My Rail Trips Dortmund - Markdorf in April 2004

As I had to leave Intermodellbau 2004 in Dortmund on Wednesday, 21st of April, return on Friday 23rd and leave on Sunday I had the opportunity to do the distance of about 600 km 3 times by rail. Here is my report with pictures:

Wednesday April 21. I first took a DB local train from Dortmund Westfalenstadion to Dortmund main station (sorry no picture...). At Dortmund main station one set of an ICE3 train was awaiting me. The only one set was a special, we were informed this was due a delay of the originally scheduled two units set. The special ran to Cologne, see picture above. Here everybody had to depart ans switch to the delayed original train. It is now 6 pm. As the train still hasn't reached Cologne there was some time to make some pics at Cologne.

143 662-5 arrives Cologne main station with a commuter train.

Another push-pull commuter train enters the main station.

About ten minutes we had to wait on our ICE-train Cologne-Munich. Due to the delay the train stopped only for a few minutes to depart again southbound. Between Cologne and Frankfurt a new high speed track is used. The train reaches top speeds of 300 km/h and sometimes even more. During the journey the conductor is announcing there is a road blockage between Stuttgart and Ulm and all passenders to Ulm need to leave the train at Stuttgart. So I had to leave in Stuttgart too as Ulm is the destination to switch trains for me.

This is a pic of "my" ICE3 train - it will leave soon on an alternative route to Munich. Again there is some time to wander around for some evening fotos in Stuttgart main station.

101 077-6 on an express train with Swiss coaches.

The express locos of class 110 are now used mainly in commuter service. Here 110 291-2 at Stuttgart main station.

Soon my next connection arrives. It is a local push-pull consist of double deck commuter cars driven by an electric engine of class 143. As this train is running on the blocked road the train ride is finished at Göppingen. There has been a fatal accident at Süssen. An empty electric motor car consist crashed into the engine of a track measurement train, the engineer of the commuter train was killed, 6 railroader from the other train were injured. At Göppingen two busses were waiting to bring the passengers to Geislingen, where the journey should be continued by train. It is now dark outside and the bus tour is leading us to every bus stop between Göppingen and Geislingen. At Süssen the bus is passing the wreck of the commuter train. The wrecking crew had pulled the motor car out of the loco with a derrick. The double track mainline is still blocked by the loco and the MOW train. A few minutes to 10 pm the bus tour ends at Geislingen. At the station an other local train is already waiting - it seemed the journey will continue very soon. 110 496-7 will push the train to Ulm.

More than 1 hour later the train was still sitting at Geislingen. Infomation was very poor what is going on. Then the next bwo busses were arriving and finally the train left Geislingen...

..to arrive at Ulm at around 11.30 pm. My originally planned connection was gone 2 hour before. I had some minutes to fotograph this tilting train set with 612 150-3 at the front.

Then the last train to Friedrichshafen was ready to board. It is 650 203-3 in the special "Seehänsele" paint scheme and two more 650 units. As the last connection to Markdorf at Friedrichshafen was leaving at nearly the same time this train left Ulm, I decided to exit at Ravenburg and take a taxi home. I was at home at 1 am on Thursday. If all my connections would have worked I should have been at Markdorf at 10.50 pm.

It is now Friday, April 23, 2.23 pm Markdorf. A light thunder storm is approaching Markdorf and the local to Friedrichshafen arrives. It is a 628 motor car with the non motored car 928 338-3.

In Friedrichshafen the sun is still shining on this "sandwich train" between two class 218 diesels. Here I meet with Mathias to continue our journey to Dortmund. We get off the sandwich at Ulm, where we have one hour for train spotting!

The wreck has been cleaned up at Süssen and ICE trains are stopping at Ulm again. Here you see an ICE2 set approaching Ulm main station from the north. 401 518-6 is the number of the leading engine.

Here you see the full train at the platform.

We also could watch freight action. 152 037-6 is entering the station with a tank train.

Engine 2102 of the bankrupt KEG is still on the road pulling a work train. The six axle diesel was aquired second hand from Romania. The nick name of these engine is "crab cutter", as their 2 stroke engine sounds very similar to a commonly used marine engine.

Again a tilting train - this time it is 612 650-2.

Top: A mixed freight with 152 132-7 runs through the station.

Left: The same train set as met on Wednesday at Geislingen departs in direction to Stuttgart.

Below: 3 Regioshuttle motor cars, DB class 650, are pulled by 218 194-9 for repair or service. The train stoped at the track between the two platform tracks. 

Then our ICE3 train arrives. The train has a delay of a few minutes, but on the new road between Frankfurt and Cologne it gets back to schedule by running 300 km/h.

The display at the ends of each car gives you information on the trains name, the stations and sometimes on the speed it runs. The ride at 300 km/h is still smooth but the display is too dark for a fast speed of the camera. Sorry...

In Cologne Mathias is posing in the door of our coach.

The train is now completely on schedule up to the entrance of Dortmund main station. On the last few meters - the platform was already beside the train, the brakes went into emergency... We arrived with about 3 minutes delay.

On Sunday, April 25, 4.23 I took the below shown local train of the Volmetal (Volme valley) Bahn to Dortmund main station.

This is a view into one of the end cars of a ICE3 set.

The cockpit of the ICE3.

The train was on schedule until about 50 km to Frankfurt the train came to a stop on the open road. A technical problem was announced and the conductor was walking around the train, inspecting the wheel sets. After a quarter hour the trip was continued. Fortunately my connection at Ulm was waiting and also at Friedrichshafen my last connection was reached nearly in time.