Thu 12 Sep 2013
17/10/13 21:45 | Thu 12 Sep 2013
By lunchtime there was no sign of the light improving on the Paris - Belfort line, so I set off on the long journey east to the Stuttgart - Singen line, hoping for some afternoon shots on the Höllentalbahn or the Gäubahn. If anything, the weather was worse in Germany with heavy rain most of the way from Freiburg to my base for the next few days, Empfingen, near Sulz am Neckar. There was no sign of the cloud breaking anywhere. Time to call it a day and retire gracefully to the bar.
Fri 13 Sep 2013
17/10/13 21:45 | Fri 13 Sep 2013
It was Friday the 13th, the forecast was gloomy and it was completely overcast at dawn, hardly a promising start. Fridays should see a 181 and a 120 each working a Stuttgart - Zürich IC to Singen and back. There’s also a 115 booked to work south in the evening but it’s much too late to photograph. I’d expected the remaining IC services to be worked by 101s but they seemed to be having an unlucky day. The first northbound was 101 hauled but none of the other trains were. Every other IC seen was worked by a 120 or a 181.
The Stuttgart - Singen REs were all 146s on dosto push-pull sets apart from the expected 425+426 combo on RE19040. The Rottweil REs were all 425s, again as expected.
There wasn’t a huge amount of sunshine but I did manage five shots in full sun including a 181, a 120, a 146 and a pair of 185s on a freight. The freights ran largely as expected, with two exceptions. There was an unexpected southbound van train just before midday, hauled by a 185 as virtually all the freights are, and an even more unexpected northbound train of armoured vehicles in the afternoon, hauled by an extremely unexpected 232!
Probably the best day of the trip so far, although that’s not saying much.
The Stuttgart - Singen REs were all 146s on dosto push-pull sets apart from the expected 425+426 combo on RE19040. The Rottweil REs were all 425s, again as expected.
There wasn’t a huge amount of sunshine but I did manage five shots in full sun including a 181, a 120, a 146 and a pair of 185s on a freight. The freights ran largely as expected, with two exceptions. There was an unexpected southbound van train just before midday, hauled by a 185 as virtually all the freights are, and an even more unexpected northbound train of armoured vehicles in the afternoon, hauled by an extremely unexpected 232!
Probably the best day of the trip so far, although that’s not saying much.
Grünholz, S of Sulz am Neckar
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 181.223 | IC181 | 07:58 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB | 08:55 |
| 101.041 | IC284 | 07:05 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf | 09:09 |
| 185.088 | NB Containers | 09:33 | |
| 146.210 propelling |
RE19035 | 08:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen (Hohentwiel) | 09:35 |
| 185.089 | SB Freight | 09:47 | |
| 181.204 | IC183 | 09:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB | 10:54 |
| 120.109 | IC282 | 09:05 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf | 11:10 |
Aistaig, N of Oberndorf (Neckar)
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 146.206 propelling |
RE19037 | 10:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen (Hohentwiel) | 11:37 |
| 185.087 | SB Vans | 11:48 | |
| 185.392 185.238 |
NB Containers | 12:09 | |
| 146.210 | RE19042 | 11:19 Singen (Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf | 12:25 |
| 120.135 | IC185 | 11:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB | 12:56 |
| 181.223 | IC280 | 11:05 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf | 13:08 |
N of Rottweil-Neufra
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 146.208 propelling |
RE19039 | 12:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen (Hohentwiel) | 13:58 |
| 146.206 | RE19044 | 13:19 Singen (Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf | 14:05 |
| 232.703 | SB Light Engine | 14:14 | |
| 181.204 | IC186 | 13:05 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf | 14:46 |
S of Rottweil-Saline
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 120.109 | IC187 | 13:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB | 15:14 |
N of Rottweil-Neufra
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 232.703 | NB Military Vehicles | 15:43 | |
| 146.210 propelling |
RE19041 | 14:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen (Hohentwiel) | 15:57 |
| 146.208 | RE19046 | 15:19 Singen (Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf | 16:05 |
| 120.135 | IC184 | 15:05 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf | 16:46 |
S of Rottweil-Saline
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 181.xxx | IC281 | 15:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB | 17:15 |
Sat 14 Sep 2013
17/10/13 21:45 | Sat 14 Sep 2013
Another interesting day on the Gäubahn but a totally unproductive one. The sun did come out for 20 minutes between trains in the late afternoon but there were no shots in good light and it rained for most of the morning. Once again the rarer classes were busier than expected on the ICs at the expense of 101s. Two 115s were out, instead of the one expected, and a 181 also made an unexpected appearance. Add in a 120 and there wasn’t that much left for the 101s to do.
There were a couple of steam specials running from Rottweil to Villingen, Donaueschingen, Tuttlingen and back to Rottweil, celebrating 10 years of the 3er Ringzug, the local service over the same route operated by the Hohenzollerische Landesbahnen using soulless class 650 railcars. The loco was Rottweil based 52.7596 without feedwater heater or smoke deflectors. It wouldn’t have looked too out of place on the Usak - Afyon mixed in the early 1980s but wasn’t quite right for the Schwarzwald.
The REs all worked as expected with 146s on the Singen trains and 425s on the Rottweils. The two morning northbound freights I expected didn’t run but there was a block train of Fals hoppers southbound in the afternoon behind the inevitable 185.
There were a couple of steam specials running from Rottweil to Villingen, Donaueschingen, Tuttlingen and back to Rottweil, celebrating 10 years of the 3er Ringzug, the local service over the same route operated by the Hohenzollerische Landesbahnen using soulless class 650 railcars. The loco was Rottweil based 52.7596 without feedwater heater or smoke deflectors. It wouldn’t have looked too out of place on the Usak - Afyon mixed in the early 1980s but wasn’t quite right for the Schwarzwald.
The REs all worked as expected with 146s on the Singen trains and 425s on the Rottweils. The two morning northbound freights I expected didn’t run but there was a block train of Fals hoppers southbound in the afternoon behind the inevitable 185.
Grünholz, S of Sulz am Neckar
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 120.110 | IC181 | 05:56 Frankfurt (M) Hbf - Zürich HB | 09:10 |
| 115.346 | IC284 | 07:05 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf | 09:10 |
| 185.266 185.310 |
NB Light Engines | 09:35 | |
| 146.210 propelling |
RE19035 | 08:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen (Hohentwiel) | 09:37 |
| 146.206 | RE19040 | 09:19 Singen (Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf | 10:30 |
| 181.207 | IC183 | 09:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB | 10:55 |
| 101.044 | IC282 | 09:05 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf | 11:10 |
| 146.208 propelling |
RE19037 | 10:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen (Hohentwiel) | 11:36 |
| 146.210 | RE19042 | 11:19 Singen (Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf | 12:28 |
| 115.448 | IC185 | 11:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB | 12:54 |
| 120.110 | IC280 | 11:05 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf | 13:07 |
N of Rottweil-Neufra
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 146.206 propelling |
RE19039 | 12:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen (Hohentwiel) | 13:59 |
| 146.208 | RE19044 | 13:19 Singen (Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf | 14:05 |
| 52.7596 | 75911 | 12:57 Immendingen - Rottweil Special | 14:25 |
| 181.207 | IC186 | 13:05 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf | 14:47 |
| 101.002 | IC187 | 13:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB | 15:14 |
| 146.210 propelling |
RE19043 | 14:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen (Hohentwiel) | 15:59 |
| 146.206 | RE19046 | 15:19 Singen (Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf | 16:05 |
| 185.397 | SB Fals Hoppers | 16:30 | |
| 115.448 | IC184 | 15:05 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf | 16:47 |
| 101.024 | IC281 | 15:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB | 17:18 |
| 146.208 propelling |
RE19045 | 16:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen (Hohentwiel) | 17:58 |
| 52.7596 | 75913 | 16:57 Immendingen - Rottweil Special | 18:02 |
| 146.210 | RE19048 | 17:19 Singen (Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf | 18:05 |
Sun 15 Sep 2013
17/10/13 21:45 | Sun 15 Sep 2013
More rain, and it was forecast to stay dull and wet all day. Instead of sitting in the car watching the rain lashing down, I decided to sit on a train and watch the rain lashing down. First move was from Oberndorf to Tuttlingen to pick up the Schwarzwald Bunny (218.406 today) for a trip to Neustadt, then to Rottweil and back to Villingen. Then it was time to have a look at potential photspots on the Schwarzwaldbahn with a trip to Offenburg then back down to Singen before finally returning to Oberndorf. Apart from the 218 and it’s 3-coach push-pull set, everything else I travelled on was formed of Dosto push-pull sets worked by 146s.
The main sightings of interest were at Rottweil where they’re clearly preparing for a big track renewal job with piles of new sleepers and other material in the station area. 213.336 and 218.261, both with Bahnbau Gruppe markings, were stabled at opposite ends of the station. Kriegslok 52.7596 was also there, waiting to depart on what appeared to be a special to Tübingen. There were at least two withdrawn 110s at the depot, one of them clearly being worked on by the preservation group based there.
The Schwarzwaldbahn was seriously overgrown in most places, which is just as well as the last thing I need at the moment is another line to photograph. Unless the weather improves dramatically, the 115s will be at least 200 years old before i’ve got the shots I want on the Gäubahn. There were a few good positions but nothing exceptional and if all that’s on offer is 146s and the occasional 101 or 185, they can wait.
Only three of the Stuttgart - Zürich ICs were seen, IC280 and IC185 were expected to be worked by 101s and were. IC281 was a 181 as expected.
Timekeeping was generally good throughout the day but not always spot on. My +1 from the northbound Schwarzwaldbahn train into the southbound at Offenburg looked seriously dodgy when we dropped a couple of minutes and I was all set to switch to plan B. However it wasn’t required as the southbound was also a few minutes late.
The main sightings of interest were at Rottweil where they’re clearly preparing for a big track renewal job with piles of new sleepers and other material in the station area. 213.336 and 218.261, both with Bahnbau Gruppe markings, were stabled at opposite ends of the station. Kriegslok 52.7596 was also there, waiting to depart on what appeared to be a special to Tübingen. There were at least two withdrawn 110s at the depot, one of them clearly being worked on by the preservation group based there.
The Schwarzwaldbahn was seriously overgrown in most places, which is just as well as the last thing I need at the moment is another line to photograph. Unless the weather improves dramatically, the 115s will be at least 200 years old before i’ve got the shots I want on the Gäubahn. There were a few good positions but nothing exceptional and if all that’s on offer is 146s and the occasional 101 or 185, they can wait.
Only three of the Stuttgart - Zürich ICs were seen, IC280 and IC185 were expected to be worked by 101s and were. IC281 was a 181 as expected.
Timekeeping was generally good throughout the day but not always spot on. My +1 from the northbound Schwarzwaldbahn train into the southbound at Offenburg looked seriously dodgy when we dropped a couple of minutes and I was all set to switch to plan B. However it wasn’t required as the southbound was also a few minutes late.
Oberndorf (Neckar)
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 146.210 propelling |
RE19035 | 08:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen (Hohentwiel) | 09:38 (travelled Oberndorf - Tuttlingen) |
Rottweil
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 213.336 218.261 |
Stabled | 09:53 (both DB Baugruppe) |
|
| 52.7596 | Rottweil - Tübingen Hbf Special | 09:53 |
Aldingen
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 146.206 | RE19040 | 09:19 Singen (Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf | 10:00 |
Tuttlingen
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 218.406 propelling |
IRE3220 | 08:10 Ulm Hbf - Neustadt (Schwarzw.) | 10:15 (Travelled Tuttlingen - (Donaueschingen)) |
Donaueschingen
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 218.406 | IRE3220 | 08:10 Ulm Hbf - Neustadt (Schwarzw.) | 10:45 (Travelled (Donaueschingen) - Neustadt (Schwarzw.)) |
Neustadt (Schwarzw.)
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 143.312 t & t with 143.364 |
RB26932 | 11:31 Neustadt (Schwarzw.) - Freiburg (Breisgau) Hbf | 11:32 |
| 218.406 propelling |
RE22304 | 11:33 Neustadt (Schwarzw.) - Rottweil | 11:32 (travelled Neustadt (Schwarzw.) - (Villingen)) |
N of Donaueschingen
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 146.239 | RE5317 | 10:09 Karlsruhe Hbf - Kreuzlingen | 12:16 |
Villingen (Schwarzw)
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 218.406 | RE22304 | 11:33 Neustadt (Schwarzw.) - Rottweil | 12:25 (travelled (Villingen) - Rottweil) |
Rottweil
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 101.024 | IC280 | 11:05 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf | 12:50 |
| 218.406 propelling |
RE22311 | 13:11 Rottweil - Neustadt (Schwarzw.) | 13:02 (travelled Rottweil - Villingen) |
| 185.087 | SB Containers | 13:02 | |
| 101.002 | IC185 | 11:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB | 13:09 |
Villingen (Schwarzw)
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 294.821 | Stabled | 13:49 | |
| 146.229 propelling |
RE5314 | 12:31 Kreuzlingen - Karlsruhe Hbf | 13:49 (travelled Villingen (Schwarzw) - Offenburg) |
Offenburg
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 146.234 | RE5323 | 14:09 Karlsruhe Hbf - Kreuzlingen | 14:59 (travelled Offenburg - Singen (Hohentwiel)) |
Hornberg
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 146.239 propelling |
RE5316 | 13:31 Kreuzlingen - Karlsruhe Hbf | 15:32 |
St Georgen (Schwarzw)
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 146.228 propelling |
RE4722 | 14:38 Konstanz - Karlsruhe Hbf | 15:58 |
Singen (Hohentwiel)
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 146.210 | RE19048 | 17:19 Singen (Hohentwiel) - Stuttgart Hbf | 17:04 (travelled Singen (Hohentwiel) - Oberndorf (Neckar)) |
| 146.112 propelling |
RE5320 | 16:31 Kreuzlingen - Karlsruhe Hbf | 17:06 |
| 185.397 152.160 11215 [SBB] |
Stabled | 17:20 |
N of Engen
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 181.xxx | IC281 | 15:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB | 17:36 |
Aldingen
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 146.208 propelling |
RE19045 | 16:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen (Hohentwiel) | 18:00 |
Mon 16 Sep 2013
17/10/13 21:45 | Mon 16 Sep 2013
My final day on the Gäubahn and the sun actually came out for a couple of pictures in the morning, a 101 and a 185 of course, not the 115 I really wanted. The blue patch turned out to be a freak event and the rest of the day was completely overcast. After the 115 had passed in full gloom it was time to move on to the Oberpfalz, north-east of Nürnberg. On the way I stopped near Etzelwang to see the afternoon freights from Amberg and Plzen making their way westwards in the drizzle.
Grünholz, S of Sulz am Neckar
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 120.156 | IC181 | 05:56 Frankfurt (M) Hbf - Zürich HB | 08:59 |
| 101.045 | IC284 | 07:05 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf | 09:13 |
| 185.093 | SB Freight | 09:21 | |
| 146.208 propelling |
RE19035 | 08:18 Stuttgart Hbf - Singen (Hohentwiel) | 09:38 |
| 185.085 | SB Freight | 09:57 |
Aistaig, N of Oberndorf (Neckar)
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 101.051 | IC183 | 09:56 Stuttgart Hbf - Zürich HB | 11:00 |
| 115.448 | IC282 | 09:05 Zürich HB - Stuttgart Hbf | 11:11 |
Lehendorf, W of Etzelwang
| Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 232.527 | EK56908 | 14:48 Amberg - Nürnberg Rbf Freight | 15:20 |
| 232.589 | EZ45330 | 03:30 Plzen - Nürnberg Rbf Freight | 16:09 |
