Germany & Czech Republic 20/09 to 28/09 1997 "Can you tell me the way to the Brewpub?"

A two person trip to Germany with a day-trip to Prague thrown in, Me (Poodle) & Betty (David Icke - no not THAT David Icke - the other one!) We would be joining up with Neath (Steve Thomas) and Bonty (Clive Muspratt) for most of the trip. # again denotes New Loco.

Saturday 20/09/1997

87 033   Crewe - Euston  0945 Liverpool - London Euston 158miles

3102)     Waterloo International - Brussels Midi 1227 Waterloo I - Brussels 377km

3103)

2721       Brussels Midi - Aachen 1654 Brussels Midi - Köln 159km

110 454  Aachen - Köln  1654 Brussels Midi - Köln 70km

Rather than the usual scratch moves around Cologne prior to the overnight we met up with Neath & Bonty then headed to the Früh brewery tap where we had arranged to meet Chris Fudge and a group of his fellow 47 Bashers who were embarking on a German beer trip. We certainly kept the Kobes busy as the beer comes in 0.2litre "Test Tubes" & we are more used to drinking 1/2 litres..... 

103 220  Köln - Freiburg 2005 Amsterdam - Basel SBB 461km

Daily Total = 1067km

Sunday 21/09/1997

Unique tourist liveried 103 220 waits at Freiburg with D203, the previous night's 20:05 Amsterdam CS - Basel SBB. Photo courtesy of Neath (Steve Thomas).

110 320#  Freiburg - Karlsruhe 2026 Firenze - Köln 135km

The reason we all did this overnight move was to cover the 0809 Sundays Only Karlsruhe to Koblenz, booked a Kaiserslautern 218 throughout & picking up various pieces of new track for diesel - including the run under the wires from Bingerbrucke up the Rhine to Koblenz. 

218 375#  Karlsruhe - Koblenz 0809 Karlsruhe - Koblenz 192km

(Via Neustadt, Bad Kreuznach & Bingerbrucke)

143 031#  Koblenz - Boppard 1200 Koblenz - Mainz 19km

215 126#  Boppard - Emmelshausen 1225 Boppard - Emmelshausen 15km

215 126 off the 12:25 Boppard - Emmelshausen. Photo courtesy of Neath (Steve Thomas).

215 126    Emmelshausen - Boppard 1304 Emmelshausen - Boppard 15km

103 185    Boppard - Koblenz 0911 Alpirsbach - Nordeich Mole 19km

Lunch and a couple of Beers followed by a run down the Rhine, again behind 218 375.

218 375   Koblenz - Bad Kreuznach 1531 Koblenz - Karlsruhe 77km

In the words of Neath: No depot could prepare a loco like Kaiserslautern. Gleaming in ex-works condition, 218 375 waits to leave Bad Kreuznach on RB15627 15:31 Koblenz Hbf - Karlsruhe Hbf. Photo courtesy of Neath (Steve Thomas).

Then a few moves on the scenic Mainz - Saarbrucken route

218 374   Bad Kreuznach - Gensingen Horweiller 1501 Saarbrucken - Mainz 8km

218 381# Gensingen Horweiller - Idar Oberstein 1635 Mainz - Saarbrucken 59km

218 378   Idar Oberstein - Mainz 1701 Saarbrucken - Mainz 92km

Finally another run along the Rhine this time with premier 13000hp Electric power

103 148   Mainz - Köln 1125 Milan - Dortmund 184km

103 158   Köln - Nurnberg 1806 Ostend - Wien West 461km

Daily Total = 1276km

Monday 22/09/1997

1044 208  Nurnberg - Straubing 1806 Ostend - Wien West 141km

211 057    Straubing - Neufarhn 0547 Straubing - Neufarhn 36km

New track for Betty, but dud for me & Neath - I was hoping for a winner 211 though!

141 370#  Neufarhn - Regensburg 0618 Landshut - Regensburg 39km

Now for todays main aim - the chance of a new 217. Dud again!!

217 012   Regensburg - Schwandorf 0711 Regensburg - Hof 42km

218 202 arriving at Schwandorf on the 05:46 Hof Hbf - Regensburg Hbf. Photo courtesy of Neath (Steve Thomas).

218 202   Schwandorf - Regensburg 0537 Hof - Regensburg 42km

113 265# Regensburg - Munchen 0450 Chemnitz - Obertsdorf 138km

I think Neath & Bonty did different moves from here until we met back in Munich later.

218 231)  München - Kaufbeuren 0450 Chemnitz - Obertsdorf 88km

218 443)  

A favourite place to leap, Kaufbeuren, the station buffet sells Augustinerbrau beers & you got about 20 minutes between leaps.

218 398)  Kaufbeuren - Buchloe 1120 Obertsdorf - Lubeck 20km

218 435)

218 446# Buchloe - Kaufbeuren 1219 München - Radolfzell 20km

218 344)  Kaufbeuren - Buchloe 1211 Obertsdorf - Dresden 20km

218 357)

218 225   Buchloe - München 1109 Radolfzell - München 68km

Another visit to the monster that is the Oktoberfest in Munich - I would be very surprised if we didn't drink too much - Again!

111 225# München - Stuttgart 2317 München - Dortmund 242km

Daily Total = 896km

Tuesday 23/09/1997

Hangover or not, an early leap was required as more new track available - including some under the wires.

110 421 Stuttgart - Koblenz 2317 München - Dortmund 291km

110 261 Koblenz - Andernach 0525 Boppard - Köln Deutz 18km

215 121 Andernach - Mayern West 0604 Andernach - Mayern West 27km (new track for diesel)

215 121 Mayern West - Koblenz 0659 Mayern West - Koblenz 45km (the last 18kliks new for diesel)

215 121 at Koblenz on the 0854 to Geissen

215 121 Koblenz - Geissen 0854 Koblenz - Geissen 117km

103 136 Giessen - Northeim 0547 Konstanz - Hamburg Hbf 195km

216 174 Northeim - Herzberg 1311 Northeim - Erfurt 27km

216 174 at Herzberg on th 13:11 Northeim - Erfurt Hbf. Photo courtesy of Neath (Steve Thomas).

216 181 Herzberg - Northeim 1150 Erfurt - Northeim 27km

103 232 Northeim - Kreiensen 0747 Konstanz - Puttgarten 19km

216 180 Kreiensen - Braunschweig 1456 Kriensen - Braunschweig 72km (1st part of route new track for diesel)

216 073# Braunschweig - Schoppenstedt 1634 Braunschweig - Helmstedt 30km

216 158 at Schoppenstedt on the 17:23 Helmstedt - Braunschweig Hbf. Photo courtesy of Neath (Steve Thomas).

216 158# Schoppenstedt - Braunschweig 1732 Helmstedt - Braunschweig 30km

103 224 Braunschweig - Hannover 1640 Berlin Zoo - Dortmund 61km

103 216 Hannover - Hamburg Altona 2049 Hannover - Hamburg A 185km

103 191 Hamburg Altona - Frankfurt 2249 Hamburg A - Stuttgart 583km

Lots of 103 kliks but all Dud!

Daily Total = 896km

Wednesday 24/09/1997

Nearly as many small locos as pints today (or perhaps not!).

103 153   Frankfurt - Darmstadt 2249 Hamburg Altona - Stuttgart 28km

141 100# Darmstadt - Dieburg 0549 Darmstadt - Aschaffenburg 20km

212 360   Dieburg - Ober Roden 0643 Dieburg - Frankfurt 9km

212 025   Ober Roden - Nieder Roden 0703 Dieburg - Offenbach 4km

212 025 at Obertshausen on the 07:03 Dieburg - Offenbach Hbf. Photo courtesy of Neath (Steve Thomas).

212 364# Nieder Roden - Ober Roden 0644 Offenbach - Ober Roden 4km

212 038# Ober Roden - Dreieich Buchslag 0751 Dieburg - Frankfurt 15km

212 360   Dreieich Buchslag - Urberach 0844 Dreieich Buchslag - Ober Roden 12km

212 369# Urberach - Frankfurt 0850 Dieburg - Frankfurt 28km

103 188# Frankfurt - Wurzburg 0647 Dortmund - Budapest Keleti 123km

110 341# Wurzburg - Bamberg 1137 Wurzburg - Hof 100km

Liquid Lunch in the Spezial brewpub

211 054 at Bamberg on the 1449 to Ebern

211 054# Bamberg - Ebern 1449 Bamberg - Ebern 26km

211 054 at Ebern on the 1538 to Bamberg

211 054   Ebern - Bamberg 1538 Ebern - Bamberg 26km

111 010# Bamberg - Forcheim 1606 Bamberg - Nürnberg 23km

Beers in a couple of winner pubs in Forcheim / put your empty stein upside down on the table if you want another Keller beer !

212 070   Forcheim - Ebermanstadt 1835 Forcheim - Ebermanstadt 15km

212 070   Ebermanstadt - Forcheim 1903 Ebermanstadt - Forcheim 15km

140 802# Forcheim - Bamberg 1854 Nürnberg - Bamberg 23km

B&B in Brauerei Fassla & more beers around town.

Daily Total = 471km

Thursday 25/09/1997

A relaxed day based around visiting Breweries in Gräfenberg & Bad Winsheim.

120 160   Bamberg - Nürnberg 0549 Halle - Munchen 62km

141 064   Nürnberg - Roth 0933 Nurnberg - Roth 26km

141 064 at Roth on the 0933 ex Nurnberg

The rattle rather came out of my pram here. The outrage of a 212 vice a 211 on the Roth to Hilpoltstein branch, not only that but the loco was required by Neath & dud for me! 

212 284   Roth - Hilpolstein 1010 Roth - Hilpoltstein 11km

212 284 at Hilpoltstein. The Outrage! Photo courtesy of Neath (Steve Thomas).

212 284   Hilpoltstein - Roth 1031 Hilpoltstein - Roth 11km

111 205# Roth - Nürnberg 0834 München - Nürnberg 26km

Journeys end for 212 089 at Nürnberg Nordost.

212 089# Nürnberg Nordost - Gräfenberg 1222 Nürnberg N - Gräfenberg 28km

We visited the Friedmann Brewery & Tap in Gräfenberg, unusually we even got a tour around the brewery itself.

211 059   Gräfenberg - Nürnberg Nordost 1416 Gräfenberg - Nürnberg N 28km 

211 059 at Nürnberg Nordost off the 1416 from Gräfenberg

110 199# Nürnberg - Neustadt 1604 Nürnberg - Wurzburg 41km

212 311   Neustadt - Bad Windsheim 1638 Neustadt - Steinach 16km

We visited BürgerBräu Brewery & Tap, unfortunately we think on the day we found the Döbler Brewpub to be closed for some reason.

212 331# Bad Windsheim - Steinach 1938 Neustadt - Steinach 14km

141 364# Steinach - Wurzburg 1926 Treuchtlingen - Wurzburg 57km

110 203   Wurzburg - Aschaffenburg 2241 Wurzburg - Frankfurt 90km

103 108   Aschaffenburg - Nürnberg 2203 Frankfurt - Praha Hlavni 171km

We were off to Prague for some more Breweries, although Bonty abstained.

Daily Total = 581km

Friday 26/09/1997

218 195)   Nürnberg - Cheb 2203 Frankfurt - Praha Hlavni 152km

218 208)

363 045#  Cheb - Praha Hlavni 2203 Frankfurt - Praha Hlavni 220km

First task was to change some Pounds for some Czech Koruna's, we weren't sure how much we'd need.

None of the 3 of us had been to Prague before, we wandered around the narrow cobbled streets looking for our first destination, the famous U Fleku brewery, only managing to get ourselves lost a couple of times. 

It's no good we will have to ask in Tourist Information. I was volunteered for this task "Can you give us directions to the U Fleku?" to which I got the response "Prague is full of pubs, why is it only the British that always want to go to specific ones?!" - well, love, that would be telling.

Now furnished with a map with a route drawn on it we sallied forth, said establishment opened at 10am and like all good Beer Cranks we were stood outside at opening time.......

We were welcomed in like long lost relatives & had the place very much to ourselves - it soon became apparent it would be easier to work thru their beer range & eat here rather than get lost again looking for other brewpubs (there were far fewer brewpubs in Prague back then either). 

We got back to Hlavni about 20mins before train time, I was holding the pot of Koruna's and we had a fair few left. I decided to pop into a newsagents & purchase something from the Top Shelf (I'll leave it at that). Betty was far from pleased - "we've got a long journey & could have bought some beers off the onboard trolley with that"......... However someone appeared on the platform at Cheb with a supermarket shopping trolley rammed with beers, it turned out we could relieve him of all of his 20 or so bottles with the £5 worth of Koruna's we still had left. A Supermarket Sweep without leaving your Compo!

Bonty joined us somewhere on route, no-one was in a fit state to work out any moves so we all decided to stick with this train to avoid missing out on the Beers!

363 172#  Praha Hlavni - Cheb 1309 Praha Hlavni - Dortmund 220km

218 002)   Cheb - Nürnberg 1309 Praha Hlavni - Dortmund 152km

218 004)

103 202#  Nürnberg - Frankfurt 1309 Praha Hlavni - Dortmund 225km

103 205#  Frankfurt - Köln 1309 Praha Hlavni - Dortmund 225km

I'm hoping we had time for some refreshments, or at least some food, before Neath & Bonty went off on the Köln - Kiel and me & Betty did this:

101 008#  Köln - Offenburg 2356 Koln - Basel SBB 399km

Daily Total = 1813km

Saturday 27/09/1997

Shires!     Offenburg - Rastatt 0453 Offenburg - Karlsruhe 49km

A very unpleasant bowl-out by a Sprinter type unit...... anyway something a bit different today for me & Betty, Steam locos on booked service trains on the steeply-graded & highly scenic Freudenstadt line.

218 300    Rastatt - Baiersbronn 0520 Karlsruhe - Freudenstadt Hbf 50km

218 200    Baiersbronn - Gernbach 0708 Freudenstadt Hbf - Karlsruhe 34km

218 302 at Gernbach on the 0720 Karlsruhe - Freudenstadt Hbf

218 302    Gernbach - Freudenstadt Hbf 0720 Karlsruhe Freudenstadt Hbf 42km

218 299    Freudenstadt Hbf - Forsbach Gausbach 0911 Alpirsbach - Nordeich Mole 31km

218 301 brings the 0924 from Karlsruhe into Forsbach Gausbach where 50 245 sits waiting to re-engine it. I'm sure there were plenty of Steam cranks stood on the ballast with me.....

50 245#    (Steam) Forsbach Gausbach - Baiersbronn 0924 Karlsruhe - Freudenstadt Hbf 23km

94 1292#  (Steam) Baiersbronn - Freudenstadt Hbf 0924 Karlsruhe - Freudenstadt Hbf 8km

After having the Steam all the way up to the Hbf it was time to get out of dodge, after all we were not Steam Cranks .......

218 220#  Freudenstadt Hbf - Rastatt 1201 Freudenstadt Hbf - Karlsruhe 58km

111 218    Rastatt - Singen 0624 Hamburg Altona - Konstanz 198km

Down through the Black Forest for a few moves along the Lake then lots of new track for Betty through to Basel Bad.

218 223    Singen - Freidrichshafen Stadt 1418 Basel - München 69km

218 480    Freidrichshafen Stadt - Kressbronn 1611 Ulm - Lindau 14km

218 447    Kressbronn - Radolfzell 1415 München - Radolfzell 73km

218 472)# Radolfzell - Basel Bad Bf 1627 Memmingen - Basel Bad Bf 123km

(218 389 DIT) 

103 177    Basel Bad Bf - Düsseldorf 2325 Basel SBB - Amsterdam 563km

Daily Total = 1335km

Sunday 28/09/1997

Even on a Sunday there were still a number of Diesel hauled turns to cover in the hope of some winners

215 110   Düsseldorf - Krefeld 0619 Düsseldorf - Krefeld 27km

215 110   Krefeld - Meersbuch Osterath 0716 Krefeld - Düsseldorf 10km

215 114   Meersbuch Osterath - Kempen 0719 Düsseldorf - Kleve 22km

215 042   Kempen - Krefeld 0706 Kleve - Düsseldorf 12km

141 303# Krefeld - Rheinhausen 0703 Aachen - Duisburg 21km

110 430# Rheinhausen - Duisburg xxxx ????? - Duisburg 7km

112 154   Duisburg - Köln 0611 Bremerhaven Lehe - Köln 64km

218 128   Köln - Engelskirchen 1103 K.Hansaring - Gummersbach 41km

218 140# Engelskirchen - Köln 1140 Gummersbach - K.Hansaring 41km

Neath re-joined us at Cologne for our return to this Blessed Isle.

110 505# Köln - Aachen 1314 Köln - Brussels Midi 70km

2742        Aachen - Brussels Midi 1314 Köln - Brussels Midi 159km

3021)       Brussels Midi - Waterloo International 1722 Brussels Midi - Waterloo Int 377km

3022)

90010      Euston - Crewe 2105 Euston - Liverpool (via W.Mids) 169miles 

Daily Total = 851km

Total KM = 10017 Total Moves = 108

Daily Average = 1113km Average Per Move = 92.75km

A more relaxed trip than most, less than half a dozen bits of required track in total - the emphasis was on socialising but with a large number of locos thrown in for good measure.

It was great to see you could still pick up plenty of little locos, trundling around the suburbs of Frankfurt was always a joy to do, you'd never know you were in a large city, then into Bavaria where hordes of 211's & 212's were still producing, mainly on traditional branch-lines. Finally our "daytrip"  to Prague was quite something!