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NGT6 1315

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Blog Entries posted by NGT6 1315

  1. NGT6 1315

    Baby Squealer

    By NGT6 1315,

    Afternoon all!
     
    This is just a quick snapshot I took on my way to uni...
     
     

     
    Having shown class 425 EMUs on various occasions before, I can now introduce you to their "baby" sized variant as well, which is called class 426. Superficially, this type looks more or less like two class 425 cab segments stuck together, though of course various bits of equipment but are arranged differently. The two outer bogies are powered. They can be operated in multiples with 425s with no problem, though if memory serves multiples consisting of more than four 426s only are subject to a 120 kph speed restriction due to the short distance between pantographs.
     
    These here were 426 001, another 426 and one 425 working the RE 15012/15112 service to Marburg and Dillenburg, which are split at Gießen.
     
    For the sake of comparison – this is a 425:
     
     

     
  2. NGT6 1315
    Afternoon all!
     
    This ever-changing weather this week affected me rather a lot, so I chose to take a break on Wednesday and get some fresh air during a round of spotting. For this, I rode to Riedstadt-Goddelau on the southwestern end of the S7 line on the suburban railway network around Frankfurt.
     
     

     
    This was actually the suburban set I rode myself, seen here having returned from the stabling area which is located roughly behind the rear end of this train. The 420 unit in the lead on the return trip to Frankfurt was 420 316, one of two class 420 sets from Frankfurt fitted with experimental LED headlight units. I don't think any additional 420s will be thus refitted, though, given that the remaining sets are to be retired upon the launch of the new suburban franchise, which begins in 2014 and required DB Regio to renew their fleet. The rear unit was 420 294.
     
    These headlight clusters look like this:
     
     

     
    ...though on the "B" end car, the faceplates have been painted red a few months ago, as you can see in the first image.
     
     
     

     
    Next, 185 096 was headed north on an intermodal working...
     
     

     
    ...while 111 094 was working RE 4570 on its way from Mannheim.
     
     
     

     
    Next, 185 009 was pulling a mixed rake of wagons, though what I had been aiming for all along was the following:
     
     
     

     
    With a few minutes delay, this TGV Duplex 2N2 set made a rather impressive display of power and speed as it shot north at what I believe must have been 200 kph, working the TGV 9583 service from Marseille-St. Charles to Frankfurt.
     
     
    Once again, thanks for looking! B)
  3. NGT6 1315
    Morning all!
     
    Only just had the time to prepare the following handful of images for posting, even though I took them around noon on Wednesday. They were all made at Frankfurt's Southern Station.
     
     
     

     
    The first snapshot of the day was 294 872 running light, most likely being headed for the intermodal yard at Eastern Station.
     
     
     

     
    A short time later, 185 266 came along with a mixed assortment of wagons up back...
     
     
     

     
    ...followed by this motor draisine with one flatcar each in front and up back.
     
     
     

     
    Then, 155 158 came in from Forsthaus Junction, most likely headed for the Spessart.
     
     
     

     
    And then there was 120 141 at the head of the EN 452 sleeper service from Moscow's Belorussky Terminal, which was composed of one Polish coach in the current PKP IC livery and RZD international coaches, matching the Central European loading gauge and fitted for changing bogies on the Polish-Belarusian border.
  4. NGT6 1315
    Afternoon all!
     
    Even though I did explore most of Leipzig's tram system during my previous visits, I noticed I am still finding sufficient occasions for spotting - though I assume these will mostly cover everyday operations and possibly service changes which may yet come up in the future.
     
    In any case, I just wanted to regale you with a few assorted images I took over the Easter weekend...
     
     

     
    Yesterday's tour took me down to the western boroughs of Lausen and Grünau, which are largely characterised by prefabricated concrete slab housing blocks. On weekends and off peak, the 1 line is usually worked with NGT8 cars - this here being #1129 "F. Arnold Brockhaus", which is just departing the Lausen terminus.
     
     
     

     
    Meanwhile, #1109 "J. Gottfried Seume" is outbound for Lausen, and seen here at the Zschampertaue stop.
     
     
     

     
    The 2 line, which is normally worked with single NGTW6L "Leoliner" cars on weekends, has its terminus at Grünau-Süd, with the reversing loop surrounding a Penny supermarket. Here, Leoliner car 1304 "Stahmeln" is seen emerging from the loop. The weather was strongly April-like yesterday, with snow and sleet setting in shortly after I took this photo.
     
     
     

     
    Today, then, I rode to Paunsdorf in the east of the city, hoping to capture a certain formation on the 7 line. Before I did, Leoliner car 1328 "Lausen" came along on the 8 line, just outside the tram depot which is located to the left of this location.
     
     
     

     
    And this was what I had been aiming for all along... B) Last summer, NGT8 car 1101 "Johann Sebastian Bach" was adapted to pull NB4 trailers in an attempt to evaluate refitting the entire fleet eventually, to the end of speeding up the withdrawal of the Tatra T4D cars over the next several years. This set is usually found on the 3 and 7 lines.
     
     
     

     
    There also were two hybrid buses parked outside the tram depot - this here being car 202, a Hess SwissHybrid O2790 with licence plate L-NV 1202...
     
     
     

     
    ...and this a Mercedes O 530 G Bluetec Citaro, numbered 303 and with licence plate L-NV 1303.
     
     
     

     
    At Central Station, I then found 101 104...
     
     
     

     
    ...and 120 127 stabled together outside the train shed.
  5. NGT6 1315
    Evening all!
     
    For today's photo trip, I decided to expand on yesterday's theme and checked out the outer branch of tram line 3 to Taucha, which is a small town of about 14,300 inhabitants to the northeast of Leipzig. Much as on the 11 line, this outer branch is served on a 20-minute interval on weekdays and every 30 minutes on Sundays.
     
     

     
    A typical formation for this line, Tatra T4D-M car 2140 heads a "Großzug" which is seen here departing the terminus at Taucha and back on its way to Knautkleeberg.
     
     
     

     
    Also much like on the 11 line, there is a significant single-tracked section on the Taucha branch. Here, a Leoliner formation with car 1318 "Lößnig" in the lead is headed for the terminus, which is called "An der Bürgerruhe", and calling at the Freiligrathstraße stop, which has a passing loop for outbound workings.
  6. NGT6 1315

    Saxon Suburbia

    By NGT6 1315,

    Evening all!
     
    As this Sunday turned out to be quite sunny indeed, I grabbed my camera and went for a round of tram spotting in the afternoon.
     
    I decided to have a look at the outermost northwestern branch of the 11 line, which actually extends beyond Leipzig's city limits at both ends. In the northwest, the line has its terminus in the town of Schkeuditz, which is located roughly halfway between Leipzig and Halle and has about 17,500 inhabitants. As this branch includes a single-tracked section, normal daytime weekday timetables offer only a 20-minute interval for services to Schkeuditz, while the Sunday timetable offers a 30-minute interval. Usually, the line is worked both with NGT12 Flexity XXL type trams, as well as two- or three-car sets of Tatra T4D-M motor cars and B4D or NB4 trailers.
     
     

     
    Before changing for the 11 line at the Chausseehaus stop, I snapped NGT8 car 1137 "Otto Mencke" on the 10 line. As a bridge on Bornaische Straße in the south of the city needed to be renewed over the weekend, the line was rerouted to Klemmstraße instead of its regular terminus at Lößnig.
     
     
     
     

     
    Eventually, I arrived at Schkeuditz - which speakers of English would have to pronounce like "ShCOYdits" - where the 11 line terminates on the town's City Hall Square. There is a small car shed located inside the reversing loop, which is where NGT12 car 1227 is just returning from on its way back to Markkleeberg Ost.
     
     
     

     
    As I now had about thirty minutes to kill, I walked back to the Altscherbitz stop, a few hundred metres from Town Square, where there is a hospital nearby. Here, car 1229 is on its way to the Schkeuditz terminus. This is one of nine such cars ordered in January 2010 in addition to the existing twenty-four cars from the original lot procured in 2005 and 2006. This new batch has coloured destination displays and LED daytime running lights, both of which are being refitted to the NGT8 cars as well - though not necessarily at the same time.
     
     
     

     

     
    I then made my way back to Leipzig proper, both on foot and by tram. Here, I was in the borough of Lützschena - pronounced like "LYTS-chenah" - where there is a reversing loop which appears to be disused nowadays.
     
     
     

     
    And this was the borough of Stahmeln, with car 1207 "Stuttgart" - one of the original lot - on its way to Schkeuditz.
     
     
     
     

     
    And the last image for today shows car 1217 "Travnik" on the single-tracked stretch in the borough of Wahren, again headed for Schkeuditz.
     
     
    Once again, thanks for looking!
  7. NGT6 1315
    Morning all .
     
    Didn't get around to posting these images yesterday, so I'll just declare these as something for you to look at for the beginning of the new year. It turned out there were a few tram-related items I would still like to check out, so I tried to cover some of these on a small trip I went on in the afternoon.
     
     

     
    In recent times, an increasing number of LVB's trams are being fitted with coloured destination displays and LED daytime running lights. NGT8 car 1120 "Ernst Pinkert", which is seen here at Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz working the 9 line to Thekla, is one of those thus fitted. I also saw a NGT12 car fitted with coloured displays and LED running lights earlier this week, but had no opportunity of taking a photo.
     
     
     

     
    The Leoliner cars are also being equipped with coloured destination displays, with the most recent batch of 18 cars delivered between May 2010 and last summer, having been thus fitted from the factory. Here, car 1135 is working the 2 line.
     
     
     

     
    With the most recent timetable change, the 14 line to Plagwitz Station was given a new route. Instead of terminating on the west side of Central Station, it now circles the city centre eastward, returning to the branch to Plagwitz at Westplatz. It is now commonly worked with single Leoliner cars, with 1318 "Lößnig" in its DHL advertising being one of those on duty yesterday.
     
     
     

     
    At the New City Hall - which is the large building with the tower in the background - I then captured 1307 "Paunsdorf" on the 2 line...
     
     
     

     
    ...and another hybrid bus, this time a MAN Lion's City, on the 89 line to Connewitz Kreuz.
     
    I then caught the next 14 service to Plagwitz...
     
     
     

     
    ...which was worked with 1301, one of the two Leoliner prototypes which have been reactivated for passenger service and can usually be found on this line. As you can see, there are various differences between these cars and the production Leoliners, such as differently styled body fronts, and the non-retractable couplers on the prototypes. These also comprise a traction power conduit, meaning that when running as a double unit, the leading car supplies the trailing one with power, obviating the need for the latter to raise its pantograph. However, this feature was not carried over into the production cars.
     
     
    Plagwitz Station is currently being completely rebuilt, meaning the trackside area now looks like this:
     

     
     

     
    ...which sure is a huge change from the totally decrepit island platform and deserted sidings which were still in place during my last visit.
     
     
    Thanks for looking everyone!
  8. NGT6 1315
    Morning all!
     
    We're currently in Leipzig once again to pay a few days' worth of visit to my girlfriend's family, which but also allows me to snap a few rail-related photos from outside my usual daily environment. That being said, I'm noticing there is not all that much still left for me to document in terms of urban public transport, so today's photo strip will not cover any really specific topic. Around noon yesterday, I had ridden out to Engelsdorf, where there is a shunting yard, which but I found to be not particularly busy at this time of year. But here's what I managed to photograph around the station in any case...
     
     

     
    First off, 642 178, a Siemens Desiro Classic type DMU, was working the RB 26365 service from Grimma to Leipzig Central Station...
     
     
     

     
    ...while 290 637 was on shunting duty in the yard.
     
     
     

     
    Another 642, though owned by Mitteldeutsche Regiobahn, came along on the MRB 80216 service from Wurzen.
     
     
     

     
    After that, 152 042 almost caught me by surprise, entering the yard from the east.
     
     
     

     
    And then there was this sight for sore eyes... 182 021 - still wearing "Railion DB Logistics" lettering, but equipped with destination displays behind the upper left-hand parts of the windscreens - working the RE 16719 service to Dresden.
     
     
     

     
    I admit I do not take very many images of buses, but this hybrid-powered articulated bus from Swiss builder Carrosserie Hess, working the 72 line to Paunsdorf, caught my attention while walking across the road bridge above the station.
     
     
     

     
    I then needed to kill about an hour's worth of time and proceeded to capture Tatra T4D-M car 2107 with a NB4 type trailer near the Paunsdorf-Center shopping mall...
     
     

     
    ...as well as a Leoliner double unit headed by car 1317.
     
     
     

     
    And this was what I had been waiting for: 145 045 working the RE 16721 service to Dresden - this being called the "Saxonia Line." Presently, these services are shared among class 145 and 182 locos, which also partake in suburban workings around Dresden. While all 182s have since been reallocated to DB Regio, the 145s have been hired from DB Schenker.
     
     
    I may be shooting some additional images over the weekend, and would post them on here, of course.
  9. NGT6 1315

    Autumnal mood

    By NGT6 1315,

    Afternoon all!
     
    In between courses, I put in a quick railway photo session which I held at Mainkur Station in the east of Frankfurt - the station arguably being among the more decrepit ones. This but was balanced by the following two captures...
     
     

     
    While a couple of workers were figuring out how to get a small excavator onto the island platform, SBB Cargo's 421 392 was gunning through with a fast container working, emerging from the autumnal haze.
     
     
     

     
    And seen here against a nicely coloured backdrop, 146 247 was on the last few miles of its trip from Nuremberg on the RE 4606 regional service.
  10. NGT6 1315
    ...because the weather changed accordingly several minutes after I took these images at Frankfurt Southern Station on my way home in the afternoon.
     
     

     
    Due to PW work on the Frankfurt-Gießen mainline, numerous workings normally scheduled to use this line are being rerouted via Hanau and Nidderau for the next several weeks. The "Mittelhessen-Express" regionals to Treysa and Dillenburg are among them, meaning that 425s can be seen at Frankfurt Southern at present. Here, 425 014 and 016 are standing by to continue to Gießen on the RE 15120 service, there to be split for the remainder of their trips.
     
     
     

     
    Under a sky increasingly threatening with rain, 120 103 blasted through on the IC 2204 peak hour service to Bebra.
     
     
     
     

     
    111 193 and another of her class were top-and-tailing the RE 4522 service to Fulda.
     
     
     

     
    Back to Black: MRCE Dispolok loco 189 936 – hired to TX Logistik – whined through trailing an intermodal working.
     
     
     
     

     
    And a lone tamper was resting in the sidings south of the platforms.
     
     
     
     

     
    Finally, 101 114 screamed in heading the rerouted IC 2276 service to Hanover.
     
  11. NGT6 1315
    ...in a fashion stopped over at Frankfurt today:
     
     

    This is the TGV POS set #4402, whose power units set the 574.8 kph (357 mph) world speed record on 3 April 2007 – coupled to specially adapted coaches with additional powered bogies. Today, however, the power units are coupled to normal trailers, though the decoration on them continues to commemorate the 574 kph ride. It was working the TGV 9552 service to Paris Eastern Station when I captured it upon departing Frankfurt Central Station at 4.57 pm.
     
  12. NGT6 1315
    ...might be a suitable tag line for this image I snapped earlier this morning:
     
     

     
    This was 139 314 from DB Schenker at the head of a tanker train which was just starting out of Frankfurt Western Station after a new driver had taken over the train from his colleague. As those familiar with German railways will probably know, the 139 is a modified version of the much more numerous class 140 freight loco, and fitted with dynamic brakes.
     
  13. NGT6 1315
    ...of some PW equipment:
     
     

     
    This is Mittelweserbahn's 1116 911, one of two ES 64 U2 type locos owned by this operator – 1116 912 has the same general livery, but with red in place of blue. Here, the loco is seen stabled in between a rail grinder with associated material van and a self-propelled work car – how are these critters called in the UK, by the way?
     
     
     

     
    And a broadside view of 1116 912 – whose UIC-TSI running number actually refers to it as a class 182 loco, since 1116 is an Austrian class number, as the two MWB ES 64 U2s were taken from an ÖBB production batch.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. 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!
  17. 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.
  18. 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!
  19. 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!
  20. 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!
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
  21. 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.
  22. 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!
  23. 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.
  24. 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.
  25. 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.
     
     
     
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