Harz Railway - February 2014

A rather lengthy video from my first (but definitely not last) visit to the Harz. I thought I had lost two days of footage after one of my SD cards apparently became corrupted but whilst uploading this video I have been able to recover the files. I'd like to thank all those who have posted such useful tips and information about the area on the various threads on this forum which was of real benefit to me. A second video including the recovered files including special workings with the Mallet and 99-6101 will follow soon.

 

Good stuff. I'm in Wernigerode at the moment having just arrived from the UK today and I'm looking forward to getting on the trains tomorrow. It's my third visit and like you hope it won't be my last.

 

Thanks very much, hope you have a fantastic time...it's guaranteed though in the Harz!

 

This year we decided to stay in three different places. The first night we stayed in Wernigerode, we then got the train to Nordhausen via the Brocken and stayed the next night there. Today we got the first steam train from Nordhausen to Wernigerode, then back to Eisfelder Tahlmule to change for the train to Quedlinburg where we are spending tonight before getting the train back to Hannover tomorrow. Today we've done 155km behind steam for the princely sum of €18. The highlight being standing on the balcony of an 8 coach train with the locomotive's smokebox inches away as it blasted up the 1:30 gradient out of Eisfelder Tahlmule, you can't get that experience in the UK, the noise is phenomenal.

 

Good fun ain't it.

 

It's brilliant, the first time I came here 10 years ago, I managed to get a footplate ride on this section!

 

Apologies for high-jacking this thread but I have just returned from my first trip to the Harz - kind of special, isn't it! Also a trip to Mansfelder Bergwerksbahn at Klostermansfeld, where sadly their steam loco was indisposed but we were still properly entertained by Thomas and friends as part of the Inside Track Wintry Harz holiday. Amazingly, "wintriness" was the only thing missing - snow only from half way up the Brocken!

I attach a few 'photos - a great first trip to the Harz and I very much hope and expect not the last!

Steven

 

A few more (there is a limit of 10 per post!)



Steven

 

Lovely photos Steve, the Harz is certainly very special. Here is the final video from my visit;

 

As everyone else seems to be hijacking Austin's thread...!









A few from 13/14 February. The rest at http://www.flickr.com/photos/5944/sets/72157641855539923/

Nice videos Austin, it's always good to see videos of stuff that you normally only see through the viewfinder of a stills camera. I think I've made half a dozen trips there, it never fails to impress.

 

Never fails to disappoint? Are you sure you've worded that correctly?

 

Doh! Edited. I've been busy building N gauge points today, my brain is a bit frazzled!

 

Thanks for your kind comments Nigel and thanks for a wonderful set of photographs. I'd planned to visit the Selketalbahn this year but after problems with the memory card I concentrated on the Brockenbahn and Harzquerbahn until next time. I've a feeling it will become an annual pilgrimage now to the Harz.

 

If you plan an annual pilgrimage can I recommend that you consider joining one of the tour groups which visit around February when tour participants join the 3 charter days operated by the "Friends of the HSB" as a "Gala" event. This not only gives haulage behind some of the rarer vintage locomotives on the HSB fleet but also a trip to the Brocken and a trip over the Selketal in at least one direction; photo stops are made on these charters at some convenient (for rail access) locations and on my last 2 visits (2013 / 2014) I managed to take over 500 images on these 3 days alone !!

In one respect it may seem dear BUT you will be guaranteed something unique at some point over the period; this year it was the timing of 99.5902 to set back into Goethesweg Passing Loop (unusual for trains TO the Brocken) then the capture of 2 trains at the location with both locomotives facing smokebox first (not part of normal scheduling). Another classic scene was the sight of 99.222 / 99.6001 / 99.6101 ( the 3 prototype locomotives) together at Eisfelder Tahlmuehle; they passed in the station and for 15 seconds it was possible to capture a rare image of the trio together which some of us did - but others missed.

There are alternatives to getting to Wernigerode to join the main charters but if you can afford both cost and time I would heartily recommend either the February trip(s) for best chance of snow or June / July trips for the best chance of sunshine.

 

Join a tour group if you want to pay well over the odds and be stuck to a set itinerary. Each to his own but I prefer the freedom of a DIY approach. I take your point about specials but if you're there at the same time you'll at least see some of them anyway. Also on a group, unless you're prepared to head off on your own, you'll be limited to spots chosen by the organiser and usually quite close to the action. A DIY approach gives you the chance to explore some of the distant shots. Swings and roundabouts I suppose. I'd suggest October also as the autumn colours can be very nice and a bit cooler than high summer so better exhausts.

 

A fair point for those who are (i) younger (ii) able / willing to drive and (iii) have the time to spare on organising transits and / or accommodation but why settle for "seeing some of them" when a tour group not only "sees all of them" but has added opportunities to both travel on all of them and achieve line side photography.

Many persons on the tours that I have been on are either (i) elderly or (ii) can't / don't speak German or (iii) prefer someone else to arrange the basic details and therefore find the tours the best way of sampling the Harz narrow gauge systems. As a rough guide of cost my itinerary of Day 1 fly to Berlin then train to Wernigerode; Day 2 spend day on Wernigerode - Brocken services; Day 3 morning and in afternoon join 99.5902 on Wernigerode - Brocken charter; Day 4 join 99.6101 on Gernrode - Eisfelder Tahlmuehle charter returning behind 99.6001 on Eisfelder Tahlmuehle - Wernigerode charter; Day 5 join 99.6001 + 99.222 on Wernigerode - Nordhausen charter then watch locos being turned and serviced at Nordhausen before returning behind 99.222 + 99.6001 on Nordhausen - Wernigerode charter; Day 6 spent travelling to Berlin (photographing main line services) and flying back to the UK cost a little under £1,000:00. That gives a cost of a £150:00 per day OR £250:00 for the 4 actual days of steam action without counting any cost for the night sessions where shed scenes provided further opportunities for railway photography that resulted in some 750 images to add to my collection.

Looking at the prices now being charged by UK companies for main line steam haulage I think that the costs of visiting the Harz mountains with a tour company are actually very reasonable - especially when all travel costs and 4-star accommodation is included. It may be my age but I now find the package tour option an attractive and cost effective way of seeing my favourite railway system - and that comes from a person who organised many trips to the Harz mountains when I had to deal with the East German authorities in the 1970 / 80s !

 

Points taken but friends of mine who are OAPs and speak not a word of German have successfully done the Harz on a DIY basis. As for your 750 images, did your "motor drive" stick in the on position?
Returning to the specials. HSB runs its own vintage trains so travel on these is possible. I've done 99 6001 and the Mallets on service trains too so interesting motive power is available even to "ordinary" passengers. Not saying DIY is the only way to go but it's quite possible to have an great time in the Harz with a variety of loco types without tying yourself to a tour group.

 

My personal preference would always be to do it myself. For my wife and I, flights from Liverpool to Berlin, accommodation and car hire came to a lot less than the £1000 mentioned by Fred. We managed to see and film three specials, two which we knew about and one, with the Mallet, which was a pleasant surprise. We are thinking about returning this autumn instead of our annual trip to Scotland and the Selketalbahn is the priority. As has been said the DIY approach allows you to explore shots for yourself, but of course, it is all a matter of personal choice.

 

As I mentioned, I did it with one of the specialist rail travel companies (Inside Track). The advantage for me (I am middle-aged and running my own business) is not having to worry about organising it, being part of a group if things go wrong and having extras and special features like availability of a coach to go linesiding and various trips and special features like the WesternTor works tour organised. At the same time, and you may say this is a waste of the price of the price of the holiday, a good number of our party "did their own thing" on occasions, which in my case and that of a couple of others was a second trip up the Brocken (or in one couple's case, 2 or 3 extra trips!). We spent 3 days focusing on the Selketalbahn, based opposite the Station at Alexisbad, and then moved to Wernigerode and an excellent hotel opposite the Town Hall. We got plenty of chance to travel the whole system plus the trip to Klostermansfeld and the franchised branch (with ancient diesel railcar) that serves there!

I am sure it is each to their own - since having my own business, I have always traveled with a travel company so I minimise the time and hassle of planning a trip. For many, those things may well be part of the enjoyment of the holiday! There are excellent holidays organised from the UK and many operators do include plenty of "free days" if you do want to do your own thing, while others will have a full programme but don't object if people miss parts (as long as you tell the courier!)

Incidentally Ian, one of your 34081 colleagues was on the trip - had to employ his former skills as a doctor when one of our party suffered a fall at the top of the Hexentanzplatz Schwebebahn above Thale.

Steven

 

Was that "Doc" Lacey? Big guy with a beard.