The BeerTrain

Time to go to Germany & Austria once more in search of new track for Rabbits and the like . Single manned trip / # denotes new loco. Friday 05/09/03 A cheap flight to Friedrichshafen, not the diesel bashing playground of yesteryear but still with plenty of moves to cover, albeit only 218's now available. EI-DAF    Stansted – Freidrichshafen    1120 Stansted – Freidrichshafen Bob Unit   Freidrichshafen Flug – Meckenbeuren  6km 218 214     Meckenbeuren – Ulm    1404 Lindau – Ulm  95km 218 196     Ulm – Neu Ulm   1547 Ehingen – Memmingen 2km 218 194     Neu Ulm – Ulm   1535 Memmingen – Ehingen   2km 218 214)    Ulm – Plochingen   1533 Freidrichshafen Stadt – Stuttgart  72 km 218 168)  A 2 hour break to visit a Brewpub here, very civilised after an early start today. A winner Rabbit forward to boot. 218 389#) Plochingen – Stuttgart   1733 Freidrichshafen Stadt – Stut...

Another trip to Austria primarily to cover the weekend Gmund 2095 turn again looking for my last one 2095 012 (my 8th trip to Gmund trying to nab it - not good when they only had 3 locos to choose from (not forgetting the Kettle which also once bowled Me & Medhurst out vice 2095!)) Some required track for diesel in Germany was also planned. This was a single-manned trip, # = Winner Thursday 23/09/04 1044 064  Linz - St.Polten    Addl Koln - Wien (EC93701) 130km I was staying 2 nights in St.Polten, both brewpubs were going at this time. I know I had a great evening meal in the posh one of the two tonight. Both have now gone, I cannot recall their names. Friday 24/09/04 An early start so breakfast was either flagged or to go. Out to cover the inward rush hour diesels. 2143 059    St.Polten Alpenbahnhof - Traisen 0546 St.Polten - Hainfeld 17km 2043 035#  Traisen - St.Polten   0624 Hainfeld - St.Polten 19km 2043 035 on the blocks at St.Polten 1099...

A three pronged attack on Europes locos and beers this time. Myself (Poodle), Betty (David Icke - no not THAT David Icke - the other one!) & Howey (the Beer Monster - Howard Jolley). # = New Loco Saturday 01/06/02 By now I was living in Bawtry, the EWS office had moved to Doncaster a few years before but I abstained and took a job with Railtrack in Rail House Manchester (to the right of Piccadilly station as you arrive on a train) as I just couldn't face training all those new starters in Donny when all our decent staff had refused to move there. Another couple of years in Nantwich (the promised land) was too good to flag - & I wasn't wrong - those first two years in Donny were reportedly Hell!  I had, however, re-joined the fold when a too-good-to-refuse offer was made for my services when Mr Gibbons got the top job there. 91018       Doncaster - Peterborough  0600 Newcastle - Kings X 80miles EI-CSC    Stansted - Freidrichshafen  ...

Another single manned trip, new track Diesel hauled and trying to get my last required narrow gauge route for service train, Gmund to Gross Gerungs (due to close the following week) being the main aims. N ew engines marked with # Although never having anything out of Gmund on the narrow gauge I only needed 1 of their 3 locos, 2095 012 (my last one to clear the class) as I'd quite jammily had both the other 2 on Ober Grafenburg - Wieselburg running in turns (a year apart) after they had received overhauls. I had decided to base myself for 2 nights in a B&B in Schwarzenau, a major junction with 2 branch lines 24km south of Gmund - just in the hope that something might drop, all booked narrow gauge services in the hands of single car Dmu's. Thursday 24/05/01 91107#     Doncaster - Peterborough  1137 Bradford F.S - Kings Cross 80miles Unit         Peterborough - Stansted Airport Shuttle 1  Stansted Terminal - Stansted Departur...