Wed 23 Oct 2013

Another trip to Germany to try some of the lines that got away the last time. I took the 06:20 easyJet from Gatwick to München arriving around 30 minutes early due to a prompt departure and a strong tailwind. The take off was very impressive - we must have used around ten yards of the runway at Gatwick before we were airborne. There was a lot of cloud over München but it looked much clearer to the south when we landed. By the time I’d collected the hire car, the blue sky had moved a lot further south and by the time I reached Klais, between Garmisch and Mittenwald, it was well over the Austrian border and probably the Italian border as well. The forecast was for cloud and rain after a sunny start so there was little chance of getting any worthwhile shots once the light had gone.

The opportunity was taken to ride the line in order to look for photspots. I travelled from Klais to München, then back all the way to Mittenwald before returning to Klais. I did wonder whether a normal return ticket from Klais to München would have been the most economic option but it worked out at twice the price of a Bayern Ticket, so that was what I used.

It was noticeable that there weren’t a lot of pictures of the Mittenwaldbahn on the web and I soon found why. The trackside is horrendously overgrown almost all the way, quite a change from most of the lines I’m familiar with in southern Germany. It’s a shame that photography looks so difficult because the autumn colours are fabulous and probably the best I’ve seen this side of the Pennsylvania state line.

All the München - Mittenwald trains were worked by class 111 electrics, as expected. Some trains were formed entirely of single deck stock, while others were a mixture of single and double deckers. All trains were push-pull with the loco at the Mittenwald end. Timekeeping wasn’t good with ten minute delays common.

Class 426 EMUs were seen at Garmisch-Partenkirchen on Reutte services but there was a class 442 stabled there as well. Class 442s, or maybe the same one twice, were seen on Oberammergau services at Murnau both times I passed through. Locals from Weilheim to Augsburg were class 648 DMUs operated by the BRB (but probably no relation to the BRB that used to live at 222 Marylebone Road). Class 423 EMUs worked S-Bahn services north of Tutzing.

Two freights were seen between Tutzing and München, much to my surprise, both worked by unidentified Augsburger Localbahn V100s.

At München itself, a good selection of trains was seen. One Passau service was a 440 EMU but two others were 111s. Most trains turned up with the expected traction though. One IC working wasn’t identified. I thought it was EC115 at first but that turned up later. It could well have been substituting for an ICE as the departure indicator showed an ICE as the next departure from that platform. Unfortunately I didn’t note which ICE. 103.245 was stabled outside the depot, looking magnificent amongst the 111s, and probably waiting for its afternoon trip to Nürnberg.

Klais

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
111.019 RB59509 09:32 München Hbf - Mittenwald 11:16
111.040
propelling
RB59542 11:36 Mittenwald - München Hbf 11:45
(travelled Klais - München Hbf)

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
111.017 RB59499 10:32 München Hbf - Mittenwald 12:01

S of Murnau

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
111.037 RB59513 11:32 München Hbf - Mittenwald 12:33
111.005 RB59521 12:32 München Hbf - Mittenwald 13:03

München-Pasing

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
223.068 [VBG] ALX84148 13:19 München Hbf - Lindau Hbf 13:26

München Hbf

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
111.031 RB59515 13:32 München Hbf - Mittenwald 13:30
218.469 RE57590 14:52 München Hbf - Kempten 13:30
218.435 RE57510 13:52 München Hbf - Füssen 13:30
111.039 RE4069 11:16 Passau Hbf - München Hbf 13:40
218.440
218.428
EC193 09:16 Zürich HB - München Hbf 13:40
111.024 RE59156 14:28 München Hbf - Treuchtlingen 13:59
183.002 [VBG] ALX84110 14:44 München Hbf - Hof Hbf 14:06
101.030 ICXXXX ? - München Hbf 14:07
(possible ICE Erzatz)
218.471
propelling
RE57509 12:06 Füssen - München Hbf 14:20
218.493 RE57412 14:20 München Hbf - Memmingen 14:20
111.052
propelling
RE57309 12:35 Treuchtlingen - München Hbf 14:22
111.039
propelling
  Empty Stock 14:25
111.043 RB59549 14:32 München Hbf - Mittenwald 14:32
(travelled München Hbf - Mittenwald)
111.040
218.430
  Stabled 14:34

München Hbf Depot

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
111.123
103.245
  Stabled 14:36

München Hbf

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
101.119
propelling
EC115 06:31 Münster (Westf) Hbf - Klagenfurt Hbf 14:36

München-Pasing

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
223.067 [VBG] ALX84149 11:58 Lindau Hbf - München Hbf 14:41

Tutzing

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
111.017
propelling
RB59544 13:37 Mittenwald - München Hbf 15:09

Murnau

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
111.037
propelling
RB59530 14:37 Mittenwald - München Hbf 15:45

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
111.005
propelling
RB59546 15:37 Mittenwald - München Hbf 16:12

Mittenwald

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
111.031
propelling
RB59532 16:37 Mittenwald - München Hbf 16:37
(travelled Mittenwald - Klais)