Prototype Deutsche Bahn - Köln

[Yorkshire Dave]

My first encounter with DB was at Köln Zoo of all places. We were stationed in Germany in the late 60's early 70's during the height of the cold war. The first three photos were taken by my dad and here I have been caught clambering all over a Prüßen T3.

No health and safety here.


Climbing up the sand dome...


..... and finally made it!


Around 20 years later I was in Stuttgart.

Br 110


Br 103

Br 103

Br 110

Br 928


Frankfurt am Main - mid 1990's

Baureihen 103, 110, 141 and 111 galore.


and a Br 01


More will follow as an when I process them.

 

[Roger Pound]

A delightful selection - we are in a similar situation of having more pictures to process. I look forward to seeing more of your collection as and when - they remind me of happy days spent watching the DB in action.

Roger.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

A few more around Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt (Main) Süd and Hanau. 1990s.

Br 110 - Frankfurt (Main) Süd.


Preserved Br 18 (Br 118) with ex DR coaches - Frankfurt (Main) Süd.

Back to Frankfurt am Main - this Br 110 was travelling at a fair lick over the flyover.

Br 155 in ex DR livery, Br 218 and Br 141. Br 111 on the train in the background - Frankfurt am Main.

Blue Br 181 - Frankfurt am Main

Turquoise and cream Br 181 - Frankfurt am Main

ET 420 - Frankfurt am Main

ET 420s - Frankfurt am Main

Br 155 (ex DR) in neu rot livery - Frankfurt am Main

Br 360 - Frankfurt am Main

And onto Hanau

ET 420 - these carried the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV) branding of the Frankfurt am Main transport authority seen above the left headlamp.


Gliesmesszug wagen - Hanau.

ET 420 - Hanau

Hanau goods yard

Br 111 is at the head of the train - Hanau

 

[allegheny1600]

Wonderful pics!
I do envy you, Dave - getting up close and personal with that little T3.
I wish I had known DB in late era IV/early era V - it was so very colourful and interesting then. Nowadays DB itself is rather boring but the private operators make a huge difference.
I see that then as well as now, preserved stuff on the mainline was a sight to behold that took you back in time.
Cheers,
John.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

A bit further south this time, again during the 1990s.

Nürnberg Rangierbahnhof (Nürnberg Rbf).

Br 290


Br 151. This had just come in and crossed the turntable.


View from the interior.

Br 151 - this was under repair.


Br 360 repainted in early DB livery.

Br 360

Br 290 working the hump. The van on the left has just been pushed over and on it's way to the sorting sidings.


And finally an appetiser...

ICEs, Br 120 and Br 111 - München Hbf


München Hbf - DR Br 01.5 backing onto it's train. On this visit it had just started snowing.


And on it's way to Salzburg on a Christmas special.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

I do envy you, Dave - getting up close and personal with that little T3.

I never did manage to climb onto the roof. I think this T3 has now been returned to service.

 

[Roger Pound]

The Nurnberg batch reminded me of watching the yard and hump-shunting at Derendorf, on the outskirts of Dusseldorf. The 290's there did it day in, day out in the late 70's and early 80's until the hump was closed.
Please keep the pictures coming.

Roger

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

One more from Nürnberg Rbf



Then on to Darmstadt-Kranichstein




Darmstadt-Kranichstein is the home of the Eisenbahnmuseum

And you could get cab rides on the BR44 and a BR55 and ride on and off the turntable.

In 2000 we were on a steam hauled trip from Nördlingen to Geislingen (Steige) to celebrate 150 years of the Geislingen Steige (incline) and the town also laid on a festival - beer, music, food etc.

This ex-DR BR41 (deputising for the Bayerische S3/6 which had developed a fault the previous day) hauled us from Nördlingen to Ulm where we met the E94 hauled train from München. The trains were joined and we proceeded to Geislingen (Steige) up the incline - and naturally all this was slotted in between the normal services.

A steam hauled Pendelzug (shuttle) ran between Amstetten and Geislingen (Steige) - top and tailed with a Baden VI c (BR75) at the front and a BR 64 at the rear. These trains were full as people were also standing on the verandahs.


A small display was in the yard with a few of the locos used on goods trains.

BR 150.


BR 152 (relatively new then).

 

[michael080]

Dave,

the Geislinger Steige is only an hour from my hometown. Every couple of months, if the weather is nice, I visit the place and take pictures.

In 2010, there was another steam gala at the Steige.



01 1066 is climbing the Geislinger Steige towards the plateau of the "Schwäbische Alb" on its way from Geislingen to Ulm. There were two steam trains running parallel on both tracks. A nice opportunity for great pictures. A rare opportunity to see a hard working express engine so close.

01 1066 is a class 01.10, built in 1939 with a poor performing boiler. Only after receiving a "Neubaukessel", a much better steaming boiler, did it become one of the best performing engines of the Bundesbahn. 10 of the 55 engines have been preserved.

Michael

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Following @Roger Pound 's DBAG exploits here are some taken at Koblenz in the late 1990s early 2000.

My friend and I were driving along the Rhine towards Koblenz to our hotel. I tended to book the hotels on the fly while we were driving to see if anything was available.

While approaching Koblenz this took us a bit by surprise (after spotting it in the rear view mirror) and being the passenger I shoved my camera through the sun roof of the car and grabbed these hence the poor quality.





We finally caught up with 141 174-3 at Koblenz



This was the view from the hotel window




Some more of Koblenz








Finally the Br 103 and SBB train which we though was not going to stop.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Over the weekend of 9-12 November 1989 I was in Stuttgart for Modellbau Süd - Ausstellung für Auto-Flug-Schiffs-und Eisenbahnmodellbau at Messe Stuttgart, Killesberg. These were taken at Stuttgart Hbf of which some have been seen previously.

Although sunny it was cold and crisp.

Upon looking back the 9th November 1989 was a significant date in post-war modern German history - the fall of the Berlin Wall. Being 630 km away the events in Berlin seemed remote.

Br 110. 110 183-1


Br 628.2/928.2 with 928 301-1 leading and 628 301-4 trailing.


Br 110. 110 229-2


Br 110. 110 180-7


Br 181




Br 103. Cannot pick up the number due to the sun's reflection but it's either 103 115-2, 103 162-4 or 103 169-9 as these were the only three in this livery at the time.


Br 218. 218 219-4


n-Wagen Steuerwagen mit Karlsruher Kopf Führerstand


Towards the buffers.


Br 110. 110 198-9

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Meanwhile still in Stuttgart - a study of Br 103s.

103 149-1




103 223-4 with the revolving Mercedes sign on the station building tower in the right position!




And some arrivals

A pair of 103s on simultaneous arrivals - I just didn't know which way to turn!


Br 110.


Finally, the obligatory bus at Schloßplatz.

 

[Roger Pound]

Delightful pictures, Dave. I have memories of Blue Br 181's at Koblenz in the eighties and being pulled by them on trains to and from Cochem. Unfortunately many photos I took then were subsequently lost in processing - my only consolation was replacement films.....! I have always admired the way the DB has never rushed in to applying the larest or revised paint scheme on their stock and the number of years blue BR110's, Green Br1`40's and the wine-red diesels remained before falling victim to the latest shade of red.
Looking forward to seeing more, please.

Roger

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

I have always admired the way the DB has never rushed in to applying the larest or revised paint scheme on their stock and the number of years blue BR110's, Green Br1`40's and the wine-red diesels remained before falling victim to the latest shade of red.

Yes, the period from 1980 to the formation of DBAG in 1994 was colourful. Even then the repainting from Orientrot to Verkehrsrot was not overnight.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

My travels took me through Köln quite a bit during the 1990s in the days when Eurostar terminated at Waterloo.

Brussel Zuid/Bruxelles Midi.

The original Eurostar - I was right up against the barrier at the end of the platform for this one.




SNCF Paris bound TGV.


SNCB EMU.


Then into Köln

SNCB 1600 tri-voltage locomotive. The pantographs from front to back 15kV AC (Germany), 3,000V DC (Belgium) and 25kV AC (France). Alas the loco was too heavy to lift to check if there was a Märklin 3-rail skate underneath.


And the empty stock train heading across the Hohenzollernbrücke to Köln Deutz for servicing. The SNCB orange Eurofima stock had 'study the ballast' toilets and the Brussel Zuid - Köln service on my later visits was in the hands of Thalys units. This was taken from the viewing area at the end of the platforms - ideal for watching the trains on and off the bridge.


As was this looking back towards the station.


Br 215.


Meanwhile at the other end of the station. Br103 103 216-8 with a train of ÖBB coaching stock.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

On another visit to Köln it was snow showers and I had just come off the train in the centre from Brussel Zuid/Bruxelles Midi.





And now some trams.

Köln Heumarkt stop - the tram has come off Deutzer Brücke.




Köln Neumarkt


At the November 1996 Modellbau this was parked in the lower level Köln Messe station. Br 120, 120 129-2 in Märklin Weihnachts (Christmas) livery (I'm on the right and a friend from New Zealand is on the left). The cabs were also open and you could climb up inside.

 

[michael080]

Meanwhile still in Stuttgart - a study of Br 103s.

103 223-4 with the revolving Mercedes sign on the station building tower in the right position!

thanks for all the pictures. Stuttgart is my home town, I arrived every morning at the main station on my way to univerity.
There is a nice urban legend that the rotating Mercedes sign has been powered by a VW engine. I don't know if that is real, but I found a nice picture of the sign.




Michael

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

thanks for all the pictures. Stuttgart is my home town, I arrived every morning at the main station on my way to univerity.
There is a nice urban legend that the rotating Mercedes sign has been powered by a VW engine. I don't know if that is real, but I found a nice picture of the sign.

Thanks for this Michael. It lead me down a rabbit hole and found out is was erected on the Bahnhofsturm in 1952. I see it was taken down in 2021 and will be reinstalled on the renovated Turm during this year. DB press release 2021

 

[Roger Pound]

The picture of the Koln-Buxelles service brought back some memories for me. The SNCB loco no.1606 seemed to be the loco selected for the Oostende-Koln service every time I used it. On only two occasions were other class members (1602 and 1605) used. 1606 did disgrace itself once by failing at Bruxelles-Midi/Zuid on one occasion which meant a dash across the platforms to catch a Bruxelles - Oostende service, which was hauled by a class 27. Admittedly there were only eight class members, all stationed at Bruxelles-Midi/Zuid. I always felt slightly disappointed that I never experienced haulage by one of the class 18's, but that's life!

Roger