In between seminars on Thomas Mann’s Tod in Venedig (Death in Venice), a novella that later spawned a well-known film, and an official course tour to Germany’s highest mountain, the Zugspitze (I thought this meant ‘Train Peak’, but of course ‘Draughty Peak’ or ‘Windy Peak’ is a more logical translation), I found myself gravitating more and more often to the Hauptbahnhof and thence to Pasing. The 4.35 Eilzug was a good option, as classes finished at 4pm, and I noted further runs behind 18 603, 609, 611, 612, 618 (twice) and 630 on this train, the fastest being 18 618 in 7 minutes 36 seconds. The return journeys offered more variety (depending upon when I wanted to get back for an evening meal), and I tried out a number of services, the most frequent being the Geltendorf push-pull with 38 1650 or one of its numerous sisters (1748, 2407, 3824 or 4035). There were other ‘18.6s’ if I waited for a semi-fast from Freiburg, or a Prussian ‘P10’ three-cylinder Class 39 2-8-2 on stopping services from Kempten, or a Class 78 4-6-4 tank or an old ‘E44’ electric on other Munich suburban services.
On another occasion I took a Class 38-hauled train to a quiet and pleasant country suburb and watched Class 50 2-10-0 freights and the lunchtime Munich–Würzburg–Ostend ‘Tirol Express’ roar through behind an immaculate Treuchtlingen ‘01’ Pacific, before joining another (No 01 102) on a returning Eilzug to Munich. Where was this rural idyll? Dachau. I was so ignorant of its hideous history that the significance only dawned on me later.
Re-boilered Bavarian four-cylinder compound Pacific 18.606 on train E826 at Munich, July 1959.
DB 2-10-0 50 147 passes Dachau at speed with a freight heading towards Munich, August 1959.
Bavarian Pacifics 18.611 and 18.481 await departure westwards at Buchloe, August 1959.
Tegernseebahn 0-8-0 No. 6 at Schaftlach, August 1959.
After a few days of this I got a little more ambitious. One weekend I purchased a Sunday excursion ticket to the Tegernsee and travelled to the Bavarian Alp foothills behind one of the oldest ‘P8s’, 38 1142 (there were more than 3,000 of them, numbered from 38 1000), our train being hauled around to the lakeside terminus behind a privately owned ‘V65’ 0-6-0 diesel-hydraulic. I discovered later that the Tegernsee Bahn owned three steam locos — No. 7, a 2-6-2 ‘freelance’ tank engine based on Bavarian lines, No. 8 (of which I have no knowledge at all except for a reference in J. H. Price’s Railway Holiday in Bavaria) and the oldest, No. 6, an 0-8-0 tank, Krauss works number 8315 of 1924 (DB Class 98.8), which delighted me by returning to the Schaftlach junction with our string of a dozen six- or four-wheelers, with their wooden-slatted seats. At the junction a former Prussian Railway 4-6-4 tank, 78 301, whisked us in a very sprightly (not to say bouncing) fashion back to the state capital.
I also started to venture out as far as Buchloe — about forty miles distant, on the main line to Lindau, and the first stop of the D-Zug international trains, which were normally formed of half a dozen or so light and low-slung Swiss coaches and invariably hauled by an ‘18.6’. If I could raise the price of the two-mark Zuschlag (D-train supplement) as well as the fare I could wait for the 5.20pm Munich–Geneva D98, and on 29 August 1959 I did just that, 18 630, hauling seven coaches, completing the non-stop 68km run in 19 seconds under the 54-minute schedule but with a modest top speed sustained at around 60mph. On a couple of earlier occasions with 18 611 and 18 618 we had more energetic runs on the E826 semi-fast, which stopped at Geltendorf and Kaufering as well as Pasing and required brisk and noisy acceleration to 60mph to keep time. (I later discovered that the section of line to Buchloe was restricted to 100km/h at that time.)
My real joy, however, started at Buchloe. On my first arrival there on a wet and dismal August evening I was standing, eyeing 18 611, which had just arrived on the Munich–Geneva D-Zug, when another totally unexpected apparition appeared smokily from the direction of Augsburg. The same bullet-nosed smokebox and huge cylinders were there, but the boiler was smaller, and the chimney taller and flared, with what seemed like a copper cap! This was No 18 481, one of the seven remaining Bavarian ‘S 3/6’ Pacifics of 1908 design (this one built c1923), all of which were allocated to Augsburg depot. It was hauling an Augsburg–Oberstdorf Eilzug and would follow the express westwards, giving me time to race to the booking office and purchase a ticket to its first stopping place, Kaufbeuren, about 20km away, without even checking if there was a return service! I was back in time to hear the Augsburg driver pining for the ‘18.6’ off the Munich train before it set off, and after taking water we made our leisurely and steamy exit with our diminutive four-coach load, which we managed to hustle up to 60mph.
At the Kaufbeuren stop I alighted and was looking with some trepidation for the timetable, to see if I had a service back, when 18 603 hove into view on E892 (Oberstdorf–Augsburg) — a balancing service to the train I had just experienced. On my return to Buchloe I watched a D-Zug for Munich depart behind two ‘18.6s’ and caught the next Eilzug with 18 616 on a heavier, 10-coach train, which ran very vigorously up to 65mph and gained time comfortably on each start-to-stop section, although extended station stops made us seven minutes late into the city.
18.626 on an Eilzug for Oberstdorf at Kempten, August 1959.
Bavarian ‘S3/6’ 18.483 at Augsburg on train E4096 to Buchloe, August 1959.
I was so enamoured with this experience that I repeated it a couple of times and got two further surviving unrebuilt ‘S 3/6s’ from the 1926-30 series, 18 516 and 18 528, on the Augsburg Eilzug and 18 604 and 18 624 on the return journeys to Buchloe, plus other ‘18.6s’ on the Eilzug to Munich. The other surviving unrebuilt members of the class were 18 478 (today beautifully restored as Bavarian State Railways 3673), 18 483, 18 508 (the last of the locos built by the Bavarian State Railways before nationalisation — and nicknamed the ‘Saunalok’ because of its propensity to fill the cab with steam) and 18 512.
Near the end of August I decided to blow my remaining Deutschmarks on an all-day trip to the railway town of Kempten, mid-way to Lindau, where there was both a steam depot and a major diesel depot for the ‘V200’ hydraulics used on main-line services in southern Germany. Up early to catch the 7.30 Munich–Freiburg Eilzug (E766), we had 18 617 on a light load of five coaches with which the loco played, arriving early at all points. I changed at Buchloe, picking up E880, Augsburg–Oberstdorf, which to my surprise ran in with ‘P10’ 39 227, built by Henschel in 1930 to the Prussian design. Departure on the seven-coach train was 4 minutes late, but a steady three-cylinder roar up the wooded and twisting climb to Günzach, topped at 45mph, ensured a punctual arrival in Kempten. This was yet another dead-end station, so I watched 18 626 back onto the train for the short run to Immenstadt, where the Oberstdorf portion would be detached for the run up the branch to the Alpine resort behind a Class 86 2-8-2T or a ‘64’ 2-6-2T. I wanted to travel on, but by now I was broke, so I watched various ‘18.6’ and ‘39’ movements before returning eastwards.
I discovered that there was an avoiding line that bypassed the terminus and that the D-trains called at Kempten Hegge on this line, enabling avoidance of the reversal and allowing through locomotive working from Munich to Lindau. This meant I had to return, at least as far as Buchloe, with an Eilzug or stopping (Personenzug) service. The E689 Lindau–Augsburg duly reversed, and a recently ex-works (and nowadays preserved) ‘P10’, 39 184 of Kempten depot, backed onto the ten-coach train. I therefore joined the train for another noisy climb to Günzach from the other direction, but a long signal stop at the summit station made us twelve minutes late into Buchloe, where I alighted. I spent time taking photos around the station before joining a semi-fast train (E4091) behind 18 618 (yet again) to Augsburg on the electrified Stuttgart–Munich main line. The return Eilzug (E4096), with the same set of five coaches, was to my pleasure powered by yet another unrebuilt ‘S 3/6’, 483 (Maffei, 1923), recently outshopped from its final repairs at the end of 1958. (It would eventually be withdrawn in May 1960, although 18 481, 508 and 528 were destined to last until 1962.) The run, though punc
tual enough, was mainly distinguished by the alliterative effect of the wayside stations we passed at a steady 50mph — Göggingen, Inningen, Bobingen, Wehringen and Grossaitingen! After our one intermediate stop at Schwabmünchen, more ‘ingens’ were broken only by Dillishausen before arrival back in Buchloe.
After an afternoon spent taking more photos I joined the D195 Zürich–Munich express, hauled by 18 626, which I had seen earlier at Kempten, heading towards Lindau. The loco made light work of its train of six SBB coaches, covering the 12km to Kaufering in 9 minutes 58 seconds start to stop and the 56km run on to Munich in 12 seconds under the scheduled 44 minutes, with a top speed of 65mph.
The time now came for my return to the UK, on 30 August, and, clutching my certificate of competence in the analysis of Tod in Venedig (almost done to death by an over-enthusiastic German ‘professoress’), I awaited the late shunting of coaches to form the D673 ‘Tirol Express’, which I had chosen as the vehicle of my return after noting its progress behind steam during my short trip to Dachau. The main train had originated in Bologna at 1.44 that morning and arrived in Munich behind Bavarian electric E04 018. To my surprise not one but two steam locomotives backed onto our train (now augmented by a parcels van to make a load of eight coaches, hardly justifying the power) — 01 046, built by Henschel in 1928, and the pilot, ‘P8’ 38 3346, built in 1921 at Breslau, cut inside. Both were from Würzburg depot, the ‘P8’ presumably working home unbalanced. The ‘01’ was one of only four fitted with an ugly feed-water heater above the smokebox; deprived also of the front running-plate down to the buffer-beam, the engine looked particularly top-heavy.
I imagine our running was hampered by the presence of the ‘P8’ and its restricted speed, for we laboured through the countryside, mainly in the high 50s, with a pronounced fore-and-aft rocking motion. A short dash before our first stop in Ingolstadt, just touching 70mph, was distinctly uncomfortable, and an unscheduled halt on the next section turned our seven-minute-late departure from Munich into an eleven min-late arrival in Treuchtlingen. After gaining a couple of minutes at the water stop a long, steady plod at around 60mph non-stop to Würzburg via Ansbach and Ochsenfurt saw us gain a further couple of minutes on the 104-minute schedule for the 140km and arrive at the same lateness as we had departed. No E18 25 converted this lateness into a ten min-early arrival in Frankfurt, where another ‘P8’, No 38 3625, backed on for the short run to Wiesbaden, from whence I had resigned myself to diesel haulage.
However, a surprise was in store for me. 03 111 backed onto our train, and I discovered that the now rear vehicle was a brown Italian corridor second-class coach with huge full-height oval windows in the vestibule to the rear. We set off into the sunset down the right bank of the Rhine, and my memory is of standing in this rear coach, watching the rails disappear rapidly behind us, a haze of brown smoke trailing, merging with the pinks and oranges of the sky reflected in the waters of the river. We stopped at Rüdesheim, where a wine festival was in full swing, and a honeymoon couple joined our train amidst much celebration, glasses of the local wine being handed to the watching passengers! The ‘03’ joined in the mood and raced along, depositing us in Koblenz more than eleven minutes early! Quite honestly the views were too good to miss, so I just savoured the experience and gave up trying to pick out kilometre posts in the dusk, although I estimate we progressed at the maximum permitted 120km/h (75mph).
After that it was an anti-climax — an ‘E10’ to Cologne, a brief interlude with another ‘03’ (211) to Aachen, a Belgian diesel (201.015 — Cockerill, 1954) through the Ardennes and SNCB electric 122.025 to Ostend, and then much-required sleep … I preferred to dream of 03 111, the wine and the sunset.
But next morning was a new day, and instead of the expected electric unit our boat train from Dover was headed by 34103 Calstock, and we journeyed to Victoria through the neat and pretty Kent countryside via Maidstone East, arriving on time and exhausted.
Train D673 double-headed by Wurzburg ‘01’ 01.046 (one of four ‘01s’ with a feedwater heater) and ‘P8’ 38.3346 at Munich, 30 August 1959.
Chapter 10
My first privilege tickets
Churchward 2-8-0T 5232 scurries past with an early-morning freight near Danygraig, Swansea, on 13 August 1957.
Back in 1957, after a few months at Old Oak Common, I became eligible to purchase ‘privilege’ quarter-rate tickets. Thus began a series of Saturday excursions to sample more exotic fare. My first sortie was down the Midland main line on a bitterly cold and snowy March day behind a filthy Kentish Town ‘Jubilee’, 45648 Wemyss, which lost a quarter of an hour unchecked to Kettering, the first stop. After a quick look around the small depot there and spying one of the last Holden Great Eastern ‘E4’ 2-4-0s at the back of the shed I made my way back to Wellingborough on a semi-fast behind a punctual 45655 Keith and spent longer in the large freight depot there, full of Standard ‘9Fs’ and Stanier ‘8Fs’ plus a few inevitable ‘4F’ 0-6-0s. I was just too late to see any active Beyer-Garratts. Whilst waiting for the return semi-fast to St Pancras I watched 45573 Newfoundland go storming through with an express from Leeds, then joined my train, which sauntered in a few minutes later behind ‘Standard 5’ 73067.
A couple of weeks later, in glorious sunshine and with the longer evenings after the clocks went forward for British Summer Time, I caught the 5.10pm from Paddington with Stafford Road’s 6001 King Edward VII as far as Banbury and was delighted on the return to get another Stafford Road engine, a burnished 4092 Dunraven Castle, of the 1925 batch, still going strong. I joined the rear coach and stood in the corridor, enjoying the sight of the locomotive glistening in the setting sun as we rolled our way down past the wooded hills below the infamous golden ball on West Wycombe’s church.
On 22 June I paid a visit to King’s Cross with the intention of making a journey north to Grantham or Doncaster. An ex-works Top Shed ‘V2’, No 60828, took us to Grantham non-stop on the 1.40pm train to Newcastle, and I returned behind a filthy Gateshead (52A) ‘A4’, 60020 Guillemot, to Peterborough and changed there for ‘A1’ 60158 Aberdonian. A few weeks later I tried again — I can’t even remember the destination on this occasion, nor my return trip, as this was just before I started my log-book records, but I vividly recall being squashed in the middle of the first coach, four a side (it was now a peak summer Saturday), listening to the syncopated roar of 60104, still in its single-chimney state, as it erupted from Copenhagen Tunnel on the climb to Finsbury Park. I recall that this locomotive always seemed one of the more elusive of the ‘A3s’; in fact I don’t remember seeing it again, and Solario was the first ‘A3’ to be condemned, in 1959. A further East Coast jaunt in early August provided me with another single-chimney ‘A3’, 60059 Tracery, which made a splendid noise until stopped for an hour and a half near Tempsford while the track ahead was searched for a hoax bomb. Plans for longer runs were aborted at Grantham, and I returned in stages behind another ‘A3’, 60108 Gay Crusader, and ‘A1’ 60148 Aboyeur.
During this period I worked most Saturday mornings at Old Oak Common, and one July day I got away and caught the 1.25pm Paddington–Kingswear ahead of the ‘Royal Duchy’. On Saturdays Old Oak used to put the ‘King’ rostered during the week for the latter on the heavy preceding 13-coach holiday train to the South Devon resorts, often providing a ‘47xx’ 2-8-0 for the named express with its chocolate-and-cream set. Unfortunately this service was barred to holders of privilege tickets, so I took the earlier train behind double-chimney ‘King’ 6009 King Charles II as far as Taunton and waited to see what I could get back. As the ‘Duchy’ produced only a ‘Hall’ on this date I was not tempted to take it through to Exeter and instead returned to London on the last up Penzance, another heavy train, with 6013 King Henry VIII.
By August I’d worked at Old Oak for six months and was now eligible for my first free pass. I thought long and hard about how to use it, eventually deciding upon an overnight trip to Swansea and Carmarthen. The obvious choice would have been the
1.25am sleeper to Swansea via Gloucester, arriving at a respectable hour, but part of my purpose was to arrive early enough to get to Danygraig and Swansea East Dock sheds to see the assortment of 0-4-0 tanks shedded there before they went out for their dock-shunting duties at 6am. I therefore boarded the one passenger coach on the 12.45am newspaper and mail, train routed via the Severn Tunnel and due to arrive at Swansea High Street early enough for my purpose. The train was berthed at platform 8 at Paddington to allow the newspaper vans access to the train up to the last moment, and 81A ‘Castle’ 5084 Reading Abbey backed down for a fast run through the night. Being next to the engine, I didn’t sleep much and was wide awake at Cardiff to watch 5084 being replaced by Canton ‘Modified Hall’ 6969; 5084 would turn and return to London on the morning Fishguard boat train. I walked down the deserted Swansea streets to the dock area in the first rays of the dawn and astonished the foreman by presenting my shed permit before the 6am shift began. I was duly rewarded by finding a number of locos of the ‘1101’ class and photographed two of the Swansea Harbour Trust saddle tanks (1140 and 1144) before capturing 5232 on a freight as I walked to Danygraig in the now rising sunlight.
A Privileged Journey Page 13
