Jump to content
RMweb
 

NGT6 1315

RMweb Premium
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,073

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    13

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by NGT6 1315

  1. NGT6 1315
    Evening all!
     
    I decided to make use of the good weather we've been having today, and packed my camera for a railfanning session. I tried another new photo spot this time, which was located a few hundred metres south from the train stop at Ostheim – which in turn is a borough of the town of Butzbach, roughly between Gießen and Friedberg.
     
     

     
    While I was sizing up the location, 425 050 came along on the semi-fast RE 15019 service from Treysa to Frankfurt Central Station.
     
     
     
     

    Having picked the precise spot where I would then be waiting and looking for things to come, I then snapped 185 231 broadside as she was working north with a rake of car carriers...
     
     
     
     

     
    ...as well as this unidentified 143 working the RB 15081 stopping service from Gießen to Friedberg.
     
     
     
     
     

    While this was not actually the first freight train to come along, it but was the first I managed to snap from a decent angle . The loco was 185 004 from DB Schenker.
     
     
     
     
     

     
    Then it was EMU time again, with 425 017 working the RE 15018 semi-fast to Treysa.
     
     
     
     

    I believe this 140 was either 534, 535 or 536 – in any case, she had yet another rake of car carriers in tow.
     
     
     
     

     
    As a representative for private TOCs, HLB FLIRT type EMU 429 043 came along with a three-segment class 427 set up back, working the HLB 24972 semi-fast to Siegen.
     
     
     

     
    And the last train I captured was IC 2286 to Rostock, headed by 101 031.
     
     
    Thanks for looking and I hope you enjoyed it!
  2. NGT6 1315
    ...was where I took this set of images earlier this evening. The specific location was the railway bridge across the River Nidda in Frankfurt's western borough of Rödelheim, which is located just a few hundred metres down the line from the borough's station. As I'm typing this, the shower which the clouds forebode is just about to rain itself out.
     
     
     

     
    Illustrating that peak hour traffic was getting into gear, the first service to come along was S 35354 on the S3 line, having come from Darmstadt Central Station and heading to Bad Soden. This was a triple unit, with 423 414 in the lead.
     
     
    The track branching off to the right in the background is a bypass for the line through Frankfurt Western Station, passing over Mainzer Landstraße and eventually leading into Central Station itself. It is commonly called "Mainzer Landstraße Junction."
     
     
     

    Next, S 35556 came in, working from Southern Station to Friedrichsdorf, with 423 382 in the lead.
     
     
     
     

     
    And to complete the coverage of all suburban lines to come through here, 423 402 and company were working the S 35456 service from Langen to Kronberg on the S4 line.
     
     

    There but also is the R15 regional line, working from Brandoberndorf to Bad Homburg during off-peak hours, and extending to Frankfurt Central Station at weekday peak hours. This line is operated by Hessische Landesbahn, using either class 609 VT 2 type DMUs as seen here, or class 648 LINT type DMUs. This was the HLB 24428 service which had departed Frankfurt Central at 5.31 pm. As you can see, these services use the Mainzer Landstraße junction, which but is also used for rerouting suburban trains in case of disruptions on the section via Western Station.
  3. NGT6 1315
    Afternoon all!
     
    Just two quick shots I took on Sunday morning while getting some breaths of fresh air, for which purpose I had driven down to Saarlouis Central Station ...
     
     
     

     
    First off, 143 129 was working the RE 12008 service from Koblenz Central Station to Saarbrücken Central Station, consisting of three Dostos. Few passengers were around at this time of day, and also in light of it being Easter. These services work along the Mosel, with one of the stops being Trier.
     
     
     

    Half an hour later, there was 425 130, working the RB 33725 service from Trier to Homburg on Saar. These are the principal regional EMUs in this region, along with the 426s, which resemble two 425 cab segments slapped together.
     
  4. NGT6 1315
    ...might be a suitable title for the following set of images which I took on a spin in the country northwest of Frankfurt earlier today .
     
     


    Here I was stopping over at Friedrichsdorf, which is served by the S5 suburban line as well as stopping services on the branch line between here and Friedberg. The train seen here is a Stadler GTW 2/6 type DMU owned by Hessische Landesbahn, who work the Friedberg-Friedrichsdorf line. The unit is standing by to work the HLB24562 service back to Friedberg, which will be a trip of 19 minutes.
     
    This type is known as class 646 in the German numbering system, though HLB chose to put on proprietary running numbers, as many private TOCs do – making this unit 509 108 in the HLB system, and 646 408 in the national system.
     
     
     
     

     
    Actually, the 646 consists of three modules – two passenger/cab modules designated as class 946, and a propulsion module which is numbered as class 646. The bogies below the passenger modules are unpowered, giving the
    complete unit a 2'Bo'2' wheel arrangement.
     
    The small trapezoid panels above the cab side windows are fold-out TV cameras intended as a monitoring device for passenger boarding. As you may remember, rear view mirrors are not permitted for use on German motive power while the train is in motion. Meanwhile, the oval orange light above the inner wheelset is intended as a brake check indicator.
     
     
     
     
     
     

     
    And this would be the diesel-electric propulsion module. There is a gangway through the centre of the module, connecting the passenger modules.
     
     
     
     
     

     
    Looking over the inscriptions, 646 408/509 108 is described as being certified for Germany only, allocated to the Butzbach depot, having 120 seats and a maximum service weight of 73 tonnes. The brakes are a Mannesmann-Rexroth type with computerized control, being laid out as an ECP brake, and having the "R" setting only, as well as automatic load-dependent force adjustment plus magnetic rail brakes. It had its last revision completed on 25 July 2007.
     
     
     
     

     
    A few minutes later, suburban EMU 423 303 arrived on the S5 line, reversing in order to next work the 35543 service back to Frankfurt Southern Station. As you can see, there was a time when Friedrichsdorf Station had a lot more tracks.
     
     
     

     
    And a little impression of how nature and technology may blend in, if allowed to do so .
     
     
     
     
     

     
    I then headed up to Rosbach in order to capture a service on the Friedrichsdorf-Friedberg line. This here was 646 408 again, returning on its next round from Friedberg on the non-electrified line.
     
    Thanks for looking!
  5. NGT6 1315
    Afternoon all!
     
    Having run my errands for today, I was meaning to show you these images I snapped yesterday while patrolling Frankfurt Central Station for anything out of the ordinary...
     
     

    And there was something out of the ordinary indeed, waiting at Platform 19. Unfortunately, it was much too long to be photographed in its entirety... This was the combined IC 1990/1959 service to Berlin Südkreuz and Leipzig Central, whose formations were joined up till Fulda. This resulted in the following setup: Class 120 loco – six coaches – class 101 loco running dead in the middle of the set – eight coaches – second class 120 loco. Sure was an impressively long formation! For obvious reasons, the only part of this train I could reasonably capture was the loco in the middle.
     
     
     

    With evening peak traffic getting into gear at this time of day, there then was the combined RE 15556/15446 service to Glauburg-Stockheim and Nidda, whose formations were again joined for part of the trip. They are working together up till Bad Vilbel, where the forward section to Stockheim is split off, and the rear section to Nidda continues north up till Friedberg and on to Nidda. This kind of procedure is implemented only during peak traffic, as the Friedberg-Nidda line is normally worked by Hessische Landesbahn with class 646 DMUs. As both the Stockheim and Nidda lines are not electrified, each set is powered by one class 218 diesel – resulting in the joint formation working in a temporary top-and-tail setup. Here, 218 477 is in the lead, in front of the driving trailer for its rake of coaches. Up at Stockheim, it will then run around and couple up to the other end.
     
     
     
     

    Consequently, the driving trailer for RE 15446 was facing the gangway of the rearmost coach on the RE 15556 formation. There already was a driver in the cab, in order to speed up the splitting sequence at Bad Vilbel.
     
     
     

     
    And this would be a look at the first part of the inscriptions on the frame of 218 477...comprising the running number in UIC-TSI format, revision dates (last revision completed at the Bremen workshops on 9 September 2004 and a one-year term extension being provided at the Frankfurt depot, which will be valid till 3 September this year.), braking gear type (Knorr-Einheitsbremse with settings G, P, P2 and R, hydrodynamic brake and direct brake valve), plus the service and braking weights.
     
     
     

     
    Meanwhile, the certification grid describes the loco as being cleared for service in Germany, Austria, Denmark (including permission for shipping by train ferry, as indicated by the anchor symbol), Switzerland, France, the Netherlands and Czech Republic.
  6. NGT6 1315
    It sure is good to be having some nice weather during the last week of my term break, so I broke out the camera and went outside – intending to take a look at the Riedberg light rail lines in the north of Frankfurt, which I described on this blog last autumn and winter.
     
     
     

     
    Construction work is still going on in most of the designated residential areas up here and the greenery planted along the tracks are displaying the first signs of sprouting buds and leaves as well . Here, car 605 is heading a triple unit of U5 type LRVs on a U8 line working to Southern Station, having just departed from the Riedberg stop further in the background.
     
     
     
     

     
    The turnback siding for the U8 line is located a few train lengths beyond the Riedberg stop, and located on a rather noticeable descending gradient...so there better not be any arresting brake failure on any trains changing direction here! This here is the next U8 service, whose driver was taking a break on the small platform beyond the train. Car 607 is at the head of the formation.
     
     
     

     
    This is the kind of view which residents up on the Riedberg can enjoy when looking north by northwest.
     
     
     

     
    And then there is the U9 line, which has a tangential route and shuttles back and forth between Nieder-Eschbach further in the north, as well as the northwestern borough of Ginnheim. It is usually operated with single LRVs – this one here being U4 type car 529, one of those refurbished with air conditioning units and redesigned interior. You can well notice the descending grade between Riedberg and Nieder-Eschbach in this view, I would think.
     
     
     

     
    And an attempt at capturing the ambience of spring, with the light rail deliberately slightly out of focus in favour of the greenery .
     
     
     

     
    Eventually, I headed over to the U3 line from Oberursel, which is a town just outside the northwestern boundaries of Frankfurt. Here, U5 type car 614 is leading a triple unit working a service to Frankfurt's Southern Station.
  7. NGT6 1315
    ...might be a suitable title for this set of images I took this past Sunday – inspired by a certain song by a-ha .
     
     

     
    These are two of the fifteen class 218 diesels which have been set aside to serve as breakdown assistance locos for ICE trains, and are stationed at various major stations in Germany. The one in front is 218 837 – looking closely, you may be able to see the Scharfenberg coupler adaptor just below the buffer stop's beam.
     
    I then noticed there was some shunting going on a few tracks further to the north, with things looking as if the driving trailer on one RE set had broken down and required replacement.
     
     
     

    363 707, one of the still-numerous C-coupled V 60 type diesel-hydraulic shunters, had moved in with a 761 series driving trailer, but had to remove the 763 series DT first.
     
     
     
     

    Coupled up at last, the 763 was ready to be removed.
     
     
     
     
     
     

    With the 363 and company disappearing into the sidings – left of the class 425 EMU and class 143 loco which you can see in the background – , I noticed there actually is a tandem point in this spot. Funny how you often notice things only after many years...
     
     
     

     
    Eventually, the 363 returned with the 763, which was then duly coupled to the rest of the train.
  8. NGT6 1315
    Evening all!
     
    There was a slightly odd formation working the RE 4609 service this morning:
     
     

    ...with two 111s top-and-tailing four double deckers and one "n" type coach, the latter of which you may be able to see just emerging from the shed. The loco in the lead was 111 217.
     
    This odd formation may have been due the Frankfurt-Würzburg-Nuremberg regional line currently being interrupted between Aschaffenburg and Laufach due to construction work, with replacement buses filling the gap. Then again, I have frequently seen formations of mostly Modus coaches plus one "n" type on this line, so this may just have been a variety of the known train formation oddities there!
  9. NGT6 1315
    Afternoon all!
     
    These may be my last train photos for 2010 – tonight will see us having dinner with some friends and then probably riding to the city to watch the fireworks. However, I did want to do a final look-see for myself before New Year and our trip home tomorrow...
     
     
     

     
    I chose the 12 line to ride down to the city. Across the intersection of Virchowstraße and Coppistraße, NGT8 car 1103 "Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy" was taking on passengers.
     
     
     

     
    The next opposite service was worked with a Tatra "Großzug", headed by T4D-M car 2192 and with a NB4 trailer behind the two motor cars. The severe winter weather in recent days has seen the Tatras spread to lines where they were no longer usually found, as these high-floor cars appear to be less affected by deep snow than the low-floor cars with smaller ground clearance and wheels.
     
     
     

     
    The 14 line is now working its usual route to Plagwitz Station again, having had to be detoured to the Angerbrücke depot for an extended period of time due to road and bridge repair work. Here, car 2108 and company are waiting in the reversing loop at Plagwitz.
     
     
     

     
    This here was the Möckern stop, which is served by suburban trains on the S1 line and regional stopping services to and from Weißenfels. Under a grey sky and over snow which was beginning to turn to slush, five-car ICE-T set 415 021 "Homburg/Saar" was coasting through on the wrong track, which I believe was necessary due to permanent way work further up the line.
     
     
     
     

    411 076 "Coburg", a 2nd batch set of this class of seven-car ICE-T sets, was on the wrong track as well...
     
     
     
     

     
    ...while 143 816, working the 37133 service on the S1 line with two ex-DR double deck coaches in tow, was literally back on the right track . I also spotted one set working the S1 line consisting of one 143 and just one double deck driving trailer . I figure there's a prototype for pretty much everything!
  10. NGT6 1315
    Morning all!
     
    Well, the title for today's post pretty much sums up the motto of the photo session I did yesterday! In other words, I guess I'd been bitten by some kind of freight bug during my first stay at Thekla Station, which is why I returned there. Weather was quite sunny, too, and not all that cold – till about 2 pm, that is. Shall we begin...? B)
     
     
     
     

     
    There sure would turn out to be a bunch of 155s on the road that day! 155 036 was the first of the lot to come along.
     
     
     

     
    Aside from freight, I also intended to capture at least one of DB Regio's 182s on the Leipzig-Cottbus line. Which I did, as you can see here... B) The train seen here was the RE 18459 service to Cottbus, headed by 182 003 which appears to have been cleaned recently, going by the reflection off the red paint which you can see on the snow on the platform next to the loco. One thing which is interesting is that the 182s appear to have been refitted with the same kind of LED headlights which their Austrian sisters are now using as well. The first ES 64 U2 type locos I have seen thus equipped were those ÖBB 1116s detached to "railjet" services.
     
     
     
     

     
    Next up was an Euroshed double whopper – this being one of the regular coal services operated by HHPI. The leading loco was 29004 or 266 027, named "Dave Meehan", which I had also spotted during my previous Thekla session.
     
     
     
     

     
    The next "Pan Loaf" to come along was 155 031, trailing a mixed rake of wagons.
     
     
     
     

     
    Shed Attack! – This was HHPI loco 29006, or 266 028, which I had, unsurprisingly, also seen during my previous session at Thekla.
     
     
     
     

     
    155 172 is one of the many of her class with DSA 200 type single arm pantographs. I actually can hardly remember when I last saw a 155 with the original diamond pantographs!
     
     
     
     

     
    185 554 was one of the locos which had been used on the Frankfurt-Würzburg regional line several months ago but is now back in freight traffic. The wagons behind her are Falns type coal hoppers owned by Polish operator PKP Cargo.
     
     
     
     

     
    This here is 420.11 or 92 80 1 223 031-6 D-EVB, one of the four Siemens Eurorunner ER 20 type diesel-electrics operated by Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser (EVB), who are headquartered in Zeven in the northeast of Lower Saxony. I would not really have expected a loco from this company this far east!
     
     
     
     

     
    Siderods, anyone? 363 424 came along with three empty container wagons on a stock positioning service.
     
     
     
     

     
    More good stuff came along in the shape of this service headed by 145 009 – the loco dead in tow behind it being a brand-new Voith Gravita diesel-hydraulic shunter owned by stock leasing company "northrail." Interestingly, those Gravitas used by DB Schenker actually are northrail property as well. The Gravita seen in this image may well have been one of those allocated to the Halle yard. In DB service, they are designated as class 260, but are, of course, not to be confused with the V 60 type C-coupled shunters from the Bundesbahn era which originally were designated as class 260 as well.
     
     
     
     
     

     
    Meanwhile, 185 238 was trailing a class 232 diesel-electric, in addition to a mixed string of wagons.
     
     
     
     

     
    Diesel shunter 290 531 travelled light in what was the shine of a sun already beginning to set.
     
     
     
     
     

     
    And the last train I captured was the RE 18460 service from Cottbus, which would eventually return there as RE 18461. It was powered by 182 005, which again was difficult to recognize due to the ice and snow on the front.
     
    After this, it was getting decidedly cold, so I called it a day and headed home to warm up.
     
    Thanks for looking!
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
  11. 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.
     
  12. NGT6 1315
    Well, here be another round of images from Leipzig... My focus for today was to capture a few freight trains in the snow, to which end I rode out to Thekla Station in the northeast of the city. The station is served by hourly stopping services on the line to Eilenburg, so I had sufficient time in any case.
     
    I think I'll just jump into the photos now...
     
     
     

    At Central Station, I first captured 143 130 which was diagrammed to work the RB 26140 service to Lutherstadt Wittenberg. After that, I went over to the Mitteldeutsche Regiobahn class 650 DMU standing next to this train to head out to Thekla.
     
     
     

     
    HHPI loco 29004 "Dave Meehan" opened the round of freights, trailing a rake of coal hoppers. This was the first of two Eurosheds I captured today.
     
     
     
     

     
    Then came a trip freight headed by 294 662 and an unidentified class 364 or 365 shunter dead in tow – which was a rather unusual setup, in my opinion. I somehow missed this image when I first posted this entry...
     
     
     
     

     
    This here was a loco positioning service, consisting of three class 140 electrics and headed by 140 858.
     
     

     
    This service was headed by 185 044 and consisted of just four tank wagons. To the left, another class 650 DMU from Mitteldeutsche Regiobahn came in on another service to Eilenburg.
     
     
     

    This here was the RE 26058 service from Hoyerswerda to Leipzig Central, which but did not call at Thekla. The locomotive was 143 015, this being barely visible with all that ice and snow on the front!
     
     
     

     
    This locomotive was 204 237, this being a former DR V 100 type diesel-hydraulic loco now owned by private TOC Westsächsische Eisenbahntransport Gesellschaft. It was originally put into service as 110 237 on 17 April 1970, and rebuilt into a class 112 loco in 1983. The wagons behind it are covered car carriers.
     
     
     
     

     
    And another Euroshed came along in the shape of HHPI loco 29006, or 92 80 1266 028-0 D-HHPI, heading a rake of coal hoppers. The loco was built in August 2003.
     
     
     

    155 220 was out for work as well, heading a mixed freight.
     
     
     

    185 573, owned by MRCE and leased to Railservice Alexander Neubauer, headed a queue of open bogie wagons.
     
     
     
     

     
    This would be the last train I snapped during my session as it was getting quite cold by that time. The locos were a pair of ex-DR V 100 diesel-hydraulics owned by Havelländische Eisenbahn, or hvle. The leading loco was V 160.7, also known as 92 80 1203 150-8 D-HVLE, and built as 110 342 in 1971.
     
     
    After this, I returned to the city and got myself a cup of coffee to warm up!
  13. NGT6 1315
    Afternoon all!
     
    As I mentioned in Early Risers, I am currently in Leipzig once again, for a few days of vacation .
     
    Winter has struck here just as severely as around Frankfurt, resulting in tram services having been completely suspended yesterday, and only partially resumed today. Apparently, there had been several derailments due to the huge masses of snow, with the only trams I could see yesterday having been a Tatra double set on an inspection trip, and a NGT12 car with its pantograph broken in the middle of an intersection. So, even if I had attempted to head out yesterday, there would have been few things to see, and just as few ways of getting to the city centre in the first place, with bus services having been thinned out as well.
     
    Today, then, tram lines 3E, 7, 11E, 15 and 16 were back in limited service, with various detours and at what would seem to be irregular intervals. Meanwhile, lines 1, 4, 9 and 12 remained completely suspended, with partial rail replacement bus service having been provided.
     
     

    Line 16 was given an alternate routing, running counter-clockwise around the city centre and back to its northern terminus at the Trade Fair Centre, and leaving the southern branch to Lößnig to replacement buses. Here, car 1217 "Travnik" is running along Martin-Luther-Ring on the western rim of the city centre and approaching the New City Hall, which is about 200 metres to the right of where I was standing here. It was signed for the return trip to the Trade Fair Centre already, turning left at the city hall and going back up via Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz and Augustusplatz.
     
     
     

     
    Highlighting the irregular timetable in effect today, it was soon followed by this Tatra T4D-M double set headed by car 2172, which was signed as an "E" service to the Trade Fair Centre – the "E" being commonly used for extra services on many German tram systems, or for services just entering the route from the depot.
     
     

     
    It sure was strange to see so small a number of trams in the city – considering how I really do not know Leipzig without its closely spaced tram services! This here was a Leoliner double set on the 11 line, led by car 1321 "Probstheida" which is wearing full body advertising for DHL.
     
     
     

    Car 1213 "Bautzen" came next, working the 15 line and ploughing through the snow on the intersection of Augustusplatz and Grimmaischer Steinweg.
     
     
     
     

     
    I then checked how things looked on the railway and stopped by at Central Station. Far as I could see, railway services were returning to normal, though delays did, of course, still occur. IC 2208 to Berlin Gesundbrunnen was delayed by about ten minutes and powered by two class 101 locos in a top-and-tail formation. Interestingly, it consisted mostly of SBB coaches, though I unfortunately did not manage to position myself in time to be able to capture at least part of the coaches as well. As you can see from the accumulation of snow and ice on 101 029, the train had a lengthy trip behind it already, having started its journey at Munich Central Station at 7.05 am, roughly six hours before I took this photo.
     
     
     

     
    This double deck driving trailer, which was part of a stopping service to Weißenfels, appears to have had to ram into the snow! I wonder just how good this might be for the frontside skirt if repeated, though.
     
     
     

     
    On my way home, car 1220 "Thessaloniki" was paving its way down Kurt-Schumacher-Straße on the 16 line...
     
     
     

     
    ...while these two ducks were cleaning their plumage. I, however, would certainly not put my feet into any water in this kind of weather!
  14. NGT6 1315
    ...shall be the tag line for the set of photos I shot today while my GF was browsing various shops for the last bunch of Christmas presents . I'll just dive in now without any further preamble...
     
     
     
     
     

     
    While I was still thinking about where I could go after disembarking at Frankfurt Central, I noticed an IC set which appeared to have a black loco on it. However, it turned out that it actually had two black MRCE ES 64 U2 type locos in a top-and-tail setup B) . This here was ES 64 U2-036/182 536...
     
     
     

     
    ...while the one at the other end was ES 64 U2-034/182 534, previously hired to ERS Railways. I should mention that I normally do not do any trailing shots, but this here was worthy of an exception . The train itself would appear to have been a reserve formation, replacing an ICE service which I assume had been cancelled due to weather-related disruptions. However, I forgot to have a look at the departure panel to see which train specifically it replaced.
     
     
     
     

     
    I then headed down to Frankfurt Southern, considering the fact that while the weather was quite good, the light would not have been sufficient for any photos of trains on the open line at top speed. The first thing which caught my attention was this rake of permanent way building machinery on one of the sidings south of Platform 9.
     
     
     
     
     

     
    101 097 then blasted through trailing a wake of snow at the head of an IC set.
     
     
     

     
    This here then was RE 4610 coming in from Würzburg – the destination indicator would appear to not have been set correctly – with two 111s in a top-and-tail setup, as is fairly common on this line, and a set of Modus coaches in between. The loco at the front is 111 226, the second-last locomotive of this class to have been built.
     
     
     
     

     
    Then came a real streak of luck in the shape of 151 021 at the head of an intermodal train. This loco is unique in being painted in the current traffic red livery, but with the same colour layout as on the previous oriental red livery – meaning the frame is not highlighted in grey. I figure this may have been a goof at the repair shop, but one which certainly is welcome to us railfans .
     
     
     
     
     

     
    Then came 143 158 at the head of an ECS service which terminated at Platform 9 and was diagrammed to then first work a turn to Aschaffenburg as RB15249.
     
     
     
     
     

     
    Coming in from Groß-Umstadt Wiebelsbach in the Odenwald, this here was VIAS VT 102 heading a set of two Itino type DMUs on the VIA25130 service to Frankfurt Central and on to Erbach via Darmstadt.
     
     
     
     

     
    I admit I do not photograph ICE sets very frequently, but 403 061 did look nice in this wintry landscape...
     
     
     
     

     
    The frontside running number on this 143's obscured by a patch of snow, so I cannot identify it, unfortunately . The train was the RB15256 service from Hanau to Frankfurt Central.
     
     
     
     
     

     
    And the final catch of the day was 152 041 at the head of a mixed goods train.
     
    As always – thanks for looking, hope you enjoyed these images!
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
  15. NGT6 1315

    Red and white...

    By NGT6 1315,

    ...might be a doubly suitable tag line for this photo which I took this morning on my way to uni...
     
     
     

    This is 111 100, standing by to work the RE 4559 service to Mannheim. For reasons unknown to me, the train had been brought by 110 456, which but then was uncoupled to stay in Frankfurt, and eventually shunted out after this service had departed. As the loco is coupled in front of the driving trailer, German operating rules specify that the forward pantograph is to be used whenever possible, to avoid grit and sparks from the carbons dirtying up and possibly damaging the driving trailer's windscreen.
  16. NGT6 1315
    Evening all!
     
    I took the following two photos this afternoon, which I could imagine those of you with an interest in Continental railways might like to see...
     
     
     
     
     

     
    With VIAS having taken over regional passenger workings from Frankfurt to Koblenz and Neuwied via Wiesbaden, today was the first weekday where they had to prove themselves under full load, so to speak. This here was set 304, a class 427 three-segment FLIRT working the VIA25015 service to Frankfurt Central which I captured at Höchst. The destination display says, "Welcome!"
     
     
     
     
     

     
    Likewise, Hessische Landesbahn were in the same situation. This here was a formation of 427 043 and a class 429 five-segment set whose number escapes me at present, standing by to work the joint HLB24966/24968 service to Marburg and Siegen, with the train being split at Gießen and the two sets then departing in opposite directions for the remainder of their trips.
     
    Although I do miss the looks of the buffers on the VIAS and HLB sets – which the Swiss FLIRTs have, as well as the small number of DB AG sets operating in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania – they do look sharp, I must say. Interestingly, HLB chose to have their FLIRTs equipped with rear view mirrors – which, if nothing has changed without my knowing about it, but may only be used while trains are not moving under current German railway laws and thus may only be folded out at stations – just like the SBB sets, while VIAS preferred external cameras, which you can spot just at the edge of the blue and green trim stripes above the windows.
  17. NGT6 1315
    Evening all!
     
    Weather turned out to be, well, perhaps not great, but fair enough for me to head out and have a look at the two new light rail lines in Frankfurt which were put in service today. These would be the U8 and U9 lines – both lines being served by the Heddernheim depot and thus belonging to the so-called "A" route operationally. U8 provides a connection from the southern terminus of the "A" route at Southern Station to the new borough of Riedberg in the northwest of the city, while U9 is the first tangential line in the network, avoiding the trunk section of the "A" route altogether and running between the northwestern boroughs of Ginnheim and Nieder-Eschbach via Riedberg. For the sake of simplicity, I'll just refer you to this network plan by the regional public transport authority, RMV: Click.
     
    Regular readers on here might remember my two-part feature about an excursion through the light rail network which I'd been on in March this year and where I also outlined a bit of the light rail network's history: Click and click.
     
    However, before I headed up to Riedberg I first snapped one of the new trains on the regional railway line from Frankfurt to Siegen, the franchise of which has been won by private operator Hessische Landesbahn (HLB), and which took over operations on this line today...
     
     

     
    Much as is the case with VIAS on the Frankfurt-Koblenz line via Wiesbaden and along the East Rhine Railway, HLB chose to procure Stadler FLIRT type EMUs for this line. Six of these are five-segment class 429 sets, which are augmented by three three-segment class 427 sets. This here was a double unit of 429 042 and 046, working the HLB24962 service to Gießen and Siegen. The unit seen in this image is 429 042, which was to work only the section to Gießen, where the train would be split – only the second unit then working the remainder of the line to Siegen.
     
     
     
    After this, I made my way for the new light rail lines...
     
     
     

     
    I first caught a U3 service, headed for Oberursel Hohemark, and got off at Niederursel, immediately before the junction where the Riedberg line branches off. Just a few minutes later, I then snapped an U8 service – 08-05, to be exact, as indicated by the formation number in the lower right corner of the windscreen. The German term for this actually is "Kursnummer", which I assume could also be translated plainly as "course number", but of which I am not completely sure whether this quite captures the gist of the term. Thís was a set of three U5 type LRVs built by Bombardier, headed by car 647.
     
     
     

     
    Having ridden up to Riedberg on the following U9 service, I then captured the same set from the previous photo after emerging from the turnback area further down the line beyond the platforms of the Riedberg stop – this turnback being used only for the U8 line which terminates at the Riedberg stop. There still is much construction work going on in this borough, but the light rail line is fully operational. There actually are two stops up here – University Campus Riedberg and Riedberg, the former being a few hundred metres behind where I was standing here. The Riedberg Campus is where the natural science departments of Frankfurt University are located.
     
     
     
     

     
    Walking back towards University Campus, I then captured another U8 service headed by U5 type car 640, trundling along the rail line in the centre of Riedbergallee. I can imagine this line to be looking nice in the warm months of the year, what with the inlaid grass on the roadbed and the greenery along both sides!
     
     
     
     

     
    And see: Then a heavenly light shone upon me and this U9 service coming in from Nieder-Eschbach and heading to Ginnheim, consisting of U4 type LRVs and headed by car 526 .
     
     
     
     

     
    The University Campus stop was now immediately behind me when I snapped this U8 service, headed by car 627.
     
     
     
     

     
    I then headed back to Niederursel and successfully attempted to capture a train turning right at the Niederursel junction to Riedberg – this being an U9 service headed by car 506.
     
     
     
     
     

     
    There is a small back road tracing the outline of the line after the Niederursel junction, which I walked up. And what's more: I was lucky to be able to capture a refurbished U4 type LRV working the U9 line. Two cars – 529, which is the one leading this service, and 510 – have been given this refurbishment package already, which consists of a redesigned interior closely resembling that of the U5 type, as well as air conditioning units for the cabs, which are hidden behind the aerodynamic shroud right above the windscreen.
     
     
     
     
    And finally a couple of interesting miscellanies from further down the "A" route – at the Lindenbaum stop, to be exact...
     
     


     
    The "A" route is frequently being discussed due to the fact that there have been numerous accidents of the "one under" kind, to adopt the London Underground jargon – most of these having been attributable to both lack of caution and impatience by pedestrians. Various measures are being discussed to reduce the risk of "passenger action", one of these being seen here – flashing "level crossing" warning signs in the ground which are triggered by approaching trains...
     
     
     

     
    ...and augmented by coloured road coating with "train" pictograms.
     
     
    So, that would be it for today – hope you enjoyed reading!
     
     
  18. NGT6 1315
    Just a pair of wintry train photos I snapped this afternoon at Frankfurt Southern Station . Weather was quite unsteady - shortly after the second shot a snow shower began.
     
     
     

     
    First there was DB Schenker diesel shunter 294 755 coming in on a positioning move during the last traces of sunlight before the next round of snow...
     
     
     

     
    ...followed by SBB Cargo's Re 482 028, which is wearing ChemOil inscriptions – this company being a SBB Cargo subsidiary specialized in handling chemical products – , working a tanker train. In case the driver – who greeted me, as I only just noticed upon editing the photo – should read this: Thanks, pal, and I hope you had a safe ride!
  19. NGT6 1315
    Afternoon all!
     
    I was very surprised this morning when, waiting for my train on the S4 line, it was not the usual double unit of class 423 EMUs which came in, but a pair of 420s, which haven't been on my line since summer - working only a couple of turns in the late evening and on Sunday mornings before their withdrawal. These were worked out of Darmstadt, which is usually served by the S3 line and which in turn was in the hands of 420s till June - the S3 and S4 lines having merged traction diagrams during the times I mentioned. However, I can only speculate why a pair of 420s was put on the S4 line – though failure of at least three 423s seems most likely, as the turn behind mine was worked with a single 423.
     
    So, after my course I then headed down to Langen, which I felt was the best vantage point for taking a couple of photos under the weather and lighting conditions we have today .
     
     
     

     
    Okay, I did keep you in suspense and did not mention yet I was particularly lucky in that the 420 on the northern end was indeed 420 425, one of the 7th batch sets transferred over from Stuttgart last year B) . So, here he is - 420 425 with 420 261 behind standing by to work the 6442 service up to Kronberg.
     
     
    I then made it onto the train in time for my way home and took a couple of detail shots when I got there...
     
     
     
     
     

     
    This would be a detail shot of the outer bogie under the cab of the "A" end car. As you can pick out from the inscriptions, it had its last revision completed on 16 July this year – as I mentioned before in another blog entry, it took a while to put these sets into service after they had been transferred over from Stuttgart. There also is a works plaque from Siemens who provided the electrical equipment for this set, while the grey plaque to the right of the inscriptions is an AEI tag. Note how there are cheek brake disks on the outside of all wheels when you compare this photo to the next one...
     
     
     

     
    ...while this here's the outer bogie on the "B" car of 420 261 – "B" cars on German EMUs being given consecutive numbers which have 500 added to the actual consecutive number of the set in question. 420 261 is the first 4th batch set, with all batches except the 7th and 8th having double-sided brake disks on only one wheel per wheelset. Note the vertical shock absorber serving to support the air suspension cushion, which in turn you can see between the bogie frame and the body, as well as the PZB train protection transceiver below the bogie frame.
     
     
     

     
    Meanwhile, the intermediate cars on the class 420 sets are actually registered as a class themselves - 421, as you can see here. Of course, they cannot be operated independently of the end cars, which contain the cabs and quite a lot of the electrical equipment. In fact, the 420s have two independent traction packages – spreading across either two end cars and half of the intermediate cars. All wheelsets are powered. When they were introduced – the prototypes having appeared from 1969 onwards, with production beginning one year later and continuing right until 1997 – , they were highly advanced, having notchless, thyristor-based power controls, allowing for amazingly smooth operation. Likewise, air suspension had been anything but the rule on commuter stock of the time.
     
    The prototypes and first six batches were fitted with pneumatic double sliding pocket doors, while the 7th and 8th batches received pneumatic double plug doors – which are about the easiest distinguishing feature from the outside.
     
     
     

     
    While the first six batches were fitted with two pantographs initially, the 7th and 8th made do with only one – the earlier sets eventually having the second pan removed during revisions in most cases in later years. Next to the pan, which is a SBS 65 type, you can see the voltage sensing device – which is the big cylindrical item above the right door blade – with one of the two circuit breakers and associated cut-off switch being located next to it. The cable running to the right belongs to the busbar connecting the adjoining end car to the high tension circuit. The transformers are located in the end cars.
     
     
     

     
    The other circuit breaker for the second traction package is located on the other side of the intermediate car.
     
     
     

     
    There is a fixed close coupler bar between the cars, with dampening buffers on the outside.
     
     
     

     
    The 7th and 8th batch 420s were refitted with LED-based destination displays in place of the rollsigns on the previous batches. Also, they have a "Railvox" passenger information system installed, which provides automated station announcements. However, the two Railvox devices per unit are not connected to each other, meaning the destination displays still need to be set manually on either end of the train.
     
    Another major difference between the first six and the last two batches of this class – aside from the doors, pneumatic brake layout and passenger information system – is that the brake also comprises spring-loaded parking brakes, which may not be used in mixed formations with a 7th or 8th batch 420 and one from the earlier batches, as they cannot be released remotely from the older 420s.
     
     
     

     
    And these are the two 420s facing each other. I think it's safe to say this class is among the most recognizable types of motive power which Deutsche Bundesbahn had built – the large, wrap-around windscreens, slightly pointed frontsides and uniquely shaped headlights providing a good amount of character which many more recent classes do lack.
     
     
    And an overview of the technical specifications for this class...
     
     
    Overall length per unit: 67,500 mm/221 ft
    Overall width: 3,080 mm/10.1 ft
     
    Service weight: 138 tonnes for first two batches, 129 for all others - the 1st and 2nd batch having had their end cars made of steel rather than aluminium.
     
    Power output: 2,400 kW/3,264 hp
    Top speed: 120 kph/75 mph
     
    Passenger capacity: 194 seated (average), 400 (with standing passengers)
     
    Total number built: 480
     
     
     
    And here is a WAV file with a recording of the set's onboard sound – including a satisfying door slam . I picked a section of the ride where there were no conversations by other passengers as I do want to respect the privacy of others: Click.
     
    Edit - fixed WAV link.
  20. NGT6 1315

    Work on the Platform

    By NGT6 1315,

    ...continued even yesterday at Frankfurt Central, with the following setup serving to supply material and equipment from the trackside...
     
     
     

     
    The loco was V180.05, also known as 203 161, owned by operator Schienen-Güter-Logistik (SGL) and hailing from the former GDR...
     
     
     

     
    ...as per the cabside indications. The locomotive belongs to the Deutsche Reichsbahn V 100 family of diesel-hydraulic locos – which closely resembles the West German V 100 family later known as classes 211, 212 and 213 and was indeed intended to serve the same roles – was built at the People-Owned Combine Locomotive and Electrical Engineering Works at Hennigsdorf in 1973 with the works number 13937. In Deutsche Reichsbahn service, the loco was known as 110 619 originally. It was retired from the DB AG fleet in 1996 and then began its career with a variety of private TOCs. In 2008 it ended up as Alstom property as the company had bought up large quantities of ex-DR V 100s to sell them on to interested parties, also offering various upgrade packages including things like new prime movers and indeed entirely new bodies.
     
    As per the inscriptions, the loco weighs in at 68 tonnes, has a unified Knorr brake with settings G and P plus direct brake valve, and braking weights of 56 tonnes on the "P" setting and 43 on the "G" setting. Its last revision was concluded at the former Stendal works – which is where Alstom are based now – on 31 August last year.
     
     

     
    Bogie details - note the primary suspension laid out with rubber blocks.
     
     
     
     

     
    The first wagon was a Res type eight wheel bogie flat owned by the Czech railways...
     
     
     

     
    ...and hired to the Leonhard Weiss company, which is a railway construction enterprise.
     
    The other wagon, carrying a telescopic handler (which you could see in the first photo)...
     
     
     

     
    ...was a Laadkss type flatbed one.
  21. NGT6 1315
    ...might be a suitable title for today's entry . I checked out what was going on at Frankfurt Central Station after my course and got lucky in being able to capture the following two services...
     
     
     

     
    Out of the total of 411 class 218 diesel locos which have been built, fifteen have been modified to serve as breakdown assistance locomotives for high speed lines. Nine of these are allocated to the Frankfurt depot, mainly for assistance on the Frankfurt-Cologne HSL, with one but being set aside for assistance service on the suburban network. This here is a pair of these locos: 218 837 and 838, to be precise. I'm not sure if this may just have been a check or driver proficiency ride, or if the locos actually set out on a breakdown assistance service. In any case, the current weather did wreak havoc on both roads and railways across Germany, so either option may be likely.
     
    For towing ICE sets, they have Scharfenberg coupler adapters allocated to them, which need to be hooked onto the UIC couplers.
     
     
     
     

     
    Speaking of traffic disruptions: This TGV POS set coming in from Paris on the TGV 9553 service - I think it was set 4417 - was about twenty minutes late.
  22. NGT6 1315

    Ultrasonic...

    By NGT6 1315,

    ...is not the title of any electronic music album, but a keyword to describe this fellow:
     
     

     
    Deutsche Bahn has two class 719 ultrasonic permanent way inspection trains in its inventory. This here is 719 001 (with the "B" car in front, which is numbered 719 501) which was delivered in 1975. This set is based on the class 614 regional DMUs, of which 42 sets were built between 1972 and 1975. The other set, 719 101, is a much different design by Plasser & Theurer which was built in 1996.
     
    719 001 has a maximum travelling speed of 140 kph and a maximum measuring speed of 50 kph, with two diesel-hydraulic power packs located in the end cars providing 448 kW each. The "A" car, 719 001, contains a galley, dining room, lavatory with shower and three sleeping bunks, while the "B" car has another five bunks and a lavatory. The measuring equipment, including the vertically suspended ultrasonic sensor frame below the floor, is located in the intermediate trailer, designated 720 001.
     
     
     

     
    And a trailing shot of the "A" car. Note the inspection pantograph on the roof, which is complemented by a TV camera which you may be able to spot roughly in the middle of the roof.
     
     
     

     
    This image shows a variety of electric and drinking water replenishment sockets, as well as the braking gear, which is a standardized Knorr brake (KE) with setting "R" only, automatic load-dependent brake force adjustment (A) and disk brakes (encircled D).
     
     
     
     

     
    This is another bunch of technical inscriptions which reveals a few additional details. Each of the three cars has one of these plaques. The unit is described as a "schweres Nebenfahrzeug" which is a generic term for departmental stock with no other use aside from these departmental tasks - and as an ultrasonic rail inspection unit. Car 719 501 alone is indicated to have a weight of 47 tonnes and payload of one tonne, as well as a braking weight of 74 tonnes. Ten persons are permitted on board, and the top speed is given as 140 kph. Its last revision was completed at the Cottbus repair works (BCSX) on 16 September this year, with the next major revision being due until 16 September 2016.
     
    Additionally, the unit is not allowed to be humped or to enter shunting facilities, can only be towed at the end of a train and must be treated as an "außergewöhnliche Sendung" when being transferred dead in tow - meaning it is considered a kind of "exceptional load" in this event. I could imagine this to have to do with either the ultrasonic sensor frame or the unit having only the "R" brake setting available.
     
     
     
  23. NGT6 1315

    railjet!

    By NGT6 1315,

    Hello all!
     
    On my way to the city this morning I was told that an ÖBB railjet formation is currently in Frankfurt for staff training as there will be weekendly railjet services from Frankfurt to Budapest via Stuttgart, Munich and Vienna from December onwards. I then proceeded to take a pair of snapshots across the fence...
     
     
     

     
     
    Zooming in, the locomotive turned out to be 1116 229, which is one of the 2nd batch of 1116s refitted for railjet service. This batch of twenty locos was not given the Swiss equipment package which mainly consists of a 3rd pantograph and the Swiss train protection systems, and is also lacking the aerodynamic shrouding around the transformer.
     
     
     

     
     
     
    The downside to this sighting is that I am now feeling tempted again to get one of these sets in H0 scale...
  24. NGT6 1315
    On a totally different note: railcolor.net now has a section dedicated to a pair of new electric Co'Co' configured locomotive types from Romania. These were designed by a company called Softronic, as a collaborative effort with well-known loco builder Electroputere and other partners. Mechanically, they are based on the 060 EA type locos - now known as class 40 after a couple of refits - of old, but feature either synchronous or asynchronous three-phase AC motors and other modern technology. They are known by the names of "Phoenix" and "Trans Montana" respectively.
     
    Click
     
    I'm not quite decided whether I like the extravagant styling on the body fronts, but I do think it is an interesting concept. Assuming they are indeed drawing on proven technology, this may well be an advantage.
  25. NGT6 1315
    ...will be possible from 12 December onwards when the regional express line from Frankfurt to Koblenz along the East Rhine Railway will be taken over by VIAS, who procured a fleet of nineteen Stadler FLIRT type EMUs for this purpose. Twelve of these are class 428 sets with four segments, and seven are class 427 sets with only three segments.
     
    At least two VIAS 428s were shuttling around Frankfurt Central Station on trial runs this afternoon, and I could capture set 403 with my camera:
     
     

     
     
    One thing I noticed only on second glance was that the VIAS sets are lacking the aerodynamic shrouding along the edge of the roof, which the SBB FLIRTs do have - as you can see in this photo:
     
    Click.
     
    In addition, they are not fitted with auxiliary buffers, which the SBB sets do have as well.
×
×
  • Create New...