Germany 23/08 to 27/08 1991 "There's 218's on the overnight from Kassel - apparently!"

This trip started with myself (Poodle) & John "Zuzzy Hell" Sandham, although we went our separate ways from the 26th. A different start to the trip (my fifth European bash of 1991) - a flight instead of the usual cross-channel ferry! No doubted saving a days leave in the process. (New locos again denoted by #).

Friday 23/08/1991

G-BIKV    Heathrow - Dusseldorf Flughafen  1900 Heathrow - Dusseldorf
111 183#   Dusseldorf Flughafen - Duisburg   2118 Dusseldorf - Dortmund 20km
141 248#   Duisburg - Oberhausen                  2025 Monchengladbach - Dortmund 8km
111 092#   Oberhausen - Duisburg -                2103 Rheine - Koln 8km
103 186#   Duisburg - Koln Hbf                      1838 Hamburg Altona - Koblenz 64km

Saturday 24/08/1991

103 245     Koln Hbf  - Hamburg Harburg        2335 Koln - Kiel 450km 
A bit different today as we covered some new track for electric traction , namely the Bremen Vegesack , Nordenham branch & Nordeich Mole as well as new track for diesel to Esens, Leer & the Emden Aussenhafen branch.  
103 177#   Hamburg Harburg - Bremen Hbf     0438 Hamburg A. - Berchesgarten 103km
141 208#   Bremen Hbf - Bremen Vegesack      0601 Bremen - Bremen Vegesack 17km
141 208     Bremen Vegesack - Bremen             0630 Bremen V. - Bremen 17km
110 250#   Bremen - Oldenburg                         0430 Braunschweig - Wilhelmshaven 45km
216 150     Oldenburg - Sande                            0430 Braunschweig - Wilhelmshaven 45km
216 061     Sande - Esens                                    0900 Wilhelmshaven - Esens 33km
216 065 at Esens
216 065#   Esens - Sande                                    1018 Esens - Wilhelmshaven 33km
216 150     Sande - Oldenburg                            1100 Wilhelmshaven - Braunschweig 45km
110 420     Oldenburg - Hude                             1100 Wilhelmshaven - Braunschweig 17km
141 071#   Hude - Nordenham                           1143 Bremen - Nordenham 44km
141 071 at Nordenham
141 071     Nordenham - Hude                           1314 Nordenham - Bremen 44km
120 115#   Hude - Oldenburg                             1354 Bremen - Wilhelmshaven 17km
216 058     Oldenburg - Leer                              1130 Braunschweig - Nordeich Mole 55km
140 453#   Leer - Emden Hbf                            1130 Braunschweig - Nordeich Mole 26km
332 088#   Emden Hbf - Emden Aussenhafen  1636 Emden - E.Aussenhafen 2km
Shunting taking place alongside the station at Emden Aussenhafen, this shunter had worked our passenger train from Emden Hbf. After completion of the shunting it took us back to Emden.
332 088     E.Aussenhafen - Emden Hbf           1700 E.Aussenhafen - Emden 2km
141 298#   Emden - Nordeich Mole                  1502 Munster - Nordeich Mole 35km
141 298 at Nordeich Mole off the 1502 from Munster
110 238#   Nordeich Mole - Munster                1826 Nordeich Mole - Munster 215km
114 492#   Munster - Essen Hbf                        2110 Munster - Essen Hbf         83km
110 437#   Essen Hbf - Duisburg Hbf               2155 Dortmund - Basel SFF      19km
332 295#   Shunt D205 onto D203
110 409#   Duisburg Hbf - Dortmund Hbf        2300 Dusseldorf - Zwickau        53km
Daily Total = 1400km

Sunday 25/08/1991

The main objective of the trip was to sample the famed Harz mountains narrowgauge steam while it was still running public timetabled steam services. Whilst not a fan of steam previously Rubble had informed me the Zwickau overnight was getting pairs of 218's out of Kassel so was "safe" for me as I do not like "Red Sheds" (class 232 (formerly 132) Russian built devices) & we could do this to Nordhausen for the Steam on the Harz network.
103 130#  Dortmund - Kassel Hbf                    2300 Dusseldorf - Zwickau
132 398#  Kassel Hbf - Nordhausen                 2300 Dusseldorf - Zwickau
We had got a Compo in an empty coach directly behing the 103 then reversed in Kassel Hbf - I awoke after leaving Kassel & could hear screaming from the other end of the train - not from a person but from the 132 which had bowled us out! Cheers Mr Wormald......
114 789#  Nordhausen - Niedersachswerfen     0502 Nordhausen - Ellrich
I walked accross the unlit streets of the village to the narrow gauge station, you could hear the steam loco whistling as it crossed unmarked roads on it's journey down the valley - I instantly realised that this route & these steam locos were something special.
99 7239#  Niedersachswerfen Ost - Nordhausen Nord 0529 Ilfeld - Nordhausen Nord
It was like discovering another world, real working steam. John had decided (in his wisdom) not to do the above move but rather meet me for the 0640 departure as there had been a pair of 132's at Nordhausen so he thought he would do these instead. The first one had failed on departure & the 2nd staggered to the first shack where he was lucky to make his train back. "I told you they are Crap" was my answer to all that!
99 7239    Nordhausen Nord - Sorge                 0640 Nordhausen N - Wernigerode
99 7239 departs Sorge on the 0640 Nordhausen Nord - Wernigrode
99 7232 arrives at Sorge on the 0730 Wernigerode - Nordhausen Nord
99 7232#  Sorge - Eisfelder Talmuhle               0730 Wernigerode - Nordhausen Nord
99 7232 at Eisfelder Talmuhle prior to working the 0949 to Gernrode (still a timetabled DR service)
99 7232    Eisfelder Talmuhle - Alexisbad        0949 E.Talmuhle - Gernrode
99 7232 races out of Eisfelder Talmuhle (right) on the 0949 Eisfelder Talmuhle to Gernrode alongside the Wernigerode service. There were 10 minutes between departure times but after watering etc the crews always liked racing each other up the hill !
99 7243#  Alexisbad - Harzgerode                   1138 Alexisbad - Harzgerode
99 7243 at Harzgerode on the 1220 to Gernrode
99 7243    Harzgerode - Gernrode                    1220 Harzgerode - Gernrode
99 7243 at Gernrode on the 1345 to Hasselfelde
99 7243    Gernrode - Hasselfelde                    1345 Gernrode - Hasselfelde
99 7243    Hasselfelde - Eisfelder Talmuhle     1614 Hasselfelde - E.Talmuhle
99 7231#  E.Talmuhle - Niedersachswerfen Ost 1451 Wernigerode - Nordhausen N
99 7238#  Niedersachswerfen Ost - Ilfeld        1728 Nordhausen N - Ilfeld
99 7238    Ilfeld - Nordhausen Nord                 1810 Ilfeld - Nordhausen Nord
A very pleasant way to spend a Sunday
216 171#  Nordhausen - Northeim                   1855 Nordhausen - Northeim
110 135#  Northeim - Hannover                       2011 Gottingen - Hamburg Altona
103 181#  Hannover - Hamburg Hbf                2016 Fulda - Hamburg Altona                                            Daily Total = 915km

Monday 26/08/91

A day attempting to do new track for diesel Gelnhausen - Geissen / Laasphe - Marburg & Beienheim - Hungen.
110 328#  Hamburg Hbf - Fulda                       2249 Kiel - Innsbruck 467km
120 141#  Fulda - Gelnhaussen                         0516 Fulda - Frankfurt Hbf 60km
216 196    Gelnhausen - Budingen                    0601 Gelnhausen - Geissen 15km
212 023#  Budingen - Gelnhaussen                   0548 Nidda - Gelnhausen 15km
212 023    Gelnhaussen - Geissen                      0643 Gelnhausen - Geissen 70km
Sprinter    Geissen - Wetzlar                              0815 Geissen - Limburg 13km
140 607#  Wetzlar - Geissen                              0802 Dillenburg - Geissen 13km
141 259#  Geissen - Butzbach                           0905 Geissen - Butzbach 18km
216 213#  Butzbach - Geissen                           0919 Friedberg - Geissen 18km
216 212#  Geissen - G.Lichter Strasse              1019 Geissen - Fulda 3km
216 193#  G.Lichter Strasse - Geissen              0845 Fulda - Geissen 3km
110 338#  Geissen - Marburg                            0549 Konstanz - Kassel 30km
798 658    Marburg - Laasphe                           1153 Marburg - Erndtebruck 41km
212 157#  Laasphe - Marburg                           1255 Laasphe - Marburg 41km
110 351#  Marburg - Treysa                              1121 Frankfurt - Kassel 42km
110 389#  Treysa - Frankfurt                             1228 Kassel - Frankfurt 138km
216 216#  Frankfurt - Bad Vilbel                      1707 Frankfurt - Stockheim 16km
216 216 at Bad Vilbel on the 1707 Frankfurt - Stockheim
420 252    Bad Vilbel - Friedberg                      F.Stresemannallee - Friedberg 18km
212 373 at Freidberg
212 023 (212 373 on 2nd portion) Friedberg - Beienheim 1825 Friedberg - Nidda/Hungen 6km
212 373#  Beienheim - Hungen                        1825 Freidberg - Hungen 7km
The only way out was by bus, I had researched the move & it all panned out.
Bus           Hungen - Friedberg                          2002 Hungen - Friedberg
110 338    Friedberg - Frankfurt Hbf                                                          34km
141 066#  Frankfurt Hbf - Dusseldorf Flughafen 2349 Frankfurt - Dusseldorf F. 273km
Daily Total = 1323km

Tuesday 27/08/91

The line from Gravenweisbach (via Freidrichsdorf) to Frankfurt had gone to a private operator but their new units weren't ready yet - a through Commuter train in the morning meant you could do all the track but it was hard to get to. A not recommended overnight with Top & Tail 141's to Dusseldorf Flughafen & back with little or no sleep was my only option. Not a branch that many people managed to do, as not loco hauled for very long.
141 214#  Dusseldorf Flughafen - Frankfurt Hbf  xxxx Dusseldorf F - Frankfurt 273km
420 240   Frankfurt (Tief) - Freidrichsdorf                                                      24km
212 366# Freidrichsdorf - Frankfurt Hbf       xxxx Gravenweisbach - Frankfurt Hbf 24km
141 401# Frankfurt Hbf - Niedernhausen      0737 Frankfurt Hbf - Limburg 32km
141 184# Niedernhausen - Frankfurt Hbf                                                        32km
420 736   Frankfurt (Tief) - Freidrichsdorf                                                      24km
211 201   Freidrichsdorf - Gravenweisbach     0940 Freidrichsdorf - Gravenweisbach 29km
211 201 at Gravenweisbach off the 0940 from Freidrichsdorf.
Obviously no Health & Safety fears here as 211 201 waits to work the next service from  Gravenweisbach
211 201   Gravenweisbach - Freidrichsdorf    1057 Gravenweisbach - Freidrichsdorf 29km
211 066 stabled at Freidrichsdorf (with 211 201 in the platform) 
110 109# Friedberg - Frankfurt Hbf                                                                 34km
218 378   Frankfurt Hbf - Mainz                     1302 Frankfurt - Saarbrucken  38km
120 105# Mainz - Koblenz                                                                               91km
103 223# Koblenz - Remagen                                                                          39km
212 232# Remagen - Ahrweiler                      1522 Remagen - Kreuzberg     12km
212 253   Ahrweiler - Remagen                      xxxx Kreuzberg - Remagen     12km
111 098# Remagen - Dusseldorf Hbf              xxxx Heildelberg - Rheine       94km
111 135# Dusseldorf - Dusseldorf Flughafen                                                   10km
G-BNWB Dusseldorf Flughafen - Heathrow  1850 Dusseldorf - Heathrow
Daily Total = 799km

Total KM = 4537km                          Daily Average = 907km

Total Moves = 82                               Average per Move = 55km

Another successful trip, doing hard to get branch lines with little 211's or 212's was fast becoming my favourite. The visit to the Harz for the Steam locos was an eye-opener - I was hooked from the moment we did the parallel departure from Eisfelder Talmuhle & raced each other up the hill!

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