GERMAN VISIT - Day 3

Discussion in 'Locomotives' started by class48nswfan, Jul 17, 2018.

  1. class48nswfan

    class48nswfan Full Member

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    Off to the Ruhr on the 0804 Koln to Essen formed off double deck stock and a Class 146 electric. I expected to be routed through Koln Mulheim but instead we went out past the carriage depot and out towards Neuss before turning right (or east of you prefer) and thence Dussledorf and Duisberg. All three of these stations are big with a selection of local trains of varying sizes. I changed at Essen for a local service formed of a Class 425 EMU heading towards Bottropf. This is a small three platform station to the east of Oberhuasen Osterfeld Yard and I was gambling that the freight line would be reasonably busy.

    Correct For a change! An hour and a half saw a freight train every ten minutes with a selection of local services to pass the time. The freight lines are on the south side of the station and although photography is limited (eastbound photographs better than westbound) this proved a rewarding location. Next was a local service to Oberhausen which passed the aforementioned yard (and MPD in the distance). It was nice to see a Soviet built Class 232 present towards the east end of the yard. Oberhausen proved interesting – a former steel electric engine is one permanent display at the station with a torpedo wagon and various other exhibits. An Hector Rail Class 162 electric loco passed through before the next train to Hamm via Gelesenkirchen and another yard at Wahne-Eickel. The latter proved too far from the train to see anything interesting although a few locos were stabled adjacent to the station.

    I was greeted by a Class 218 resplendent in an old DB livery at Hamm. Another very spacious station the freight lines pass to the north although occasional freight trains pass through the station. A reasonable selection of passenger and freight trains passed the station. I obviously have that kind of “he knows his way about a station” as I managed to assist two passengers find their trains with a mixture of bad German (mine) and slightly better English (theirs). After a slightly disappointing first hour I decided to stay for another and several more freights rolled by before I departed this time via a National Express Emu with a special sauna heating setting to Hagen for a quick change onto a lte running air cooled Inter-city set back to Koln. I had intended to call it a day but slightly revived I headed out to Troisdorf where I hoped to capture some southbound freights toward the Rhine.

    Unfortunately, some inconsiderate so and so has built a long and high wall which stymied that idea although it was fun watching the passing ICE trains and some loco hauled push pull sets. I got a late running train off the Rhine line back but changed at Koln Messe Deutz in order to walk across the Koln railway bridge. Well worth it.

    So to conclude – a great few days and I thoroughly recommend a visit to Germany to sample the railway scene.
     

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