Germany - Pfalzer Dampfspektakel: 28 May - 1 June 2014

We rode on two days. The Wednesday when just the one train ran and it was possible to use it to get to locations on the branch. Also rode 01 202 to Heilbronn and back on the Friday. Lovely machine and so clean. The owning group do a fine job.

 

Steven, what time did the charter leave on Monday? I heard it was booked off Neustadt at 10.10, but when I left at 11.40 58 311 was still on shed! 01 202 had derailed on the turntable road the previous day, so don't know if that was affecting things, but it was still there late Monday morning. Only the front bogie wheels off, nothing to serious luckily.

 

I received a message to say an hour late but that must have been duff gen if 58 311 was still on shed at 11:40. We gave up waiting for it at Schifferstadt around midday.

 

Firstly, many thanks for the kind comment DD.

We finally left sometime after 12:30 with 52 7596 leading to Schifferstadt, and it took a long time to get to Ettlingen Stadt, so "lunch" was served after we had coupled up to the buffet car in the siding there at 16:30 onwards. When we were feed, the branch to Bad Herrenablb was clearly in the evening peak for tram-trains, so we had to wait a while before a great run up the branch, which has steam trains running about 10 days a year but is mainly for train-trams. I attach a few of the other aspects of the day, plus one of "casualty" 01 150 in steam at Neustadt Museum on the Sunday.

We had a look around the Railway Museum at Neustadt whilst waiting for the special. Pacific 18 505 and Palatine T5 0-10-0T. Then 58 311 at Schifferstadt waiting for an intermodal to pass before we could cross over to the right line for the route through Speyer. 52 7596 was difficult to get a decent shot of during a pause at Karlesruhe Hbf. It was difficult to tell if 50 2740 is still serviceable at Ettlingen Stadt, being stabled between coaches. Finally, 58 311 and her pre-war train arrived at the charming station at Bad Herrenalb.

Steven

 

Finally, a few more at Hermeskeil.

As I am interested also in carriages, I took a few of the coaching stock, especially the older ones, if anyone would be interested in seeing them.

Steven

 

You're most welcome!

I speak as I find......

I'll just say, don't be too self critical/hard on yourself ( we can all be that), if you're happy with what you've taken and what to share them with the world, then why not?.......... oh, and you know how to make a man jealous................................ along with everybody else who went Lol!!

 

Lovely photographs, wish I could have made.

58.311 interesting loco, but unfortunate infamous history.

 

Thanks Steven, I'm glad I didn't just miss anything - I think I was almost in Belgium by the time you left! Sorry to hear it took so long for everything to happen. Looks like you had a good time though.

50 2740 doesn't appear to have worked for about 3 years. I knew the number rung a bell, it worked a photo freight at the last dampfspektekal in 2010. I won't forget the roar or the monumental exhaust from it any time soon!

 

Many thanks - there was an inspection date on the cab or tender (I will dig out the photo I took of it and post) of 2012 - I wasn't sure if that was "next" or as per most rolling stock "most recent".

Steven

 

Jealous?? Not me. I'm not jealous. Envious, perhaps...

Although I wasn't able to go myself, a contact in Germany has kindly let me put some of his pictures on Flickr. This is the first one in the Photostream :

RD9445. 2-10-0 52 4867 near Knöringen-Essingen. by Ron Fisher, on Flickr

Alternatively, they can be found in the album :

https://www.flickr.com/photos/train-pix/sets/72157645028164231

There are many different shots and angles to those that we have already seen.

 

Gentlemen, cracking photos all round, they certainly know how to put on a spectacular show in Germany. Mr Spamcan, did you manage a tasting at the vineyard!!

Cheers

Alan

 

Some excellent shots here. including one of me in bashing pose at the window behind 01.118!

One thing to add is cost. I've just done a quick calculation considering the 5 days of the event and it cost me £61.80 per day. That is London back to London on Eurostar, ICE Brussels - Cologne return, IC in Germany along banks of Rhine, one week season ticket to cover all steam (and other local travel) plus high quality accommodation (single room) 20 minutes walk (or bus included in season ticket) from Neustadt station. Food/beer not included. I must stress that although I get priv travel on DB/Eurostar all the above was at public fare, being much cheaper than priv!

Think there's a clue there why I never travel on UK railtours these days alas!

David

 

Not at the vineyard but serious German beer and wine research was undertaken at the various establishments we frequented. We also tried a Cypriot floor cleaner posing as a red wine.

 

I think I have one of you in bashing pose behind 01 202.
I consider your comparison to UK main line steam is a tad unfair. This Plandampf was cheap to ride because costs were underwritten by the regional government. Compare that to the "pay to view" events such as the Werratal Plandampf and the sums are quite different. Now whilst I thoroughly enjoyed my runs with 01 202 and one of the 52s, a Pacific on four isn't exactly taxing the loco now is it? A Duchess on Shap, a Brit on the S&C, a Castle on the Devon banks, a Bulleid on Honiton or an A4 on Cockburnspath - all with 12/13 on - will give you much more stack talk for your £.