2018 Part 2 (September - November)

245210 awaits departure from Hamburg Altona with RE11016 1240 to Westerland (12/09/2018)

Later that afternoon 218831+218830 wait patiently to begin the final leg of their journey from Niebull to the island of Sylt with IC2374 0905 Karlsruhe - Westerland. The shortened train is due to the coaches for Dagebull Mole having just been detached (12/09/2018)

218831+218830 are pictured again at their destination with IC2374. On the left is 245027 which has recently arrived from Niebull with a 'Sylt Shuttle' car-train (12/09/2018)

Privately-owned 'Vectron' 247908 catches the last of the sunlight on the unloading dock at Westerland with an 'Autozug' from Niebull (12/09/2018)

Sporting a golden 'Olympic' livery presumably dating from 2016, 101071 readies itself for departure from Itzehoe having replaced the incoming pair of '218s' on IC2311 0926 Westerland - Stuttgart Hbf (13/09/2018)

218470+218315 pause at Niebull with IC2072 0644 Dresden Hbf - Westerland (13/09/2018)

Later that afternoon 245207 calls at Itzehoe later with RE11022 1540 Hamburg Altona - Westerland (13/09/2018)

Shortly afterwards 101041 is seen arriving into Itzehoe with IC2374 0905 Karlsruhe - Westerland (13/09/2018)

A swift change from electric to diesel traction for the onward journey to Sylt sees 218307+218830 being coupled up to IC2374 before departure from Itzehoe (13/09/2018)

218366+218389 await departure from Niebull with a 'Sylt Shuttle' to Westerland. The two-car DMU forming D1452 1732 from Bredstedt is in the process of being attached to the rear of the train in an ingenious method of working which makes full use of the limited paths over the various stretched of single line between here and the island (13/09/2018)

Having left the sunshine behind further south, 218307+218830 wait for departure time at Niebull with IC2374 0905 Karlsruhe - Westerland (13/09/2018)

Recurring faults on the new Class '245' locomotives in recent weeks had led to the increased use of '218s' on car trains, which in turn had also placed an increased strain on the availability of the older machines. In an unexpected move, 218491+218494 of Ulm Depot were temporarily transferred up to Niebull for a short spell and are seen here waiting to depart from Westerland with IC2311 0926 to Stuttgart (14/09/2018)

A weathered 218836 leads sister loco 218484 at Husum on IC2072 0644 Dresden Hbf - Westerland (14/09/2018)

Signalling problems on the island of Sylt earlier that morning had caused considerable disruption due to the infrastructure constraints of the line to Westerland. 218341+218810 wait their turn in queue at Niebull before shunting theier empty car train across to the loading dock (14/09/2018)

A classic scene at Niebull as 218366+218389 depart with the late-running 1340 'Sylt Shuttle' to Westerland and pass 218341+218810 on the adjacent road (14/09/2018)

An hour or so later 218341+218810 are pictured on arrival at Westerland with the 1410 'Sylt Shuttle' from Niebull. Conveniently for me (as both were 'required') the late-running D1432 1336 DMU from Bredstedt had arrived in time to be coupled onto the back of the train at Niebull for the journey across the causeway (14/09/2018)

A further bonus was that the car train had arrived with sufficient time for the unit to be shunted into the station before the departure of IC2073 back south. 218484+218836 are seen here at the head of the return 1526 Westerland - Dresden Hbf (14/9/2018)

Something a little bit different for the final day of my visit: 218453 awaits departure from Hamburg Hbf with RE21448 0827 'Strand Express' to Puttgarden (15/09/2018)

218453 is pictured again during the reversal at Fehmarn Burg station, which is reached via a triangular junction just a few miles short of its destination (15/09/2018)

The terminal at Puttgarden with two vessels waiting to make the short sea crossing to Denmark. The gates across the third track from the left will shortly be opened to allow an EC service from Hamburg to Copenhagen to be driven through the open bow doors of the train ferry (15/09/2018)

218453 waits to head back south with RE21449 1110 from Puttgarden to Hamburg Hbf (15/09/2018)

Rush hour at Puttgarden! 218453 has been joined in the adjacent platform by a string of worm-like DMUs which make up EC33 0928 Hamburg - Copenhagen. Further to the right the one extensive sidings are slowly returning to nature: freight traffic for Denmark which once made use of the train ferries is now routed via the much longer Great Belt Fixed Link which opened in 1997 (15/09/2018)

With car 5076 bringing up the rear, EC33 disappears into the hull of the Rodby bound train ferry. It's a remarkably slick procedure taking just a few minutes to complete (15/09/2018)

Back at Hamburg Hbf, 218453 is pictured inside the impressive train shed before departing with RE21450 1427 to Puttgarden. The 'Strand Express' makes two return trips out to the tip of Fehmarn Island on Saturdays and Sundays between April and October (15/09/2018)