2018 Part 1 (April - June)

And now for something which some would say for me was totally out of character: four days at the 2018 'Dampfspektakel' centred on Trier in the beautiful Mosel valley. It wasn't all about the steam locos though: to kick things off here's preserved Class '103' electric no, 103113 shunting former TEE coaches at Koblenz (28/04/2018)

It transpired that one of the coaches had been graffitied overnight and after the offending vehicle had been removed at the request of the Police, the '103' is seen here shunting the train back onto the sidings to pick up a replacement (28/04/2018)

WIth the train now ready, 103113 arrives into the platform at Koblenz with the stock for the late running TEE 91341 0741 to Trier (28/04/2018)

A couple of hours later here's a first glimpse of what the four day 'Steam Spectacular' was really all about: 1939-vintage German Pacific loco no, 01 1075 waits to depart from Trier with the DPE 61953 1008 to Saarbrucken (28/04/2018)

Standing in for a steam loco that had arrived too late for Saturday morning's proceedings, 211 041arrives into Trier with DPE 61962 0907 Wittlich - Nennig (28/04/2018)

DPE 61962 was booked to stand at Karthaus in the southern suburbs of the Trier for over half an hour, presumably for photographic purposes. The '211' is pictured here enjoying the morning sunshine (28/04/2018)

Preserved CFL 2-10-0 no 5519 dashes though Karthaus with the three-coach train 13400 1053 from trier to Luxemburg (28/04/2018)

211041 runs round at Nennig on the banks of the Mosel before returning downstream with the 1212 to Trier (28/04/2018)

One of three visiting 2-10-0 steam locos no 52 8154 is pictured here on arrival at Trier later that afternoon with DPE 61964 1241 Bullay - Nenning. I'd just done what was intended to be a quick fill-in move to Schweich and back to but whilst I was gone the 'V200' that I was intending to travel behind was stepped up onto a steam diagram after a medical emergency in the station brought all movements to a halt (28/04/2018)

With the 'Pacific' unable to run 'tender-first' another of the preserved diesel locos was booked to lead the train back from Wittlich. 216224 is seen here waiting to depart with DPE 61968 1720 to Trier (28/04/2018)

'Plan B' involved a run out to Wittlich on 01 1075, pictured here on arrival with DPE 61952 1337 from Saarbrucken (28/04/2018)

216224 is pictured on arrival at Trier with DPE 61968. The 'V160' hadn't been in the best of health and although booked to work this turn on both the Sunday and Tuesday of the event was actually replaced on the day by an electric loco (28/04/2018)

CFL 5519 waits to depart from Trier with train 13402, the 1817 back to Luxemburg. I'd considered doing this train over the border just to do the line behind a steam loco, but had a prior appointment with a 'warship' (28/04/2018)

An hour or so later after a DMU ride up the lower Kyll valley, V200 033 is seen arriving into Kordel with DPE 61941 from Gerolstein. This train was booked to be steam hauled, but the diesel was stepped up after an earlier (fortunately non-fatal) incident when a photographer fell from the platform in front of the loco as it was backing onto the stock (28/04/2018)

V200 033 is pictured again on arrival at Trier with DPE 61941. The stylish design was the basis for British Railways' Class '42' and '43' 'Warship' locos back in the 1960s, which also used made use of twin Maybach engines and hydraulic transmission (28/04/2018)

It's just after 6.30 on a Sunday morning and another of the 2-10-0s is pictured here waiting to depart from Trier with DPE 61932 0640 to Gerolstein. Remarkably the third of the trio was sitting in the adjacent platform waiting to follow on the 0644 to Wittlich, with the two trains subsequently making a parallel departure on adjacent lines from Ehrang (29/04/2018)

Old meets new at Gerolstein in the upper Kyll valley. Having made its way to the yard to be turned and watered 52 8195 is just visible in the diastance as a pair of 3-car DMUs waits to depart with the 0856 local service to Koln Messe/Deutz (29/04/2018)

A brief glimpse of sunlight as 52 8195 backs onto its train for the return journey to Trier (29/04/2018)

The view from the road bridge across the south end of Gerolstein station as 52 8195 is coupled up to DPE 61933 0925 to Trier (29/04/2018)

Another view of 52 8195 at Gerolstein with DPE 61933 as a DMU approaches on the distance with with the RB11409 0705 stopping service from Koln Messe/Deutz to Trier (29/04/2018)

a close-up of the giant 1943-vintage 2-10-0 freight locomotive shortly before departure from Gerolstein (29/04/2018)

It was standing room only on the next train back out of Trier, and there wasn't much of that! Henschel-built 'Pacific' 01 202 dating from 1937 calls at Bitburg with DPE 61936 1118 Trier - Gerolstein (29/04/2018)

It's not often you can do 'stem' for 'steam' moves out on the main line and I suppose that was one of the attractions of the event for me. 1923-built Henschel 4-6-4 tank loco 78 468 arrives at Bitburg with DPE 61935 1225 Gerolstein - Trier (29/04/2018)

My fourth steam loco of the day was the last of the trio of 2-10-0s, seen here waitng time in the loop platform at Hetzerath with the DPE 61965 1414 from Trier (29/04/2018)