After driving a lot of miles over the past few days, I gave the car a well earned break and took to the trains for the day. My destination was the area around Kurort Rathen and Königstein in the Elbe Valley between Dresden and the Czech border. Despite a forecast of sunshine, the cloud remained stubbornly in place all day with only a few momentary breaks, none of which coincided with the passage of a train. That was surprising as there was no shortage of traffic. I noted around 70 loco worked trains during the day.

As expected, all the EC trains were worked by CD class 371 electrics and the half-hourly services on S-Bahn line 1 were all push-pull dosto sets with a class 143 at the east end of the formation. One observation of note is that several of the 143s have recently been repainted and now carry numbers on the ends without any check digit, e.g. 143 883, not 143 883-7. The full 37 digit UIC number with check digit is carried on the side of the loco.

Who said Sundays are no good for freight? There was certainly no shortage of traffic today with 24 freights noted. There were plenty of CD class 372s about but only two of their DB class 180 counterparts. The majority of DB trains were hauled by class 189s. Private operator ITL was very active with a number of trains hauled by class 185s and a 481 (Swiss registered class 145). RBH put in an appearance with triple headed class 143s on a coal train and an unidentified V100 was seen on a very long train of Skoda cars.

Heidenau

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
642.181	RE17275	08:25 Dresden Hbf - Litomerice mesto	08:37
371.005 [CD]	EC178	06:31 Praha hl.n. - Berlin Gesundbrunnen	08:39
372.009 [CDC]		EB Intermodal	08:41
143.883 propelling	S1 7028	08:01 Schöna - Meißen-Triebischtal	08:43
143.885	S1 7025	07:35 Meißen-Triebischtal - Schöna	08:45

Pirna

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
185.553		Stabled	08:54
372.xxx [CDC]		WB Intermodal	08:55

Obervogelgesang

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
143.551 propelling	S1 7030	08:41 Bad Schandau - Meißen-Triebischtal	08:59
189.xxx [MRCE]		WB Intermodal	09:01

Königstein

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
143.xxx propelling	S1 7032	09:01 Schöna - Meißen-Triebischtal	09:15

Bad Schandau

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
152.196 [ITL] 185.650 [ITL]		Stabled	09:19
372.014 [CDC]		WB Gas Tanks	09:20
185.501 [ITL] 481.002 [ITL]		EB Oil Tanks	09:20

Schöna

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
143.884 propelling	S1 7034	09:31 Schöna - Meißen-Triebischtal	09:31

Bad Schandau

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
189.289 [MRCE]		Stabled	09:40

Königstein Gbf

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
143.565	S1 7027	08:05 Meißen-Triebischtal - Schöna	09:44
143.973	S1 7123	09:24 Dresden Hbf - Schöna	10:07
143.562	S1 7029	08:35 Meißen-Triebischtal - Schöna	10:13
143.885 propelling	S1 7036	10:01 Schöna - Meißen-Triebischtal	10:15
371.002 [CD]	EC176	05:35 Brno hl.n. - Hamburg-Altona	10:24
372.006 [CDC]		WB Intermodal	10:31
481.002 [ITL] 185.501 [ITL]		WB Gas Tanks	10:36
143.967	S1 7125	09:54 Dresden Hbf - Bad Schandau	10:37
143.570	S1 7031	09:05 Meißen-Triebischtal - Schöna	10:43
143.585 propelling	S1 7038	10:31 Schöna - Meißen-Triebischtal	10:44
185.598 [ITL]		EB Car Carriers	11:03
143.654	S1 7033	09:35 Meißen-Triebischtal - Schöna	11:13
143.562 propelling	S1 7040	11:01 Schöna - Meißen-Triebischtal	11:15
189.007 372.011 [CDC]		EB Light Engines	11:24
371.005 [CD]	EC173	06:14 Hamburg-Altona - Villach Hbf	11:32
180.015		WB Freight	11:39
143.883	S1 7035	10:05 Meißen-Triebischtal - Schöna	11:43
143.570 propelling	S1 7042	11:31 Schöna - Meißen-Triebischtal	11:45
189.005		EB Intermodal	12:04
143.551	S1 7037	10:35 Meißen-Triebischtal - Schöna	12:13
143.654 propelling	S1 7044	12:01 Schöna - Meißen-Triebischtal	12:15
371.001 [CD]	EC378	05:50 Wien Praterstern - Ostseebad Binz	12:24
143.875	S1 7139	12:00 Dresden Hbf - Schöna	12:43
143.883 propelling	S1 7046	12:31 Schöna - Meißen-Triebischtal	12:45
189.006		EB Freight	13:02
143.884	S1 7041	11:35 Meißen-Triebischtal - Schöna	13:13
143.551 propelling	S1 7048	13:01 Schöna - Meißen-Triebischtal	13:15

Königstein

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
372.xxx [CDC]		WB Freight	13:31
371.002 [CD]	EC175	08:17 Hamburg-Altona - Budapest-Keleti pu	13:33
143.xxx	S1 7043	12:05 Meißen-Triebischtal - Schöna	13:40

W of Königstein

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
143.875 propelling	S1 7050	13:31 Schöna - Meißen-Triebischtal	13:49
372.009		WB Freight	14:07
143.585	S1 7045	12:35 Meißen-Triebischtal - Schöna	14:08
189.016		EB Intermodal	14:12
185.598 [ITL]		WB Grain Hoppers	14:14
372.006 [CDC]		EB Freight	14:16
143.884 propelling	S1 7052	14:01 Schöna - Meißen-Triebischtal	14:19
143.874 [RBH] 143.xxx [RBH] 143.069 [RBH]		EB Coal Hoppers	14:23

E of Kurort Rathen

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
371.004 [CD]	EC174	05:28 Budapest-Keleti pu - Hamburg-Altona	14:28
143.562	S1 7047	13:05 Meißen-Triebischtal - Schöna	14:38
143.885 propelling	S1 7054	14:31 Schöna - Meißen-Triebischtal	14:50
189.007		WB Intermodal	15:05
143.570	S1 7049	13:35 Meißen-Triebischtal - Schöna	15:08
143.585 propelling	S1 7058	15:01 Schöna - Meißen-Triebischtal	15:20
371.xxx [CD]	EC177	12:28 Berlin Gesundbrunnen - Wien Praterstern	15:28
143.654	S1 7051	14:05 Meißen-Triebischtal - Schöna	15:37

Kurort Rathen

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
189.004		EB Intermodal	15:39
143.562	S1 7060	15:31 Schöna - Meißen-Triebischtal	15:54
143.069 [RBH] 143.xxx [RBH] 143.874 [RBH]		WB Containerised Coal	15:59
143.883	S1 7053	14:35 Meißen-Triebischtal - Schöna	16:05

Königstein

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
180.020		WB Container Flats	16:10
185.xxx [ITL]		EB Grain Hoppers	16:16
371.xxx	EC172	05:27 Villach Hbf - Hamburg-Altona	16:25
642.xxx	RE17276	15:07 Litomerice mesto - Dresden Hbf	16:37
143.xxx	S1 7057	15:05 Meißen-Triebischtal - Schöna	16:40
V100 [?]		WB Car Carriers	16:44
143.xxx propelling	S1 7070	16:31 Schöna - Meißen-Triebischtal	16:48
189.xxx		WB Intermodal	16:52
143.875	S1 7063	15:35 Meißen-Triebischtal - Schöna	17:10
143.883 propelling	S1 7074	17:01 Schöna - Meißen-Triebischtal	17:15