European Railroad Discussion > detour trains Germany - Poland

Time again to show some of my photos from "good old Europe":-)
Last weekend saw once again detours between Germany and Poland as the trunk line Berlin - Frankfurt(Oder) - Poznan was closed in Germany due to construction.
While many trains were cancelled, some EuroCity "Berlin-Warsaw Express" were rerouted over the former diesel mainline "Ostbahn" to Kostrzyn behind the famous "Ludmilla" locomotives. This might have been their final outing in front of a EuroCity and DB needed already help form their subsidiary MEG to power the trains (not enough Ludmilla locos left with the technical equipment for passenger trains). Currently only one active 234 remains on the DB roster: 278. Its sister loco 242 had a severe engine failure on on of the trains. Many freight trains were rerouted over the diesel line between Guben and Czwerwiensk.
The weather was extremely hot (up to 32 degrees Celsius) but with extended stays at one of the many lakes during the "midday sun" it was a very enjoyable weekend.
My personal favorite were the international night trains Paris - Moscow and Warsaw - Amsterdam which met in the old freight yard of Kostrzyn (Polish border town) to swap engines. These classic scenes and night trains will soon be a thing of the past with further reductions in night train services throughout Europe.
Enjoy the pics
Christoph

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Photo 2 is a knockout, my nominee for IOTD. Thanks for posting!

Thanks a lot! Unfortunately I believe that the IOTD always will be an US pic.
The atmosphere during the night in this freight yard was simply incredible. And I was allowed to walk around there with my tripod. Can you imagine this nowadays in the US?
I have prepared also a b/w version of it and I have to admit that I don't know which version I like more.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/11/14 15:03 by Chris-from-Germany.

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By the way: the electric loco on this picture is still visible on the rear of the train. It will stay in Poland while the train continues with diesel into Germany over this secondary bypass line.

Thanks Chris, a really splendid set.

Chris, congratulations on IOTD. Your color and B&W are great. I also could not pick one over the other.
John

Great scene, cab lights and blue in sky really makes it. Thanks!

Bob Jordan

Love those photos. Please keep posting them! Thanks.

Alexmarissa Wrote:
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> Love those photos. Please keep posting them!
> Thanks.

Ditto!!! Thanks!

You had the last laugh on IOTD, Chris! That may be the first non-USA IOTD. Congrats!

Tor in Eugene, Oregon, United States of Tor

Thanks a lot. It is really an honor to have the IOTD.

Actually I did take many wonderful photos during my15 trips to the US too, but currently my focus is the changing railroad scene especially in former Eastern Europe. You might compare the situation with Mexico to US standards. In countries like Poland you have a wonderful old infrastructure and quite a variety of trains and locos. But there is such a lack in investment that the downside trend is hard to stop.

I have attached one more classic photo of these detour trains: it shows an old diesel loco of the Polish Railways PKP which was built in Romania. There had been 2496 locos built of this class for many Eastern countries. You can truly compare it with EMD's SD40-2! Now these locos are phased out quickly in the remaining countries.

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Fantastic images. Love those huge deiesels! Did not know their name until today.. Ludmila! The name fits well! ;-)

egonzinc Wrote:
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> Fantastic images. Love those huge deiesels! Did
> not know their name until today.. Ludmila! The
> name fits well! ;-)


This nickname was created as these diesels were built in Russia for the former GDR. So they carry the name of a Russian girl ;-)

Open auto carriers, no rock throwers in the eastern hemisphere? Congrats on IOTD

My son is over there right now on a German class trip. Makes me wish I was over there with him.