Germany & Austria 27/01 to 03/02 2001 "Up and Down the White Valley"

Time to go to the Fatherland once more in search of new track for Rabbits and the like, (cheap GO flight to Munich Flughafen  helping no end) with a couple of days in Austria thrown in for good measure. Single manned trip / # denotes new loco

Saturday 27/01/01

91025   Doncaster - Peterborough 10xx Leeds – Kings Cross                                              

158xxx Peterborough – Stansted Airport 

G-1GOC  Stansted Airport – Munchen Flughafen1745 Stansted – Munchen Flughafen                       

S-bahn Munchen Flugh’n – Donnersbergerbruck  

218 340 Donnersbergerbruck – Munchen 2004 Bayrichzell – Munchen  81482  2km                      

101 016# Munchen  – Nurnberg 2310 Munchen – Dresden   D1904  199km                       

I went out to Donnersbergerbruck to check out if the Bayrichzell / Lenggries service was still Rabbits, I hoped to get gripped to check the validity of FIP boxes for my move at the end of the week. Still hauled, but gripper elsewhere. A meal & a few beers probably in the Augustiner-Keller as handy for the Bahnhof.

Sunday 28/01/01

103 144  Nurnberg – Halle 2310 Munchen – Dresden  D1904 303km

143 155# Halle – Kothen 0540 Halle – Magdeburg RB36504 36km

218 103   Kothen – Gusten 0600 Dessau – Aschersleben RB36902 32km

218 101   Gusten – Magdeburg Rothensee 0612 Sangerhausen – Handensleben RE36080 51km

218 114   Magdeburg Rothensee – Magdeburg 0644 Oebisfelde – Sangerhausen RB36405 7km

218 242   Magdeburg – Quedlinburg 1044 Magedburg – Thale RB36340 77km

218 242 stands at Halberstadt on the 1044 Magdeburg to Thale

219 051# Quedlinburg – Halberstadt 1218 Thale – Magdeburg RE36011 18km

218 118   Halberstadt – Blankenburg 1305 Halberstadt – Blankenburg RB37578 19km

218 118 about to tackle the stiff uphill run to Elbingerode in the Harz mountains.

218 118   Blankenburg – Elbingerode 1342 Blankenburg – Elbingerode RB37662 19km

218 118 at Elbingerode

218 118   Elbingerode – Blankenburg 1432 Elbingerode – Blankenburg RB37665 19km

218 453# Blankenburg – Michaelstein 1542 Blankenburg – Elbingerode RB37664 6km

218 447 & 218 453 at Michaelstein

218 447   Michaelstein – Blankenburg 1532 Elbingerode – Blankenburg RB37669 6km

218 447   Blankenburg – Halberstadt 1631 Blankenburg – Halberstadt  RB37585 19km

Just time to visit Halberstadt brewpub, handily it's right next door to the station.

Plastic    Halberstadt – Wernigerode 1559 Halle – Hannover RE3612 23km

218 113   Wernigerode – Berlin Ost 1806 Wernigerode – Berlin Ost RB38994 230km

120 103   Berlin Ost – Furth (Bay) 2156 Berlin Lichtenberg – Munchen Ost NZ1901 469km

A solid day for new Diesel hauled track first Kothen - Magdeburg followed by Halberstadt to Elbingerode & then the highlight the long run Wernigerode - Berlin in the evening (all new track for Diesel hauled). I had no diagrams just went on gen from the past and the recent info on the Elbingerode’s and the Wernigerode – Berlin. The Elbingerode’s were all load 2 push pull (loco on rear from Blankenburg, hauling from  Michaelstein to Elbingerode). The locals at Blankenburg kept asking the traincrew where the train forward was as they haven’t got used to having a through service yet! 

I bailed off NZ1901 at Furth where we had a fortuitous signal check – much to the bafflement of the gripper. 

Monday 29/01/01

143 887# Furth (Bay) – Neustadt 0447 Nurnberg – Wurzburg RB20302 33km

218 407   Neustadt – Steinach 0538 Neustadt – Steinach RB70054 30km

218 203   Steinach – Rothenburg 0634 Steinach – Rothenburg RB70105 12km

218 203   Rothenburg – Steinach 0654 Rothenburg – Steinach RB70106 12km

218 246# Steinach – Neustadt      0730 Steinach – Neustadt RB70057 30km

111 188   Neustadt – Nurnberg  0742 Wurzburg – Nurnberg RE20307 41km

218 372   Nurnberg – Bayreuth 0944 Nurnberg – Bayreuth  RE3009 94km

218 271 at Bayreuth on the 1105 Bayreuth - Nurnberg

218 271# Bayreuth – Pegnitz  1105 Bayreuth – Nurnberg  RE3012 27km

218 276   Pegnitz – Bayreuth  1044 Nurnberg – Bayreuth RE3011 27km

218 276   Bayreuth – Creussen  1305 Bayreuth – Nurnberg  RE3016 13km

218 413# Creussen – Pegnitz  1326 Bayreuth – Pegnitz  RB70604 14km

218 310)  Pegnitz – Nurnberg 1405 Bayreuth – Nurnberg RE3018 67km

218 271 on rear)

213 332#) Nurnberg Nordost – Eschenau  1553 Nurnberg Nordost – Eschenau RB70829 19km

213 338)

213 338)   Eschenau – Heroldsberg  1620 Eschenau – Nurnberg Nordost RB70828 9km

213 332)

211 023#) Heroldsberg – Nurnberg Nordost 1632 Grafenberg – Nurnberg Nordost RB70830 10km

212 380#)

212 380)    Nurnberg Nordost – Heroldsberg 1723 Nurnberg Nordost - Grafenberg RB70835 10km

211 023)

213 333)    Heroldsberg – Nurnberg Nordost 1732 Grafenberg – Nurnberg Nordost RB70834 10km

213 336#)  Last required 213!

103 221     Nurnberg – Ansbach 1844 Nurnberg – Stuttgart IR2460 44km

143 623#   Ansbach – Wicklesgreuth 2024 Augsburg – Nurnberg SE20131 11km

212 071#   Wicklesgreuth – Windsbach 2038 Wicklesgreuth – Windsbach RB70181 12km

212 071     Windsbach – Ansbach 2112 Windsbach – Ansbach RB70182 23km

143 286#   Ansbach – Treuchtlingen 1856 Aschaffenburg – Treuchtlingen RB20033 51km

111 067#   Treuchtlingen – Augsburg 2147 Nurnberg – Augsburg RE21127 75km

101 057#   Augsburg – Nurnberg  2310 Munchen – Dresden D1904 137km

Excellent day, I couldn’t remember ever doing Steinach to Rothenburg so I covered it, very nice to fall onto a required Rabbit when I got back to Steinach. A day on the Bayreuth’s followed, also excellent, as was lunch in Bayreuth. I did see an ICE-T on a test run at Pegnitz – not excellent.

I couldn’t believe my luck on the Nordost's, it had turned into a diesel-fest due to the lack of push-pull Driver Trailers, netting my last two 213’s all time (9 years after my last required one!) and the little 211 which had always alluded me. When I went for my new track for diesel between Wicklesgreuth & Ansbach (via the Winsbach branch) and needed the 212 as well I had to check my shoes to see if I’d trod in something!                                                    

Tuesday 30/01/01

103 237   Nurnberg – Halle 2310 Munchen – Dresden D1904 303km

143 270# Halle – Kothen 0540 Halle – Magdeberg RB36504 36km

218 106# Kothen – Dessau 0546 Aschersleben – Dessau RE36101 21km

112 117# Dessau – Berlin Ost 1745 Budapest Keleti Pu – Berlin Ost EN228 255km

S-bahn    Berlin Ost – Berlin Lichtenberg                  

143 302# Berlin Lichtenberg – Angermunde 0758 Potsdam – Stralsund RB39266 75km

112 140# Angermunde – Pasewalk 0603 Eisenach – Stralsund IR2108 62km

218 209   Pasewalk – Grambow 1418 Pasewalk – Grambow RB33659 27km

232 532# Grambow – Pasewalk 1218 Stettin – Pasewalk RB5904 27km

218 211   Pasewalk – Grambow 1418 Pasewalk – Grambow RB33659 27km

218 211   Grambow – Pasewalk 1458 Grambow – Pasewalk RB33660 27km

218 211   Pasewalk – Butzow 1545 Pasewalk – Butzow  RB33084 154km

101 087# Butzow – Hamburg Hbf 1610 Binz – Hamburg Altona IR2132 165km

101 083# Hamburg Hbf – Wels 2024 Hamburg Altona – Wien West EN491 909km

Not one of my better days! I tried to squeeze a bit of new track in, Kothen – Dessau, at the start of the day but even though the Rabbit was new, I shouldn’t have bothered because it was 10mins late and I missed IR316 at Dessau (which I could have waited for at Halle!). From then on I was chasing the game, the 11.16 Angermunde to Stettin was so late coming into Angermunde that I had to flag it – then RB5904 which I should have been on from Stettin was a Red Shed (sorry Rubble) vice 218! Still, new track for Rabbit of Grambow to Butzow tided me over.

Wednesday 31/01/01

2043 031# Wels – Linz 0509 Braunau-am-Inn – Linz 3373 25km

1044 017#  Linz – Wels 0547 Wien West – Munchen EC16 25km

1142 600#  Wels – Attnang Puccheim 0752 Linz – Attnang Puccheim 3006 31km

1141007 at Attnang Pucheim on the 0911 to Bad Ausee

1141 007#  Attnang Puccheim – Pinsdorf 0911 Attnang Puccheim – Bad Ausee 3410 10km

1141013 at Pinsdorf on the 0723 Steinach Irdning to Attnang Puccheim

1141 013#  Pinsdorf – Attnang Puccheim 0723 Steinach Irdning – Attnang Puccheim E3413 10km

1044 215#  Attnang Puccheim – Salzburg 0721 Wien West – Klagenfurt IC690 71km

1044 026#  Salzburg – Bischofshofen 0721 Wien West – Klagenfurt IC690 54km

1044 061#  Bischofshofen – Zell am See 0823 Graz – Innsbruck IC512 47km

2095002 waits at Zell am See to work the 1315 up the "White Valley" as its known locally

2095 002    Zell am See – Krimml 1315 Zell am See – Krimml 5906 54km

2095002 & chilly passenger wait at Krimml to work the 1530 back to Zell am See

2095002 runs round after arrival at Krimml (then I slipped over in the snow while rushing back to the Bahnhof!)

2095 002    Krimml – Uttendorf-Stubachtal 1530 Krimml – Zell am See 5913 32km

2095 003#  Uttendorf-Stubachtal – Krimml 1549 Zell am See - Krimml 5910 32km

2095 003    Krimml – Zell am See 1735 Krimml – Zell am See 5917 54km

1142 594#  Zell am See – Saalfelden 1840 Salzburg – Saalfelden E1714 13km

4010 020    Saalfelden – Innsbruck 1623 Graz – Innsbruck IC610 131km

1044 283#  Innsbruck – Landeck 1717 Wien West – Bregenz  IC660 75km

1044 115#  Landeck – Attnang Puccheim 2143 Bregenz – Wien West EN247 401km

Once again I look like a Ned, 12 of the 13 loco's today were required!

This was a superb day, the focal point of my trip was to try to get my next to last 2095, on arrival at Zell to cover the 13.15 I viewed 002 & 003 both on stock outside the shed. I was happy that the 13.15 was hauled, but it was 002 not the required 003. So I went to Krimml, up the “White Valley” as it’s called by the skiing fraternity, snow everywhere and a great loco to boot. I was amazed on the way back down when 2095 003 (vice Unit) rolled past the window at the passing point at Uttendorf-Stubachtal! I grabbed my gear and piled onto 003’s train!

I now need 2095 012 to clear the class, I think I’ll be camped out on Gmund station at some point this year!

Thursday 01/02/01

The overnight was on-time (well I was in Austria) so winner track for diesel available:

2043 029# Attnang Puccheim – Scharding  0509 Attnang Puccheim – Scharding 3471 67km

1110 028# Scharding – Passau 0610 Wels – Passau 3302 14km

1141 025# Passau – Wels 0744 Passau – Wels 3309 83km

1044 210# Wels – St Polten 0810 Salzburg – Wien West  IC843 155km

2095 013 at St.Polten

2095 013   St Polten – Laubenbachmuhle 1223 St Polten – Laubenbachmuhle 6825 (load 6) 49km

2095 013 at Laubenbachmuhle. Always a total thrash up to here, especially in the snow.

The Shunter trudges through the snow at Laubenbachmuhle to shunt 2095 013 & stock onto the rear of the incoming 1099 016 on the 1325 Mariazell - St.Polten service

1099 016)  Laubenbachmuhle – St Polten Alp.1325 Mariazell – St Polten 6806 (load 10) 47km

2095 013)           

1099 016)  St Polten Alpenbahnhof – St Polten 1325 Mariazell – St Polten 6806 (load 4) 2km

1099 001)

1044 005# St Polten – Linz 0853 Debrecen – Munchen EC62 130km

2043 048# Linz Urfahr – Neuhaus Niederwaldkirchen1830 Linz Urfahr – Aigen Schlagl 3194 27km

2043 047# Neuhaus Niederwaldkirchen - Linz Urfahr 1823 Aigen Schlagl – Linz Urfahr 3197 27km

1042 013# Linz – Wels 2052 Linz – Wels 3032 25km

1142 592   Wels – Linz 2117 Attnang Puccheim – Linz 3035 25km

1016 001# Linz – Stuttgart 1700 Budapest Keleti Pu – Paris D262 522km

Another great day, new track to Scharding then over to St Polten to cover the 12.23 – and it dropped! The loco was wide open most of the way up, it was a superb run with snow everywhere. On the return, the driver on the 1099 was tooting to the man in the 2095 to let him know when to power, mainly on departure from each shack. Dreadful.

I made my way to Linz and stuck my bag in a locker to go over to Urfahr and view the 18.30 – then disaster nearly struck! I was going to leap at the shack before the passing point, but it was pitch black with deep fresh snow, the shack I’d chosen has no lights, platform or even station sign, so I thought we’d merely stopped at a signal. When we then rolled into Neuhaus Niederwaldkirchen - panic stations! The last southbound was already in! I jumped onto the snowbound platform and legged it past first my bemused guard and then the one peering out of the doorway on the southbound train. He didn’t seem surprised when I turned out to be English!

Friday 02/02/01

xxx xxx   Stuttgart – Karlsruhe 1700 Budapest Keleti Pu – Paris D262 91km

101 024# Karlsruhe – Koblenz 0516 Karlsruhe – Nordeich Mole IR2312 222km

Plastic    Koblenz – Winningen 0750 Koblenz  Kobern-Gondorf RB22260 8km

141 315# Winningen – Koblenz 0554 Trier – Koblenz RB22215 8km

103 172   Koblenz – Mainz 0804 Dortmund – Verona EC13 91km

103 172 at Mainz on the 0804 Dortmund to Verona

218 371   Mainz – Gau Algesheim 1135 Mainz – Bad Kreuznach SE23140 21km

218 366   Gau Algesheim – Mainz 1147 Bad Kreuznach – Mainz SE23141 21km

143 803# Mainz – Frankfurt 1112 Koblenz – Frankfurt SE15521 40km

215 115   Frankfurt – Hanau 1401 Frankfurt – Wiebelsbach Heubach SE15211 24km

111 096   Hanau – Frankfurt 1420 Wachtersbach – Frankfurt SE15721 24km

103 197# Frankfurt – Koblenz 1543 Frankfurt – Dortmund (Relief to EC28 / “D” Zug) 131km

215 117   Koblenz – Bad Ems 1708 Koblenz – Giessen RB22447 18km

215 125   Bad Ems – Koblenz 1715 Limburg – Koblenz RB22450 18km

101 061# Koblenz – Koln 1722 Karlsruhe – Dortmund IR2210 93km

110 113   Koln – Frankfurt 2003 Dortmund – Innsbruck D1127 224km

110 349# Frankfurt – Munchen 2003 Dortmund – Innsbruck D1127 437km

I decided to leap to Koblenz hoping to get 2 x 215’s on the 09.30 to Trier (which had been producing recently) – and it did produce a pair of diesels – 643 units! Total bowl out but at least I had the 103 down the Rhine to fall back on. 

I then viewed Frankfurt, Hanau & Offenbach but as I didn’t seem to need anything that was coming out in the rush I took the Relief (Load 6 1^st Class Compos declassified) for another run along the Rhine. That just left the problem of getting back to Munich for my flight, a nice compo on the ski-train produced.

Saturday 03/02/01

218 384# Munchen – Lenggries 0630 Munchen – Lenggries  67km                     

218 384 at Lenggries about to form the (30mins late) 0818 to Holzkirchen

New track to Lenggries- just! Blizzard conditions in Munich, we sat at Bad Tolz for 40mins as the train from Lenggries on the single line was stuck in the snow! The barriers outside Lenggries station had blown up, the Lokfuhrer had to wade through the near waist-deep snow and close them himself! 

218 384   Lenggries – Holzkirchen 0818 Lenngries – Holzkirchen 30km            

S-Bahn    Holzkirchen – Munchen Ost 0933 Holzkirchen – Petershausen 37km               

S-Bahn    Munchen Ost – Munchen Flughafen 0935 Nannhofen – Munchen Flughafen 33km

On arrival at the flughafen chaos was the order of the day , the airport had been shut for 12 hours but had just re-opened. The flight was unsurprisingly delayed but food & drink vouchers were handed out at our departure gate - no Weissbier in our terminal so I walked through to the next one & used my vouchers on four 1/2 litres of Erdinger (who needs food!). 

G-1GOC Munchen Flughafen – Stansted 1205 Munchen Flughafen – Stansted (dep 1405)

90007      Euston – Crewe 1720 Euston – Preston 158miles

Daily Total = 167km

Total KM = 8210 Total Moves = 105

Daily Average = 1026km Average Per Move = 78km

Thanks to Betty, Neil Taylor, Quentin Hedderley & Dave Jackson for various bits of Gen.

An 8 day trip with solid overnights, rather unusual as by this time the comforts of the odd Hotel & the odd brewpub were more the norm. However the desperation paid off as all the main objectives were met with some great runs and plenty of winners.