Jon Searles' photos with the keyword: German

I took this photo mainly because I liked the shape of the trainshed. It was taken from the train, if memory serves, as we were waiting to depart.

I've been sitting on this video ever since I made it two years ago. I always intended to release it, though, since I like Germany and I love German trains. I've never done a German railway video this long before, either. I hope you all enjoy it.

This shot came out better than I was expecting. I bumped the contrast up by 10% in Gimp, and removed some dust, but ultimately that's all I had to do to it. The thumbnail actually made it look worse. This might be my best photo of Koln Hbf, at least at night.

Here's another shot taken of the Kriegslok's cab, which appears to be a heavy-duty winter cab, which makes sense given that it served in the Soviet Union. The number "T3-3644" must have been the number for Soviet service, unless they had to make one up for display (I don't know if they have the records).

This is actually not a Czech locomotive or a Soviet locomotive, but a German Kriegslok from World War II (built by Wiener Lokomotivfabrik, Floridsdorf in 1943) that's been disguised as a Soviet locomotive, as it would have later served on RZD in the Soviet Union after being claimed as reparations. These locomotives became the RZD TE Class, and #555.0301 was one of 100 purchased from RZD in 1962-1963 for heavy freight service. With 1178kW ( 1580 horsepower) they had more power than the typical Czech locomotive, and they were also very fast for a Czech freight locomotive, being capable of 80Km/h in service. Of course, they weren't Czech. During their RZD service, they were converted to run on Russian 1524mm broad-gauge track, but obviously CSD converted them back to 1435mm standard-gauge. After serving into the 1970's, the Kriegsloks on CSD were put back into military use, although this time as reserve locomotives. Many European governments stashed steam locomotives away in the 1950's-1990's, expecting an oil shortage should a total war break out, but the Czech government gave up this policy in 1993, at least for the Kriegsloks, thus freeing up this locomotive for historic preservation. Unfortunately, it doesn't still run, in spite of having been kept for service so late.

I'm unaware of whether this is still an interlocking signalbox, or something else (probably something else given that DB is one of the most modern railways in the world), but it's definitely occupied.

Here's Schwandorf Bahnhof, or station, with some other privately-operated trains visible. I don't know too much about them yet.

Germany is almost as much of a beer-oriented country as the Czech Republic, but nevertheless my first Czech beer on the way back was before we crossed the border.

Strangely, I've had trouble getting information on these. I've seen them before, but I can't find information on them on the internet.

This is another classic that I spotted, a Class 218 diesel. Although it resembles the old (and even more classic) V200 diesel of the late 1950's, the Class 218 was introduced in 1966, and was initially classified as the V164 before DB changed their numbering and classification system in 1968. It was part of the V160 series of diesel classes intended to replace the V200, which was the first mainline express passenger diesel used extensively by DB. Today, very few diesel locomotives are used in express service in Germany due to extensive electrification, so most work locals on branchlines. We had actually spent much of our trip behind diesels because of diversions and construction work, but this wasn't the usual situation for our train. Getting back to the Class 218, the Class 2,467 horsepower in prototype form (the first 12 in service 1966-1968), but this was upgraded to 2,763 from 1968 onwards, putting it close to American diesels, which at the time were some of the more powerful diesels in the world. Maximum operating speed was and still is 140Km/h, just as fast as all of the electrics of the day except for the 103 (which was allowed a maximum of either 160 or 200 depending on the service, making it the fastest in the world at the time). The 218 was more interesting than is obvious, though. Firstly, it isn't a diesel-electric but a diesel-hydraulic, and in spite of the terrible reputation of this technology, the 218 has been in continuous service for 44 years. In addition, because it's a mixed traffic locomotive, it has both a high and a low gear, the low one limiting the top speed to 100Km/h, doubling the tractive effort. Some locomotives originally had a third gear that tripled the tractive effort, although I don't know how many still do. At least one source cites the low-gear top speed as 90Km/h, so this may refer to these units. In 1996-1998, 10 units were re-geared in the opposite way for 160Km/h express services, interestingly out of Munich, being classified during that time as Class 210. Finally, while modern diesel-electric locomotives have dynamic brakes, using the traction motors for braking, the 218 has hydraulic braking that accomplishes the same goal.

I was very happy when we arrived in Munchen Hbf to see several classic German locomotives, in addition to some original Class 401 ICE sets. This is a Class 111, introduced in 1974, and so well-known that it made it into the strategy computer game "Railroad Tycoon II," one of my all-time favorite games. In real life, these locomotives were so successful that 227 were built by various contractors until 1984, and the only ones scrapped to date (two of them) were totalled in accidents. These locomotives have 4990 horsepower, and can reach a maximum operating speed of 160Km/h (99 m.p.h.), although they don't generally work too many express trains anymore. Originally, they weren't used in express service, and weren't even rated for 160, but from 1980 onwards they were upgraded to support the even-faster (and older) Class 103 express locomotives, although both the 111 and the 103 have now been mostly replaced in this role by the 101 and similar newer classes.

Here are some DB EMU's outside of Munchen Hbf as we approached the station (I was shooting back). I don't know the classes since I can't read the numbers (they're blurred), but they would be either Class 422, 423, 424, 425, or 426, as they have very similar carbodies to each other.

This Class 183 is the standard electric locomotive used by ALEX, as well as the Vogtlandbahn before they switched over to EMU's (This is from WIkipedia, I don't know if it's accurate since in 2005 I noticed they were already all-EMU). This is #183001, although I don't know if it's genuinely the first of the class. The Class 183 is a variant of the ES 64 U "Eurosprinter" electric used by the OBB and DB, designated internally in Seimens as the ES 64 U4. On the OBB, the ES 64 U is classified as Rh 1016, and on the DB as Class 182. SZ, the Slovenian railway, although has a few, classifying them as Class 541. In spite of looking quite brutal and heavy, these locomotives, while indeed powerful with 8,600 horsepower, can operate at 230Km/h (143 m.p.h.), and reach a top speed of 357Km/h (222 m.p.h.), making them one of the fastest electric locomotive classes in history. Actually, given that most German and Austrian coaching stock is only rated for 200Km/h (124 m.p.h.) this is overengineering in the extreme.

This looks, at a glance, like a Class 440 EMU, although from this angle I can't read the number.

Here's a better view of Regensburg Hauptbahnhof. Again note the bikes.

Regensburg is an old Romanl city dating to about 90 A.D. Most of what's left is medieval in nature, although not so much in the vicinity of the station (that building behind the station on the right looks Baroque). These historic buildings were better preserved than most German buildings in World War II partly because Allied commanders spared it on purpose for its historic value. To me as a modern American living in Europe, though, I was impressed by the extensive use of bicycles in Regensburg, as you can see in the racks on the platform.

I don't know if this interlocking (or possibly more modern) signal box is still used for its original purpose, but it's still standing and manned.

The first stop in Germany on the route is at Landshut, which is a combination passenger and freight station.