This section shows the details of the trip on a day by day basis. If you’re looking for loco numbers or individual workings, you’re in the right place.

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The least successful part of my marathon four-week trip to Germany in late April and early May was the time spent on the Stuttgart - Singen line, also known as the Gäubahn. Having done all the preparatory work, it seemed sensible to go back and have another attempt at getting the shots.

Everything went smoothly at first and by 08:05 I was sitting on BA918 at Heathrow, ready to depart for Stuttgart. The captain was congratulating the passengers for getting onboard in such a timely manner and told us that the doors were already closed and we were ready to push back on time at 08:10. But we didn’t. It seemed that six passengers had somehow been unable to tell the difference between an Airbus and an Airport and had chosen to go through an open door into arrivals instead of getting on the plane. For a while it looked like we’d all have to get off and go through security again but common sense prevailed. The six miscreants were taken out and shot while the rest of us continued to Stuttgart, only 20 minutes late. It’s obvious now why it costs more to fly with BA than the likes of RyanJet and EasyAir, it’s for the entertainment provided.

Stuttgart Flughafen was pleasantly efficient and it wasn’t long before I was driving out in the direction of Eutingen im Gäu. The afternoon was spent on the Stuttgart - Singen line at various locations between Eutingen and Oberndorf, trying to dodge the clouds and phot the trains in sun. It wasn’t totally unsuccesful with three out of the ten trains attempted passing in good light. Everything ran reassuringly close to right time and with the expected traction, including the freights. It was amazing how much the vegetation had grown up in the six weeks or so since I was last here. Previously clear stretches of lineside had disappeared into the jungle and I had to give up on a couple of positions that were hopelessly overgrown. Fortunately there were alternatives.

S of Eutingen im Gäu

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
185.136		NB freight	12:40
146.202	RE19042	11:19 Singen(Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf	12:52
146.207 propelling	RE19039	12:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen(Hohentwiel)	13:09
101.050	IC280	11:10 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf	13:27

Mühlener Tunnel, N of Horb

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
120.122	IC187	13:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB	14:36

Neckarhausen, S of Horb

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
120.106	IC186	13:10 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf	15:16

Dettingen, S of Horb

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
185.086		SB vans	15:29

S of Sulz am Neckar

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
146.207	RE19046	15:19 Singen(Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf	16:29
101.050	IC281	15:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB	16:55
101.121	IC184	15:10 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf	17:08

The day started cloudy with light rain. It was one of the few things that turned out as predicted on what became a day of surprises. The first surprise was unwelcome, a 101 on IC181, booked for a 181 on Fridays, but most of the others were pleasant and by the end of the day I had photographed half a dozen trains in sun, three of them hauled by 110.418 or 115.459.

It seemed that the 181 had been replaced by the 101 booked for the next train, which had then been worked by the 110. After that things slowly returned to normal on the passenger front with the 181 working its booked afternoon southbound train. Not to be left out, DB Regio had its own surprise lined up for the afternoon with top’n’tail 146s on one of the Singen trains. Even the normally predictable freights were unpredictable with a 152 breaking the usual 185 monopoly and a number of unexpected additional trains.

The weather was nothing like as bad as forecast, with some good breaks developing in the cloud between mid-morning and mid-afternoon, and no sign of the predicted frequent showers. Overall a good day, against all the odds, with three well lit pics of class 110/115 to add to the single shot I got in April.

Grünholz, N of Oberndorf am Neckar

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
146.201	RE19036	07:14 Singen(Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf	08:28
101.121	IC181	05:56 Frankfurt(Main) Hbf - Zürich HB	08:55
185.092		NB containers	09:03
101.xxx	IC284	07:10 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf	09:09
146.214 propelling	RE19035	08:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen(Hohentwiel)	09:35
152.077		SB freight	09:47

Oberndorf-Aistaig

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
110.418	IC183	09:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB	10:56
115.459	IC282	09:10 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf	11:08
146.202 propelling	RE19037	10:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen(Hohentwiel)	11:36
185.086		NB spoil	11:49
185.137		NB freight	12:06
185.xxx		SB freight	12:21
146.214	RE19042	11:19 Singen(Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf	12:27

N of Oberndorf-Aistaig

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
185.088		SB containers	12:47
120.134	IC185	11:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB	12:53
101.121	IC280	11:10 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf	13:07
152.077		NB light	13:33
146.208 propelling	RE19039	12:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen(Hohentwiel)	13:45

Dettingen, S of Horb

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
146.202	RE19044	13:19 Singen(Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf	14:38
115.459	IC187	13:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB	14:45
110.418	IC186	13:10 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf	15:17
146.221 t & t with 147.207	RE19041	14:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen(Hohentwiel)	15:23
146.208	RE19046	15:19 Singen(Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf	16:37
181.209	IC281	15:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB	16:49
120.134	IC184	15:10 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf	17:19
185.137		SB freight	17:53
146.207 t & t with 146.221	RE19048	17:19 Singen(Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf	18:38
101.073	IC283	17:57 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB	18:45
115.459	IC182	17:10 Zürich HB - Frankfurt(Main) Hbf	19:16
146.208 propelling	RE19047	18:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen(Hohentwiel)	19:22

The aim of the trip was to get photos of class 110/115 and class 181 locos on the Stuttgart - Zürich ICs but I hadn’t expected to get both classes on the same train. The first southbound, IC181, passed Grünholz with 115.459 leading a dead 181.213. It took a while to figure out but the only reason to send the two locos down to Singen was to bring two trains back. Sure enough, the 115 returned almost immediately with IC282, booked for a 101, while the 181 came back on its booked train, IC280, two hours later. That still left Stuttgart short of a 101 and it was no great surprise when the 115 took IC187 south and then IC182 north, later in the day.

Saturdays should be the least interesting of the weekend days on the Gäubahn with 101s working the majority of trains, only a handful of workings for classes 120 or 181 and no 110s or 115s at all. When one of the 101s falls into the Bodensee, seeks asylum in Switzerland, gets kidnapped by aliens, or whatever else could have happened to it, the 110/115s appear and a dull day suddenly becomes very interesting.

It was just as well that the 115 was working as my original plan for the afternoon rapidly fell apart. From my position, on the Singen line south of Tuttlingen, I could see the Tuttlingen - Immendingen line across the valley. As expected a 218 went west propelling three coaches around 10:20. I wasn’t expecting it to come back at 11:40 but that’s what happened. It seems that there’s engineering work west of Immendingen this weekend and the Ulm - Neustadt trains are turning round at Immendingen and returning east. No point in trying to get shots of the 218 working from Neustadt to Rottweil and back in the afternoon when it had already given up and gone home.

This was the only day of the trip forecast to have good weather and, for once, the forecast was accurate with all but a couple of shots being taken in good light.

Grünholz, N of Oberndorf

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
146.208	RE19038	07:21 Singen(Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf	08:40
115.459 181.213	IC181	05:56 Frankfurt(Main) Hbf - Zürich HB	08:54
120.134	IC284	07:10 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf	09:07

Möhringen (KBS755)

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
218.xxx propelling	IRE3220	08:10 Ulm Hbf - Neustadt(Schwarzw)*	10:20
218.xxx	IRE3211	10:32 Neustadt(Schwarzw) - Ulm Hbf*	11:38

*Services terminated at Immendingen due to engineering work between there and Donaueschingen

S of Tuttlingen

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
146.221 t & t with 146.207	RE19035	08:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen(Hohentwiel)	10:20
115.459	IC282	09:10 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf	10:33
185.137		NB freight	11:06
101.121	IC183	09:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB	11:32
Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
146.207 t & t with 146.221	RE19042	11:19 Singen(Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf	11:41
146.xxx	RE19037	10:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen(Hohentwiel)	12:19
181.213	IC280	11:10 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf	12:32
120.154	IC185	11:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB	13:32
146.208	RE19044	13:19 Singen(Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf	13:40
146.202 propelling	RE19039	12:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen(Hohentwiel)	14:22
101.121	IC186	13:10 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf	14:30
115.459	IC187	13:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB	15:31

S of Rottweil-Saline

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
120.154	IC184	15:10 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf	16:46
101.055	IC281	15:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB	17:12

Dettingen, S of Horb

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
146.207 t & t with 146.221	RE19048	17:19 Singen(Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf	18:37
101.121	IC283	17:57 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB	18:45
115.459	IC182	17:10 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf	19:17

Generally a lazy day, sitting in the car sheltering from the frequent showers and watching the trains go by in the gloom. Everything appeared to be running according to plan until mid-afternoon when 181.209 worked IC187 south in place of the expected class 115/110. There aren’t any booked 181 workings on Sundays and it was nothing short of a miracle that the train passed during one of very few short breaks in the cloud. The location was nothing special but I hadn’t expected to get anything in sun at all. Shortly afterwards the rain set in for the rest of the day.

Grünholz, N of Oberndorf

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
146.208	RE19038	07:21 Singen(Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf	08:27
115.459	IC181	07:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB	08:53
101.039	IC284	07:10 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf	09:07
146.221 t & t with 146.207	RE19035	08:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen(Hohentwiel)	09:35
146.202	RE19040	09:19 Singen(Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf	10:28
101.070	IC183	09:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB	10:57
101.121	IC282	09:10 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf	11:11
146.208 propelling	RE19037	10:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen(Hohentwiel)	11:36
146.207 t & t with 146.221	RE19042	11:19 Singen(Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf	12:27
101.039	IC185	11:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB	12:53
115.459	IC280	11:10 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf	13:09
146.202 propelling	RE19039	12:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen(Hohentwiel)	13:37

Oberndorf-Aistaig

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
146.208	RE19044	13:19 Singen(Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf	14:24
181.209	IC187	13:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB	14:55
101.070	IC186	13:10 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf	15:06

Grünholz, N of Oberndorf

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
146.221 t & t with 146.207	RE19043	14:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen(Hohentwiel)	15:33
146.202	RE19046	15:19 Singen(Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf	16:27
115.459	IC281	15:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB	16:53
185.085		SB containers	17:05
101.039	IC184	15:10 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf	17:14
146.208 propelling	RE19045	16:19 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen(Hohentwiel)	17:34

Basically a repeat of the previous day for me but this time without the 115s and 181s and without anything passing in sun, not that there was more than five minutes of good light all day. All the IC trains operated with the booked motive power and the only thing of interest on the passenger front was the change from 146.221 to 146.226 on the other end of the top’n’tail RE set with 146.207. The freight workings weren’t entirely as expected but not too far off.

After getting back to the airport a bit earlier than expected I checked out the S-Bahn briefly and found a pair of class 420 units on an S2 working. The only S3 train seen had a 423.

That’s it for this trip, back to work now for a few days before the next one.

Grünholz, N of Oberndorf

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
101.110	IC181	05:56 Frankfurt(Main) Hbf - Zürich HB	08:54
101.003	IC284	07:10 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf	09:14
146.208 propelling	RE19035	08:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen(Hohentwiel)	09:39
185.131		SB freight	10:00
120.134	IC183	09:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB	10:53
101.070	IC282	09:10 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf	11:08
146.226 t & t with 146.207	RE19037	10:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen(Hohentwiel)	11:34

Oberndorf-Aistaig

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
146.208	RE19042	11:19 Singen(Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf	12:26
185.092		SB freight	12:38
101.018	IC185	11:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB	12:54
101.110	IC280	11:10 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf	13:07
185.351		NB spoil	13:30
146.204 propelling	RE19039	12:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen(Hohentwiel)	13:35

Dettingen, S of Horb

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
146.207 t & t with 146.226	RE19044	13:19 Singen(Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf	14:41
120.137	IC187	13:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB	14:46
120.134	IC186	13:10 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf	15:17
146.208 propelling	RE19041	14:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen(Hohentwiel)	15:23
185.xxx		NB oil tanks	15:27