Germany 23/05 to 28/05/1991 "It'll be Au, Reutte on the night!"

Sorry for the heading, just trying to use some of the winner destinations for diesel hauled on this trip together as no pithy title came to mind! Anyway a single-manned trip, I'd been going through the Kursbuch with Graham Belton (Peckham) we had been working out current loco hauled routes that might be finishing with the upcoming Summer timetable so the above 3 were my main objectives (along with Reinheim which I couldn't work into the title!). # = winning loco.

Thursday 23/05/91

Flight to Frankfurt to get me in position for the 1517 out of Wiesbaden on what turned out to be the penultimate day that the routes to Westerburg & Au were available.

103 152# Frankfurt Flughafen - Mainz 0729 München - Hannover 29km

218 366# Mainz - Bad Kreuznach 1235 Mainz - St.Wendel 41km

218 362# Bad Kreuznach - Bingerbruck 1312 Bad Kreuznach - Bingerbruck 16km

141 199# Bingerbruck - Mainz Hbf 1323 Oberwesel - Mainz 30km

141 230# Mainz - Wiesbaden Hbf 1438 Mainz - Wiesbaden 10km

216 219# Wiesbaden Hbf - Westerburg 1517 Wiesbaden - Westerburg 86km

216 219 at Westerburg after working the 1517 from Wiesbaden

216 219  Westerburg - Au 1728 Westerburg - Au 50km

216 219 at Au after working the 1517 Wiesbaden - Westerberg then 1728 Westerberg - Au.This was the penultimate day of this working.

111 116    Au - Köln Hbf 1738 Geissen - Köln 66km

103 117# Köln Hbf - Wuppertal Elberfeld 1347 München - Hannover 46km

216 027   Wuppertal Elberfeld - Essen Uberruhr 2023 Wuppertal Oberbarmen - Bottrop 36km

216 028   Essen Uberruhr - Essen Kupferdreh 2101 Bottrop - Langenberg 4km

216 029   Essen Kupferdreh - Bottrop Hbf 2139 Langenberg - Haltern 23km

216 034   Bottrop Hbf - Essen Hbf 2153 Haltern - Essen 12km

110 445# Essen Hbf - Mannheim 1922 Norddeich - München 338km

Daily Total  = 787 KM

Friday 24/05/91

181 206# Mannheim - Stuttgart 1922 Nordeich - München 130km

420 824   Stuttgart (Tief) - Schorndorf 0558 Stuttgart - Schorndorf 30km

Many new routes for Diesel to go for today, heading into an area I'd not been to on previous trips. First up the short branch from Schorndorf to Rudersberg.

212 243# Schorndorf - Rudersberg 0636 Schorndorf - Rudersberg 10km

212 243 steams merrily at Rudersberg on the 0657 to Schorndorf 

212 243   Rudersberg - Schorndorf 0657 Rudersberg - Schorndorf 10km

110 178# Schorndorf - Stuttgart Bad Canstatt 0643 Aalen - Stuttgart 27km

To get to my next target, booked 2 x 212's out of Heilbronn, all new track via Schwabish Hall Hessental with 2 winner locos!

215 065# S.Bad Canstatt - Schwabish Hall Hessental 0745 Stuttgart - Crailsheim 70km

215 144# Schwabish Hall Hessental - Heilbronn 0855 S.Hall Hessetal - Heilbronn 61km

212 143 at Heilbronn on the 1007 to Karlsruhe

212 143# (212 114 DIT) Heilbronn - Karlsruhe 1007 Heilbronn - Karlsruhe 72km

So a bit overkill 2 locos on one coach - probably why the inside loco wasn't in Multi! Still the reason for covering this was due to it being one of the routes to be converted for the poxy Karlsruhe Tram Network.

110 218# Karlsruhe - Pforzheim 1207 Karlsruhe - Stuttgart 31km

Then back to my favourite pastime, new track for Diesel with a winning little loco down a little Branch-line.

211 133# Pforzheim - Wildbad 1235 Pforzheim - Wildbad 23km

211 133 runs round at Wildbad after working the 1235 from Pforzheim

211 133 runs round at Wildbad to work the 1312 to Pforzheim

211 133   Wildbad - Pforzheim Brotzingen 1312 Wildbad - Pforzheim 20km

Now for probably the highlight of the day, a Fridays Only working of a portion off an IR service which linked Pforzheim to Horb, a hellfire, scenic route to do loco hauled especially behind a 212 which is having to do decent speeds for a change. Clive "Bonty" Muspratt joined me on this.

212 186# Pforzheim Brotzingen - Horb 0718 Dortmund - Horb (Fridays Only) 68km

This dropped me nicely into the area to cover the Rottweil - Villingen line which still had 212 haulage for many years after this.

110 280 Horb - Rottweil 1428 Stuttgart - Lecce 43km

212 227# Rottweil - Villingen 1602 Rottweil - Villingen 27km

143 935# Villingen - Singen 0847 Münster - Konstanz 63km

Back to the Bodensee / Swiss corridor-Zug Diesel loco playground!

211 356   Singen - Wilchingen Hallau 1726 Singen - Erzingen 35km

215 141# Wilchingen Hallau - Neuehausen Bad Bf 1812 Erzingen - Singen 13km

211 357 arrives at Neuhausen Bad Bf

211 357# Neuehausen Bad Bf - Waldshut 1822 Thayngen - Waldshut 36km

218 305# Waldshut - Basel Bad Bf 1915 Waldshut - Basel Bad Bf 55km

218 305 at Basel Bad Bf off the 1915 from Waldshut 

Just the 7 new routes for Diesel today! It just shows what hours of pouring over the loco diagrams at home could achieve, added of course by the incredible punctuality of the DB network at the time.

Still no time to ponder need to get into position for tomorrows desperation!

103 136# Basel Bad Bf - Mannheim 2017 Basel SBB - Frankfurt 268km

140 578# Mannheim - Darmstadt 1922 Basel SBB - Hamburg A. 60km

111 107# Darmstadt - Frankfurt Hbf 2110 Stuttgart - Hamburg A. 28km

Daily Total  = 1180 KM

Saturday 25/05/91

??? ???    Frankfurt - Kassel 2110 Stuttgart - Hamburg Altona 200km

??? ???    Kassel - Hildesheim 2110 Stuttgart - Hamburg Altona 160km

One of the downsides of single manned trips - the loss of locos when you've no-one to take turns with viewing loco changes at silly-O'clock on the overnights. I must have been on the wrong end of the train to get the loco here - either that or it was too tight to risk so prioritised the winner branch to Bodenburg.

216 066# Hildesheim - Bodenburg 0617 Hildesheim - Bodenburg 19km

216 066 at Bodenburg on the 0656 to Hildesheim

216 066    Bodenburg - Grossdüngen 0656 Bodenburg - Hildesheim 9km

That done I was at leisure to cover a myriad of diagrams chasing winners - all carefully planned so I would end up at Braunschweig for my next aim.

216 174#  Grossdüngen - Hildesheim 0633 Goslar - Hildesheim 10km

216 182#  Emmerke - Hildesheim 0605 Lohne - Hildesheim 6km

218 903#  Hildesheim - Goslar 0441 Bremerhaven - Bad Harzburg 53km

218 908#  Goslar - Hildesheim 0904 Bad Harzburg - Hannover 53km

110 403#  Hildesheim - Hannover 0904 Bad Harzburg - Hannover 36km

110 151#  Hannover - Braunschweig 0704 Köln - Görlitz 61km

218 268#  Braunschweig - Wolfenbüttel 1217 Braunschweig - Kreinson 12km

216 175#  Wolfenbüttel - Schöningen 1224 Braunschweig - Helmstedt 40km

212 004#  Schöningen - Watenstedt 1315 Helmstedt - Braunschweig 14km

216 202    Watenstedt - Helmstedt 1325 Braunschweig - Helmstedt 25km

114 491#  Helmstedt - Braunschweig 1205 Berlin - Hook van Holland 36km

This was my next winner track - all the way up to Uelzen.

216 069#  Braunschweig - Gifhorn Stadt 1638 Braunschweig - Uelzen 33km

Or not as a Bus forward from Gifhorn due to Engineering works. No problem as I was to cover the route several times over the years as it became a bastion of 212 power.

20112 (Bus) Gifhorn Stadt - Wahrenholz 1638 Braunschweig - Uelzen

On arrival at Wahrenholz the train was shut down & locked in the platform (with a winner 212 to boot!) but no worries I spotted a pub just outside the station, I left the normals on the platform and joined the traincrew in the pub, I had a quick pint while the Driver and Guard finished theirs. Those were the days when Staff could still have a Pint or Two.....

212 009#  Wahrenholz - Uelzen 1638 Braunschweig - Uelzen 50km

103 194    Uelzen - Hamburg Hbf 0856 Oberstdorf - Hamburg A 85km

218 487#) Hamburg Hbf - Lübeck 1914 Hamburg Hbf - Lübeck 63km

218 459#) 

218 431#  Lübeck - Lübeck Travelmunde Strande 2007 Lübeck - L.Trav.Strande 21km

218 431    Lübeck Travelmunde Strande - Lübeck 2032 L.Trav.Strande 21km

218 490)   Lübeck - Hamburg Hbf 2101 Lübeck - Hamburg Hbf 63km

218 326#) 

218 488    Hamburg Hbf - Hamburg Altona 1640 Kobenhaven - Hamburg Altona 7km

114 490#  Hamburg Altona - Wurzburg 2309 Hamburg Altona - München 543km

Daily Total  = 1620 KM

Sunday 26/05/91

103 128# Würzburg - München 2309 Hamburg Altona - München 277km

A longer distance overnight that, I even got the loco numbers!

218 440# München - Buchloe 0900 München - Zurich 68km

First "Branch" of the day, Immenstadt to Oberstdorf. No timetable pressure here, you can still do 218's daily in & out of here in 2021. The number of trains from all over Germany to Oberstdorf was staggering, that's what happens when you have some of the worlds best mountain scenery & plenty of Ski-Slopes.

218 471# Buchloe - Oberstdorf 0823 Augsburg - Oberstdorf 95km

218 464 & 218 436 at Oberstdorf on the 1141 to Berlin

218 464#) Obertsdorf - Kempten 1141 Obertsdorf - Berlin 42km

218 436) 

218 411# Kempten - Ulm 1236 Kempten - Ulm 87km

Here I met up with several members of the Crompton Roadshow German Bashing Club, all here to board the Dortmund to Oberstdorf service.

218 411)  Ulm - Kempten 0648 Dortmund - Oberstdorf 87km

218 467)

We all got on at Ulm to make sure we could get seats for this, the rarest of treats, a Sundays Only portion which split off this train at Kempten then took the tortuous, mountainous route to Reutte in Tirol (Austria),unit only the rest of the week.

218 463   Kempten - Reutte in Tirol 1513 Kempten - Reutte in Tirol (Sundays Only) 48km

218 463 in Reutte in Tirol off the 1513 from Kempten, a portion off the 0648 Dortmund - Obertsdorf.Very rare track diesel hauled

I obviously wasn't valid on the OBB bit!
140 041# Reutte in Tirol - Garmisch Partenkirchen 1759 Reutte - Garmisch P. 45km

Then to add icing to the cake the move dropped you straight into a weekend only 218 working from Garmisch to Augsburg - more winner track.

218 407# Garmisch Partenkirchen - Augsburg 1905 Garmisch P. - Augsburg 116km

360 207# Shunt onto München - Lichtenfels

103 232# Augsburg - München 1807 Karlsruhe - München 62km

103 109# München - Stuttgart 2330 München - Saarbrücken 242km

Daily Total  = 1170 KM

Monday 27/05/91

181 205# Stuttgart - Homburg 2330 München - Saarbrücken 230km

I can't remember why but I was a bit reticent about covering the Reinheim branch, I think there was something else I really wanted to cover but it was last chance saloon to do this branch so needs must.

212 342# Homburg - Reinheim 0555 Homburg - Reinheim 26km

212 342 at Reinheim, the end of the line in more ways than one. The last week of passenger services on the branch

212 342   Reinheim - Homburg 0638 Reinheim - Homburg 26km

141 112# Homburg - Saarbrücken Hbf 0728 Homburg - Saarbrücken 31km

218 371# Saarbrücken - Bad Kreuznach 0800 Saarbrücken - Göttingen 125km

218 380# Bad Kreuznach - Idar Oberstein 0928 Mainz - Saarbrücken 51km

218 377# Idar Oberstein - Sobernheim 1024 St.Wendel - Mainz 29km

218 364# Sobernheim - Türkismühle 1001 Frankfurt - St.Wendel 53km

218 364 at Türkismühle on the 1001 Frankfurt - St.Wendel

218 379# Türkismühle - Bad Münster am Stein 1205 St.Wendel - Mainz 71km

218 370# Bad Münster am Stein - Sobernheim 1235 Mainz - Saarbrücken 18km

Nothing cheers you up like 6 winner 218's in a row - you've guessed it I'd never covered the Saarbrucken - Mainz route before so winner track as well - with classic valley scenery thrown in, a classical 218 hauled route.

218 380 Sobernheim - Bad Kreuznach 1225 Saarbrücken - Mainz 22km

Now for the days next aim, an IR through to Pirmasens Hbf, these IR's visited some places that hadn't seen a loco hauled service for years - I don't know the German who thought these up but I owe him several Beers!

218 372# Bad Kreuznach - Pirmasens Hbf 1029 Dortmund - Pirmasens Hbf 99km

218 372 at Pirmasens Hbf on the 1642 Pirmasens Hbf - Kaiserslautern

218 372  Pirmasens Hbf - Kaiserslautern 1642 Pirmasens Hbf - Kaiserslautern 36km

218 372 at Pirmasens Nord on the 1642 Pirmasens Hbf - Kaiserslautern

181 224# Kaiserslautern - Neustadt 1257 Paris Est - Frankfurt 33km

The next move was a total outrage - a 212 hauled train covering 126km's of virtually all new track. It wasn't slowly timed either and was probably my best 212 run of all time.

212 376# Neustadt - Saarbrucken (via Pirmasens Nord) 1714 Neustadt - Saarbrucken 126km

212 376 at Pirmassens Nord on the 1714 Neustadt - Saarbrucken

181 202# Saarbrücken - Frankfurt 1717 Paris Est - Frankfurt 219km

181 225# Frankfurt - Mannheim 2348 Frankfurt - München 88km

Daily Total  = 1170 KM

Tuesday 28/05/91

110 463# Mannheim - Köln Hbf 2054 Munchen - Nordeich 255km

No Final day Blues as still got new track to go for, namely Kleve to Nijmegen over the border in Holland - with yet another 212! Yet another line whose days were reputedly numbered.

110 352# Köln Hbf - Krefeld Hbf 0531 Köln Deutz - Kleve 56km

215 018# Krefeld Hbf - Goch 0531 Köln Deutz - Kleve 52km

218 151 Goch - Weeze 0710 Kleve - Düsseldorf 7km

215 019 Weeze - Kleve 0605 Köln - Kleve 20km

212 022 at Kleve on the 0811 to Nijmegen. Note the mighty Kof in the background.

212 022# Kleve - Nijmegen 0811 Kleve - Nijmegen 33km

212 022 at Nijmegen on the 0915 to Kleve

212 022   Nijmegen - Kleve 0915 Nijmegen - Kleve 33km

215 032   Kleve - Krefeld 0945 Kleve - Köln Deutz

140 839# Krefeld - Mönchengladbach 1020 Duisburg - Mönchengladbach 24km

110 319# Mönchengladbach - Aachen 0951 Hagen - Aachen 62km

215 110 about to shunt a coach onto the 1208 Köln - Oostende at Aachen. It then banked the train out of Aachen.

2740        Aachen - Oostende 1208 Köln - Oostende 280km

215 110# Aachen Banker !! approx. 3km

2383        Liege Banker approx. 3km

Daily Total  = 893 KM

Total KM = 6933  KM                   Total Moves = 102

Daily Average = 1155 KM              Average Per Move = 68 KM

A breathless trip to try to cover all these threatened or indeed finishing lines. No meeting up for Beer sessions or Festivals just solid Bashing with no Hotels or B&B's and all food & drink on the move - even the beers! I certainly couldn't keep up that sort of pace now - but then those overnights don't run anymore either. Cheers (without the beers) Poodle.