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Category Archives: Germany

(Rolling blog). Another mad day…

14 Thursday Jun 2018

Posted by in Germany, Railways, Siemens, Travel, Uncategorized

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Morning folks, it’s 06.51 here in Dusseldorf and I’m getting ready for another busy day with Siemens. I’ll try and blog through the day as the pace should be a little slower than yesterdays whirlwind. First, here’s a link to my Zenfolio website where I’ve managed to add some of the first pictures. Today we’re off to the Wildenrath test track to ‘play’ with some trains.

The first tough decision has come early, what to have dor breakfast here in the Radisson Blue. Talk about being spoiled for choice…

Oooh! OK, the fish it is…

S’cuse me whilst I tuck in…

14:00 (German time).

We’re now on a coach headingfor the airport after an interesting morning whizzing around the Wildenrath test track aboard one of Siemens new r-car Desiro HC (high capacity) EMUs which will run Rhine-Ruhr Express services from December 2018. The two centre cars of each set are double-deck vehicles. Here’s what they look like from the inside.

16:05

Now the fun starts! I’m about to board my flight from Dussledorf to Heathrow, then hot-foot it to Euston to meet Dawn to swap my brogues for walking boots and waterproofs before heading up the WCML to catch up with the team heading iff to do “3peaksbyrail”. It’s unlikely i’ll make it to Crewe in time to meet them at the start, so I’ll have to chase them as far as Bangor (or even Holyhead, where the train will be serviced whilst the walkers ascend Snowdon). Wish me luck…

16:32. Bugger, not a good start. Our plane’s been delayed by air traffic control. We won’t be pushing back for another 20 mins and it’ll take at least another 15 after that before we’re in the air…

16:50 (UK time)

Landed! In the end we were allowed to leave a bit earlier. The flight’s taken an hour so i’ve literally landed at the same time as taking off thanks to the time difference…

17:22.

I sped through passport control here at terminal 5. There’s plenty of biometric gates & few passengers! Now I’m kicking my heels by the baggage carousel, waiting for my suitcase. There’s no chance of making the Crewe connection now so the pressure’s off. Now all I’ve got to do is get to Bangor before the train collects the weary climbers after they’ve come down from Snowdon.

At least I get to have a more than a few fleeting moments with my other half now!

17:37

Still kicking my heels in baggage reclaim. An “incident” has delayed them apparently..

18:29

My bag finally arrived at 17:52. I’ve opted for Heathrow Express as I want to make up time.

Catching the Express wasn’t cheap but it was a good move as I got to meet Dawn at Euston with an hour to spare before her train back to Yorkshire. I have to admit, I couldn’t have done this without her love and support. We swapped all my conference gear for outdoor clothing, a sleeping bag and (vitally) midge spray! The hour passed in a flash. I left Dawn at Kings Cross, then made my way to Euston.

21.10.

I’m now speeding towards North Wales aboard a Virgin Pendolino, working the 21:10 Euston-Preston. I’ll be leaping off at Crewe but right now I have a table seat in the unreserved coach U which is giving me chance to charge up some of my batteries ready for the trip. The 3 Peaks stock is old mark 2 stock so charging stuff up is a challenge to say the least!

00:55

Phew! This is the final leg now. I’m on Arriva Trains Wales 00:15 from Crewe to Holyhead as far as Bangor. It’s a 2-car 158 fitted with power sockets and wifi. Unfortunately (tonight) it’s also been fitted with a group of loud and obnoxious young drunks. Yep, they’re the one’s who noticed I was taking a picture!

Thankfully, they got off at Chester so I’m enjoying the fact there’s only four of us left in the coach, allowing me to hog power sockets & suck up enough juice that I’m amazed this 158s keeping time!

Whilst I was waiting at Crewe the ‘Caledonian Sleeper’ called on its way to Fort William. As that’s where I’m headed it was rather tempting, but it would have been a cheat on a grand scale!

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Another mad week begins!

11 Monday Jun 2018

Posted by in Calder Valley, Germany, Hs2, I love my job, Never a dull life, Northern Rail, Photography, Photojournalism, Rail Investment, Travel

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The old expression “feast or famine” springs to mind this week as I find myself with one of those weeks where there’s just too much happening at the same time, leaving me with an interesting exercise in logistics and juggling.

Right now I’m off to Manchester to check on rail improvement work and the effects of the timetable ‘difficulties’. I’ll report back on what I find. At least my train from Sowerby Bridge to Manchester’s only a minute late. It’s 158905, which is one of the DMUs West Yorkshire PTE funded ‘back in the day’. It’s still providing sterling service, even if it’s carrying a lighter load than usual today.

Funnily enough, I’ve just passed one of its sister units at Hebden Bridge which is still carrying Scotrail livery (158871). It’s the delayed cascade of units like 871 that’s contributed to Northern’s present difficulties

Tomorrow, the fun starts in earnest. I’m attending the High Speed Rail Industry Leaders conference in Leeds then heading straight down to London in readiness for an early morning flight to Germany. I’m part of a Siemens press trip which will preview some of their new products ahead of the massive Innotrans trade fair in Berlin in September. It’s going to be a busy couple of days in Germany but as soon as I land I have to dash again – this time to Crewe as I’ve volunteered to take the pictures on the Railway Children charities annual ‘3 peaks by rail’ fundraiser. This is only being made possible by my long-suffereing wife, Dawn – who will be meeting me (fleetingly) in London for a rapid kit change! Hopefully (Heathrow customs permitting) I’ll make it to Crewe in time to catch the train. If not, I’ll be catching up with them in Bangor at some God-awful hour!

The ‘3 Peaks by rail’ event lasts from Thursday evening until Saturday evening, when I should land back in Preston in time to get home. Last year that didn’t happen. One of the pair of Class 37s had to be changed at Carlisle so we were late and I had to stay over in Manchester. I’m hoping for better luck this time. Dawn’s on standby with the car, just in case…

As you can see, there’s going to be plenty to shoot and write about, so watch this space…

15.37.

Right now I’m returning from a look at electrification of and expansion to Bolton station. The delays to this project are another reason for Northern’s problems…

Titbits…

02 Wednesday May 2018

Posted by in Germany, Railways, Siemens, Travel

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I’m just about to fly back from Dusseldorf after a whirlwind visit to examine the new Siemens built Class 717 trains for GTR which will operate on the routes out of London’s Moorgate station.

I’ll be blogging about the trip at length, but here’s a taster, this is the set I drove earlier today on the Wildenrath test track.

Here’s a video showing our take-off from Dusseldorf and journey across the city

By fluke, I was sitting on the side of the plane that allowed to notice we flew past the test track on the way home. Here’s what it looks like from the air. The circular tracks really stand out.

Wildenrath.jpg

Here’s another selection of pictures from the plane, starting off with crossing the UK coast at Sherness, on the Isle of Sheppey.

1. Passing Sheeness.

From here, our plane headed over to the Thames before flying along the North bank of the river. Here’s a series of shots of Tilbury docks and the Queen Elizabeth 2 bridge on the M25. In this shot you can see the patchwork of fields giving way to urbanisation and industrialisation. 2. Tilbury Docks

Here’s a closer look at the port of Tilbury.

3. Tilbury docks

Looking back at the Queen Elizabeth Bridge

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Lazy Sunday…

01 Sunday Apr 2018

Posted by in Germany, Harz railway, The Rodelblitz, Travel

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It’s been a quiet Sunday here in Surrey. The weather’s been dry but dull so I had some time to myself, leaving Dawn & her family to their own devices for the morning whilst I took time to catch up on more picture editing, captioning pictures to add to my Zenfolio  website .

This has taken me on a real trip down memory lane – to the former East Germany in February 2007 when a group of friends who styled themselves as the ‘Asperger-Tourettes Railway Touring club’ visited the stunningly scenic and impossibly romantic Harz railway. This metre gauge line spans a network of 140km, running 25 steam locomotives as well as diesel locomotives and railcars. If you want to learn more about the railway, here’s a link to their website. If you’ve never visited, you really should. The line connects some beautiful little towns in the Harz mountains which are steeped in history – ancient and modern. The railways tracks may be narrow but there’s nothing small about the steam locomotives. Here’s one of the big 2-10-2 tank engines that are used on many services.

FDG05089. 99 7243. Wernigerode. Harz Railway. Germany. 10.2.07

Weighing in at over 60t fully loaded and at more then 3.6 metres tall, these are no toy trains!

FDG05109. 99 5901. Harz railway. Germany. 10.2.07

Winter wonderland. One of the smaller Mallet engines hauls a train through typical Harz territory – pine forests.

FDG05101. 99 5901. Harz railway. Germany. 10.2.07

Steam and snow…

FDG05141. 99 7235. 99 6101. Drei Annan Hohne. Harz railway. Germany. 10.2.07

The junction of Drei Annan Hohne can be surprisingly busy, with several trains in attendance at one time.

I’ve a gallery on my Zenfolio website dedicated to the Harz railway, so if you want to see the full selection, click on this link.

The next day we headed off to enjoy something else rather special, steam on the mainline. The ‘Rodelblitz’ was a train that ran from Eisenach to Arnstadt via the scenic line through Oberhof using locomotive 41 1144, one of 366 Class 41 2-8-2 fast goods locomotives built between 1936-41. They’re amazing machines and very different if all you’re used to is British steam locomotives. The locomotive hauls coaches from the old Deutsch Reichsbahn (East German railways) whilst the staff wear DR uniforms and sell old DR ticket stock which adds to the period feel.

FDG05197. 41 1144 waits at Zella-Mehlis. Germany. 11.2.07

41 1144 takes a break at Zella-Mehlis whilst working the Rodelblitz on the 11th February 2007

FDG05269. 41 1144. Rodelblitz. Germany. 11.2.07

The old East German coaches allow you to hang out of the window and appreciate the sights, smells and sounds of a loco working hard.

FDG05264. Rodelblitz old DR tickets. Germany. 11.2.07

Old DR ticket stock used on the Rodelblitz

FDG05278. Rodelblitz fireworks. Oberhof. Germany. 11.2.07

Buffet car staff getting into the spirit of things by setting off fireworks from the coach window!

On arrival at Arnstadt we had the opportunity to visit the nearby railway museum which is housed in an old locomotive roundhouse. It contains a wide selection of steam and diesel locomotives, most of which are in working order.

FDG05240. 89 6311. 0-6-0WT Henschel & Sohn (Kassel) of 1936. Arnstadt. Germany 11.2.07

0-6-0 tank engine No 89 6311 was built by Henschel & Sohn (Kassel) in 1936

The full selection of pictures (and more from a previous trip in 2006) can be found here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time to catch my breath for a moment…

23 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by in Germany, Siemens, Thameslink, Trams

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I’m scribbling this on board a TPE train from Huddersfield to York, where I’m volunteering at tonight’s Railway Benefit Fund spring ball. Here’s the poster;

Bz_NyTuCMAEAixd.jpg small

It’s been a hectic week that’s left me with no time to blog – but plenty to blog about. It began with another press trip to Germany where Siemens were hosting a pre UITP 2015 conference event at their factory at Krefeld & test track at Wildenrath. 50 plus journalists from across Europe attended. To say Siemens had plenty to talk about & show us was an understatement – the press pack weighed a ton! At Krefeld we had a choice of seminars on digitalization, the Thameslink Class 700s and improving rail capacity through the use of electronic signalling. There was even a presentation on eBuses. After the presentations we toured the Thameslink Class 700 production line & were treated to a demonstration of the company’s 3-D design technology. All this has provided a huge amount to write about (I’ll be blogging about the Thameslink 700s in a separate piece when I’ve more time).

After a night in Dusseldorf we moved on to the Siemens test track on the former RAF base at Wildenrath which is a fantastic resource. It has two circular test tracks (the longest is 6km) and numerous testing & commissioning workshops. We’d come to see two different vehicles fleets; first was the new Avenio hybrid tram for Doha in Qatar. I have to say, this concept has the potential to be a real game changer for tramways – you’ll be able to read a full report about it in my next article for RAIL magazine. As well as being shown a static tram we took a ride on another which was under test. For a battery powered vehicle, their performance is impressive. Later we were treated to a ride on one of the 12-car Class 700s which are at Wildenrath for testing before they move to the UK later this year. I’m really looking forward to seeing them arrive as they’ll make a huge difference to capacity on the network. As an aside, Siemens mentioned that the Desiro City operating costs are 47% lower than the Class 450 Desiro. The presentations often contained interesting nuggets of information like this. Another mentioned that 3D printers have solved the problem of obsolescence in spare parts as it’s now possible to recreate them – even in small numbers.

One of the 19 3-car Avenio hybrid trams Siemens are building for Doha in Qatar.

One of the 19 3-car Avenio hybrid trams Siemens are building for Doha in Qatar.

Here's 700101 on the test track at Wildenrath. Earlier in the month I had the opportunity to drive it at 80mph!

Here’s 700101 on the test track at Wildenrath. Earlier in the month I had the opportunity to drive it at 80mph!

Right, we’re almost at York, so it’s time to go. I’ll write more about my experiences with Siemens soon. In the meantime, if you want to have a look at the rest of the pictures from Germany, follow these links;

http://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/p273014381

http://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/p921265531