling each pan to be electrically separated from the busbar. These switches were deleted on the 112.1, however. The busbar is supported on 25 kV insulators like the pantographs, but at a distance sufficient for 15 kV only. The circuit breaker is an air blast type and located on one of the inner roof segments, towards the Cab 1 end.
     
    The oil-cooled transformer is located in the centre of the engine room and weighs in at 11,400 kilograms. It has a maximum output of 3,820 kVA for the 31 traction taps, and 95 kVA for the auxiliary taps. The ETS tap is fed with 996 V AC at 16.7 Hz and allows for a maximum current of 840 A. The transformer is coupled to an electrically powered, thyristor-assisted tap changer designated as LNSW 12, providing 31 power notches. Maximum motor voltage is reached on the 28th notch, with the remaining three notches being configured with different input/output ratios and intended as „booster“ notches to be used in low OHLE voltage situations. The thyristor modules are intended to allow for what is basically stepless motor voltage control.
     
    The single phase AC traction motors were developed from the type used on the class 155 freight locos and were designed to be interchangeable with these, though an adaptor would have been required. They have twelve rotor poles and are forcibly ventilated, and attached to two-sided LEW-designed quill drives. The motor blowers draw air from a settling chamber inside the roof, with the coolant air then being routed through the motors and back into the engine room in order to augment air circulation there. The rheostatic brake utilises an array of rheostats stacked inside a forcibly ventilated cooling tower inside the engine room and is available only as long as all four traction motors are functioning. The 143 has a rated power output of 3,720 kW, or 4,988 hp.
     
    All auxiliary devices – which term includes the previously mentioned primary compressor; traction motor, tap changer and transformer blowers, as well as coolant oil pumps for the transformer and tap changer – are fed from a 380 V/50 Hz three-phase grid, which in turn is supplied from a rotating inverter located centrally under the locomotive‘s frame. In addition, all control instruments and systems are fed from a 110 V DC circuit.
     
    All class 112.0 and 143 locos were factory-fitted with a DR standard push-pull control suite, utilising a 34-pole control cable with upward facing sockets in a pair of outriggers extending straight down from the bufferbeams at the body‘s corners. On the batch of 143s known as the 143.8 series, this system was expanded in functionality in order to also allow multiple working. Moreover, those 143s assigned to suburban services with „x“ type coaches on the Ruhr and Nuremberg networks as well as all class 112.1 locos were given the West German time-multiplexed push-pull control package known as ZWS, or the frequency-multiplexed variant known as FMZ. As of today, however, the majority of all remaining 143s as well as all 112s utilise the time-multiplexed ZDS system for multiple working, with ZDS, ZWS and FMZ all using the 13-pin UIC command cable.
     
    All locomotives from the 112/143 family are equipped with a dead-man‘s device, which works on a randomly set time interval, as opposed to the standard West German variant which is based on a fixed 30-second interval. All class 112.0 locos as well as the majority of 143s are fitted with an Indusi train protection suite – in the shape of either the East German PZ 80 system or the West German I 60 R variant. With its original programming, the PZ 80 system offered braking curve and speed checks for the full speed range up to 160 kph, but spaced at 10 kph intervals. Conversely, the West German Indusi software offers only three larger speed ranges known as „O“, „M“ and „U“ and calibrated for thresholds of 160 kph, 120 kph and 100 kph. However, those locos with PZ 80 instruments were converted to the same PZB 90 type software found on all other German locos in the meantime. Additionally, all class 112.1 locos and a small number of 143s are equipped with LZB cab signalling, coupled to the common PZB 90 system.
     
    Externally, the 112 and 143 have appeared in a variety of liveries over the years. In the GDR, all of the then-243s wore a variation of the DR standard livery for electric locomotives, with the body being maroon with a narrow white stripe across the lower headlights and along the lower sides, the frame being dark grey and the bogies and other underfloor equipment having been light grey – which of course quickly attracted dirt and made these sections look like anthracite or even black. After German unification, the 143s soon started to appear in the oriental red livery with light grey frontside warning panel inherited from the late Bundesbahn, with the 112s having been given that livery from the factory. Additionally, many of those 143s detached to suburban services in old West Germany eventually appeared in what then was Deutsche Bundesbahn‘s common livery for suburban trains – light grey with a broad orange and narrow yellow stripe, located horizontally right below the lower edge of the windscreens, with dark brown bogies. Eventually, all 112s and 143s were given the standard traffic red livery with light grey frontside warning stripe, dark grey frame and black bogies. However, the prototype 212 001 was initially presented in what was considered a rather striking livery by GDR standards – this featuring a white body with two broad orange stripes, running from either end of the loco to the centre of the body and then angling up and down respectively, and with the frame and bogies being black.
     
    Meanwhile, those 143s now owned by RBH wear the company‘s silver livery with dark blue cabs and logos, grey frame and black bogies, while Arcelor Mittal‘s single 143 now has a bright orange body with grey frame and black bogies. Those 143s sold to MEG retain the standard DB traffic red as the base, though with MEG logos and running numbers as well as differently set light grey warning stripes around the headlights and lower fronts added.
     
     
     
    The model
     
    In recent months, Roco have announced a number of limited runs of various class 143, or Deutsche Reichsbahn class 243, locos to be released throughout the following year, marketed as a commemoration of the 243's 30th anniversary. The model we'll be looking at right now is one of these special releases, offered with catalogue no. 73421 and produced in a series of 150 examples. It depicts MEG's #601, also known as 143 179.
     

     
    In 2006 and 2008, MEG obtained a total of six 143s from their parent TOC, DB Schenker. These were numbered 601 through 606 internally, the numbers corresponding to the following national running numbers and works numbers:
     
    MEG 601: 143 179 – 18928 – built 1986
    MEG 602: 143 204 – 18953 – built 1987
    MEG 603: 143 851 – 20301 – built 1988
    MEG 604: 143 257 – 20140 – built 1987
    MEG 605: 143 344 – 19586 – built 1988
    MEG 606: 143 864 – 20314 – built 1989
     
    As you can see, MEG's livery is not much different to Deutsche Bahn's. Their 143s are frequently set up as MU pairs, either among themselves, with the company's class 156 Co'Co' electrics, and indeed the three locos from MEG's stock of class 155 locos which have been upgraded with 143-type cabs and controls, and been made MU capable. Funnily, MEG 143s have occasionally been hired back to Deutsche Bahn, actually working stopping services in the Halle/Leipzig region, as a matter of fact. It's also interesting to note that Deutsche Bahn themselves no longer use any 143s in freight service, whereas MEG, RBH Logistics and Arcelor Mittal (who now own the prototype 143 001) still do on a daily basis.
     
     
     

     
    Roco's 143/243 model was first released in 1994, and been treated to a few gentle updates in this recent release. Specifically, it has been updated with one pair of UIC cable sockets on both cab faces, whereas earlier releases had been equipped with only one socket per cab, reflecting the earlier standard for this class. In addition, I noticed the windscreen wipers – while still moulded on – have been coloured black. As the wipers have been set to a vertical resting position on the "big" 143s, this would have been another sensible update for Roco to have carried out. I might yet think of a way for representing this particular detail...
     
     
     

     
    As 143 fans will be aware of, all locos beginning with 143 300 were built with a slightly modified body with a more rounded outline to the cab roof sections. However, the model of 143 179 correctly reflects the original body style with angular cab roof planes.
     
    As per the revision grid, 143 179/MEG 601 had her last revision completed at the Dessau works (LD X) on 8 November 2007. The model also features the expanded braking weights table, reading as follows:
     
    R+E 126 t
    P+E 118 t
    R 95 t
    P 81 t
    G 67 t
    Handbrakes: 2x 13 t
     
     
     

     
    As you will be able to notice, I already treated the loco to my rooftop detailing routine...
     
     

     
    ....replicating the flexible cable connectors across the busbar maintenance gaps with bits of thin brass wire, fixed in place with tiny dots of CA glue and highlighted with aluminium paint. Similarly, I highlighted the circuit breaker casing with Revell #378 Dark Grey, which is a very close match to the RAL 7012 tone used for solebars and rooftops on DB motive power nowadays.
     
     
    And the following pair of images shows MEG 601 set up as a pair with MEG 801, the first of the company's four class 156 electrics which I also featured separately in my posting, "Mega-Trabbi."
     

     
     
     

     
    Thank you for reading!
  6. NGT6 1315
    Afternoon all!
     
    Last week, me and SWMBO spent a couple of days in London, and while railway stuff didn't constitute the main reason for our trip, I did reserve some time for spotting!
     
    And, in fact, we had deliberately chosen the "slow" way for the inbound trip, going by train all the way. Specifically, our itinerary looked as follows:
     
    IC 2430 for Emden – Leipzig Central Station to Hanover Central Station, calling at Halle, Köthen, Magdeburg, Helmstedt and Braunschweig
     
    ICE 650 for Cologne Central Station (joined with ICE 640 for Cologne-Bonn Airport and split at Hamm) – Hanover Central to Cologne Central, calling at Bielefeld, Hamm, Hagen and Wuppertal
     
    ICE 14 for Brussels Midi – calling at Aachen, Liège and Brussels-Nord
     
    Eurostar EST 9157, or 9I57, for St Pancras
     
     
    Considering how much might have gone wrong on a trip that long, I was pleased that everything worked flawlessly and all trains met their timetables. However, it wasn't before Brussels that I got some opportunities for taking snapshots...
     
     

     
    Almost maxing out the platform, SNCB's newish 1874 – one of the 120 examples of the Siemens Eurosprinter 2007 type locomotives which the company has obtained between 2008 and 2010 – was heading a joint double formation of M6 type double deck coaches, with another such loco on the distant end. The total number of 120 of these locos comprises 96 class 18 locos with conventional buffers and couplers on both ends, with the remaining locos being designated class 19 and having +GF+ type automatic couplers on one end for forming double formations and easy split-and-join workings.
     
     

     
    The two formations were coupled across the driving trailers, whose cab faces resemble the Alstom-built class 13 electrics.
     
     
     

     
    This is one of the small fleet of class 186 electrics which SNCB lease from Alpha Trains: 186 125, also designated 2803 by the traditional Belgian numbering system, at the head of the IC 1215 service to The Hague...
     
     
     

     
    ...and soon after accompanied by a pair of SNCB's new AM 08 series suburban/regional EMUs, headed by 08118 on the joined R 5337/5318 service from Dendermonde to Brussels and back. With 305 of these three-coach sets on order and to be delivered till 2016, 95 sets have been earmarked for the future RER network around Brussels.
     
     

     
    A typical 1980s design with suitably angular bodywork, 2717 is one of the 60 class 27 electrics to have been built from 1981 till 1984. The loco is seen here pulling the P 8907 peak hour commuter service to Zottegem, composed of M4 series coaches.
     
     
     

     
    As did her sister 2739, I should add.
     
     
     

     
    Our ride from Brussels to London was the pair of SNCF's Eurostar demi-sets 3207 and 3208, named "Michel Hollard." This unit is seen here sitting side by side to Eurostar UK's 3019/3020 after blasting through a heavy rain front on either side of the Channel and bulleting right into the Capital.
     
    At Victoria Station the other day, I managed to snap...
     

     
    465001 on the 2M76 to Orpington...
     
     
     

     
    465196 after arrival on the 2U88 from Dartford and 465928 standing by for departure on the 2K24 to Gillingham...
     
     

     
    465161 on the 2M78 to Orpington, and next to it...
     
     

     
    375620 and 375309 on the joined 1S46/1S47 to Ramsgate and Dover Priory...
     
     

     
    and finally, 465020 on the 2M80 to Orpington.
     
     
     
    And as the day turned into dusk, I again stopped by at Kings Cross...
     
     

     
    ...capturing 91125 after arrival on the 1A41 from Leeds and 91103 at the head of 1N32 to Newcastle.
     
     
     

     
    180101 was idling at platform 1...
     
     

     
    ...and was soon joined by 321420.
     
     

     
    And to round it all off, a portrait of 91125 standing by for departure on 5Y19.
     
     
    I suppose much of this will have been familiar stuff to everyone from the UK, but for me, seeing stock like the 3rd rail Southern Region EMUs and the Class 91 sets made for a nice change of pace. I just wish there was a more refined Networker model available, and in current livery...
  7. NGT6 1315
    Morning all!
     
    Long time no see on here but now, the engineering works campaign going on this summer yielded a traffic pattern sufficiently out of the usual to merit a blog post. I should also mention I gladly volunteered for this specific service and have been booked on corresponding shifts several times, so I may also amend this post with additional photos!
     
    The engineering project I was referring to concerns track renewal and water piping renewal at Lindenauer Markt and on Kuhturmstraße, scheduled to last from 27 June (meaning they're through the first day already) till and including 10 July. As a result, the western branches to Böhlitz-Ehrenberg and Miltitz of what ordinarily are Lines 7 and 15 plus Line 8's western branch to Grünau-Nord – the line sharing this part of its route with Line 15 – are, effectively, cut off from the rest of the network during this period.
     
    However, our network is still structured such to permit a replacement shuttle service merging said branches of Lines 7 and 15, on the strength of the old Leutzsch Depot still being in existence and workable. This depot had lost its role for regular revenue service in 2001 but as it was never disconnected from the network, has still proven useful for periods of engineering works on several occasions since that time – most importantly during the extensive refurbishment of Angerbrücke Depot which took place from 2003 till 11 June, 2005. During that period, Lines 3, 7, 8, 13 (now integrated with Line 3) and 15 had been supplied by Leutzsch.
     
    For greater clarity, I should like to link this track plan, courtesy of Christian Stade at gleisplanweb.eu and provided under CC-BY-NC-SA licence: Click. This means that, utilising the route through Odermannstraße – which is the small stretch between Demmeringstraße and Lützner Straße, but not highlighted as such in the track plan – we can provide a shuttle service on these two key routes in the west of the city.
     
    The traffic pattern is designed such that a temporary stop has been deployed at the intersection of Odermannstraße and Lützner Straße to allow short connecting walks to the rail replacement bus service to Angerbrücke, where said service connects to the remainder of Lines 7 and 15 on the other side of the engineering section.
     
    Furthermore, trams change back and forth between Lines 7 and 15 accordingly. Eastbound services coming from Miltitz as Line 15 run as "E" services on the stretch from Lindenau, Bushof (which is our principal bus depot) to Odermannstraße and hand off passengers to the bus service at the bus depot, while eastbound services coming from Böhlitz change to Line 15 at Odermannstraße and hand off citybound passengers there.
     

     
    As mentioned in my photo post about the farewell charter for NGT6 prototype 1302, Leutzsch Depot is located on Rathenaustraße in a quiet residential area highlighted by numerous Gründerzeit mansions dating to the late 19th and early 20th century. This would be the depot approach immediately outside the premises, with this area regularly served by Line 67 quarter buses, which reverse through the depot area. The stop seen here also is the final stop served by trams returning to this depot before entering the Home Loop around the old admin building, seen half-hidden by trees to the left.
     
    The points belonging to Leutzsch Depot are all manually set, requiring drivers to pay attention in order to prevent false routings. This is especially true if you should intend to sortie the depot out of tracks 10, 11, 13, 15 and 16, in which case you would enter the Home Loop clockwise and would have to watch how Point 233 – located roughly parallel to where the dark BMW is parked – is set. If it were set to Left, you would, essentially, commence wrong line operation!
     

     
    The Home Loop consists of an inner and outer loop, with only the outer loop being designated for operation at this time.
     

     
    The outbound end of the Home Loop and the tracks going out of the old open stabling area – designated tracks 1 through 7 – which but has had the OHLE removed and is now used only for storing retired Tatra cars.
     
     
     

     
    Looking at Point 233 from the facing end to illustrate the risk for embarrassment involved!
     
     
     

     
    The admin building is, theoretically, still workable, with one floor currently being leased to Deutsche Bahn.
     
     
     

     
    To begin my shift, I then had a pleasant walk of no more than 15 minutes along Rathenaustraße and up to the Rathaus Leutzsch stop where I would then book on.
     

     
    Intersection with Blüthnerstraße and Pfingstweide.
     

     
    In daytime, outbound services to Miltitz have a programmed dwell time of four minutes at Lützner/Merseburger Straße to allow the rail replacement buses – which terminate at Lindenau, Bushof – sufficient time to keep ahead and drop off connecting passengers…
     
     
     

     
    …and inbound services destined to cross over to Line 7 also have four minutes of dwell time at Lindenau, Bushof, where inbound rail replacement buses start their turns.
     
     
     

     
    The pair of 1347 "Zweinaundorf" and 1332 "Leutzsch" at Böhlitz-Ehrenberg – the borough where this terminus is located actually being historically called Gundorf…
     

     
    …and at Miltitz.
     
     
     

     
    The second shift half was conducted on 1338 "Lindenthal" and 1316 "Eutritzsch", with these two cars currently testing a revised door control programming and therefore needing to remain coupled.
     
     
     
    In between, my break took place at the Lindenau bus depot, which I had never been to before.
     

     
    L-IK 280, formerly Car 208, is a Hungarian-built Ikarus 280 type bendy bus from our historic inventory.
     
     
     

     
    12277/L-PW 452 is a Göppel go4city 12E all-electric bus currently being evaluated on Line 89, which due to its routing right through the largely pedestrianised city centre has been the first stomping ground for hybrid buses in Leipzig. Such buses are, obviously, well suited for pollution-sensitive areas where ridership numbers but do not make tram lines viable.
     
    This bus utilises a roof-mounted pantograph for opportunity charging en route, with a corresponding charging station being installed at Connewitz, Kreuz at the southern end of Line 89.
     
     
     

     
    L-NV 1760 is an IFA W 50 L based wrecker also based at Lindenau.
     
     
     

     
    it's also interesting to note that the Lindenau bus depot has, in fact, been a hybrid bus and tram depot originally and also comprised the main repair works up until the opening of Heiterblick in 1927. Buses have been stationed here since 1928.
     

     
    The remaining tracks have been disconnected from the Lützner Straße route since 2008.
     
    Anyway, so much for the moment. Circumstances permitting, I might, as mentioned further up, provide some additional photos of the "Western Shuttle" after my next shifts there. Thanks for reading!
  8. NGT6 1315
    Afternoon all!
     
    I was just having the idea of duplicating my model showcase/review threads from the Overseas Modelling section to a new blog, which I believe might make them easier to find in the long run. I'm not sure yet what to do with possible future showcases - should I post them in Overseas first and then duplicate them in the blog later on, or only in the blog in the first place?
     
    I'd appreciate your opinions in this matter!
  9. NGT6 1315
    Don't you just love it when courses are cancelled with no prior notice? Well, I tried to make the best of this situation, and rode out for a photo session – in spite of the weather still being sort of crummy. I'd been meaning to check out how things look at Bischofsheim for a while – this being the location of a well-known marshalling yard.
     
    Bischofsheim is an independent community of about 12,000 inhabitants, but used to be a borough of Mainz between 1930 and 1945. After the end of World War II, when the Rhine was declared the boundary between the French and American zones, several of Mainz's boroughs on the east bank of the Rhine were split off and became part of the state of Hesse, with Amöneburg, Kastel and Kostheim becoming boroughs of Wiesbaden – and laying the foundation for a rivalry of sorts which continues right into the present. Also, Bischofsheim is located at the junction of the Mainz-Frankfurt mainline (also known as "Mainbahn" in German) and the Ludwig Grand Duke of Hesse Railway ("Hessische Ludwigsbahn" in German), which goes from Mainz to Aschaffenburg via Darmstadt.
     
    Well, anyway – let's have a look at what I got!
     
     
     
     

     
    First off, 294 735 was on station pilot duty that day, along with two sisters which we'll be seeing later on. As you can see n the background, several freight trains were waiting to depart the yard.
     
     
     
     
     

     
     
    Coming in from Kostheim, Mittelweserbahn's 1116 911 almost caught me by surprise, trailing a long rake of tankers.
     
     
     
     
     

     
    Meanwhile, 145 026 was departing west with an intermodal working.
     
     
     
     

     
    Bundesbahn power – 151 049 with a bunch of open bogie wagons up back.
     
     
     

     
    There still are several 152s which have retained the long-obsolete DB Cargo lettering till this day. This here was 152 043, which also has yet to be refitted with the additional set of frontside handrails.
     
     
     
     

     
    I was particularly happy to be able to finally snap some 186s...! The one in the lead was 186 239, owned by motive power leasing company CBRail and currently under lease to Dutch freight operator Captrain.
     
     
     
     

     
    152 118 is one of those of her class which has already been given the additional handrails, which are located on the secondman's side of the fronts. She is seen here departing with an Ambrogio intermodal service.
     
     
     
     
     

     
    Meanwhile, 185 338 was trailing a rake of car carriers.
     
     
     
     

     
    294 579 also was on pilot duty today.
     
     
     
     
     

     
    185 377 and one of her sisters but were working a coal service.
     
     
     
     

     
    DB Netz Instandhaltung loco 203 315 – an ex-DR V100 type diesel-hydraulic – came in from Kostheim on a positioning move.
     
     
     
     
     

     
    151 026 in turn was departing for Kostheim and the Rhine with a container service.
     
     
     
     

     
    This here was 189 091, one of those DB Schenker 189s sold to MRCE Dispolok and now available to other operators. She is currently under lease to Dutch operator ERS, and is seen here coming in with a container service.
     
     
     

     
    145-CL 204 is still wearing the basic blue and silver livery from the time when she was operated by RBH (formerly known as RAG), but is owned by Alpha Trains nowadays. At this time, she is under lease to Swiss operator Crossrail for their German area of operations.
     
     
     
     

     
    294 817 was also working around the yard today.
     
     
     

     
    This was another intermodal service by Ambrogio, worked by 185 248.
     
     
     
     

     
    And just in case you can't get enough of those 185s yet, I've got another one! This here was 185 262, thundering out of the yard.
     
     
     
     

     
    A wee bit smaller, innit? This was a GAF 100 type work car with a material wagon up front, which is a configuration in which these cars are explicitly cleared to work.
     
     
     

     
    Euroshed, anyone? This here's a broadside on 266 017 or PB 12, a Class 66 operated by Crossrail. This is Crossrail's newest livery, which I think looks fairly sharp .
     
     
     

     
     
    And a 1st generation TRAXX for a change – 185 184 coming in with a mixed freight. Next to this train, you will be able to spot a class 151 loco...
     
     
     
     

     
    ...which was 151 004 on a shunting movement from one track of the Bischofsheim yard to another.
     
     
     
    And that's it for this time – thanks for looking! B)
     
     
     
  10. NGT6 1315
    Afternoon all (just!)
     
    Today's posting will most certainly highlight the fact that I as a railfan can indeed derive satisfaction from situations which I suppose will be terribly nerve-wracking for John Every-Passenger, and that trams are far from being inflexible!
     
    Engineering work carried out on Georg-Schumann-Straße this week means that until and including 10 April, a fairly intriguing replacement service arrangement had to be set up. Line 11 trams are rerouted to the Line 4 terminus at Landsberger Straße, turning right at the Lindenthaler Straße intersection. Rail replacement buses cover the gap to the Wahren loop, with Line 11 shuttle services running from there to Schkeuditz and back. In spite of copious passenger information on and off the trams, significant numbers of them but seemed to be disoriented this morning…
     
     
     

     
    Anyway: Having walked up Landsberger Straße to the Max-Liebermann-Straße intersection, 1204 "Köln" was rolling down towards the city centre on a Line 11 service for the Connewitz, Klemmstraße terminus…
     
     

     
    …followed by 1141 "Friedrich Nietzsche" doing its usual Übermensch-like service on Line 4.
     
     
     
    Having ridden back to the Lindenthaler Straße/Georg-Schumann-Straße intersection, I took the rail replacement service out to Wahren.
     
     

     
    …where 1341 "Mölkau" and company were waiting on the up track for their next trip to Schkeuditz as Turn 11-71. The fact of Leoliner cars working Line 11 services is unusual enough in its own right.
     
     
    Now, to help you understand the following photos, I should first post a few screenshots from Google Earth, I think.
     
     

     
    The Wahren loop, normally used by Line 10 services, rounds the tree-planted square at the centre of this aerial view. To enter the loop in normal operation, trams turn left at the Linkelstraße intersection, rounding the loop counter-clockwise…
     
     

     
    …similar to how the silver Renault Clio is going in this image. As you can see, the diverging track branches off from the up main track only.
     
     

     
    Similarly, the loop exit connects to the down track only.
     
     

     
    And a view up Linkelstraße to illustrate the loop entry. As you can see, the loop is double-tracked to permit overtaking, if required.
     
     
     
    However, the Schkeuditz-Wahren shuttle services obviously arrived on the down track, so that the only way of entering the loop and returning to the up line…
     
     

     
    …is reversing through the loop. On the inside track, a spare formation of 1337 "Knauthain" and 1321 "Probstheida" is powered down and stabled, while 1311 "Schönefeld" and 1348 "Hänichen" back up, with the driver at the shunting control stand at the rear end of 1311.
     
     
     

     
    Looking at the operation from the loop exit. The orange Volkswagen van belonged to an Operations Director keeping an eye on the shuttle and rail replacement service.
     
     

     
    Having taken the mandatory break, the formation of 1348 and 1311 reversed onto Georg-Schumann-Straße…
     
     
     

     
    …with one of the replacement buses for Lindenthaler Straße emerging from Linkelstraße to the right. Rail replacement services were run mostly with Solaris Urbino 18 LE bendies, like 14146 (L-NV 4146) here.
     
     
     

     
    Soon after that, the next shuttle service came in from Schkeuditz, headed by 1343 "Reudnitz".
     
     
     

     
    After some passenger confusion was remedied, the set, with 1323 "Dölitz" at the rear, began reversing into the loop. Who ever said trams were inflexible?
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
    Interestingly, LVB had also sortied at least one of their "Irvine" styled Mercedes Citaro G bendies, originally designed for public transport operator "üstra" of Hanover on the occasion of the EXPO 2000 fair. The replacement buses, with L-NV 1328 seen in this photo, were obviously signed as Line 11 services.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

     
    I then rode up to the Landsberger Straße loop, which this week sees a lot of traffic from Lines 4 and 11! Here, this Tatra Großzug of 2124, 2101 and NB4 trailer 903, booked on Line 11, rounded the loop, exiting it through the left of the two departing tracks. Line 4 services use the right departure track.
     
     
     

     
    To illustrate – Here, 2124 and company exit the loop onto the shortish single-tracked stretch at the top end of the line…
     
     
     

     
    …while 2158 and its trailer emerge from the right departure position just one minute later.
     
     
     

     
    A less common sight on this route, Flexity car 1233 "Augsburg" sorties on a Line 11E service to Connewitz, Klemmstraße…
     
     
     

     
    …followed by 1112 "Seiferts Oscar" on Line 4, representing the standard fare for this route.
     
     
     
    Aside from the complex traffic arrangement on Line 11, Line 10 is affected as well, only serving the southern section from Lößnig to Central Station. Cars reverse through the loop immediately to the west of Central Station…
     

     
    …again illustrated by a Google Earth shot with the loop visible rounding the single house off Kurt-Schumacher-Straße.
     
     
     

     
    Here, 1143 "Robert Schumann" is turning off the main route to enter the loop, signed as an "E" car.
     
     
     

     
    With 1143 visible to the right, 1107 "Hieronymus Lotter" is on its down service to Markkleeberg-West on Line 9…
     
     
     

     
    …followed by the trial formation of 1101 "Johann Sebastian Bach" and trailer 906 on Line 11E. As of now, this is the only NGT8, or Type 36, car to have been made compatible with trailers.
     
     
     
    And this would be it for today. Thanks for reading!
  11. NGT6 1315
    Morning all!
     
    I hadn't really been able to do a lot of spotting since our move to Leipzig, but last night, I packed my camera and tripod and set out to capture what I expected to be a multitude of impressions from railway and tram operations in Leipzig on a Sunday. – So, here you go...
     
     
    A surprise catch at Central Station delighted me so much that I am going to show it twice:
     

     
    115 205 of DB AutoZug had brought a stock positioning service to Leipzig. While a shunter removed said string of coaches, the loco was preparing to shunt to its stabling location...
     
     

     
    ...and needed to have another wait outside the shed.
     
    After that, I caught a S 2 line suburban service and rode out to Thekla Station...
     

     
    ...where 1442 113, which had worked this particular service, prepared to return as an ECS – or "Lt", as it would be called in German railway nomenclature.
     
     
     

     
    I then rode to the Trade Fair Centre, which at this time of day and in the absence of any fairs was totally deserted. That is, except for the Flexity XXL type tram 1201 "Saxonia" which was working the 16 line that night and had been diagrammed on the 1645 turn, as per the turn display at the bottom of the windscreen.
     
    After boarding the same car for the return trip, the driver approached me and was happy to see that I had captured his service. Cheers, sir!
     
     

     
    At Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz, I then captured 1233 "Augsburg" working the 1144 turn on the 11 line to Schkeuditz...
     
     
     

     
    ...followed by its opposite turn, 1145, worked by 1226 "Bremen" on its way to Markkleeberg Ost.
     
     
     

     
    Going Suburban: 1442 129 was calling at Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz on the S 37584 working to Leipzig/Halle Airport.
     
     
     
    I then proceeded to Leipzig MDR, the station immediately south of Bayerischer Bahnhof at the southern end of the trunk line...
     

     
    ...to first capture 1442 109 on the S 37364 working to Halle Central Station...
     
     
     

     
    ...and 1442 120 on the S 37165 working to Wurzen.
     
     

     
    Back at Central Station, 101 140 was waiting at the head of IC 2232 to Magdeburg Central Station.
     
     
     

     
    Before the suburban railway project, Connewitz Station in the south of Leipzig had been a fairly decrepit location. However, I found the old station had been completely eradicated, so that 1442 213, standing by to work the S 29536 service to Delitzsch in a few minutes, was able to wait under a brand-new passenger bridge.
     
     
     
     

     
    Back at Central Station, 1442 208 was just dropping off passengers while working the S 29537 service to Connewitz.
     
     
    After that, I was quite intrigued to observe transfer workings shifting from one line to another during the late-evening period – as well as two trains occupying the same track, which in other words is to say, Leipzig Central Station's suburban level is outfitted for short signal blocks and restricted approach routes.
     
     

     
    This meant that on the northbound Track 2, I could observe 1442 111 on the S 37376 working to Halle on the S 3 line, which had come from Wurzen on the eastern branch of the S 1 line and was stood at the southern end of the platform...
     
     

     
    ...while this double unit with 1442 134 at the rear was waiting at the northern end of Track 2 on the S 37588 working to Falkenberg-upon-Elster – having come from Zwickau, which is located on the S 5 line.
     
     
     

     
    Similarly, on Track 1, I could observe 1442 135 on the S 37473 working to Borna at the northern end...
     
     

     
    ...and 1442 103 on the S 37373 working – which had come from Halle Central Station and shifted on the S 1 line to Wurzen – at the southern end. I should note that these shifting workings had a scheduled dwell time of between 10 and 15 minutes.
     
     
    Thank you for your time and I hope you found it worthwhile!
  12. NGT6 1315
    Afternoon all!
     
    Glorious sunshine out here in Saxony, so I spontaneously decided in favour of a little photo tour to my current favourite location at Thekla. Which I might say up front was well worth the effort!
     
     

     
    First off, let me showcase ITL's 285 108 heading a rake of chemical tankers. Having seen the passenger variant of the diesel-electric Bombardier TRAXX, called class 246, before, this was my first sighting of the freight version.
     
     

     
    In somewhat adverse lighting conditions, 155 030 emerged from the Cottbus bypass with a formation of gravel hoppers.
     
     
     

     
    Another premiere for me was BB 37032 of Akiem, currently leased to CTL Logistics – again hauling a string of chemical tankers.
     
     
     

     
    155 243 was returning light from Engelsdorf.
     
     

     
    One of DB Schenker's oldest 185s, 185 008 was working a container block train today.
     
     

     
    Similarly, MRCE's 185 563, leased to boxXpress at this time, was working this LKW Walter intermodal service.
     
     

     
    A locomotive which I understand is quite sought after in the East German railfan community, 213 339 "Diana" of the Rennsteigbahn was taking a break on the bypass with a set of empty wood carriers up back. The 213 was a subtype of the ex-Bundesbahn V 100 diesels outfitted with hydrodynamic brake and therefore prepared for steep gradient operation.
     
     

     
    294 668 was working this trip freight consisting of gravel hoppers, chemical tankers and sliding roof vans.
     
     

     
    Portrait of HGK's 185 604 halting on the bypass during a positioning move.
     
     
     

     
    155 126 was heading another mixed freight formation...
     
     

     
    ...and 145 063 was at the head of a block train of high-side bogie wagons.
     
     
     

     
    I was particularly delighted about this sighting: 250 137 of Leipziger Eisenbahn was crossing over to the bypass heading a string of gas tankers. Still known by its National Vehicle Register number of 155 137, the loco was deliberately restored to its pre-unification appearance in DR burgundy and with DR running numbers. As you may remember, Deutsche Reichsbahn had reserved the 100 range in its class numbering scheme for diesel locomotives and the 200 range for electric motive power, whereas Deutsche Bundesbahn used the 100 range for electric locomotives and the 200 range for mainline diesels.
     
     
     

     
    And 101 049 rounded off this photo session, heading a mixed freight formation on one of the scheduled freight stand-ins for this class.
  13. NGT6 1315
    Cheers everyone…
     
    I may have mentioned before that LVB have committed themselves to renewing their tram and bus inventory, which process has begun taking shape by the end of 2016. Concerning our new trams, with the procurement contract having been signed on 26 March, 2015, Polish bus and (more recently) tram builder Solaris had been declared the winning bidder, having proposed a 20-wheel, four-segment articulated vehicle from their Tramino series. Per common practice in Germany, this tram is referred to as NGT10, which quite simply means "low floor articulated unit with ten wheelsets." At present, a total of 41 of these units is intended for procurement until 2020, the goal being withdrawing our Tatras from timetabled service entirely and also displacing the smaller NGT8 trams from the mid-1990s from those lines where they are no longer sufficient due to lack of passenger space.
     
    Let me now first take a bit of a step back to December as on the morning of the 21st, NGT10 1001 was delivered at our Heiterblick Technical Centre. All interested staff had been invited to attend, which especially those of us drivers known to be nerds did in force!
     


     

     
    The oversIze transport carrying 1001 had departed Poznań on 19 December, and since it was permitted to travel at night only, needed to pause near Frankfurt-upon-Oder during the daylight hours of the 20th. Dutch haulier van der Vlist has been contracted for conducting these transfers, there not being too many hauliers equipped for shipping tram vehicles to begin with!
     
    Having reached Leipzig by 2.10 am and entered Heiterblick shortly after 6 am, unloading procedures began by 6.40 am in sharply frosty weather.
     


     
    1001 was first towed inside the workshop for warming up and activation, and eventually rolled back out a few minutes past 8.30 am on what turned out to be a gloriously sunny day.
     


     
    As it was expected that 1001 would commence route and certification tests well ahead of 1002's delivery, the unit was camouflaged as a "test mule". However, 1001 did not leave Heiterblick as of yet due to plan changes, carrying out initial trials within the premises only. It is expected to sortie for actual route trials within the next two weeks at the latest. It is likely that 1002, which was delivered during the night of 8/9 February, will be able to support the mandatory trial and certification period also.
     

    As curiosity and expectations continue to run high among our staff, it was decided to arrange for a walk-on presentation of 1001 this Friday, as 1002 had been dropped off at the Exhibition Centre for the NGT10's first public appearance as part of the House and Garden Fair which began yesterday.
     


     
    For visitors wishing to travel from Angerbrücke, transport was provided in the shape of Solaris Urbino IV 18 14167/L-DE 1019, which belongs to a batch of 25 bendies ordered in July 2016 for replacement of mainly older generation Solaris Urbino standard buses no longer meeting current emission standards. Also, current procurement plans call for increased use of articulated buses rather than standard buses in order to provide additional passenger capacity.
     
     
     

     
    While 1002 was being prepared for its public roll-out at the House and Garden Fair which opened yesterday, 1001 will retain its test mule camouflage for the time being, which I suppose may also offer a bit of additional protection against minor blemishes. With the NGT10s still being intended to replace the non-trailer capable NGT8s and the Tatras on Lines 4 and 10 in the first stage, we changed the destination signage between these two lines during this presentation.
     
     
     

     
    With the stretch of Teslastraße outside the workshops proper being part of the Heiterblick premises operationally, 1001 was taken around the block several times…
     
     
     

     
    …with a Solaris driver in control of the vehicle. From this first ride-along impression, short as it may have been, running characteristics appeared decent enough to me, and I'm looking forward to eventually receiving type rating for the NGT10 myself!
     
     
     

     

     
    Turning another round signed as Line 10!
     
     
     

     
    Coloured LED stripes are provided to inform passengers of doors being unlocked when lit green, or red when being closed. This is a feature also found on several other contemporary light rail stock, such as the TW3000 LRVs for Hanover or the C2 Series underground sets for Munich.
     
    Also note the white LED destination signs, which are presently becoming increasingly popular over the previously common amber displays due to being better legible in bright sunlight.
     
     
     

     
    A feature novel for Leipzig trams is the provision of rear view cameras in lieu of traditional mirrors. Also note the downward facing camera, which we were told is intended to ease judging lateral distance in confined space situations such as those caused by stupidly parked cars.
     
     
     

     
    Inside the cab, a triple split screen will display the external camera images. The third camera is located above Door 6 at the rear end.
     
     
     

     
    Meanwhile, these holding brackets on the forward face of the instrument panel will simplify carrying auxiliary sign plates, as used during scheduled diversions or other events affecting regular services.
     
     
     

     
    What I found especially interesting is that a dashcam will actually be provided in order to augment trip recorder data in the event of traffic accidents with tram involvement. For the time being, these cameras will remain inactive, pending a possible modification of privacy laws which, as I understood, is judged likely to occur in the not-too-distant future.
     
     
     

     
    The auxiliary rear control panel.
     
     
     


     
    The exterior door openers felt agreeably robust to my touch!
     
     
     

     

     
    The Jacobs bogie in the middle of the tram required that hinged skirting panels be provided in order to provide sufficient rotational clearance in tight curves, with the minimum curve radius on our network being 17 m at present.
     
     
     

     
    While the configuration of two parallel windscreen wipers seemed unusual initially and did cause concern regarding sufficient and gap-free coverage, I could ascertain that by moving alternately across the centreline, the wipers will indeed cover the principal viewing angle completely.
     
     
     

     
    Flat LED stripes serve as lateral turn signals.
     
     
     

     
    I also was positively impressed by the large LED lighting panels mounted to the ceiling, almost creating the impression of skylights extending along the entire unit. The interior lighting can be electronically tinted to create a "cool" ambience in summer, and a "warm" one in the cold months.
     
     
     

     

     
    Except for a number of traditional buttons for key functions such as door release and locking, turn signals, point control and troubleshooting (and, of course, power and brake control), all man-machine interaction will be through touch screens. Do note that in addition to the usual central door release and locking circuit, it is possible to open and close every single door individually through the bottom row of soft keys on the central view screen.
     
    My impression was that the touch screens responded quickly and reliably to inputs, and I noticed that audio feedback is being provided by way of suitable "click" sounds.
     
     
     

     
    The controller handle is identical to that on the NGT12, with the handle having to be rotated 90 degrees to the right to serve as the principal deadman switch.
     
    You may notice the smallish microphone to the left of the instrument panel. I was able to ascertain that this microphone provides such good amplification that in order to make announcements or to communicate via radio, it is completely feasible to just speak normally from your regular seating position without having to lean over.
     
     
     

     
    The troubleshooting panel is, broadly, designed to be similar to that of the NGT12, as are the icons used on all mechanical buttons. The key switch for enabling holding brake backup release has yet to be installed, it seems.
     
     
     

     
    As you may be able to judge, the seating position is agreeably high, too!
     
     
     

     
    Seat adjustment is completely electric, with the plan being to provide a chip tag with the ideal seating position for every single driver in order to have the seat set itself automatically. However, manual alterations will still be possible. Furthermore, the seat is both heated and ventilated for additional workplace comfort.
     
    We were also informed of the NGT10 being equipped with "intelligent air conditioning" capable of being programmed with local weather profiles to match cooling and heating output, as well as humidity and ozone content, to long-term meteorological monitoring data in order to provide optimal interior ambience adjustment. The system was also designed with human physiology in mind, meaning both heating and cooling will be provided only to achieve an appropriate temperature differential in order to avoid medical problems. This means that, for example, heating will be provided only up to external temperatures of 16°C, while in hot weather, the difference between outside and interior temperature will be deliberately kept small enough to prevent passengers experiencing circulatory problems.
     
     
     
    I will see to obtaining a few images from 1002 either today or next week for a more complete impression of our new trams, so do keep your eyes open for a follow-up posting in this space!
  14. NGT6 1315
    Evening all!
     
    On a photo round I went on today, I devoted some of the time to capturing a few examples of typical tram signals, which I'd also like to follow up with additional sets of examples at later dates as I get to gather them.
     
    But I won't let you jump in at the deep end and would thus like to first provide a few introductory paragraphs!
     
    German trams most commonly run under what could be called visual operating conditions, meaning that cars proceed on sight from one signal to the next, and that no train protection systems as would be present on railways are available. Such systems generally are installed only on grade-separated routes of various light rail networks throughout the country.
     
    That, of course, means drivers must generally observe regular traffic rules on street-bound routes, and trams must be outfitted with the same basic arrangement of headlights, brake lights and turn indicators as automobiles. Obviously, trams must, given their weight, also be outfitted with highly effective brakes to be able to operate safely under these conditions and in the middle of automobiles. This is why they are generally outfitted with magnetic track brakes to allow for very short emergency stopping distances.
     
    Generally, tram and other light rail systems are subject to the regulations laid out in what is colloquially called "BOStrab" in German, which is shorthand for "Bau- und Betriebsordnung für Straßenbahnen" and best translated as "Tram Construction and Operating Ordinance." This is a set of regulations completely separate from the "Eisenbahn-Bau- und Betriebsordnung" (Railway Construction and Operating Ordinance), abbreviated "EBO" and applicable to all "heavy rail" systems in Germany.
     
    Most commonly, rail vehicles comply to only EBO or only BOStrab but not both at the same time. Exceptions to that rule can be found, for example, on the suburban network in the Karlsruhe area or on the Saarbahn network, either of which constitutes a tram-train system. Basically, these tram-trains must therefore, among other parameters, meet railway crashworthiness and impact resistance norms, and be outfitted with wheelsets suitably profiled for both railway and tram track geometries.
     
    Now, as I indicated in the title, this little series of postings will also address other aspects of tram infrastructure where appropriate, which is why I might just begin with this photo...
     
     

     
    Paved-in track is generally built with grooved rails while grade-separated tracks can be built with either Vignoles or grooved rails. On paved-in routes, points therefore differ a bit from regular points, which I'll get back to in a few moments.
     
    In order to increase route capacity at intersections or other key locations, it is now quite common to provide what is commonly called "sorting points." Technically, these are, basically, very long points with the point blades being placed far ahead of the diverging track. Assuming two cars following each other but working different lines, this allows for either car to be properly routed in advance of passing an intersection in order to maximise throughput for each signal cycle.
     
    Taken at the Goerdelerring intersection here in Leipzig, the straight track proceeds into Jahnallee and is used by Lines 3, 4, 7 and 15, while the diverging track turns onto Pfaffendorfer Straße and is for Line 12. Similar sorting points, some even longer, also exist in other locations in the city but some can be photographed safely only aboard trams.
     
     
     
     

     
    While no sensible alternative to grooved rails exists for paved-in track, this type of rail does, technically, entail an increased risk of stones, snow, ice or other materials getting stuck in the grooves. On points in particular, this could result in derailments, so in order to counter this risk, the rail elements utilised for points are fabricated with much shallower grooves.
     
    As you can see in the above photo, also taken at Goerdelerring, this configuration is most prominently evident at the common crossings. Looking closely, you can also spot the stock rail grooves varying in depth in between the common crossings, where they are most shallow. This also means that effectively, the common crossings are flange bearing, so that the wheel flanges rather than the treads carry the car weight. I understand this also has the additional effect of extending the common crossings' lives.
     
    *************
     
    Changing the topic back to signalling, one remark which I think I should make up front is that while the Tram Construction and Operating Ordinance does outline a common framework of guidelines as to the purpose and appearance of tram signals which is valid throughout Germany, the Technical Supervision Authorities ("Technische Aufsichtsbehörden", TAB) in the individual states as well as the operating companies themselves are at liberty to request and implement adaptations to suit specific requirements posed by local conditions which the general BOStrab framework could not cover.
     
    Such individual adaptations which are specific for one particular tram system are outlined in local application guidelines usually designated "DFStrab", spelt out as "Dienstordnung für den Fahrbetrieb – Straßenbahn" and suitably translated as "Operational Tram Service Regulation."
     
     

     
    While, to my knowledge, tram signals outside of Germany tend to look fundamentally similar, I would like to explain them in a bit more detail in any case. This example of a multi-aspect, multi-route signalling cluster is, again, at the Goerdelerring intersection.
     
    Fundamentally, tram signals should be understood largely as pure route signals, as opposed to German railway signals which generally imply specific running speed information as well.
     
    These route signals are generally referred to as "F signals", spelt out as "Fahrsignale" and extended to the individual aspects.
     
    On multi-route junctions such as this one, there is generally one signal screen for each route which can be set from this location, and indeed relevant only to that individual route.
     
    In this example, the three screens for each of the three routes which can be set from here all show F 0, "Stop." Do note that the three screens nearer the camera actually can be understood as distant signals for the actual route signals, one of which you can see beyond the lady which happened to be in view here. These route signals also display F 0.
     
    Also take note of the screen set atop the cluster of three "F" signal screens, and lettered to refer to the points from the first photo, 170. This is, essentially, a point indicator, obviously useful to inform drivers whether the proper route for their turn has indeed been set.
     
    As tram points must no longer be set by way of OHLE current sensing contacts (which were disallowed in the mid-1990s), route setting is now commonly performed automatically through induction-based telemetry with transmitter coils on cars and ground-mounted transceiver coils. These transmitters are tied to the Integrated Onboard Information System – "Integriertes Bordinformationssystem" or "IBIS" in German – so that as a driver, you need to enter the line and turn number through a cab terminal for the car to be properly routed for the duration of the shift.
     
    If, for some reason, the proper route was not set automatically, you can manually set points either by way of corresponding keys on the IBIS terminal or control desk while within transmitting distance of the ground-based transceivers – or by way of a simple lever carried in each cab and actually referred to as a "spear" in operating parlance.
     
    As for the point indicator in the present example, the variety used in Leipzig is, actually, an example for how individual operators may implement modifications to the general BOStrab framework. I'll address this in a few moments!
     
    But, first of all, take note of the "X" symbol lit up at the top of the screen. This is the "W 0" aspect indicating that the points are currently locked in position for the next tram to pass it and that none of the following trams can reset the points until they have been cleared.
     
    Now, looking at the first image in this posting, you will notice that the point in question has a straight branch and a right hand branch. However, the indicator in this example is equipped with aspects for left and right hand branch.
     
    While BOStrab does specify an aspect for the straight branch, LVB have chosen to normally utilise only the aspects for left and right on point indicators, so that in this example, the "left" branch actually refers to the straight route.
    The standard aspect for the straight route would appear as an upward pointing arrowhead.
     
    It is also important to keep in mind that there are actually two variations for each of the point indicator aspects: Without the straight "bar" at the open end of the arrowhead, the point is indicated to not be mechanically locked in position, imposing a 15 kph speed limit.
    When the bar does display, the point is mechanically locked, allowing regular running speed.
     
    This means there are the following point aspects as per BOStrab:
     
    W 1 – straight, not locked
    W 2 – right, not locked
    W 3 – left, not locked
    W 11 – straight, locked
    W 12 – right, locked
    W 13 – left, locked
     
     
    *********
     
    As I mentioned before, the triple route signal cluster in the foreground functions as advance indicators for the upcoming route signals nearer the intersection. Thus, take note of the following photo:
     

     
    Here, a Line 12 working is leaving to turn right onto Pfaffendorfer Straße.
     
    Obviously, tram signals must, where present, be interlocked with traffic lights for road users, so that in this example, the road signals are set such that the route would be clear for trams leaving straight ahead into Jahnallee and to the right. Correspondingly, the foreground signals show "A 2b" at the bottom for the straight and right routes, with A 2b being an "Order to depart."
     
    Likewise, the route signals beyond the pedestrians show "F 1, Proceed Straight" for the straight branch, and "F 2, Proceed Right" for the right hand branch. The point indicator shows "W 12" plus "W 0" to indicate the point is set and locked for the right hand branch.
     
     

     
    Meanwhile, in this view, the advance signal for the straight route shows A 2b corresponding with F 1 on the route signal, while the advance signal for the right branch shows the combination of F 0 and F 4.
     
    The standard definition for F 4 is given as "Expect Stop." By the standard definition, the aspect also does not light up simultaneously with any other F aspect, but many tram operators – if not the majority of them – have redefined this aspect to function similarly to the yellow light in road traffic lights. So, in Leipzig, it is possible to display the combinations of F 0 and F 4 indicating "Expect Proceed", while "Expect Stop" is signalled by displaying F 4 only on the relevant screen.
     
    In total, there are six F aspects:
     
    F 0 – horizontal bar: Stop
    F 1 – vertical bar: Proceed Straight
    F 2 – right diagonal bar: Proceed Right
    F 3 – left diagonal bar: Proceed Left
    F 4 – single dot: Expect Proceed for given direction
    F 5 – triangle pointing downward: Proceed Permissive (Observe Right of Way at location)
     
     
     
    ******
     
    Having spoken about points earlier, let us briefly return to this topic and have a look at this signal board:
     

     
    I am, of course, referring to the black and white plate attached to the OHLE, seen right above the rear end of 1331.
     
    While tram points are frequently designed as variable points to allow running through from the trailing end regardless of position, points which are not thus equipped – such as in this example at the Augustusplatz intersection – are highlighted with a "W 14" board, set to be visible only from the trailing end. So, W 14 indicates "No Trailing Point Movements."
     
     
    ************
     
    Given the narrow curve radii commonly found on tram routes, certain locations may call for special measures to reduce wear and noise. Typically, this would be in the shape of curve greasers, highlighted by the following signal plate:
     

     

     
    …spelt out as "Kurvenschmieranlage." This example would be located at the eastern end of the Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz stop...
     
     

     
    …while another curve greaser, seen here, is located at the beginning of the grade-separated section just south of Augustusplatz.
     
     
     
    And that would be it for this time. Thanks for reading!
     
    (April 19: Edited for inexplicably jumbled formatting)
  15. NGT6 1315
    Morning all!
     
    Followers of the Continental modelling scene may have registered that a few months ago, Roco has begun releasing a series of re-tooled Deutsche Bundesbahn class 103 electrics, adding several much-wanted enhancements to this model which had first been offered in 1977. It might not be surprising that when I was able to obtain one as a real bargain recently, I could not resist. Therefore, today's focus will be on what I assume most railfans will agree on being the? signature Deutsche Bundesbahn electric locomotive, and possibly the pinnacle of conventional single-phase AC locomotive development.
     
    The 103's history can be traced back into the early 1950s when Deutsche Bundesbahn were rebuilding the German rail network and working towards restoring express passenger services which had already reached a high level of sophistication before 1939.
     
    In these early years, pre-war electrics such as the class E 18 1'Do1' locomotives were used for top-tier „D“ (Durchgangszug) and „F“ (Fernschnellzug) passenger services, as were the four class E 19 locomotives which had been a more powerful evolution from the E 18. Of course, the latest express steam locos like the class 01 and 01.10 4-6-2s as well as the emerging generation of diesel-hydraulics like the V 200 type also took their share in express passenger traffic as electrification was by far not as widely spread as it is today.
    Yet even then, plans were made to increase top speeds beyond the 160 kph which had been the de-facto maximum at the time. One suggestion discussed in this context had been putting the E 19 back in production, as this class had been approved for 180 kph originally. However, they also had proven to be unable to meet the 1,000 metre baseline braking distance mandated by German railway construction and operating rules from that speed, meaning a more advanced design was a definite must. One of these was a concept called E 01 at the time, describing a twelve-wheel locomotive with a top speed of 180 kph and a power output of 5,000 kW, which but was not pursued any further and therefore not elaborated in great detail initially.
     
    In the early 1960s, the newly built class E 10 and E 10.12 Bo'Bo' locomotives began taking over national and international express services, including the prestigious TEE services. At the same time, Deutsche Bundesbahn began reconsidering the E 01 concept, modifying it such that it mandated a top speed of 200 kph and an axle load of 18 tonnes. Following a formal request for proposals, Krupp and AEG presented plans for (1Bo)(Bo1) and (A1A)(A1A) configured locos with four 1,250 kW traction motors, while Henschel proposed a Co'Co' configured design which was eventually chosen as the basis for the new locomotive. The Siemens-Schuckert Works were contracted to develop the electrical equipment.
     
    Several components for the new locomotives which had been designated class E 03 in the meantime were subsequently tested on locomotives E 10 299 and 300 - the former being fitted with a Henschel-designed quill drive, the latter with a differently designed quill drive from SSW. A series of test runs was subsequently carried out between Bamberg and Forchheim in order to gather additional data on OHLE, permanent way, suspension and drivetrain design for high speeds. However, as the two modified E 10s could not provide any conclusive data as to which of the two quill drives was actually better, two of the four E 03 prototypes each were ordered with either drive. Later tests with these prototypes would then result in the SSW drive being picked for the production E 03s.
     
    The first E 03 to be completed was E 03 002 which was handed to the Bundesbahn on 11 February 1965 at the Henschel works in Kassel, which are now a Bombardier plant. However, it was fitted with E 03 001's number plates for publicity reasons. The real E 03 001 was completed in March, with E 03 003 and 004 following till June. All four locomotives were presented at the June 1965 International Transport Fair (Internationale Verkehrsausstellung, IVA) in Munich, there being referred to not as mere express locomotives, but rather as „high speed locomotives“ - which is how I personally would translate the German terms „Schnellzuglokomotive“ and „Schnellfahrlokomotive“ in this context. During the fair, two of the four locos were always in operation, having been diagrammed onto demonstration services between Munich and Augsburg. These special workings had the reporting numbers D 10/D 11 and D 12/D 13 respectively and operated at 200 kph following a special permit by the Ministry of Transport. E 03 003 remained a static exhibit as her traction motors had been removed to serve as spares, and the third locomotive was held on standby as a backup. The reason for this was that the traction motors in particular had not been fully tested yet and required a large amount of care during that early stage. However, a total number of 347 200 kph runs could be successfully completed during the Transport Fair, proving that such speeds were indeed viable in everyday operation.
     
    After the fair the four E 03 prototypes were put in scheduled service on trains outbound from Munich, including several services to Stuttgart which had to travel across the Geislinger Steige with its 2.25% gradient. These revealed the locos to quickly overheat, requiring modifications to the engine room ventilation pattern. From the winter of 1974, the E 03 prototypes – now having been redesignated 103 001 through 004 – were allocated to the Eidelstedt depot in Hamburg, then to work semi-fast express and occasional stopping services in northern Germany. In 1979 they were then relegated to departmental duties. In this role, they were based at Minden and Munich and assigned to empty stock services, LZB cab signalling monitoring and OHLE inspection duties, and also assisted in trials for new rolling stock. 103 003, then redesignated 750 002 to highlight its departmental role, took part in the trials for the new class 120 electrics as well as the ICE 1 power units, often serving as a load simulation locomotive owing to her powerful electrodynamic brake. The last E 03 prototype to have been retired was 750 001, originally known as 103 001, leaving revenue service in 1997.
     
    The production 103s were specified with even higher performance, being required to be able to haul a 480 tonnes train at 200 kph – as opposed to 300 tonnes for the prototypes – and 800 tonnes at 160 kph. To that end, both the transformer and traction motors were uprated, and engine room ventilation was improved with a second row of grilles on both body sides. The motors were designed with improved insulation and collectors. Beginning with 103 216, the body was lengthened by a total of 70 cm (27.5 in), so as to provide more spacious cabs for additional driver comfort. 103 109 was the first production locomotive to be delivered, having been handed over on 27 May 1970 and accepted on 8 September that same year. In fact, all 103s were given both a preliminary and a final certificate of acceptance, so as to be able to carry out any necessary last minute fixes on manufacturer's expense. The last loco to be accepted by Deutsche Bundesbahn was 103 245 which was handed over on 11 July 1974.
    Over the delivery period and in subsequent years, the 103s were given several major and minor improvements, such as improved wheelset suspension, rotational dampers and new SBS 65 type pantographs.
    Even from today's perspective and with three-phase AC electrics having taken her place in regular service, the 103 offers outstanding performance, with a power/weight ratio of 15.6 kilogrammes (34.4 lbs) per kilowatt, continuous power output of 7,440 kW and short-term maximum output of 10,400 kW – the latter having but been limited to 9,000 kW in later years to reduce thermal load.
     
    In addition, the 103 featured two selectable transformer output settings. On the “High” setting, the transformer provided a maximum output voltage of 612 V instead of 501 V up to a speed of 140 kph. With this setting enabled, the 103 provided a short-time peak output of 12,000 kW. However, this switch was disabled in later years to avoid overheating, much to the dismay of many drivers who had come to appreciate the extra power with the longer and heavier 1st and 2nd class IC sets introduced in 1979. Originally, German InterCity services had been all-1st class, and much shorter. The transformer switch was informally known as „Reheat“, „Hamburg Hammer“ or quite simply „Booster“.
     
    The loco's initial tractive effort up to a speed of 120 kph (or 140 when the transformer output selector was still active) is 312 kN, and it had no problems pulling 400 tonnes at 200 kph on even track, or 300 tonnes on a 0.5% gradient. After the introduction of 1st and 2nd class IC services it frequently pulled 600 tonnes at 200 kph, which of course contributed to the locomotives suffering from increased wear and subsequent malfunctions. Disabling the “Reheat” switch did improve the overall reliability of the class and thus timetable stability, as this measure also reduced the numbers of failed traction motors. The problem with this kind of failure was not only the lack of about 17% of total tractive effort per disabled motor, but also the requirement of completely disabling the dynamic brake for the bogie with failed traction motors. This meant reducing the loco's total dynamic braking effort by half, which could lead to either reduced top speeds or to longer deceleration. In the event that both bogies should have at least one failed motor, the dynamic brake would be unavailable entirely.
     
    The loco's body and frame are fully welded, the frame carrying the complete electrical equipment and being set on top of the six-wheel bogies. The body consists of the two welded steel cab sections and three non-carrying aluminium hoods over the locomotive room, the latter of which can be removed separately to facilitate access to and maintenance of on-board equipment. This layout was also chosen for the class 151 freight locos as well as the class 181.2 dual system locos which were introduced in the early 1970s.
    The aerodynamic shape of the cab sections resulted in the cabs being somewhat cramped inside, which was why the last 29 locomotives were built with larger cabs, extended by 35 cm (13.75 in) each. In addition, the cabs were outfitted with air conditioning units as the traction motors immediately below them radiated a large amount of heat. However, follow-up research in later years showed that while the 103's unique and undeniably attractive shape did offer good aerodynamical properties for the head of the train, the rounded cab fronts actually produced excessive drag when the locomotive was coupled to a train, as the gap between the locomotive and the first coach resulted in the formation of significant turbulence. Reducing this drag thus was one of the criteria applied to later locomotives such as the class 101 electrics which were introduced in the second half of the 1990s, resulting in the vertically cambered cab fronts seen on these as well as several related types of locomotives.
     
    The bogies feature central wheelsets with eight millimetres of lateral displacement, with the axleboxes being supported by rubber-suspended levers, helical springs and hydraulic shock absorbers. All locomotives from 103 216 onwards were also fitted with rotational dampers at the factory, which were eventually refitted to earlier 103s as well. The traction motors are suspended from the bogie frames, and traction bars serve for force transmission.
    The 103’s electrical components are built around the transformer, which is oil-cooled and provides a 6,250 kVA traction output. The high-tension, thyristor-assisted tap changer has 40 power notches, and aside from its standard pre-selection operating mode can also function in an emergency impulse controller mode.
    The single-phase AC type WB 368/17f traction motors have twelve poles, forced ventilation and a maximum speed of 1,525 rpm, weighing 3.5 tonnes each and providing a continuous power output of 1,240 kW.
     
    As previously mentioned, the motors can also operate in dynamic braking mode. This brake is self-excited and thus independent of overhead tension. The dynamic brake is rheostatic and has two cooling towers with braking rheostats. The electrodynamic brake has a maximum power of 9,800 kW and a continuous rated power of 4,800 kW, with a maximum braking effort of 180 kN from 200 to 40 kph. Additionally, the 103 has a graduated, indirect pneumatic brake with tread brakes on all wheels. It is blended with the electric brake and also comprises direct shunting brake control. The locos are fitted for ECP and emergency brake override.
    On the roof, two cutoff switches, an air blast circuit breaker and voltage sensing device are provided, as well as two pantographs. The latter in particular were an important item for this class, due to the high speed the locomotive was meant to achieve. Originally, the 103s were fitted with DBS 54a type diamond pantographs with Wanisch heads, which but proved to be very prone to tangling with the overhead wires at high speeds and often caused extensive OHLE damage. From 1976, the 103s were thus refitted with SBS 65 single arm pans, many of which were actually “borrowed“ from newly produced class 111 locomotives. These were then outfitted with DBS 54a pans – though with standard Dotzler heads – in exchange, as these locos had a top speed of 150 kph initially and were uprated to 160 kph in later years, which was still well within limits for the DBS 54a type.
     
    For safety equipment, the 103 has a combined LZB/PZB cab signalling and train protection suite as well as an alerter. This class was one of the few initially fitted with an early LZB type developed by Siemens and designated LZB 100, which but was later replaced by the microprocessor-controlled LZB/I 80.
     
    The 103 also proved to be well suited for various kinds of departmental purposes, which is why several locos were treated to various experimental modifications over the years. The first notable trials involving a production 103 took place in the early 1970s when 103 118 was fitted with modified gearboxes and cleared for a top speed of 265 kph. She actually set a new speed record on 12 September 1973, recording 252.9 kph between Gütersloh and Neubeckum on the Hamm-Minden Railway which had been declared a preferred test route by Deutsche Bundesbahn earlier that year. On the same line, 103 003 pushed the limit to 283 kph on 14 June 1985, becoming Germany's fastest loco until her record was broken by the class 127 “Eurosprinter” prototype on 6 August 1993, which reset it at 310 kph.
    Beginning in July 1986, locomotives 103 001, 003, 004, 107 and 154 were assigned to trials and measuring services in preparation for the opening of the Hanover-Würzburg high speed line. Between 15 July and 8 August they conducted certification trials between Burgsinn and the Hohe Wart crossover at speeds up to 280 kph, and subsequently proceeded to test new high speed pantographs together with 120 001. The remainder of the campaign on the Hanover-Würzburg HSL was then spent with gathering aerodynamic data for future high speed rolling stock designs. In 1988, 103 003 was refitted with her original gearboxes for 200 kph.
    In 1989, 103 222 was fitted with the bogies originally used on 103 118. The locomotive was subsequently given an extended certification for 280 kph and redesignated as 750. She had her original number restored in May 2005, but retains her modified bogies and 280 kph top speed.
     
    The 103 had been designed with premium passenger express services in mind, and initially worked many of the then all-1st class InterCity trains which were first introduced in 1971, as well as the even more luxurious Trans Europ Express trains from 1972 onwards. They could also be seen working fast overnight mail trains. In addition, they worked a handful of semi-fast and stopping services and even a few freight trains, although freight trains were not really what the locomotive was designed for. In July 1972, locomotive 103 157 recorded a one-month mileage of 50,251 kilometres, with the monthly average amounting to between 35,000 and 42,000 kilometres.
    Almost all trains worked by 103s during the early years were reasonably short and light, leaving the locomotives with sufficient power reserves. This, however, changed when the InterCity concept was changed in 1979 to include 2nd class coaches as well, resulting in significantly longer and heavier trains with eleven or more coaches which placed considerable strain even on an locomotive as powerful as the 103.
     
    In the meantime, 103 106 had been lost in the Rheinweiler accident of 21 July 1971, which was caused by a malfunction of the AFB speed control device. Having been under LZB control on this section of the line, the locomotive had automatically accelerated to 140 rather than the mandated 120 kph, making it impossible for the driver to manually slow down to the 70 kph limit just north of Rheinweiler in time and resulting in the locomotive derailing and taking her train down the embankment. 24 persons were killed and approximately 130 were injured in the incident.
     
    Eventually, the heavier two-class IC services began to take their toll on the 103, though those trains which were not timetabled for 200 kph were reassigned to class 110, 111 and 112 locomotives. The average daily mileage for the 103 amounted to 1,400 kilometres by 1985. In 1988, the first new class 120 locos entered service, beginning to take over some services from the 103. The 120 offered the advantage of having pressure-strengthened cabs which had been declared mandatory for the newly built German HSLs. By that time, up to 30% of the 103 fleet was out of service for maintenance at any time, indicating the severity of the strain having been placed on the locomotives over the preceding years. In 1991, the new ICE services were first introduced, beginning to replace a considerable number of what had been IC services originally. On the other hand, many 103s did find new work after German reunification, beginning to serve the newly established eastern states where no ICE services were available yet. Also in 1991, 103 101 was repainted in a white and yellow Lufthansa style livery as she was assigned to working the Lufthansa Airport Express service between Frankfurt Airport and Cologne, Bonn, Koblenz, Nuremberg, Würzburg and Aschaffenburg along with a number of similarly repainted 111s. These trains were interesting in actually being given Lufthansa flight numbers in addition to their train reporting numbers. This concept lives on in today's AIRail system, where certain ICE services have taken over this role and appear as “flights” in Lufthansa's booking system. On these trains, parts of the seating are always reserved for Lufthansa passengers and unavailable for railway ticket holders.
     
    The condition of a growing number of 103s continued to deteriorate in the early 1990s, expanding to such serious things as cracked bogie frames. The situation was compounded by Deutsche Bundesbahn's decision to stretch maintenance cycles even further as a cost-cutting measure, leading to locomotives being kept in service until they were, in fact, disabled by a major malfunction. Several 103s were even limited to 160 kph due to worsening riding characteristics, and the AFB speed control device was eventually disabled on all locomotives as it was found the frequent occurrence of the tap changer switching back and forth between any two notches in order to maintain a selected speed often led to tap changer failures.
    Realising the 103 was on a downward slope, newly created Deutsche Bahn eventually chose to procure the new class 101 electrics. Thus the 103 was frequently relegated to working InterRegio and semi-fast express services during her last years in service. The locos also occasionally worked regional trains, but the lack of push-pull controls meant their utility in this role was limited. Also, the higher number of stops and associated braking and accelerating phases did not do them any good either.
     
    In the wake of the ICE disaster at Eschede on 3 June 1998 the 103 fleet was again called upon to handle a large number of replacement IC services as all ICE 1 sets were taken out of service and underwent extensive checks. Also, they handled a significant portion of the extra services put into circulation on the occasion of the EXPO 2000 world fair in Hanover.
    These allocations turned out to be the last hurray for the 103, and only a few locomotives remained in the DB inventory by 2003. They were most frequently used for ECS workings and charters in their final period of revenue service. 103 184 was the last such locomotive to work a scheduled IC service in August 2003, much to the disappointment of many railfans.
    At the time of writing, 103 113, 184, 235 and 245 are still part of Deutsche Bahn’s active inventory, while 103 132 is currently inactive and used as a spares donor. A few years ago, 103 184 had been outfitted with a 1,450 mm head on Pantograph 1, enabling the locomotive to operate in Switzerland where it could be seen working charters. As the 103 is not equipped with any Swiss train protection systems, these workings required the presence of a Swiss driver for route knowledge and observation.
    103 222 had long been assigned to the DB Research and Technology Centre at Minden and used for permanent way inspection and measuring services, but has been sold to Railadventure recently and is expected to be given a new revision soon. In this role, it was replaced by 182 506, which Deutsche Bahn had procured from the MRCE Dispolok locomotive fleet.
    103 113 re-entered service after a full revision was made in 2011, and along with 103 235 is at present diagrammed onto the pair of IC 118 and 119 (Stuttgart – Münster and back), and onto IC 2099 (Frankfurt – Stuttgart) and 2316 (Stuttgart-Wiesbaden). 103 245 can be most frequently seen on the pair of IC 2201/2301 and 2206 between Nuremberg and Munich.
    Between August 2010 and December 2012, 103 184 worked the pairs of IC 1806 and 1817 (Cologne – Hamburg-Altona) and IC 2410 and 2417 (Cologne – Flensburg), which as part of the 175th anniversary of German railways were formed of preserved IC stock in 1979 condition.
    As 103 235’s revision is about to expire, plans are being discussed for reactivating 103 220. This locomotive is currently stored at Deutsche Bahn’s museum at Koblenz, and has retained the colourful “Tourism Train” livery.
    In addition, 103 226 is in operational condition and on loan to the “Lokomotiv-Club 103“ association. However, it is not allowed to work any trains according to its lease contract. Aside from these, E 03 001, 103 002, 004, 101, 136, 167, 197 and 224 have been preserved in various conditions.
     
    Technical specifications
     
    Length, width and height – 19.50 or 20.20 m, 3.09 m, 4.49 m/64 or 66.3 ft, 10.1 ft, 14.7 ft
    Service weight – 116 t/114.1 long tons
     
    Bogie wheelbase – 2x 2.25 m/7.4 ft
    Wheel diameter – 1.25 m/49.2 in
    Minimum curve radius – 140 m/4.6 chains
     
    Short-term maximum power output – 10,400 kW or 9,000 kW/13,946 or 12,069 hp
    One-hour power output – 7,780 kW/10,433 hp at 181 kph/112 mph
    Continuous power output – 7,440 kW/9,977 hp at 191 kph/119 mph
     
    Maximum speed – 200 kph/125 mph
    Maximum tractive effort – 312 kN
    Power/weight ratio – 64.14 kW/tonne
     
     
     
    The model
     
    Roco's 103 is one of their longest-running models, with the first variants having been released in 1977 originally. While the model had seen a couple of interim upgrades during the last 37 years, modellers long waited in vain for a model representing the 103 as she appeared from about the late 1970s as by that time, the locomotives had been amended with additional grab rails, tread plates and access ladders on their cab faces.
     
    By the turn of 2013, Roco therefore announced another re-tooling to address these issues exactly. Furthermore, the new 103 variants announced for release during 2014 were promised to feature various photo-etched detailing parts such as rooftop grilles, windscreen wipers, and chromed headlight rims, as well as fine scale wheelsets and coupler extension mechanisms. The following variants were announced, or indeed released by now – second references where indicated being DCC sound fitted:

    72306/72307 – 103 225 (long cab), TEE livery with grey solebar and buffer fairings
    72308/72309 – 103 220 (long cab), "Tourism Train" livery
    72311 – 103 200 (short cab), TEE livery with grey solebar and buffer fairings, model outfitted with RF video camera
    72312 – 103 245 (long cab), TEE livery with grey solebar and buffer fairings, standard DCC sound
    72313/72314 – 103 113 (short cab), TEE livery with red solebar


     
    May I introduce you to a stunning blonde? Actually, many German railfans do refer to the TEE liveried 103s as such, so go figure…
     
    This model represents 103 113 as she appears following her reactivation, and is therefore lettered with the last revision dating from 11 May, 2012, and carried out at the Dessau workshops – abbreviated "LDX". However, I suppose modellers could easily backdate the model's lettering to Epoch IV as the livery itself would be the same. 103 113 was built by Henschel in 1970 with works number 31431.
     
    Needless to say, I did treat the model to a few improvements of my own, which I'll be calling out along with the next photos.
     
     

     
    As they corroded easily and were quickly damaged especially by falling pieces of ice in winter, the frontside skirts were removed during the early 1980s. Similarly, the buffer fairings were also removed from the majority of the 103s by the end of the 20th century. You can also see how the body is split into three independently removable sections.
     
     
     
     

     
    On the Cab 2 end, the technical lettering comprises indications for the braking gear (KE-GPR-EmZ), zero speed door locking (TB 0), ECP brake equipment, revision date, ownership (DB Fernverkehr AG) and depot allocation – interestingly in the Deutsche Bundesbahn format as "BD (Bundesbahn Directorate) Frankfurt (M)", Bw Frankfurt (M) 1" – , service weight (116 t), and the braking weights table:
     
    R+E160232 t
    R+E 206 t
    P+E 156 t
    R 150 t
    P 100 t
    G 85 t
    Handbrake 2x 13 t
     
    Also note the ladder on the right hand buffer and the tread plate, as well as the grab rail on the cab face.
     
     
     

     
    As for my own mods: I touched up the wiper blade holders with aluminium paint and the brake pipe valve levers with red…
     
     
     
     

     
    …and the pantograph head ends with some light grey.
     
    Furthermore, I amended the busbar with my usual set of sectional wire connectors, also touching up the busbar attachment clamps and the circuit breaker casing with red, and the pantograph actuator rod bellows with black.
     
     
    And again, a handful of Youtube videos:
     
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph26xpcl1JI
     

     

     
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYKDYwoemrM
     
     
    Thanks for reading!
  16. NGT6 1315
    Evening all!
     
    I need to admit that for a long time, my locomotive inventory has had a total lack of shunters – though there has been one attractive option which I'd been eyeing for a while. So, tonight, let us have a look at the Voith Gravita diesel-hydraulic shunter as produced by Brawa.
     
    The Voith company, headquartered in the town of Heidenheim in the east of Baden-Württemberg, has its roots in the mid-19th century, but has proceeded to evolve into a full locomotive builder in recent years only.
    The company branch now known as Voith Turbo had been producing hydraulic power transmissions and drivetrains for other loco builders such as MaK since the 1930s, culminating in the development of the LS 640 reU2 drivetrain in the 1990s. This drivetrain was expected to form the basis for a new generation of mainline diesel-hydraulics to replace older classes from the Bundesbahn and Reichsbahn era, especially with the prospect of an expected traffic upturn following German unification. However, newly formed Deutsche Bahn now had numerous powerful ex-Deutsche Reichsbahn diesels at their disposal, with the class 232 Co‘Co‘ diesel-electrics and their derivatives satisfying the requirement for a heavy mainline diesel for passenger and freight work. As private TOCs were fairly few in number at the time and often able to satisfy their own motive power requirements with second-hand locomotives, no other orders for a newly developed diesel-hydraulic took place at the time.
    However, this situation had changed by the beginning of the 21st century, leading Voith to establish their own locomotive works and begin development of two new loco families on the basis of the broad range of transmissions and other components they had been developing for other loco builders in the past. The Voith locomotive works are located in Kiel, already known as the home of the equally famous Maschinenbau Kiel (MaK) enterprise which is now part of the Vossloh company.
     
    In 2006, Voith presented their prototype for the Maxima family, which is now marketed as a high-power, modular mainline diesel-hydraulic capable of being adapted to different operating profiles.
     
    In 2008, Voith then followed up with a new series of centre cab diesel-hydraulic shunters and light freight locomotives based on the same general technical layout, called the Gravita. Like the Maxima, this type was explicitly offered in various different configurations for operational profiles covering industrial shunting, yard shunting and short- to medium-distance trip freight workings.
     
    While the number of Maximas remained fairly low during its first production cycle, the Gravita was well received by various customers. Most prominently, DB Schenker, intending to renew their inventory of diesel shunters and to replace the ageing V 90 series of B’B’ configured diesel-hydraulic shunters inherited from Deutsche Bundesbahn, ordered a total of 109 Gravita 10 BB locomotives – designated class 260 and 261 but not to be confused with the much earlier 260s and 261s from the Deutsche Bundesbahn V 60 series of C-coupled shunters – and 31 Gravita 15L BB locomotives, designated class 265. The 260s are fundamentally identical to the 261s, with the main difference being the 260s not being outfitted with particulate emission filters.
    Furthermore, Swiss industrial operators Panlog and Stahl Gerlafingen ordered three and two 10 BBs respectively, designated class Em 847; while Städtische Häfen Hannover obtained one locomotive. It is worth noting that those DB Schenker locomotives designated as class 260 are actually owned by rolling stock lessor Northrail. Another two 10 BBs went to Saar Rail.
    Aside from the DB Schenker 265s, two 15L BBs were produced for Hohenzollerische Landesbahn, and one for Northrail. In addition, motive power lessor Paribus also has a batch of Gravita 15L BBs on order, and eleven 10 BBs, two 15 BBs and one 15L BB have been produced for Voith to serve as demonstrators and delivery reserves.
     
     
    Technical description
     
    While generally following the typical layout for off-centre cab diesels as also produced by Vossloh at this time, the Gravita does pick up visual cues from the bigger Maxima in that the two prominent hoods are similarly angular as the Maxima’s body.
    The Gravita’s body is set atop a sturdy running frame which differs in length between the 10 BB and 15(L) BB variants, making the 10 BB 15.72 metres (51.5 ft) long, and the 15 BB and 15L BB 16.86 metres (55.4 ft). One notable feature are the cylindrical impact absorbers built between the running frame and the buffers.
     
    The cab is generously glazed all around, offering good vision which is crucial in shunting work. There are control desks on the right-hand side of both cab ends, making it easy for the driver to change direction by just taking a few steps to the opposite desk. The cab doors are set to the left on either end of the cab, opening onto the walkway surrounding the two hoods.
     
    The long hood houses the prime mover. These engines are generally provided by MTU, and on the 10 BB are the 8V 4000 R41 and R43 types, as opposed to the 12V 4000 R43 and 16V 4000 R43 on the 15 BB and 15L BB. The 10 BB provides a maximum power output of 1,000 kW, the 15 BB of 1,500 kW, and the 15L BB of 1,800 kW at a nominal engine speed of 1,800 rpm.
     
    The prime mover is mated to a Voith L4r4 zseU2 distribution gear on the 10 BB, and to a L5r4 zseU2 unit on the 15 BB and 15L BB. This gear has two global modes – one with high transmission ratio for shunting and one with lower transmission ratio for mainline running. This translates into a maximum initial tractive effort of 258 kN for the 10 BB, and of 270 kN for the 15 BB and 15L BB. All three variants have two different maximum speeds which are dependent on the gear mode, with the „Shunting” mode allowing for 50 kph (31 mph), and the „Mainline” mode for 100 kph (62 mph). The fuel tank is slung underneath the running frame in between the bogies, and has a capacity of 3,300 litres on the 10 BB and of 5,000 litres on the 15L BB.
     
    The bogies are designed for low trackbed wear and good adhesion, utilising traction bars with low bogie attachment bearings for force transmission. The locomotive’s body is set atop two pairs of Flexicoil springs per bogie, with the wheelsets being held in roller bearings which in turn are suspended against the bogie frame by way of single-sided levers facing towards the centres of the longitudinal beams, and again utilising helical springs for primary suspension. The wheelsets have Monobloc wheels with cheek brake disks clasped by callipers facing the inside of the bogies. Each wheelset has its own reduction gear, with transmission shafts running from the inner wheelsets towards the distribution gear which is roughly in the centre of the locomotive. The locomotive's braking gear is a unified Knorr type with settings G and P, and also comprises a direct shunting brake controller and hydrodynamic brake.
     
    Safety equipment generally comprises an alerter and country-specific train protection systems. As the Gravita has only been sold to German and Swiss operators thus far, this means that the German PZB or the Swiss Integra-Signum/ZUB suite are fitted respectively.
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     
    The model of the Voith Gravita was announced by Brawa for release in 2013, and has been produced in all the guises mentioned further up in this text. A new production run has been announced for this year. As I was really missing any kind of shunting locomotive up until now, a Gravita did seem like a logical choice and to offer the option of both shunting and mainline running to be carried out by the model. It turned out fairly difficult to yet find one of the DB Schenker locos in particular, but eventually, I was able to get hold of an example of #42704, representing 265 008.
     
     

     
    Especially since it is a shunter where one might not ordinarily expect any particular regard to appealing design, I do think the Gravita is a rather sharp-looking locomotive – owing, for example, to the long, stretched motor hood, walkway railing and cladding, raked-back engine exhaust pillar and the inward slanted headlight clusters. This peculiar shape has, I think, been rendered rather well by Brawa.
     
    The model represents 265 008, works number L04-18009, which was built in late 2012 and delivered on 3 January, 2013.
     
     

     
    The model also has extension coupler pockets and sprung buffers, whose pads have even been painted a lighter grey to suggest the presence of the usual buffer grease.
     
     
     

     
    The Brawa model is also painted cleanly and lettered crisply and legibly. Also note the finely detailed bogies.
     
    As per the revision grid on the front end of the fuel tank, 265 008 had its acceptance check completed at the Voith locomotive works (VTLT, which is not an official abbreviation from the National Register of Railway Facilities) on 19 December, 2012. You can also read that the locomotive is allocated to the Hanover branch office of DB Schenker.
     
     

     
    It is also worth noting that in the National Vehicle register, the Gravita 15L BB is listed as class 1265, which in this case corresponds with Deutsche Bahn's internal class designation of 265. However, with the EVN-formatted running numbers having mandatory four-digit class numbers, designations given to future locomotive types do not necessarily have to match the structure of Deutsche Bahn's traditional numbering scheme.
     
    You can also read the braking weights table:
     
    P 91 tonnes
    G 76 tonnes
    Parking brake 43 tonnes
     
     

     
    While there usually isn't all that much to be seen on a diesel locomotive's topsides, I do think the Gravita is worth taking a top-down look. Note the various radio communications and remote control antennas on the cab roof and on both hoods, as well as the horns with finely modelled air conduits. The cooling fans are properly concealed by photo-etched grilles.
     
     
     

     
    In my impression, Brawa's design engineers clearly took cues from Saechsische Waggonfabrik as far as underfloor details are concerned! Note the distinct wheelset gearboxes, brake callipers, sand tubes, and faux traction bar attachment bearings.
     
     
    To conclude this posting, let me just link a few Youtube videos about Gravita locomotives:
     

     

     

     

     
    Thank you for reading!
  17. NGT6 1315
    Morning all...
     
    As I let on elsewhere, we went on a little day trip to Berlin yesterday, where I was able to do some (to me) urgent catching-up on what's been going on in the local public transport scene since my last visit. That had been in 2004, actually, so my personal goal was capturing some impressions from suburban and underground operations in the capital. Knowing full well that I wouldn't be able to really see it all within just one day!
     
    Having disembarked from ICE 1724 on the underground level of Berlin Central Station – comprising the north-south platforms – after a ride having taken just a little over an hour, I first proceeded up to the stations "Stadtbahn" level with the west-east platforms. There, platforms 15 and 16 are set aside for suburban services...
     
     

     
    ...which many of you will probably know to be one of just two 3rd rail mainline operations in Germany – the other being Hamburg's suburban railway system.
     
    The Berlin suburban system was the first to have been formally called "S-Bahn" and has pretty much always been a self-contained sub-division with a specific set of operating rules on top of the baseline National Railway Operating Regulations. At this time, Berlin's suburban network comprises fifteen lines, all powered by 750 V DC through bottom-contact conductor rails.
     
    The current mainstay of the Berlin suburban fleet are the class 481 EMUs, in spite of them having been hampered by difficulties relating to their wheelsets during the past few years. It did take a lot of effort and some serious finger-slapping by the Federal Railway Authority to get Deutsche Bahn's S-Bahn Berlin sector, also prompting the reactivation of a number of withdrawn class 485 sets to build up motive power reserves.
     
    Due to planned engineering work, the S5 and S7 lines usually working the "Stadtbahn" west-east trunk line are currently not in operation between Friedrichstraße and Ostbahnhof, so here, we see a rake of 481s working the S 5069 service to Friedrichstraße.
     
     
     

     
    It is something of an anachronism that Berlin's suburban lines should still operate with a mechanical train stop device till this day. You will notice this bent metal rail next to the base of the signal: This is folded down while the corresponding signal is at danger, and in the event of a train passing will trigger a power cut-off and brake application lever on the bogie frame. These mechanical train stop devices but are to be replaced by a newly developed electronic train protection system called ZBS, derived from ETCS.
     
     
     

     
    I then rode out to Wannsee Station on the S7 line. Wannsee is the southwestern terminus for this line and also served by the S1 line from Potsdam Central Station to Oranienburg and Frohnau (plus peak hour short turn workings between Potsdamer Platz and Zehlendorf outside the school holidays). Here, 481 369 was the first of a four-unit "Vollzug" on the S 7069 service to Friedrichstraße. Also note the train stop being folded up as the signal is showing clear.
     
    Trains on the Berlin suburban lines are formed with a maximum of four two-car units. Each individual unit is called a "Viertelzug" ("quarter unit"), so two-unit formations are referred to as "Halbzug" ("demi-unit"), three-unit formations as "Dreiviertelzug" ("three-quarter unit"), and four-unit formations as "Vollzug" ("full unit").
     
    The class 480 sets, one of which we'll be seeing later, are the only type to have cabs on both ends, while the 481s and 485s have one cab and a shunting control desk at the non-cabbed end. The 481s can therefore work with a minimum length of two units coupled back-to-back, but are most commonly seen working as Dreiviertelzüge and Vollzüge, except where platform lengths prohibit these formations.
     
    Five hundred 481s were built from 1996 till 2004, each Viertelzug being 36.8 metres long, 3.14 metres wide and 3.59 metres high. They are configured as Bo'2+Bo'Bo', with a power output of 594 kW and a maximum speed of 100 kph.
     
     

     
    Each 481 set has four pickup shoes, one on either side of the outermost bogies.
     
     
     

     
    It was interesting to see the name plates at Wannsee Station still being designed with blackletter script.
     
     
     

     
    While at Wannsee, I also spotted MEG 101, or 204 358, with a short trip freight.
     
     
     

     
    And here, we see 481 443 leading a Dreiviertelzug on the S1 line, working the S 1570 service to Frohnau. Due to their peculiar inverter noise, the 481s are often nicknamed "Air Raid Sirens" or "Circular Saws."
     
    I then rode up to Innsbrucker Platz in order to transit to the underground...
     

     
    ...and while there, also took this snapshot for the westbound signal for those of you with an inclination to signalling. Due to its role as a tightly timetabled commuter railway, the Berlin suburban system was among the first to be outfitted with multi-aspect, combined home and distant signals, which were also introduced on Hamburg's suburban railway. In Berlin, all of these so-called "Sv" signals have been replaced by Ks type signals by 2006.
     
    The red "M" plate attached to the signal is a feature specific to Berlin, which permits passing a failed signal after spoken agreement by the signaller.
     
    The "ZAT" board next to the signal is related to the "Zugabfertigung durch den Triebfahrzeugführer" one-man operation procedure which has been introduced to the Berlin network for the past several years. Traditionally, all stations were crewed with attendants who were responsible for train dispatching, but as a cost-cutting measure, this practice is to be reduced to 86 out of the 166 suburban stations in Berlin.
     
     
     

     
    Electronic passenger information displays have been installed at the majority of stations throughout the system. Here, you can see a S41 "Clockwise Ring" service and a S45 service to Bundesplatz, both as Dreiviertelzüge, being announced for the next departures. There also is a S42 line working the Ring Line around Central Berlin counterclockwise.
     
    After that, I went underground, and came across this friendly suggestion at Innsbrucker Platz:
     
     

     
    ...or else!
     
    (I understand this is an advice to train drivers to ensure they do not come to a halt with the train protection transceiver right atop the trackside balise to avoid malfunctions.)
     
     
    Now, many of you will most likely know that the Berlin Underground technically consists of two independent networks – not unlike the situation on the London Underground. Lines U1 through U4 comprise the "Small Profile" network with cars 2.30 metres wide and top-contact conductor rails with positive polarity, while lines U5 through U9 form the "Large Profile" network with 2.65 metres wide cars and bottom contact conductor rails with negative polarity. Except for some departmental stock, trains can only operate on the network they were built for.
     
    The "Small Profile" network was designed by Siemens & Halske, and originally built as an elevated railway. The first section from Stralauer Thor to Potsdamer Platz – roughly corresponding to the main section of what today is the U1 line – was opened in 1902. The first "Large Profile" lines were built and opened in the 1920s.
     
     
    Innsbrucker Platz also is the southern terminus for the U4 line – the second shortest of the Berlin Underground lines with five stations and a route length of just 2.9 kilometres. At the northern terminus at Nollendorfplatz...
     
     

     
    ...I captured Car 776, standing by for the next trip to Innsbrucker Platz. Due to the short distance and ridership numbers to match, the U4 line is worked with single units.
     
    776 is one of 66 A3L71 cars to have been delivered in 1972 and 1973. These, in turn, are part of the larger A3 Stock series, which comprises a total of 231 sets and which were built from 1960 till 1994.
     
    Of course, there is a lot of variation between the various different subtypes, outlining which in detail would most likely be rather tedious for you to read up right now. Generally speaking, and across subtypes, A3 Stock is 25.66 metres long, 2.3 metres wide and 3.18 metres high, with a maximum speed of 62 kph. All wheelsets per unit are powered, with individually powered wheelsets and indeed three-phase AC drive having been introduced on the latest subtype, called A3L92.
     
     

     
    I then rode to Gleisdreieck Station – the name being slightly misleading today. Originally, this station was indeed configured as a wye, but rebuilt with two independent platform levels in 1912 and 1913 following two serious collisions in 1908 (killing 17 persons and injuring 18) and 1911.
     
    Here, A3L71 car 704 is leading a U2 service to Theodor-Heuss-Platz, just prior to calling at Gleisdreieck.
     
     
    After that, I proceeded east on the elevated part of the U1 line.
     
     

     
    This was Hallesches Tor, with 484 leading a service to Uhlandstraße. 484 is an A3E car, representing one of the thirty-two A3 64 and A3 66 sets to have been refurbished (or "Ertüchtigt", as indicated by the "E"). These were outfitted with chopper controls and various other improvements. Prior to refurbishment, 484 was designated 964.
     
     
     

     
    This image, showing A3L92 car 639 leading a service to Warschauer Straße, might give you an impression of the U1's elevated route.
     
     
     

     
    At Prinzenstraße, I captured A3E car 482 – previously designated 958 prior to refurbishment – at the head of the next service to Uhlandstraße.
     
     
     

     
    And at Schlesisches Tor, A3L92 car 626 was leading a service to Uhlandstraße as it snaked through the S curve just outside the eastern station approach.
     
    The car immediately behind it is one of those cars outfitted with passenger counting equipment, which are marked with a black "Z" in a blue square on the cab doors.
     
     
    Following a change to the S5 line at Ostkreuz, I then rode out to Wuhletal...
     
     

     
    ...which is a joint suburban and underground station. Suburban trains use the outer platform sides, while the U5 line uses the inner tracks.
     
    Here, two trains composed of F76 "Large Profile" stock are waiting for departure – 2611 leading a service to Alexanderplatz and 2557 tailing one to Hönow.
     
     
     

     
    The U5 line is also worked by H Stock. These six-car, all-gangwayed units were built in three batches from 1994 till 2002, with a total of 46 sets having been built. Roughly during the same period, the similar-looking but smaller Hk Stock sets were procured for the small profile network.
     
    Here, 5028 is calling at Wuhletal on its way to Alexanderplatz.
     
     

     
    And, going the other way, 5009 is emerging from the tunnel on a short turn working to Kaulsdorf-Nord.
     
     
     

     
    A quick look at the shoegear on 5009.
     
     
    I then started to make my way back to Central Station where our train to Leipzig would depart at 4.52 pm...

     
    ...but took some additional time for a look-see at Gesundbrunnen Station. There, I captured 480 078 working the "Clockwise Ring" S 41648 service.
     
    The class 480 EMUs were procured at the time when the suburban lines in then-West Berlin were operated by the Berlin Transit Authority (BVG), following an ongoing dispute over the GDR's Deutsche Reichsbahn operating the suburban lines in West Berlin. After a strike which occurred in 1980 and which resulted in services in West Berlin being cut to just three lines, BVG were entrusted with operating the West Berlin network in December 1983. The 480s were intended to radically renew the West Berlin suburban stock inventory, which had been "donated" by Deutsche Reichsbahn and which had comprised the oldest units available at the time.
     
    A total of 85 two-car sets were built from 1986 till 1987 and from 1990 till 1994. These are 36.80 metres long, 3.12 metres wide and 3.6 metres high, having all-wheel propulsion and a power output of 720 kW for a maximum speed of 100 kph.
     
     
     
     
     

     
    And upon returning to Central Station, I snapped 481 346 leading the S 5583 service to Friedrichstraße.
     
     
    Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this little photo strip!
  18. NGT6 1315
    Afternoon all!
     
    As we were having fairly nice weather this afternoon, I decided to shoot a few photos on a specific stretch of railway in the western boroughs of Frankfurt which due to current events is once again proving to be very useful to have available!
     
    In recent weeks, three derelict WWII bombs have been found on a construction site near the borough of Rödelheim, which I understand had been part of what has once been an airfield – and, in fact, the earliest forerunner to today's Frankfurt Airport, which but is located several miles further to the south. Due to a "Skyscraper Festival" taking place over the weekend, it had been decided to wait till this afternoon to recover and defuse this third bomb to have been found thus far.
     
    To allow for a safe recovery, a large area around the Rebstock fields and the western part of the city centre was designated as a two-part safety zone – whose centre needed to be evacuated completely, while the ring surrounding this area was put under a temporary curfew.
     
    As the outer ring also just covered the railway line from Rödelheim Station to Western Station, this line needed to be closed for the duration of the bomb recovery. Consequently, the S3 and S4 suburban lines are currently being re-routed through a small bypass which is usually referred to by the name of the junction it is tied into. That name is "Abzweig Mainzer Landstraße", and abbreviated "FMLA" in German railspeak. Usually, it is only used by weekday peak hour workings on the RB 15 line from Frankfurt to Brandoberndorf, which is operated by Hessische Landesbahn. As this bypass is electrified, it has often been used for re-routings such as those required today.
     
    For those of you unfamiliar with the area, I have taken this screenshot in Google Earth and outlined the regular route through Galluswarte, Messe (Trade Fair Centre) and Western Station with green dots, and the Mainzer Landstraße bypass with red dots:
     

     
     
    As the motorway into Frankfurt had been closed of as well, I was presented with this sight when I arrived at my first photo spot on the street and railway overpass near the petrol station which you can see near the junction of the regular and the bypass lines in the upper left part of the map. This was just outside the curfew perimeter, and I could see several policemen guarding the closed-off motorway entrances:
     

     
    And it is a rare sight indeed to see a German autobahn devoid of any traffic on a weekday! The cars you can see entering it on the outbound lane appear to have found their usual route blocked.
     
     
     

     
    I first captured the slightly delayed S 35349 down service on the S3 line to Darmstadt, headed by 423 375. The car to the right isn't mine!
     
     
     

     
    Police helicopters were circling overhead as I walked back to the Nidda bridge a few hundred yards northwest of where I was just standing.
     
     
     

     
    423 373 was then heading the S 35450 service to Kronberg and is seen here leaving the bypass just ahead of the Nidda bridge. Trains coming from the Mainzer Landstraße bypass run on the wrong track till just beyond the bridge:
     
     
     

     
    ...with 423 407 forming the other half of the double unit.
     
     
     
     

     
    The next down service was headed by 423 332 on the S 35351 service to Darmstadt. As parts of the Mainzer Landstraße bypass are single-tracked, delays cannot be entirely avoided, especially when you also consider the usual lot of passengers who seem to blunder around completely oblivious to all passenger information telling them that these lines aren't working their usual route today.
     
     
     

     
    And a pursuit shot of 423 402 at the rear of the same working as it enters the bypass.
     
     
    Thanks for looking!
  19. NGT6 1315
    Morning all.
     
    Recent events had kept me from actually posting the following article, which I had, in fact, prepared a while ago - based on an earlier version of it, which I would think some of you may remember from Old RMweb. In this earlier article, I had presented a DB Schenker class 155 electric in the now-standard traffic red and basalt grey livery, which but I have since exchanged for a different version of this trademark locomotive from the former East German Deutsche Reichsbahn.
     
    So, the model we shall be looking at today is Roco's item 62437, representing one of two 155s still wearing the oriental red livery which had first been introduced on Bundesbahn engines in the late 1980s, and eventually been applied to numerous ex-DR locos as well. This variant of Roco's model was released only this spring, and while I believe pronouncing this livery to have been controversial may be a prize understatement, I did want to have more visual variety in my motive power inventory - which is why it suited me fairly well.
     
     
    Development and historic background
     
    After Germany had been split into two states in the aftermath of World War II, railway operations on both sides of the inner-German border continued under new names. In the West, the legal successor to the late Deutsche Reichsbahn was called Deutsche Bundesbahn, and created on 7 September 1949. Meanwhile, and perhaps a bit oddly, the East German state railways, which were created the same year, retained the name „Deutsche Reichsbahn“. There are several explanations for this detail, one of which being the fact that an Allied decree had mandated railway operations in West Berlin to explicitly remain in the hands of Deutsche Reichsbahn. As the GDR leadership felt it to be politically important to keep its hold on these services, it was feared that a possible name change would void their claim. This but is just one example of how differently the railways in both German states would evolve in the following decades, given the political situation of the time.
     
    The first types of electric locomotives to be newly designed and built in the German Democratic Republic were the classes E 11 and E 42. They were largely identical to one another, with the E 11 – first built in 1961 – being the passenger variant and the E 42, whose production began in 1962, the freight variant – much as was the case with the West German E 10 and E 40. Interestingly, the GDR had, in fact, attempted to obtain permission for licence builds of the West German E 10 and E 40, but been unsuccessful, resulting in the need for developing suitable locos domestically. Also, there appears to be a claim among railway historians that, assuming a reunification of the two German states in the near future, Deutsche Reichsbahn chose their class numbers – E 11 and E 42 – deliberately, so as to allow for easy integration of both railways' motive power inventories – with Deutsche Bundesbahn having procured classes like the E 10, E 40 and E 41 around the same time.
     
    In general terms, it should also be mentioned that the German Democratic Republic‘s Deutsche Reichsbahn was initially slow in adopting electric traction on their network, which in 1979 comprised a total length of 14,164 kilometres, of which only 1,621 were electrified. This, of course, also had much to do with both post-war reparations which had resulted in significant lengths of overhead lines and associated equipment in the Soviet zone having been dismantled, and numerous electric locos from the pre-1945 Reichsbahn inventory having been shipped to the Soviet Union along with it. However, much of this equipment was returned in the early 50s in an effort to stabilise the GDR economy, resulting in electric operations recommencing in 1955.
     
    In addition, economic obligations for the entire East Bloc set by the COMECON resulted in GDR locomotive builders having to concentrate on manufacturing diesel locomotives, and the GDR having access to cheap oil from the Soviet Union till the second oil crisis of 1979 also affected the Warsaw Pact states. Consequently, railway electrification was speeded up again by the early 80s, obviously also generating a large demand for suitable electric locomotives in order to replace the fleet of pre-war class 204 (E 04), 218 (E 18), 244 (E 44) and 254 (E 94) locos, as well as augment the GDR-designed class 211 and 242 Bo‘Bo‘ and 250 Co‘Co‘ locomotives. In addition, a replacement for the class 251 Co‘Co‘ electrics used only on the 25 kV AC Rübeland Railway was also considered desirable.
     
    However, let us turn our attention back to the 1960s for the moment.
     
    By the middle of the decade, rail traffic in the GDR had increased to a degree which began to exceed the capabilities of both the E 11 and E 42 – especially in freight service. Operational experience showed that even multiple units of these classes was not always sufficient, so it was soon accepted that a Co‘Co‘ electric locomotive would have to be procured, in order to handle both heavy passenger and freight trains. Initial plans for a Co‘Co‘ configured locomotive had, in fact, been made in parallel to those for the Bo‘Bo‘ classes E 11 and E 42, but could not be implemented immediately as production capacities were insufficient at that time. While the new Co‘Co‘ locomotive was given the preliminary designation of E 51 during the design phase, the changeover to computer-formatted numbers – which Deutsche Reichsbahn implemented in 1970 – led to the production locos being designated as class 250. As those of you knowledgeable in the field of German railways may know, Deutsche Reichsbahn had reserved the 200 range for electric locomotives and EMUs, and the 100 range for diesels and DMUs, whereas Deutsche Bundesbahn used the 100 range for electrics and 200 for mainline diesels, with separate ranges – 400 and 600 – being used for EMUs and DMUs respectively.
     
    Three prototypes, designated as 250 001 through 003, were presented in 1974, and production began in 1977. A total of 270 production locos was built until 1984 – the prototypes visibly differing from the production locos in having significantly larger windscreens and the centre headlight above these rather than below. These three locos thus became known by the nickname of „Granny“ (German: „Oma“), while the production 250s are usually referred to as „Container“, „Suitcase“ („Koffer“), „Tin Loaf“ („Kastenbrot“) or „Pan Loaf“ („Kommißbrot“) by railfans – owing to their boxy and unadorned appearance. Like all GDR electrics, the 250 was designed and built at the People-Owned Locomotive and Electrical Engineering Works "Hans Beimler" at Hennigsdorf near Berlin. In terms of its technological level, it could be said to be a kind of forerunner to the famous class 243 Bo‘Bo‘ electrics, now known as class 143.
     
    After reunification, the class was redesignated as 155 in 1992, and became part of the DB AG motive power inventory in 1994. While 155s could be seen working passenger services during the early DB AG years – much as they had often done in the GDR – they were later allocated to the freight branch now called DB Schenker, at which point passenger operations for this class ceased altogether.
     
    In the early 2000s, a number of 155s was plagued by material fatigue around the bogies, leading to the entire class being temporarily restricted to 80 kph (50 mph). However, as the 155 remains an important part of DB Schenker's inventory – being frequently used for container, chemical and coal and steel services – a good number of locomotives remains in service until this day. Revisions are carried out at the Dessau repair works in Saxony-Anhalt, one of DB AG‘s principal repair facilities, which are now also open for locomotives owned by other operators.
     
     
    Technical description
     
    The 155's body and frame are welded steel assemblies, with the frame consisting of two longitudinal beams, two transversal end beams doubling as buffer beams, two primary inner transversal beams also carrying the pivot pins, and several auxiliary beams for reinforcement. The bufferbeams were prepared for installation of the standardised UIC automatic coupler which was planned to be introduced in the late 1970s, but then postponed indefinitely. The production locos were also fitted with snow ploughs located below the buffer beams.
     
    The body is a self-supporting structure and consists of three subassemblies, namely the two cabs and the engine room section. Additional strengthening beams and braces are provided throughout, and the engine room sides are corrugated to also provide additional structural strength. The engine room roof consists of three independently removable panels for better maintenance access. As is common on East German electrics, there also is a rooftop hatch, allowing personnel access to topside equipment from inside the locomotive. Large ventilation grilles are placed in the upper half of the engine room sides.
     
    Inside the body, there are a primary and secondary corridor through the length of the engine room. Four outer doors permit access to the cabs, which in turn are laid out with control desks located on the right-hand side. The power controller is wheel-shaped and placed centrally in front of the driver, with Cab 2 also containing a small fridge and sink for the driver, located to the left of the footwell and in the rear bulkhead respectively.
     

     
    An overview of the cab. Note the TFT screen, which is for the electronic working timetable, also known as EBuLa. This 155 here would appear to have retained the cab instruments from the original GDR-designed PZ 80 train protection set. This system is, of course, compatible with the standard trackside RLC circuits used in all of Germany as well as Austria, but as delivered was different in offering braking curve monitoring based on maximum speed settings at 10 kph intervals. By contrast, the West German Indusi I 60, I 60 R and PZB 90 devices offer only three speed ranges: U, M and O, calibrated for maximum speeds of 100, 120 and 160 kph respectively, and with different speed check thresholds. Meanwhile, those ex-DR locos which still have the PZ 80 onboard devices have but been given the common PZB 90 software, as this is now a standard requirement. Interestingly, the PZ 80 cab instrument – which is the one on the supporting arm in the right-hand corner of the desk – also includes a digital speedometer, thus eliminating the need for a standard analogue instrument. To the left and slightly in front of the power controller, the reverser is located, with the handle being removable and only one handle per loco being provided as a safeguard against both reversers possibly being set separately by accident. In fact, the handle is removed in this view.
     
    Image taken and uploaded to Wikipedia by user „Solaris2006“ under the terms and conditions of the GNU Free Documentation Licence 1.2. As such, re-use in this article is subject to the same terms and conditions.
     
     
     
    Meanwhile, the bogies feature a welded steel frame with two longitudinal and four transversal beams – three of which carry the traction motors – and a pivot pin bearing. There is an inter-bogie coupling assembly, for the purpose of the bogies steering each other through curves. The three wheelsets per bogie are spaced asymmetrically, with the distance between the outer and centre wheelsets being larger than that between the centre and inner wheelsets. The axleboxes are held by levers which are attached to the bogie frame, and supported by two helical springs per bearing. The outer wheelsets also have vertical shock absorbers, while the centre wheelsets have ten millimetres of lateral motion to both sides for better curve running. As a whole, the bogies are suspended from the frame by way of four double helical springs per bogie.
     
    The transformer is an oil-cooled three-core design with a high voltage LNSW 12 type tap changer, which has thirty-one power notches spaced at 500 V intervals and is assisted by thyristor modules for bridging notches and more accurate power control. There also is a background tractive effort monitoring function, whereby each power notch has a tractive effort target value assigned to it. Notches 29 through 31 are designed as reserve notches for low OHLE voltage situations. In case of malfunctions, the tap changer can also be operated in an „impulse“ mode without tractive effort monitoring, notching up and down for as long as the controller is held in the corresponding position.
    Additional transformer taps for auxiliary systems, ETS and dynamic brake excitation are provided as well.
     
    The traction motors are a nose-suspended twelve-pole design, utilising a variation of the double-sided LEW quill drive for power transmission. They have a gear ratio of 1 : 2.72 and provide a maximum rated output of 900 kW each. The motors can work in dynamic braking mode, with each motor having one rheostat allocated to it. These are located in a cooling tower inside the engine room. In braking mode, they have a maximum continuous output of 2,500 kW and a maximum continuous braking force of 159 kN. The dynamic brake is blended with the pneumatic brake, which takes over below 35 kph (22 mph).
     
    Rooftop equipment includes two pantographs, which were VM 28-31 type diamond types originally, but have been replaced by Stemmann DSA 200 single arm types on most of the remaining 155s. Also, two manually operated pantograph cut-off switches are provided – which were a common feature on GDR-built electrics – , as is a measuring voltage transformer, air blast circuit breaker and current limiter.
     
    Safety systems include a distance/time-based alerter („Sifa“) as well as the PZB train protection system, though several 155s also have had LZB cab signalling fitted. The GDR Sifa variant is set up differently from the West German variety, in that it performs vigilance checks at random intervals up to a maximum duration of 30 seconds, so as to avoid the issue of drivers often getting so used to the fixed 30-second interval of the West German Sifa that they unconsciously trigger the alerter pedal, possibly reducing the system‘s effectiveness.
     
    Auxiliary systems are powered by a 380 V/50 HZ three phase AC circuit, and include one 125 kW inverter, one 12 kW main compressor, one 14 kW braking rheostat blower, six 6 kW traction motor blowers, one 3.5 kW coolant oil pump, two 2.2 kW transformer heat exchanger blower, and one 500 W blower for the tap changer thyristor elements.
     
    The pneumatic brake is multiple lapped with direct shunting brake valve, and has the common settings G, P and R. Driver‘s brake valves are DAKO BS-4 types, while the direct brake valves are BP types. There are two brake pads per wheel.
     
     
    And this is what all these paragraphs describe in dry, technical prose:
     
     
     

     
    There can be no doubt that aesthetics played a fairly minor role in the 155‘s design. Like most other Roco models, their 155 – since released in a variety of guises, including DR maroon, DB traffic red with both single arm and diamond pans, and indeed the prototype variant – is finely detailed all around. As mentioned further up, this model is distributed with catalogue number 62437, and represents 155 214, one of the two 155s in DB Schenker‘s fleet still wearing the oriental red livery. Interestingly, both 155 214 and 219 combine this livery with single arm pantographs.
     
    On the 155, the handrails around the cab doors are actually made of metal, which appears to be a new standard on several recent Roco models. As usual, a small bag of add-on bits is included, containing the PZB receivers (which have to be slid on a retaining pin at the right rear of each bogie) as well as brake pipes and fake UIC couplers.
     
     
     

     
    Right side of the Cab 1 end, with the following inscriptions: last revision completed at the Dessau repair works (LDX) on 27 March 2007; Knorr-Einheitsbremse with settings G, P and R and direct brake valve; operating weight of 123 tonnes; braking weights:
     
    R 143 tonnes
    P 124 tonnes
    G 106 tonnes
     
     
     

     
    The Cab 2 end with several additional inscriptions, including the owner's inscription (Railion Deutschland AG, Berlin) above the second wheelset. The bogie frames are just as finely detailed as the rest of the model.
     
     
     

     
    Looking into the cab, you can see that Roco actually highlighted the control desk details with fine touches of paint, which has not been common on most of their other models of electric and diesel locos thus far.
     
     
     

     
    Large, round headlights like those installed on the 155 were actually fairly typical of GDR motive power. Also note the horn being attached vertically to the cab face.
     
     
     
     

     
    And finally a look at the roof - the circuit breaker being located between the air reservoirs and the central superstructure. I believe I will yet see to amending the busbar here and there, much as I did on my 181.
  20. NGT6 1315
    Afternoon all!
     
    You may remember my having presented the 7th batch class 420 EMUs from our suburban network several months ago – and today I have another image to show you . And in much better weather and light than had been the case last winter...
     
     

    As additional units are currently needed on the S5 line due to the "Hessentag" festival in Oberursel – which is served by that line – a number of 420s have seen a comeback on lines from which they had long been displaced. This morning, there were two sets of 420s on the S4 line – one consisting of 420 429 and the sliding door 325, seen here preparing to work the 35426 service back to Kronberg...
     
     
     

     
    ...and an all-sliding door formation consisting of 420 322 and 290, standing by to work the 35434 service.
  21. NGT6 1315
    A slight variation of a line from that Roxette song just came to my mind when I was thinking about a suitable title for this post... I left the house past nine last night in order to try and capture the "Canopus" sleeper train – also known as CNL 458 – which runs from Prague Central to Zurich Central Station, calling at Dresden, Leipzig, Erfurt, Frankfurt, Mannheim, Heidelberg, Karlsruhe and Basel, and a couple of additional stops in between. The "CNL" designation is spelt out as "CityNightLine", I should add.
     
    The train's composition is a bit complex, actually: From Prague to Dresden, the train runs as EN 456 – "EN" meaning EuroNight – with four coaches. Then, three coaches, designated as train D 61458, are added for the bit to Erfurt, where said coaches are removed again, while eleven other coaches are coupled up, having come from Berlin as CNL 1258. The three foremost coaches then are open from Fulda to Basel, where they are again uncoupled.
     
    For unknown reasons, the train was about 35 minutes late, but in my opinion was worth the additional waiting .
     
     
     

     
    At Leipzig, 101 061 took over the train for the biggest section of its trip to Basel. I certainly did not envy the poor guy of a shunter who had to do the coupling in the bitter cold of the night!
     
    As is the case in many parts of the city, the track field of Leipzig Central is largely illuminated with sodium lamps, which gave the entire scene a glow of warmth which of course was not really there.
     
     
    The train had been brought to Leipzig by the following loco, the image of which really does not do it the justice it deserves – but given the time of day and resulting lighting conditions, I had little choice but to do a "hovercraft" photo from the platform, which I normally try to avoid...
     
     

    This is a Czech class 371 dual system locomotive, equipped for 3 kV DC and 15 kV AC. While it does look a bit old, the class actually was created in the late 1980s only, by the Škoda Works at Pilsen. This type, which was delivered from 1991 onwards, was built for both the Deutsche Reichsbahn, which continued to exist till 1994, and the former Czechoslovakian railways – the DR designation for it having been class 230, and the original Czechoslovakian one class 372. However, the Czechs eventually had six of these 120 kph locos rebuilt for a 160 kph top speed, which were then redesignated as class 371. The type also remained in the DB inventory as class 180, with a total of 20 locos having been built, while the Czechs had fifteen. The class has a 3,260 kW power output, initial tractive effort of 280 kN, and weigh in at 84 tonnes. In Germany, this type was given the nickname of "Knödelpresse", literally translated as "Dumpling Press" – as a nod to its origins.
     
     
     

     
    The braking gear information is written out on a metal plaque – the smaller one above it being the Škoda logo. From top to bottom: Service weight of 84 tonnes, braking weights: P+E160 176 tonnes, P+E 130 tonnes, P 107 tonnes, G 38 tonnes, handbrake 2x 8 tonnes. The braking gear comprises a DAKO brake valve with settings G and P. The encircled "K" indicates that the loco is fitted with composite brake shoes.
     
     
     
     

     
    The 371s are now wearing TSI-formatted running numbers as well – the first four letters of course being references to country of origin and operator ("ČD" meaning "České Dráhy", "Czech Railways"), 91 being an indication for this being an electric loco, and 54 being a country code for the Czech Republic.
     
  22. NGT6 1315
    Afternoon all!
     
    Weather today was (and still is - though I have a feeling there may yet be some thunderstorms at night) glorious and thus just about perfect for a little spotting trip. Moreover, I did not have to venture far for that, as Whitsun is when there is a small but nice railfest at Königstein, which is a town of some 15,800 inhabitants just a couple of kilometres from where I live. Königstein is a neat little town and a renowned climatic spa, and located in a wonderful landscape at the foot of the Taunus Mountains. Railway-wise, it is connected to Frankfurt by way of the Königstein Railway (German article), a 15.9 kilometre non-electrified line which branches off from the Taunus Railway leading to and from Frankfurt Central Station at Höchst. The line was opened on 24 February 1902 and handles suburban passenger trains, operated by private TOC Hessische Landesbahn (Hessian State Railway) nowadays.
     
    The Königstein railfest first took place on the Whitsun weekend in 1980 and has been an annual event ever since, featuring steam-hauled specials between Königstein and Höchst and various kinds of entertainment around the station. The steam trains are provided by the Frankfurt Historic Railway (German site), using the association's engines 01 118 and 52 4867, which I think some of you may still know from my report about the 150th anniversary of Frankfurt's Harbour Railway from last summer .
     
    Not wanting to keep you waiting, I'll just proceed to the photos now!
     
    I initially drove to Schneidhain, which is part of Königstein, and walked through the fields until reaching the railway which runs in an almost 180° loop between Königstein Station and the Schneidhain stop.
     
     
     

     
    At a farm track crossing I then had my first encounter with 52 4867, running downhill with the tender in front, as both steamers did on these specials.
     
     
     

     
    I then changed position, walking towards Königstein proper and first snapped one of the HLB LINT 41 type DMUs operating on this line today - this one working the HLB84221 service to Frankfurt Central Station. I did not write down the number of this unit, but it could have been VT 207 or 648 407.
     
     
     

     
    This LINT, in turn, was heading up to Königstein in bright sunlight B) .
     
     
     

     
    And then 52 4867 returned from Höchst - the train consisting of three Bm type coaches and one four-wheel beer van. I cannot say whether this one had the "proper" load, though!
     
     
     

     
    Walking back to Schneidhain, I then snapped the previously spotted LINT while it was descending towards Frankfurt as service HLB84218, surrounded by the wonderfully vivid countryside . My plan was to check out Kelkheim Station next, but looking around there I found it was not really a suitable location for taking photos.
     
     
     

     
    However, I found that HLB DMU VT72 - also known as 629 072 and one of the few units of this type owned by a private TOC - was stabled at Kelkheim.
     
    Heading back to Königstein, I next wanted to capture 01 118 in the forests surrounding the town, if possible...
     
     
     

     
    ...and possible it was . After this I proceeded to Königstein Station proper.
     
     
     

     
    Diesel shunter 323 634 was just taking a break from shuttling visitors around the Königstein depot, which, though small, is one of HLB's bases of operation. The class 323 engines were small B-coupled shunters, also known as the "Köf" type - this being an acronym for "Kleinlokomotive mit Ölmotor und Flüssigkeitsgetriebe", which I think could be most easily translated as "diesel-hydraulic tractor". These diminutive engines have a top speed of 45 kph and were designed for local shunting and station pilot duties. They were built very low as - considering their low speed - they were meant to be piggybacked on flatcars in order to be transferred over longer distances. Previous batches of these engines were also known as the "Kö" type, these having a mechanical transmission instead of the hydraulic one, and were not initially fitted with pneumatic brakes.
     
     
     

     
    I believe this was VT 207 again, basking in the sunlight before returning to Frankfurt. Next to it, the steam special to Frankfurt was waiting, to be hauled by 52 4867 this time - the two steamers taking turns.
     
     
     

     
    In the meantime, 01 118 was shunting to the side for her well-earned break, having taken water on a siding behind the maintenance shed seen in the background before. She was built by the Krupp Works in 1934, carrying the works number 1415. She is coupled to a Borsig-built eight wheel 2'2' T34 tender carrying 34 cubic metres of water and 10 tonnes of coal and the works number 15117. The total price for the engine back in 1934 had been 208,597 Reichsmark. Marvellous machine...
     
     
     
     

     
    In the shed, one of the HLB's VT2E type (class 609) DMUs was taking a break. The "TSB" inscription is a reference to the Taunus Railway which is the name of the rail line known as Lines 3746 and 9374 respectively, used by the DB's suburban line S5 up till Friedrichsdorf, and by the HLB operated regional line 15 from Friedrichsdorf onwards till Brandoberndorf.
     
     
     

     
    Next, VT 207 was leaving Königstein and heading to Frankfurt as service HLB84237.
     
     
     

     
    On the left side of her tender, 01 118 carries a commemorative inscription retained from her 75th anniversary in 2009.
     
     
     

     
    Braking weights and brake overhaul inscriptions on the tender.
     
     
     

     
    And the fireman's side of her cab. "S 36.20" designates her as being an express engine ("Schnellzuglokomotive") with three powered wheelsets out of a total of six and an axle load of 20 tonnes.
     
     
    I next wanted to take one more snapshot of 52 4867 on her return to Königstein, and thus made way for the fields outside Schneidhain once again, snapping three historic fire trucks on display near the station...
     
     
     

     
    While I do not know their designations, this here was built by Magirus-Deutz - the original Magirus company having been founded by volunteer fire chief Conrad Dietrich Magirus in 1866 and dedicated to producing firefighting equipment and vehicles. In 1936 the company was merged with the Humboldt-Deutz Motor Works.
     
     
     

     
    This turntable ladder was a Magirus-Deutz vehicle as well...
     
     
     

     
    ...while this here was a Mercedes-built pumper. If any of you should happen to be fond of models of old fire engines, Brekina have an extensive range of H0 scale historic cars, lorries and utility vehicles.
     
     
     

     
    Back in the fields I finally snapped 52 4867 battling the hills on her way to Königstein. This engine was one of an estimated total of more than 7,000 units of her kind, having been built at the former Orenstein & Koppel works in Potsdam in 1943 with the works number 13931. In 1953 she entered service with the Austrian Federal Railways as 152.4867 and was subsequently sold to the Graz-Köflach Railway in 1970, and finally returned to Germany in late 1980.
     
     
    Well, this was it - hope you enjoyed this report!
     
     
  23. NGT6 1315

    Railway simulations

    By NGT6 1315,

    I don't know how many of you enjoy railway simulation games, but I for one recently rediscovered Zusi which is a simulator primarily focused on German, Austrian and Swiss railways. I admit that, compared with games from large brands such as EA (or whatever they are called nowadays), it is somewhat lacking as far as visuals are concerned - the current 2.4 version does not support textures, which but will be added in version 3 which is currently under development.
     
    Just to give you a brief impression of how Zusi looks and feels:
     

     
    RE 25473 from Marburg to Frankfurt Central Station, hauled by a class 111 electric, approaching Gie??en in the 2006 timetable period.
     
     
    However, the upside to this sim is that it is quite realistic where engine handling is concerned, and does a very good job at creating the image of busy everyday rail traffic where one delayed train can have all sorts of repercussions. Unlike Microsoft's Train Simulator it also offers fully functional train protection systems and other niceties such as complex traffic scenarios with literally dozens of AI-controlled trains all vying for the road and the possibility of being routed to unscheduled tracks at large stations. Zusi 3 will offer even more such functionality, from what I've been reading in the developer's pre-release notes.
     
    Zusi itself is basically developed by one man only, while add-ons are being created by a rather lively and well connected community of adherents. However, due to the complexity of the editors - which are included with the sim - and the amount of research usually required for creating a realistic and detailed scenario the output of new scenarios tends to be rather slow - which but is not meant to be criticism at all. As of now 25 real world routes are included with the sim, and a couple of others, in various stages of development, can be downloaded.
     
    Aside from Zusi I also have World of Subways Volume 1, BVE 4 and openBVE installed at this time. I may post a couple of images from these sims as well as time allows.
  24. NGT6 1315
    Hi again ...
     
    Well, the title says just about all: My photo session today took place mostly in the rain - however, as it was fairly warm it was not actually unpleasant. Today I decided to head over to Engelsdorf - this station being located close to the marshalling yard of the same name. So, here's what I got...
     
     
     
     

     
    This here was VT 020 or 650 552, another "RegioShuttle" DMU owned by Mitteldeutsche Regiobahn, seen here working the MRB88293 service to Eilenburg Ost...
     
     
     

     
    ...followed by a class 643 "Talent" DMU from the same operator on the MRB88065 service to Wurzen.
     
     
     

     
    The tracks belonging to the marshalling yard are located south of the station. Here, diesel shunter 290 525 is moving around on shunting duty.
     
     
     

     
    The next passenger service to come along was RB26577 from Meißen to Leipzig Central, worked by 642 045, a Siemens Desiro Classic type DMU.
     
     
     

     
    The rain had begun to fall in the meantime, and then ITL engine 185-CL 002 - still wearing the old Connex base colours - came along with a very short container service.
     
     

     
    After that, another MRB class 643 "Talent" DMU came along, this time working the MRB88064 service from Wurzen to Leipzig Central.
     
     
     

     
    And after all those units, another "proper" train came along ...this one being RE 17461 to Dresden Central Station, headed by engine 143 205.
     
    I then felt the need for a cup of coffee and walked back to the tram terminus at Sommerfeld, catching a line 13 service to Central Station and then walking up to Augustusplatz...
     
     
     

     
    ...finally snapping NGT8 car 1133 "Christian Thomasius" with full body advertisement for the "Deutsche BKK" health insurance on Goethestraße, working the 4E line to Riebeckstraße/Stötteritzer Straße. The Leipzig Opera is only a few metres to the right.
     
     
    Hope you enjoyed this little set of images!
  25. NGT6 1315
    We've been having tonnes of snow in Leipzig over night - which is why, once again, I packed my things and headed out to snap some photos . The primary plan for today was to head up the 4 line to Gohlis, Landsberger Straße. Unsurprisingly, many trams and trains I encountered today had icicles hanging from their frames and fronts!
     
     

     
    However, I first headed for line 16 where NGT12 car 1216 "Kiev" was ploughing through the snow at Eutritzscher Zentrum.
     
     
     

     
    This impressive building on the southeast corner of the city centre and between Augustusplatz and Roßplatz was actually constructed in the 1950s and houses the so-called Ring-Café. In front of it, NGT8 car 1137 "Otto Mencke" with full body advertising for the Petersbogen Casino is on its way on line 8 to Paunsdorf-Nord.
     
     
     

     
    Also at Roßplatz, Leoliner 1303 "Plagwitz" was working the 2 line to Lausen. The building in the background - which some of you might recognize from my last trip report in the summer of 2009 - was part of a factory belonging to the People-Owned Furniture Combine of the GDR.
     
     
     

     
    And now I finally headed up the 4 line to Landsberger Straße and into a quintessential desert of snow. The General Olbricht barracks of the Bundeswehr are located to the west of the reversing loop and thus behind where I was standing here. The tram is NGT8 car 1108 "Adam Friedrich Oeser".
     
     

     
    I then dropped off at the Coppiplatz S-Bahn station and captured 143 354 battling the snow on its way to Miltitzer Allee on the S1 line.
     
     
     

     
    And on my way back to the city - I needed to have lunch, after all - I made one last photo stop at Stallbaumstraße and snapped Tatra car 2143 with a NB4 low floor trailer heading up to Landsberger Straße.
     
    The Leipzig tram network is built to the somewhat unusual track gauge of 1,458 mm or 4 ft 9.4 in and fed with 600 V DC, by the way.
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