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NGT6 1315

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Blog Entries posted by NGT6 1315

  1. NGT6 1315
    This could be how I might describe the weather today - been fairly unstable with sun and rain chasing each other. In between, however, I snapped a pair of photos at Frankfurt Southern Station...
     
     
     

     
    ...one of 185 060 with a goods train, still in sunlight...
     
     
     

     
    ...and one of 143 019 at the head of RB 15220 from Aschaffenburg to Frankfurt Central Station.
     
     
    The clouds broke a few moments after the second photo .
  2. 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.
  3. NGT6 1315
    Actually, it is DB engine 110 457 with a strange overall grey livery, heading an AEG/Electrolux exhibition train which is currently on a tour through Germany. It was scheduled to visit Frankfurt Central Station on 25 and 26 October, and that's where I took this photo of her. Is it just me or does she look kind of camouflaged?
  4. NGT6 1315
    Afternoon all!
     
     
    You might remember my having posted the following photo on 14 July...
     
     

     
    As I outlined at that time, these are two of the four 7th batch class 420 EMUs which have been transferred from Stuttgart to Frankfurt several months ago.
     
    During the first several weeks, these four units - 420 425, 428, 429 and 430 - were diagrammed only on peak hour services on the S8 line, and only found in "pure" formations. However, they have since been put onto the normal service rosters for those lines which still see class 420 services. Lines S7, S8 and S9 are almost exclusively class 420 territory, with a few peak hour services on the S1 and S2 lines also being worked by 420s every now and then.
     
    This past Saturday I finally got around to actually riding a pair of these after I was given a hint that they might be found on the S7 line that day. So, I rode a complete turn down to Riedstadt-Goddelau and back to Frankfurt Central Station, and took a few detail shots...
     
     
     

     
    There still are a few traces hinting to where these four units were originally used, such as this advertisement for the DB Regio Baden-Württemberg customer service help desk.
     
     
     

     
    The interior is different from that on the 1st to 6th batch 420s in several details. The baggage racks over the seats are different, consisting of a sturdy wire mesh rather than metal bars, and the grab rails around the doors and in the seating bays have a different outline. Likewise, the ceiling includes butterscotch panels over the doors, and the lighting is more pleasant, in my impression. The four 7th batch units which are now part of the Frankfurt fleet actually belong to a small sub-series, informally called "Batch 7a", which were specially furnished for airport services and have additional fold-down seating bays towards the inner ends of the coaches to accommodate a larger amount of baggage.
     
     
     

     
    The doors, of course, are among the most visible differences. While sliding pocket doors were installed on the first six batches, plug doors were used on the 7th and 8th batch sets. They are pneumatically powered - like the earlier sliding doors - and give off a satisfying double WHAM when closing .
     
     
     

     
    There is a window in the inner cab door, which also has a roller blind fitted in case the driver should not feel like anybody gawking over his shoulder. I'm not sure what the story might be with this specific door - it looks like the window was kind of relocated from one end of it to the other .
     
     
     

     
    A closer look at the door portal, with the emergency door release handle on top and the shutter button below. That's another advantage on the 7th and 8th batch 420s - you can easily close the doors in cold weather by pushing and holding the button till the door is fully closed (it reopens when you release the button before), which was more difficult and required more muscle on the previous six batches.
     
     
     

     
    And a look at the inscriptions around the cab on the other end car of 420 425 . As you can see, the set had its last revision completed on 16 July this year. The end cars have 2nd class seating only ("B"), 63 seats, are 23.3 metres long, weigh in at 52 tonnes and have a braking weight of 68 tonnes. The braking gear is a normal unified Knorr type ("KE", Knorr-Einheitsbremse) with setting "R" only, automatic load adjustment ("A") and electrodynamic brake ("E"). The brakes are based around cheek disks on all wheels (the "D" meaning "disk brakes") and the units are fitted with emergency brake overrides (the "handle" icon) and ECP controls.
     
    The other unit in this formation was 420 429.
  5. NGT6 1315
    ...taken around noon at Frankfurt Central Station:
     
     
     

     
    Diesel shunter 363 219 is pulling out a non-push-pull InterCity rake from track 21...
     
     
     

     
    ...which had been brought in by engine 120 156, which shunted out to the stabling area a few moments after the coaches had been removed.
  6. NGT6 1315
    Afternoon all!
     
    Well, I did head out for one last photo tour for this vacation - tomorrow will see us back home then. The weather did look a bit dubious, but stayed dry until I had concluded the important part of my excursion . As I had remembered one, shall we say, special operational situation which exists in the town of Markkleeberg - just outside Leipzig to the south - that was where I headed. Markkleeberg is actually served by two of Leipzig's tram lines - the 9 line going to the western part of the town and the 11 line to the eastern part. These are two of the four tram routes which actually extend beyond the city limits of Leipzig - the others being the northwestern branch of the 11 line to Schkeuditz and the northeastern branch of the 13 line to Taucha.
     
    So, I eventually boarded a car on the 9 line and rode down to the Forsthaus Raschwitz stop, just at the edge of the Leipzig fare zone, then to walk to Markkleeberg Station parallel to the tram tracks - which was about one kilometre, I guess. Markkleeberg itself already was very sleepy this afternoon, and nothing much was going on on the streets.
     
     
     

     
    Just outside the station, Rathausstraße and Friedrich-Ebert-Straße intersect, with the tram going off to the right for the last few hundred metres to its terminus at Markkleeberg. And here's where things get interesting: The Leipzig-Plagwitz - Gaschwitz Railway - which mainly serves as a bypass for the Leipzig-Hof Railway these days - actually intersects the tram tracks on this level crossing which you can see in the above photo. The railway goes left to right (as evidenced by one of the four crossing gates which you can see near the left edge) while the tram follows the road - and as you can see, the two overhead lines intersect as well. This, of course, means that the intersecting bit must be insulated at four points, so that trams do not come in contact with the 15 kV AC of the railway, which would be very bad! However, I wonder what the proper procedure would be in a case where either a tram or an electric loco get stuck just inside this section.
     
    Far as I am aware, the intersecting piece is fed with 600 V DC for the tram by default while the crossing gates are open, and de-energized when a train approaches on the railway line. Nevertheless, trams pass this section without drawing power, which of course may also have to do with how the track is laid out here. Specifically, the grooves of the tram rails raise up to the heads of the railway rails (still with me? ), meaning the tram wheels "hop" across the rail heads on their flanges, then to drop back onto the grooved rails immediately, which can be a noisy procedure.
     
     
     
     

     
    This is how the entire arrangement looks from the railway line - you can see how the railway rails are not interrupted by the tram rails when looking closely. Also note the blue rhomboid signal plate just beyond the level crossing, which is an El 2 signal telling the driver he may close the circuit breaker and reapply power again. This, of course, is preceded by an El 1 and associated El 1v signal before the crossing, which mandate the circuit breaker to be opened.
     
     
     

     
    And this is NGT8 car 1149 "Friederike Caroline Neuber" with full body advertisement for a washing agent called "Spee" on the level crossing, on its way to Mockau. Normally, the 9 line terminates at Thekla, but is currently shortened to Mockau due to permanent way work.
     
     
     

     
    Markkleeberg Station is about in the same poor shape as Connewitz and Leutzsch, I must say...
     
     
     

     
    This was VT 005 (650 537) operated by Mitteldeutsche Regiobahn working the MRB88535 service to Borna.
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
    After that I walked back to the Forsthaus Raschwitz stop and headed home, as it started to rain - of course .
     
     
    And that's it for this vacation! Hope you enjoyed my photo strips .
  7. NGT6 1315

    Glory Rails (repost)

    By NGT6 1315,

    This is a repost of my blog entry from last night as it would seem something went wrong while I posted it originally .
     
     
    ********
     
     
    I admit I drew some inspiration from a certain Bruce Springsteen song for this title . But anyway: The weather today was marked by intermittent rain, which but did not detract on bit from the fact that I came across some rather nice items on my photo tour . So, I suggest we get started!
     
     
     

     
    I first rode down to Johannisplatz on the 12 line which terminates there. The tram stop is located in the background, where you can just about make out the rear end of a Leoliner. Cars from the 12 line then branch off to the right to loop around a small park wedged in between Täubchenweg (which is the street we are looking at here), Rabensteinplatz and Dresdner Straße. The building to the immediate left is the Grassi Museum for Applied Arts and the Music Instruments Museum of Leipzig University, and the MDR office tower can again be seen in the background. In the centre, NGT8 car 1127 "Friedrich Schiller" can be seen. The car still has the old LVB livery, but is one of quite a few which now operate with what appear to be some kind of LED-based daytime running lights.
     
     
     

    Walking back to the tram stop, I then captured car 1115 "Richard Wagner" with full body advertising for the Leipzig Savings Bank working the 4 line to Stötteritz. I then rode back to Augustusplatz and was planning to ride on to Connewitz in the south of the city - but my plans were then changed by the subject of the following photo .
     
     

     
    A few years ago the LVB rebuilt one complete Tatra "Großzug" as a sightseeing train for guided city tours. This set consists of motor cars 1800 and 1700 as well as trailer 700 and is called the "Gläserner Leipziger", as a reference to the glazed panoramic roof which it was given as part of the refit. The three cars were also fitted with air conditioning and had the centre door removed, so as to create additional seating space. Also, the original diamond pantographs were replaced by single arm ones. The set remains capable of operating on normal passenger duties, however, and it was working a shift on the 11E line today. After boarding it at Augustusplatz I then rode it all the way down to the Dölitz tram depot which can be seen in the background, behind the petrol station. Here, the set is on its way back to Wahren, having taken a break at the depot in between two turns. However, I did notice how the lack of the central doors significantly slows down the passenger flow while boarding and alighting. I myself then caught the following line 11 service and dropped off at Connewitz Station, which I had been meaning to check out for a while now.
     
     
     

     
    And it turned out I had arrived just in time for this goods train headed by DB Schenker engine 185 270 which slowly passed through the station . Interestingly, this was the 185 I once got to check out at the Mannheim depot, including a test-sit in the cab .
     
     
     

     
    A few minutes later, Pressnitztalbahn engine 204 010 came along with a rake of ballast silos for permanent way work. Some of these were either very new or had recently come out of a full overhaul, by the looks of them.
     
    I also took a few illustrating shots of Connewitz Station, which I found was just as grotty as Leutzsch and Plagwitz. For this reason I treated these photos to a bit of a bleach bypass effect .
     
     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
    It is, of course, quite sad to see this kind of decay on what I can only imagine to have been a bustling station only a few decades ago. One could even imagine to hear the echoes of all those innumerable voices which these old walls were witness to over the course of the years.
     
    I then returned to Central Station for a snack.
     
     
     

     
    And not only was it good for my physical condition that I did! And here's why: After this little break I then spotted a material positioning service consisting of a variety of DB Regio coaches - ex-DR double deck, Halberstadt and Modus, all of which looked as if they were on their way to the repair works, perhaps those at Wittenberge - as well as one class 110, 120 and 143 engine each. This set had been brought to Leipzig by engine 115 278 which is seen here shunting out from track 15. The remainder of the train was pulled out a few moments earlier by a class 365 (I think) diesel shunter.
     
     
     

     
    And then there also was this class 701 OHLE inspection diesel car which eventually shunted out to one of the numerous stabling sidings around Leipzig Central Station. These units are based on the famous class 798 railbus, or "Schienenbus" in German. The two pantographs on the roof are, of course, meant for diagnostic purposes only.
     
     
     

     
    After a little round trip on the 4E line - which transforms into the 12 line at Prager-/Riebeckstraße - I returned to Augustusplatz and made two final shots before I went to get some coffee. The first shows Tatra car 5001 whch now serves as a driver training car.
     
     
     

     
    And a look across Augustusplatz, also meant to highlight the progress made on the "Paulinum" since my last stay. This building belongs to Leipzig University and is meant to recreate the outline of the old St. Paul's Church which was demolished in 1968. In the foreground, NGT8 car 1151 "Emperor Maximilian I." with DHL full body advertisement is working the 4 line to Stötteritz.
     
     
    And this concludes my photo strip for today - hope you enjoyed it!


     
     
  8. NGT6 1315
    ...might be the theme for the tour I did today . The first leg of my trip took me in the general direction of Wahren in the northwest of Leipzig.
     
     
     

     
    The suburban stations up here are located in a trough - this line being served by S1 line suburban trains and stopping services to Weißenfels. This here was RB26712, inbound from Weißenfels with a few minutes worth of delay and with 143 831 at the head.
     
     
     

    The station - well, it actually is a stop or "Haltepunkt" as it does not meet the German railway criteria for a "station" - is spanned by a bridge, traversed by Georg-Schumann-Straße as well as tram lines 10 and 11. Here, Tatra car 2172 and company are on their way to the Dölitz tram depot, which serves as the terminus for the 11E booster line - the "full" 11 line working from Schkeuditz to Markkleeberg Ost.
     
     
     

     
    Tram line 10 terminates at Wahren along with the 11E line. In the foreground, NGT8 car 1117 "Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz" with full body advertisement for Leipzig's Central Stadium is waiting to begin its next round to Lößnig, while a Tatra set on the 11E line can be seen further in the background.
     
     
     

     
    The suburban station Wahren is a few walking minutes away from the tram. Here, suburban service S 6137 is coming in on the S10 line from Halle, headed by engine 143 011. I then caught this same train to head back to the city.
     
     
     

     
    After obtaining a snack I now headed to the borough of Paunsdorf, roughly northeast by east of the city centre, which is mostly a working class neighbourhood with numerous "Plattenbauten", as they're called in German. One of these blocks can be seen behind this Leoliner set on the 7 line to Sommerfeld, headed by car 1324 "Mockau".
     
     
     

     
    This tram is 1337! Yes, it really is, though you may not be able to see the frontside number very well - I had to take the shot earlier than I wanted because of the car to the left . Car 1337 is one of at least four which have been fitted with multicoloured destination displays, which you may be able to spot when looking closely - the "7" being surrounded by a blue background to match the line colour.
     
     
     

     
    After that I travelled to the south of the city centre, first snapping NGT8 car 1145 "Martin Luther" with full body advertisement for the state lottery, working the 2 line to Naunhofer Straße and coming down Grünewaldstraße...
     
     
     

     
    ...followed by NGT12 car 1216 "Kiev" on the 16 line to Lößnig. You may recognize the yellow building in the background from my earlier trip report - it once was the home of the People-Owned Furniture Combine of the GDR.
     
    And that's it for today .
  10. NGT6 1315
    Morning all!
     
    Having just learned that at least one class 423 suburban EMU from Munich has been temporarily hired to Frankfurt I was just thinking how I would be looking forward to riding on that one. And here's why:
     

    from the cab of a 1st batch 423 with original GTO inverters whose squeal is quite unique . 
    However, the 423s sound quite differently from the 2nd batch onwards:
     
    Am I weird?
  11. NGT6 1315

    Lady in Black...

    By NGT6 1315,

    This evening at Frankfurt Central:
     
     

     
    MRCE Dispolok engine ES 64 U2-001/182 501 getting under way with IC 2297 to Stuttgart Central. There currently are six MRCE ES 64 U2s under lease by the DB in order to augment their long distance motive power fleet, in light of the ongoing issue with the ICE-T and ICE 3 types being subject to significantly shortened maintenance cycles. The engines in question are ES 64 U2-001, 026, 030, 036, 061 and 072.
     
    Yes, I do think this here certainly was not the perfect photo spot. However, I had little choice - in fact, I first rode down the line to Darmstadt to check out a couple of locations, which but were not really suitable either, owing to OHLE masts and stuff being in the way. Oh well!
  12. NGT6 1315
    While running some errands earlier today I had a brief stopover in order to try and capture something only recently introduced on the rails around Frankfurt ...
     
     

     
    Suburban EMU 420 429 working the S8 peak hour service 8819 from Kelsterbach to Frankfurt Central Station together with 420 430 and calling at Niederrad.
     
    Well - these trains are not really "new" in a technical sense - the class having been built from 1969 till 1997. However, they are a novelty in that they belong to the 7th batch which has never been permanently allocated to the Frankfurt depot before. The 7th and 8th batch units have a number of differences compared to the previous six batches - such as plug doors instead of sliding doors, redesigned interior, double number of brake disks, spring-loaded parking brakes and a Railvox passenger information system. In recent years the 7th and 8th batch sets were refitted with LED matrix destination indicators in place of the original rollsigns, which can be seen here. Also, two 7th batch units - 420 400 and 416 - were rebuilt to what was designated the "420 Plus", including an even more extensive passenger information suite as well as air conditioning units and a newly redesigned interior. These demonstrators were subsequently tested in everyday traffic and proposed as an alternative to procuring new EMUs for the next tender for the Stuttgart suburban network. However, the 420 Plus project was not pursued any further when the Stuttgart Transport Association (Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund Stuttgart, VVS) did demand newly built units. The remaining 7th and 8th batch units will remain in service on the Stuttgart network until 2013.
     
    In any case - four 7th batch units from Stuttgart (420 425, 428, 429 and 430) were reallocated to the Frankfurt depot in the second half of 2009, but required a rather extensive overhaul before they could be put back into traffic. That overhaul appears to have been completed only a few weeks ago, allowing the "new" 420s to finally enter service. They are mainly used for peak hour services as well as late evening and Sunday morning short workings on lines S8 and S9.
  13. NGT6 1315

    A Trip Around The Block

    By NGT6 1315,

    Well, today I decided to take a day off my learning and depressurize - and what better things can there be for people of our mind than roaming the rails?
     
    In addition, my girlfriend went on a short trip to her family in Leipzig today (missing her already, even though she'll return on Friday - any of you know the feeling? ), and before her train came in I first snapped an unexpected TGV POS set coming in from Paris Est...
     
     

     
    TGV POS set 4403 - the German class number for these being 475 - arriving as TGV service 9553. The EMU to the left is a class 425, while a ICE 3 set is waiting further in the background.
     
     

     
    And this was 425 015, working the RE 25014 service to Treysa. Interestingly, the regional services to Treysa and Dillenburg run to Gie??en as one train, there to be split and continue to their respective destinations. In this case, the last of the three 425s forming the train carried the service number 25114, with destination Dillenburg.
     
     

     
    I then proceeded into the city, intending to snap one of the VGF's new U5 type LRVs. This here, however, is a U4 type which I captured while I was waiting at Heddernheim for a U5 set to show up. More specifically, it is car 515, working a line U3 service to Oberursel Hohemark. The LRV depot for the lines U1, U2 and U3 is just beyond the station - behind me, actually. The U4 type was procured between 1994 and 1998, and 39 units were built by a consortium of DUEWAG and Siemens. They have a very eerie sound, I should add!
     
     
     

     
    Some of you may have seen these before - this is the U2 type, the oldest one working the U1, U2 and U3 lines, and now being replaced by the U5 type. Seen here is car 354, working the U1 line to Ginnheim.
     
     
     

     
    And then a triple unit of U5 cars showed up . This here is car 616 at the head of a U2 service to Bad Homburg-Gonzenheim. The U5 type belongs to Bombardier's Flexity Swift line and will be procured both in double ended and single ended units - the latter, whose delivery will begin in 2011, being intended to be coupled back to back, with a shrouded passageway between both units. Interestingly, the U5 type will be compatible with the U4 type in order to work in mixed formations. No such formations have yet been seen in traffic, however.
     
     

     
    Having returned to Frankfurt Southern Station I then snapped 411 065 "Bad Oeynhausen" working the ICE 1548 service from Dresden to Frankfurt Airport...
     

     
    ...and 111 214, sandwiching the RE 4544 service from W??rzburg Central Station to Frankfurt Airport Regional Station together with another 111 at the rear of the train. The RE services on the W??rzburg line are hauled either by a pair of 111s in a front-and-back lashup or one 146. By the way, Frankfurt Airport has two railway stations. The original, older station from 1972 is now known as "Regionalbahnhof" or Regional Station, while the newer station, opened in 1999 and normally used only by ICE and IC services is - unsurprisingly - known as "Fernbahnhof". There are only two long distance services still using Regional Station, namely ICE services 608 and 609.
     
    In order to maximize the distance between the pantographs, the leading 111 must raise its forward pan. The carriages are so-called "Modus" types. These were rebuilds from old Halberstadt coaches. The frames and bogies from these were retained, but had an entirely new body furnished.
     
     
    Well, this was it - hope you enjoyed the photos .
     
     
     
  15. NGT6 1315

    Trains in spring

    By NGT6 1315,

    On my way back from the doctor I shot two quick photos just outside Bad Soden Station ...
     
     

     
    ...first of HLB (Hessische Landesbahn) DMU VT 205 or 648 405 working the 83562 service to Frankfurt-Höchst - travel time on this line is just 9 minutes. The 648 is an Alstom LINT 41 type unit.
     
     
     

     
    The S3 line has been equipped with class 423 EMUs this past weekend - meaning that the older 420s will largely be restricted to the S7, S8 and S9 lines until the current franchise for the suburban network ends. This here is 423 443, working the 6335 service to Darmstadt Central Station.
  16. NGT6 1315

    More GIMPin'...

    By NGT6 1315,

    ...based on a photo of a HLB VT2 type DMU working the short railway line between Bad Soden and Frankfurt-Höchst:
     
     

     
    Again with a bleach bypass effect added to it.
  18. NGT6 1315
    DBS shunter 294 634 (or more properly, 98 80 3294 634-1 D-DB) certainly was when I spotted her yesterday around 1 o'clock at Griesheim Station in Frankfurt:
     
     

     
     
    The operator was just climbing from the cab and then onto the flatcar, in order to shunt the entire setup into a siding further in the background using his radio remote control. Note the signal in the background showing a Sh 1 aspect (the two white lights) which is a proceed aspect for shunting movements - these being treated differently from train movements under German signalling practices.
  19. NGT6 1315

    Winding down...

    By NGT6 1315,

    Well - suitcases are mostly packed, and at noon today we'll be boarding our train back home. This holiday did pass quicker than I would have liked...
     
    But anyway - a last small trip around the city was on the agenda yesterday .
     
     
     

     
     
    I first headed up to the Trade Fair Centre Railway Station, but found it to be only moderately suitable for photography due to the placement of signals and OHLE masts as well as soundproof walls. The only locations where you can reasonably take any photos are the cityside platform ends, which is where I was standing here. The train in this image is a Stadler Regio-Shuttle type DMU owned by private TOC Mitteldeutsche Regiobahn, carrying the vehicle number VT 013 and working the MRB87486 service to Delitzsch unterer Bahnhof - "unterer" being written out in all CAPITAL LETTERS on the destination board . The silver livery does fit the winter landscape quite well, I would think!
     
     
     

     
    Heading back to the city, I briefly dropped off at Georg-Herwegh-Strasse on the outskirts of the borough of Wiederitzsch and captured NGT12 set 1209 "Hamburg" on its way to the Trade Fair Centre.
     
     
     

     
    And finally I headed over to Thekla in the northeast of the city where there is a reversing loop for the tram. This place is usually served by tram line 9 only, but urgent bridge repair works recently led to the temporary shortening of some bus lines, which the LVB chose to compensate by extending the 1 line beyond its normal terminus at Mockau Post. Thus, Tatra car 2124 could be seen here heading a "Großzug" on the 1 line and waiting at the end of the loop at Thekla.
     
    I believe the next time we'll visit Leipzig I will try and find out some additional photo spots around the railway, which I feel I have neglected a bit so far.
     
    Well, that's that, then - I hope you all enjoyed my updates from Leipzig over the past two weeks!
  20. NGT6 1315
    ...Simon and Garfunkel's song does come to mind when I look out the window these days!
     
    Anyway - three additional photos from today is what I've to offer now . Today I contented myself with a short trip down to Knautkleeberg at the southern end of tram lines 3 and 13, and adjacent to Knauthain Station which is served by regional railway services to Saalfeld.
     
     
     

     
    The Leipzig-Gera-Saalfeld Railway is not electrified and operated with class 642 "Desiro" DMUs. Here, RE 16546 with 642 061 in the lead is calling at Knauthain on its way to Leipzig Central Station.
     
     
     

     
    There used to be a wye at the Knautkleeberg tram stop, which but has been removed since my first visit here around Easter 2009, and replaced by a double-tracked reversing loop. The new station area is still under construction, as evidenced by the barriers and other unfinished stuff around the loop. The tram here is car 1117 "Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz" with full body advertisement for Leipzig's Central Stadium. On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, lines 3 and 13 are connected, changing from one line to the other upon arriving at Knautkleeberg.
     
     
     

     
    Finally and approximately half an hour later I then captured 642 012 which was just departing Knauthain for Saalfeld as RB 16379.
  21. NGT6 1315
    Is it not odd somehow that with the jump of just one second to the next a year filled with events comes to an end? I hope you all had a good New Year's night, of course!
     
    Anyway - around noon today I thought it would be good to head out for an hour or two, and so I packed my camera again. Weather was mostly overcast and a few snowflakes twirled to the ground every now and then, so I limited myself to capturing stationary trams, as the lighting was too adverse for photographing moving objects. I soon found that the duty rosters appeared to be back to normal - line 12 was served by NGT8 cars again, and line 16 with NGT12 ones. Earlier today I was thinking of another possible explanation for the change between Christmas and New Year: Apparently there have been repeated riots in the southern borough of Connewitz during this period for the past few years, which led the LVB to deactivate and secure all outdoor ticket machines over New Year. I could well imagine they would not want to risk their newest trams on any of those lines crossing or at least touching Connewitz, and thus decided to reshuffle their duty rosters accordingly. However, according to the news this morning all remained quiet down there last night.
     
     

     
    I first walked up Virchowstraße, a few minutes from our place. At the Gottschallstraße stop (that street intersecting Virchowstraße about fifty or so metres behind this spot) I captured NGT8 set 1149 "Friederike Caroline Neuber" on line 12 to Technisches Rathaus - suitably advertising for a washing agent, considering the dirt and slush evident on the ground in this image and the fact that many a stomach might have been emptied the wrong way on New Year's Eve!
     
    After that I caught the next tram heading the other way to Gohlis-Nord and returned on it to the city, riding right down to Technisches Rathaus. There, the car I was riding on switched to the 4E line and headed back to Central Station.
     
     
     

     
    This here was the Gutenbergplatz stop, just southeast of the city centre on Prager Straße. The brick building in the background is called "Haus des Buches", and the tram is car 1222 "Bologna" on its way to Miltitz on line 15.
    As it was cold and I had not had any lunch, I then returned to Augustusplatz on the next line 12 service to come along, and got myself some food. Luckily there are more than enough eating places in Leipzig for all tastes!
     
    As an additional note: As I was waiting at Central Station for my tram back home I noticed how NGT8 car 1120, working the 3 line at that moment, had apparently been fitted with a new frontside destination indicator where the line number was surrounded by a green square. I figured that this might well have to do with the fact that Leipzig's tram lines are colour-coded on network plans and stop signs, according to which major transfer points they call at. Lines 1, 3 and 13 are green and call at Central Station and Goerdelerring; lines 10, 11 and 16 are red and call at Central Station and Augustusplatz; lines 2, 8 and 9 are yellow and call at Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz; lines 4, 7, 12 and 15 are dark blue and call at Goerdelerring, Central Station and Augustusplatz. Line 14, finally, is light blue and calls only at Goerdelerring.
     
     
     

     
    I was initially planning to ride up the 4 line to Landsberger Straße afterwards, but as the light was fading I called it a day and headed home - tomorrow'll be another day after all. At Eutritzscher Zentrum, more or less halfway up Delitzscher Straße, I rounded off my trip by capturing NGT12 set 1211 "Munich" which was on its way to Lößnig on line 16.
     
     
    Edit: Of course this entry is meant to be dated 1 January 2010 rather than 2004!
  23. NGT6 1315

    Rainy day in Leipzig

    By NGT6 1315,

    Well - here's a couple of photos I took yesterday . As I mentioned, it was rainy around noon and in the early afternoon, and only around dusk did the sky clear up. The night was quite cold - cars were frozen over when we returned home after meeting some friends in the evening, and still are as I am writing this.
     
     

     
    This location is Johannisplatz, where some line 12 services terminate. There is a reversing loop a few hundred metres down the street. However, this here is a line 7 service heading for Böhlitz-Ehrenberg, with Leoliner 1304 "Stahmeln" at the head.
     
     
     

     
    After that I rode down the southeastern portion of the 4 line to Stötteritz, Holzhäuser Straße, and was lucky to catch a service operated with a Tatra T4D motor car and B4D trailer. Car 2141 was waiting at the departure position in the reversing loop as I took this photo.
     
     

     
    Having returned to Augustusplatz, I then captured NGT8 car 1142 "Ulrich von Hutten" on what I think was another line 4 service. It carries a new full body advertisement for a historic exhibition. A few minutes later, Murphy's law struck in that a work train consisting of two unrefurbished T4D cars and two material wagons came along from Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz (that is, the same way the Tatra seen in the background was heading), but a line 11 service heading the other way prevented me from taking a usable photo .
     
     
     

     
    Most line 2 services from Lausen terminate at Naunhofer Straße, where a reversing loop is laid right through a park. This here is Leoliner 1325 "Wahren" taking a break before heading back to Lausen.
     
     
     

     
    The Old Trade Fair Centre is located a few hundred metres from Naunhofer Straße and has since been converted into a business park of sorts. The entrance is still marked by a distinctive double-M arch which I chose as the background for this effect shot.
     
     
     

     
    And finally I took this shot of NGT12 car 1209 "Hamburg" working the 15 line to Meusdorf.
     
     
    For some reason or other, the duty rosters for many tram lines were in disarray that day - line 16 was apparently served with NGT8 cars and even one Tatra double unit , line 12 with single Leoliners and line 7 with a combination of the usual Leoliners and NGT12 sets. Will have to see how things look today.
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