Fall Steam - Plandampf 2006, Part 1 (70 p.)

ronik24 · Apr 12, 2018

(Originally posted in 2006)

Germany, October 2006

Hi,

About a month ago I took a short holiday to enjoy some fall steam:

Destination was "Plandampf"-event "Steam Clouds between Odenwald and Hohenlohe", where four steam locos were used for regular and photo trains on four days. "Plandampf" means that regular trains usually consisting of modern rolling stock are replaced by nostalgic rakes running at almost the same schedule and regular fare.

As orientational aid I sketched a map showing places mentioned in the reports, green lines represent unelectrified routes with Plandampf action, red lines indicate electrified main lines:

Of course once more I used public transport, among that also 10 times steam trains with all available locos!

On thursday, 28. 9., evening I left Vienna by EuroNight 228/324 to Aschaffenburg. Since arrival time was scheduled at 3:22 a.m. I didn't mind some delay caused by replacement of a faulty couchette coach (thankfully the one next to mine

). It still was quite a long wait at Aschaffenburg in the morning.

Night train: my recently renewed ÖBB couchette coach

Impressions of waiting commuter trains at 4 a.m., Aschaffenburg

At first I explored part of the lines with steam traction in the following days using modern trains.
Walldürn, the center of attraction that weekend, still presented itself quite sleepy.

At Seckach the line from Miltenberg, so called "Madonnenland"-line, joins S-Bahn line 1 Kaiserslautern - Mannheim - Heidelberg - Osterburken

Contrasts of radical modernization versus old station bulding

Osterburken is another important junction

Former steam-mekka Lauda

I took accomodation in a hotel right next to Tauberbischofsheim station, a good choice since it proved to be a central vantage point for the next days.
After a short shopping stroll, during which this photo was taken, I finally could catch up with some sleep in my hotel room...

... as I had had to get up early next morning (Saturday, 30. 9.). That day there was a bus connection to Walldürn, here at sunset during layover at Hardheim

At Walldürn the nostalgic program could at last start, eagerly the arrival of the steam trains was awaited. Sadly two locos, 64 491 and nostalgic diesel 212 084 (V100), were broken and couldn't be used for the whole event.

64 419 battles the last grade to Walldürn station with RegionalBahn 18463 from Miltenberg

23 042 almost arrived at the same time with the train from Seckach. Other than regular trains, the steam trains reversed at Walldürn, so there always was enough shunting action to keep people entertained.

Departure from Walldürn with RB 18413 to Seckach, right on time at 9:08 a.m. Now the space to take pictures already got very sparse due to immense crowds of photographers...

Time to get out into the countryside inside RB 18414 to Miltenberg behind 64 419, here at the much-visited "photo-curve" which will be investigated more thoroughly in the next part of the report.

64 419 with RegionalBahn 18417 at Breitendiehl
Film: http://www.raildata.info/zeug/fhda0621.avi (1,5 MB)

Strangely, Y-ties were used here out of no apparent reason (normally used for example inside tunnels after electrification to get the maximum height clearance, or for better stability in curves).

Also: why are these kids playing so much better than the Austrian soccer team?

;D