2019 Part 2 (April)

Night falls over Kempten as 218463 + 218429 await departure with EC190 1814 Munchen Hbf - Basel SBB (04/04/2019)

I'd left Stansted at lunchtime in glorious Spring sunshine with the pilot quoting "three degrees and snow" in Memmingen. Surely some mistake? Unfortunately not, as demonstrated by 218497 + 218403 on arrival at Munchen Hbf later that evening with EC197 1802 from Zurich Hbf (04/04/2019)

The following morning 218433 + 218401 make a characteristic departure from Kempten with the retimed EC196 0703 Munchen Hbf - Basel SBB (05/04/2019)

223067 calls at Kempten with ALX84104 0720 Munchen Hbf - Lindau (05/04/2019)

Having spent the night in Lindau, 218429 + 218463 arrive at Kempten an hour or so later with EC191 0543 Basel SBB - Munchen Hbf (05/04/2019)

218403 + 218497 take a breather beneath increasingly blue skies after arriving at Lindau with EC194 1214 Munchen Hbf - Zurich (05/04/2019)

Lindau as it was and occasionally still is: 218432 waits to depart with RE3240 1505 to Aulendorf, whilst in the background 218403 + 218497 await their next duty after arriving from Munich on EC194 (05/04/2019)

A classic 'Sudbahn' scene at Friedrichshafen Stadt: on the left is 218427 at the head of RE22569 1456 Aulendorf - Lindau as 218432 departs with the RE3240 1505 Lindau - Aulendorf shuttle (05/04/2019)

Half an hour later 218427 is pictured on arrival at Lindau with RE22569. The 'Sudbahn' is currently closed for nearly four months between Biberach and Aulendorf whilst the line is electrified but there are still three loco-hauled sets operating an hourly service on the south side of the blockade (05/04/2019)

With the skies darkening, 218427 departs from Ravensburg with RE3242 1605 Lindau - Aulendorf (05/04/2019)

Following the reversal, 218432 awaits departure from Friedrichshafen Stadt with RE3243 1656 Aulendorf - Lindau (05/04/2019)

Rush hour at Friedrichshafen Stadt as 218432 departs for Lindau with RE3243. In the centre 218438 has just arrived with RE3246 1702 Lindau - Aulendorf, whilst on the extreme left 628702 forms RE22594 1750 to Lindau after arriving from Friedrichshafen Hafen (05/04/2019)

To round off an excellent day featuring ten different 'Rabbits' on a variety of routes, 218409 arrives at Herbertingen with RE22333 1722 Donaueschingen - Ulm (05/04/2019)

Night falls over Ulm as 218409 takes a well-earned rest after completing its second round trip of the day down the 'Donautalbahn' to Donaueschingen (05/04/2019)

The following morning 218499 + 218436 pause at Blaubeuren with the DGEG's 'Abscheid von der 218499' railtour from Ulm to Pfullendorf and Bad Wurzach to mark the impending withdrawal of the last-built member of the 'V160' production line (06/04/2019)

The pair are pictured again shortly afterwards at Schelklingen (06/04/2019)

The next photo stop was slightly further down the Donautalbahn at Ehingen (06/04/2019)

Another view of 218499 + 218436 waiting to depart from Ehingen with the RE22524 0923 Ulm - Aulendorf leg of the tour (06/04/2019)

A final stop before the pair was split took place at the relatively featureless Munderkingen station (06/04/2019)

Just over two hours into the tour, 218499 + 218436 are pictured on arrival at the junction station of Herbertingen (06/04/2019)

The locos were split here to assist with the numerous reversals that were shortly to feature, with 218436 remaining on what for now was the west end of the set (06/04/2019)

218499 passes its sister whilst running round at Herbertingen to lead the tour across the relatively rare (for loco-hauled trains) line across to Aulendorf (06/04/2019)

218499 pauses at Bad Saulgau with RE22524. The lighting columns don't make it an ideal photographic location, but given the infrequency with which the route is used by loco-hauled trains I suspect it's not somewhere I'll return to anytime soon (06/04/2019)

218499 is pictured on arrival at Aulendorf at the end of the first leg of the day's itinerary (06/04/2019)