After a 612-day pandemic-related hiatus I finally made it back to Germany and on the second morning of my trip headed out to Niebüll where 218838 + 218322 are seen departing for Westerland with the 0946 'Sylt Shuttle' (14/11/2021)
A few minutes later privately-owned 218454 screeches to a halt with IC2311 0926 Westerland - Stuttgart Hbf. The PRESS machine was one I'd never previously travelled behind and would shortly offer my first '218' haulage since the early hours of 1st March last year (14/11/2021)
The unique 'model railway' livered 218497 stands at Itzehoe a couple of hours later with IC2072 1124 Hamburg Altona - Westerland (14/11/2021)
With the black 'PIKO' coloured end now leading, 218497 awaits departure from Westerland with IC2073 1526 to Hamburg Altona (14/11/2021)
The following morning I headed back out from my base for three nights in Hamburg in pursuit of a pair of 'Rabbits' that looked as though they were about to get involved in the 'Sylt Shuttle' circuit and in that sense I wasn't to be disappointed: 218390 + 218837 wait to depart with the 0946 car train from Niebüll to Westerland as 247909 runs round its 'Autozug' (15/11/2021)
The missing ingredient was whether the 0932 Niebüll - Westerland passenger service would actually run to enable me to travel behind not just one but a pair of DB '218s' that were both required for haulage. I was rather relieved then when 'D1418' arrived from the sidings and the 2-car DMU is pictured here alongside the 'Rabbits' at Westerland after detaching from the back of the car train and depositing its passangers in the station (15/11/2021)
Another view of 218390 + 218837 after arriving at Westerland from Niebüll (15/11/2021)
218390 + 218837 head back out to Westerland with the 1316 car train from Niebüll. Unfortunately the complex shunting manouevre didn't take place quickly enough for me to alight from the incoming unit and join the 1302 'Sylt Shuttle Plus' for another run across the Hindenburgdamm behind this pair despite them having to unload, run round and reload (15/11/2021)
A similar scene an hour later as 218838 + 218322 are uncoupled at Westerland after arriving with the 1046 'Sylt Shuttle' from Niebüll. As this train also had a DMU on the back of it, I suppose I could have stayed on the mainland for another hour and had a different pair onto the Island for my required locos back out again but I'd class such behaviour as reckless rather than brave (15/11/2021)
Luckily there was a back-up move of sorts in the shape of 218497, seen here running round at Westerland after arriving with IC2072 1124 from Hamburg Altona (15/11/2021)
Later that afternoon 218497 waits time at Itzehoe with IC2073 1526 Westerland - Altona. Usually an electric loco would take over from here but with the service terminating in Hamburg due to engineering work on the Berlin route it's more efficient in terms of resources to stick with diesel traction for the remaining 40 miles (15/11/2021)
218497 is pictured again on arrival into Hamburg Altona with IC2073 (15/11/2021)
The first half of day 4 of my trip was spent in transit from the North West corner of Germany to the South East. 218434 awaits departure from Augsburg with IC2075 to Oberstdorf after detaching off IC2073 0730 Hamburg - Freilassing. Just visible on the left is 101074 which had provided the traction thus far. The train had actually started forward from the Hauptbahnhof vice Altona this morning due to a stock defect, which had caused it to run in reverse formation (16/11/2021)
I wasn't quite quick enough to cross platforms and capture it on camera, but minutes after 218434 had departed on IC2085, 218411 is seen arriving into Buchloe at the head of RE57593 1337 Kempten - München (16/11/2021)
218446 brings up the rear of RE57593 at Buchloe. In previous years the morning commuter train from Kempten would stable in Munich until its return working, but for the last few months it's conveniently been timetabled to do a round trip back to base presumably as a traincrew refreshing exercise (16/11/2021)
With the evening commuter train due to leave in little over an hour at 1705 I was expecting the set to remain in the platform but it does actually retire briefly to the sidings. 218446 prepares to depart München Hbf with the empty stock off RE57593 (16/11/2021)
With day turning rapidly into night, 218428 awaits departure from München Hbf with RB27051 1706 to Mühldorf. 218430 was on the rear of this unusually empty train so I located myself towards the back end to enjoy an hour or so of 'TB11' music (16/11/2021)
218411 is pictured again on arrival into München Hbf with RE57593 1337 from Kempten (16/11/2021)
Traincrew exchange pleasantries in a timeless scene at Mühldorf as 218419 (on the right) prepares to continue its journey to the state capital of Bavaria with RE27002 0554 Simbach - München. On the left is 218423 which will follow shortly afterwards with RB27022 0643 Mühldorf - München. I'd spent the previous night in Simbach and having travelled out there with 218416 + 218419 was in the process of changing trains to sample a different pair for the remainder of my journey (17/11/2021)
218423 is pictured again on arrival into München Hbf with RB27022 0643 ex Mühldorf. 218418 was out of sight on the rear of the set (17/11/2021)
A couple of hours later 218446 prepares to retire to the sidings at Kempten after arriving with RE57582 0840 ex-München Hbf (17/11/2021)
Shortly afterwards 218155 + 218495 speed into Kempten from the south with IC2012 0951 Oberstdorf - Bochum. Just visible on the far left are 218411 and 218446 at either end of RE57582's stock and if I'd been able to see clearly through my misted-up glasses (the result of having an FFP2 mask strapped to my face in low temperatures) I'd probably have tried harder to incorporate them into the shot (17/11/2021)
The immaculate NeSa-owned 218155 and DB's 218495 stand beneath what's left of the station canopy at Stuttgart Hbf after arriving from Oberstdorf with IC2012 (17/11/2021)
218813 (which I don't think I'd previously seen on my travels through Germany over the last four years) on 'Thunderbird' duty at Stuttgart Hbf (17/11/2021)
