European Railroad Discussion > Towards Dagebüll Mole, Germany

This summer I looked for a destination for a train trip into Germany.
Deutsche Bahn (DB) runs a few summer holiday intercity trains towards the Wattenmeer with some cars en-route to Dagebüll Mole (quay). These trains are normally pushed north by an electric locomotive type 101.
Where the overhead wires stop, the electric locomotive leaves the train and one ore two type 218 (mostly rented by DB from private companies) diesels are coupled in front of the cab car to pull the train. Cars en-route for Dagebüll Mole in front of the train are shunted out in Niebüll, picked up by a NEG-motor-car and combined with a generator car.

1) Here is an ex-Deutsche Bahn 218 in Itzehoe after being coupled to our train. We got only one locomotive, but the schedule allowed for a slow pace of about (I guess) 80-90 kilometers per hour/ 50-55ish mph.
https://cdn.trainorders.com/attachments/thumbs/1579000/01d_613de1c8402b7.jpg

2) Leaving Itzehoe the train crosses the Nord-Ostsee-Kanal.
https://cdn.trainorders.com/attachments/thumbs/1579000/01dd_613de1d2e855f.jpg

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The shunting operation in Niebüll was quickly done.
The locomotive takes our two cars from the train north to an exchange track and runs back to its train.
The NEG-motorcar connects to the south of our cars and pushes them against a power-generator car and then moves southwest towards the NEG-Niebüll station across the street of the DB station.
Then it leaves for the short trip to Dagebüll Mole. Shortly before Dagebüll the train meets a train running back to Niebüll.

3) In Dagebüll Mole the motorcar is quickly uncoupled and run around the cars. Dagebüll Mole is the quay where ferries to some islands in the North Sea / Wadden Sea dock, one of those you can see in the background (backsea?).
https://cdn.trainorders.com/attachments/thumbs/1579000/01e_613de8e21b79b.jpg

4) Meanwhile, people are leaving the train.
https://cdn.trainorders.com/attachments/thumbs/1579000/01f_613de9406a769.jpg

The train waited for some delayed ferries to arrive, so we took our delayed motorcar back, instead of waiting for our planned but also delayed train back to Niebüll. The DB-coaches where closed now.
5) After arrival in Niebüll NEG, the DB coaches are shunted in a side track. They will go back to Dagebüll Mole on the next day, to pick up passengers and go back south.
https://cdn.trainorders.com/attachments/thumbs/1579000/01g_613de9548576d.jpg

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Interesting shots from an area not seen by too many.  I always called the waterway the Kiel Canal.