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Category: Trainwatching

Variation in Silver and Blue

Variation in Silver and Blue

I remember, a while ago contemprary rail fans complained about the dullness of nowadays rolling stock. Boxy, fridge like locomotives pull consists in boring paint schemes. The variety in types faded into a few form factors based on standardized platforms. Therefore it’s not worth hanging out at the tracks anymore- let’s stay home and celebrate the good old days on our model pikes. Well, I am sure future generations of train buffs will sing the same song and feel sorry for being born too…

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The “Russian Train” – FINALLY!

The “Russian Train” – FINALLY!

This is a story about hunting down a train for weeks and the final success! The Moscow – Nice Express which operates once a week comes through Upper Austria Friday afternoon on its westward trip and briefly calls at Linz main station on the run back home late Sunday afternoon. I first encountered the unique consist with modern Siemens built cars in a slick grey and red livery during my commute on a Friday afternoon in Linz. Curious about the unusual train I quickly…

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NightJet at Daylight

NightJet at Daylight

This is an addendum to the previous post about the Terminal of the Westbahn in Vienna, Austria. Sometimes when watching trains the avid rail-fan runs into unusual compositions like the one pictured. I do not know the exact background for this train but it might be a transfer run. Anyways, it looks like ÖBB unwrapped a starter train set and put it on the rails along platform 2 just in front of the iconic hall of Wien Westbahnhof. So what do…

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Ballet of trains at Wien West

Ballet of trains at Wien West

The line heading westward from Vienna all the way across Austria is called “Westbahn” and so to say my “home road”. Living in Linz, some 120 miles from the capital, I traveled that route numerous times and, until recently, Vienna Western Station or “Wien Westbahnhof” was the terminal of the trip. This changed in December 2015 when all long distance trains got rerouted towards the brand new Vienna Main Station (Wien Hbf.). Beside of being a hub for ÖBB commuter…

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Live steam in the Redwoods

Live steam in the Redwoods

Being back in the Bay Area for business briefly, I took the chance to visit old friends as well as one of my favorite live steam operations. The Redwood Valley Railway is a miniature park railway running on 15 in. (381mm) track. The scale of the rolling stock is approximately 1:2.4 or 5″ (to the foot). The railway was started in the early 1950s by a fellow called Erich Thomson and reached a total length of track of about 1…

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Out of the sun – into the night

Out of the sun – into the night

I headed for the small town of Leonding near Linz in order to capture the Nizza – Moscow Express. Although it was a cloudy day and almost freezing the chance of getting a nice shot of a train that comes through only once a week I was in a good mood. Well, the composition never showed up. Instead a very common and boring “West Bahn” bi-level MU passed by at the scheduled time- “what the heck….?!?” Anyways, even on a…

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Send Measured Smiles – Part1/3
2016/17 Holliday Trip to NWI

Send Measured Smiles – Part1/3
2016/17 Holliday Trip to NWI

Watching Trains in North West Indiana. Traditionally the Holiday Season is a time to go home. This year I took the chance to visit friends in North West Indiana and Michigan, areas where I spent the last seven years before moving to Europe last Fall. Besides of cheerful get-togethers I for sure took the chance for railroad related activities while in NWI.  Chesterton, IN Since I moved to Porter County in 2013, Chesterton is one of my favorite hotspots. Nearby is famous Porter…

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In the loop- but almost out of sight

In the loop- but almost out of sight

Positioned just one hill “behind” the famous loop on the Tehachapi line, I encountered a BNSF intermodal train battling the stiff grade uphill. As the lead engines pop out of tunnel #10, the train’s tail is still navigation the loop in the background. When I visited the area during my US train watching tour in August 2016, construction crews made good progress on putting down the second track. Modern technology led to excavating a cut for the right of way rather…

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Across Germany by train (in one Day)

Across Germany by train (in one Day)

Last leg of the Germany Tour 2016 was the ride from Berlin back to my current home base Linz, Austria. The trip started in the morning at 8:30 and got me to my destination by 6:18 in the early evening. That sums up to a total travel time of almost 10 hours with exactly 9 hours on a train. During the journey I had to change trains in Fulda and Munich. Connections were good and well arranged and leads to an average speed…

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Polish Hussar and German Bull

Polish Hussar and German Bull

Train watching at the modern Berlin Central Station is fun. On two levels, down below under ground as well high above street level on the historic “Stadbahn” line along the river spree. Due to construction no S-Bahn operated through Berlin Hbf today so I had to take the RegioBahn service leaving form the platform right across. While waiting for my train I enjoyed some Saturday morning traffic. Beside the occasional ICE, IC and regional MU sets the PKP (Polish Railways) EuroCity train caught my…

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