“Bowled Out In Berlin”
The Reichstag in Berlin pictured on a sunny Wednesday afternoon 16/05/2012
As flight prices were quite high over the May day bank holiday weekend, June and I decided to postpone a planned
trip for a week (with the added bonus of then being able to visit the Ludlow Spring Festival). After searching round
for some decent flights we ended up only booking a one way trip to Berlin was it was just as easy to make our way
back overland as the final weekend also featured Mercia Charters first ever mainline steam charter. After much
deliberating following on from working the previous tour which I hadn’t enjoyed, I decided to stick with my original
offer of acting as train manager as I didn’t consider it fair on the other stewards and the passengers to pull out at
the last minute. June and I managed to book good fares on line with DB taking us from Berlin to Aachen and we’d
also booked FIP first class, sorry “standard premier” Eurostar tickets with the “any Belgian station” add on so most
of the travel was sorted in advance.
All opinions and comments in this report are my own unless otherwise stated and I make no apologies for any
typos or grammatical mistakes! As usual, new loco’s are marked in bold, late running is highlighted red and,
unscheduled stops are shown in italics. For ease (and because after a few beers I couldn’t remember them!) I’ve
omitted most of the Berlin S-bahn and U-bahn moves as there were far too many! A review of the hotel, beers and
railways follows at the end of the report.
Monday 14/05/2012
After a relaxed start to the day courtesy of an afternoon flight from Liverpool, June and I made our way into
Hereford and caught the train to Crewe. As is often the case, it was a two car 175 and by the time we left Salop
there were about dozen people standing in our coach – well done Arriva for another great bit of customer care….
After a snack at Crewe (note for Bite card users, you need to re-register as the card is changing!) we caught a
slightly less packed LM service to Liverpool South Parkway where, after June had petted a cat sat in a wheelchair
by the station exit (!!) we jumped on a 501 bus to the airport. As is often the case now, we were hand luggage only
which was just as well seeing the queue for the baggage drop! No queues at security though so we were straight
through and into Wetherspoons for a pint of George Wright Pure Blonde. After a leisurely pint and a wander round
we headed for the gate once it was called although there was a fair queue when we got there but despite this, we
managed to get a row of extra legroom seats over the wing to ourselves.
Our flight was on time but not very smooth and to make matters worse I had a bloke behind me who spent an hour
clicking the top of his pen while doing a puzzle! We landed early but after a lengthy taxi followed by the
disembarkation and walk to the station we just missed the 17:20 so we had a thirty minute wait for the next RE
which gave us plenty of time to buy our day tickets and grab a snack. After changing onto an S-bahn at Zool
Garten to take us to our hotel opposite Charlottenburg station, we checked in and planned our evening.
Having been to Berlin more recently than June (Daffy’s stag do) we decided to head to a couple of the brewpubs
that she’d missed - Schalander and Hops & Barley. First on the list was Schalander so we caught an S-bahn to
Alexanderplatz and changed onto U5 to Frankfurter Allee for a short walk up the road.
The slightly bland exterior of Schalander Brahaus, Berlin – nothing bland about the interior though as we enjoyed a good meal
as well as a cople of excellent beers – Maibock and Dunkel.
Schalander was pretty busy when we arrived but we were told that we could sit & eat at the bar, not perfect but
better than nothing. As it turned out, before our food order arrived a table was vacated so we were invited to take it.
We both went for the Goulasch washed down with the seasonal Maibock which packed a punch at over 7%. We
followed this with a quick Dunkel before making a move to our second brewpub of the evening, Hops & Barley. It
looked as though it would be almost as quick to walk as using either S & U so we decided the exercise would do us
good and set off on foot. It probably was easier to walk to Hops & Barley although the best way turned out to be by
Tram as when we arrived we found a stop right outside the pub! We went for the seasonal Bohmisch Hell followed
by a Dunkles and judging by the lack of food we’d made the right decision by eating in Schalander. It was getting
late (or should that be early?) by the time we finished our second drink so we decided to call an end to the
proceedings and jumped on a tram (M13) back to Berlin Warschauer Straße where we changed onto an S-bahn
back to the hotel, overtaking 120.159 en route in charge of a lengthy sleeper train.
BR
BR
Easyjet
DB
DB
DMU
DMU
G-EZDM
143.254
EMU
09:08
10:57
14:15
17:50
18:32
Hereford - Crewe
Crewe - Liverpool South Parkway
Liverpool airport - Flughafen B. Schönefeld
Berlin Schönefeld Flug - Berlin Zool Garten
Berlin Zool Garten - Berlin Charlottenburg
10:29
06:15 Camarthen - Manchester Piccadilly
11:30
10:01 Birmingham New Street - Liverpool Lime Street
17:10 EZY7223 14:15 Liverpool airport - Flughafen Berlin Schönefeld
18:25 RE18267 17:15 Wünsdorf Waldstadt - Berlin Zool Garten
18:35 S7
17:50 Ahrensfelde - Potsdam Hbf
Tuesday 14/05/2012
The WiFi was very frustrating as it required a log on every time it was used and to make matters worse it only
worked with a single device so after I’d tested it on my phone it wouldn’t let me log on using my laptop! We had no
real plans for the day so after a relaxed breakfast and obtaining a second WiFi passcode from reception we looked
up a few things before deciding on a trip to Oranienburg to see the Schloss and the old Sachsenhausen
concentration camp. First off we walked to Sachsenhausen and rather annoyingly a bus passed us just before we
got there. I checked the departure board on the bus stop outside the museum and found that there was an hourly
service to/from the station! The museum itself was free (I expect all the former concentration camps are the same
for moral and ethical reasons) so income was generated by the sale of books and audio tours. Although not on the
scale of Auschwitz, the camp was well preserved/reconstructed and a few of the remaining barracks had been
restored and set up as the historical museum with extensive documentation of individuals who worked there as well
as being held captive. The one bit that June found intriguing was the large number of influential Germans who were
detained at the camp due to being anti Nazi, including some who were involved in the failed assassination attempt
on Hitler.
Just in case the watchtowers, barbed wire and wall weren’t enough to get the message across, a rather obvious sign at
Sachsenhausen concentration camp warns of the dangers…..
After a quick beer in the café we caught the bus back into town as we’d done enough walking for a while although
we still wanted to see the Schloß. The sun made a brief appearance just as we got to the river so the camera came
out but as we couldn’t tell if the Schloß and associated restaurant were open we decided to head back into Berlin
for a trip to another Schloß - Schloßplatzbrauerei Cöpenick brewpub instead. It’s not the easiest brewpub to get to
but at least the downloaded version of Hafas on my laptop had the U-bahn and tram gen so after a couple of
changes we found ourselves in the Schloßplatz although I couldn’t see the Schloß! At first June didn’t spot the
brewpub either as it’s a tiny glass sided box in the middle of the small square and it claims to be the smallest
brewpub in Germany. There were also several stalls set up in the square including the local burger/hotdog
merchant so we got one of the tables in the pub, ordered our beers and decided to have a snack as the barman
said that we could bring our food into the pub (as he was eating one himself he could hardly refuse). The flipside
was the hot dog merchant who made at least five visits to the brewpub (one of which included visiting the ladies!)
The beers were pretty tasty and as a bonus the brewer had the tiny brew kit fired up so we had the delightful
aromas wafting up from the full mash tun (which was all of two foot high!) and we were even given a sample of the
wort.
Before we left I walked over to the Schloß to get a few fots once I’d realised that it was almost opposite us, hidden
behind some trees. However, when I got back to the pub and checked the times of the trams we piqued the interest
of a local. I’m sure that she was only trying to be helpful but she was a bit of a cocky know-it-all who told us to go
onto the local website – thanks but not at £3+ a Meg!! Consequently by the time we’d got rid of her and settled up
we just missed our intended tram as the routes around the Rathaus and Schloß go different ways and it left the
stop just as we found it. Needless to say this meant that we were then bowled out again by just missing the S-bahn
as well and the next was running late – typical!!
The weather was now getting a bit dull but we decided to stop off at the East Side Gallery for a few fots of the wall
en route to get our coats from the hotel so no sooner had we got to the wall than it started raining! As it was only a
shower we persevered and it was interesting to note that some of the artwork that we saw in 2004 seems to have
disappeared. We noticed that quite a few had been repainted in 2009, some by original artists and some by
replacement artists but others seemed new which is a bit of a shame as the original artwork was part of history
even if it was starting to look a bit shabby. Also disappointing was the amount of graffiti added by the local
delinquents which detracts from the artwork itself.
After picking up two extra layers at the hotel, one warm and one waterproof, I realised that I’d cocked up as
according to my gen Brewbaker may now be closed. Instead of getting bowled again we made our way to Prassnik
which I knew would be open, one of the brewpubs that I’d never been to before. It was a bit underwhelming, feeling
more a locals bar than a brewpub so I wasn’t surprised to find that they didn’t serve food but this was compensated
for by plenty of smoke! They had one beer (Hell) on the menu but when we ordered we were disappointed to be
told that they didn’t have any at the moment – at least I think that was what he said in rather hurried German. We
made do with a Krušovice Dark and pondered where to go for food, with Lemke winning out as it was fairly close
and walk-able.
I have to say that Lemke is one of my favourite brewpubs in Berlin as it’s in a fascinating setting, located under the
railway in a couple of arches but it’s also well set out including an alcove with comfy seats and original brickwork.
As we expected, they had a seasonal Maibock on offer so we ordered a pitcher to go with our meal. This turned out
to be a tasty beer and good value at €11,00 for 1.5 litres compared to €4,40 for a half litre glass with the bonus of
removing some of the excess gas from the beer. After the meal we walked to the nearby Hackescher Markt S-bahn
station and headed back to the hotel for some well earned doss.
DB
DB
DB
EMU
112.133
112.165
10:22 Berlin Charlottenburg - Berlin Hbf
10:45 Berlin Hbf - Oranienburg
13:48 Oranienburg - Berlin Gesundbrunnen
10:33 S75
10:20 Berlin Westkreuz - Berlin Wartenberg
11:09 RE4356 09:26 Lutherstadt Wittenberg - Rostock Hbf
14:09 RE18511 11:02 Stralsund - Falkenberg (Elster)
Wednesday 16/05/2012
The plan today featured a bit of railway for me, a diesel across the Polish border but we had a decision to make
with the first train - To eff or not to eff?!? In the end we played safe and bought a couple of local tickets as our
departure time was just before the Lander ticket kicked in. Our original choice (at 09:08) was affected by
engineering work and not running through to Frankfurt (Oder) so we had to fall back on the earlier train. As
expected we weren’t gripped although the guard did come round later to check our Lander ticket and he actually
asked for my identity (passport) to confirm that it was my ticket which was a first for me. I was quite surprised that
the train remained full all the way to Frankfurt (Oder) but this may have been due to the engineering work affecting
the other service.
After buying our EC tickets & reservations to Swiebodzin, we had time to grab a couple of coffees and a large
pastry to share and as a bonus the EC was five minutes late so I fotted a few DB electrics that were stabled along
with preserved kettle (64.317). They were also several private owner loco’s near the station including a Captrain
186 and LOTOS 483.252 (5 170 013) as well as a Centralbahn 1042. The EC rolled in with Czech footbal team
liveried 370.006 and after several people had played musical chairs we eventually got our seats and relaxed with
our snack. It was then that I realised my Zloty’s were still in our hotel room – bugger! We lost a bit more time en
route due to some single line working (top & tail SM42’s on a rail replacement train) so arrived at Swiebodzin about
twelve minutes late. After fotting the 370 depart, I watched the restaurant car roll by and realised that I could
probably have used it to change some money – double bugger! To my relief there was a credit card logo at the
ticket office so I presented Ada with my written request for two tickets on the local train to Frankfurt (Oder) and got
my card out which was greeted with a grimace but accepted. It was only when she gave me the tickets that I
realised that she’d ignored my gen and stung us for the following EC including seat reservations – cheers!! Maybe
it was payback for me wanting to pay by card but as I’ve got virtually no Polish I decided against a rant as it would
probably have been far too difficult for her to cancel and re-issue everything before our train turned up.
Out on the platform a large group of lads had congregated at the top of the subway steps including two in black
suits and ties – we couldn’t decide whether they’d been to a funeral or to court but June commented that the
presence of them all would have been quite intimidating for a single woman. Our train appeared a couple of
minutes late but I was pleased to see a required ET22 on three refurbished deckers with plenty of empty seats.
This was followed by a required SU45 waiting to take over at Rzepin, making the trip worthwhile if a little expensive.
We made the plus six at Frankfurt (Oder) but I didn’t have time to get a fot of the SU45 in Germany although it
would probably have been a bit dark under the station canopy anyway. With only ten minutes at Cottbus there
wasn’t any time to take in the action there either. There still seemed to be plenty of diesels around although most
are either private owner or dumped on Cottbus shed – a big change from fifteen years ago when the area was a
stronghold of 232’s. The next leg of the journey was with a required 182 although our orignal plan changed when I
realised that I had conflicting gen on the opening hours of the brewery tap in Königs Wusterhausen. Instead, we
decided to play safe and head back into Berlin for some touristy fots and a trip to Brewbaker before it closed.
Our first port of call was the Reichstag and the gods looked favourably on us as the sun appeared just before we
got there. Our next stop was the Brandenburg Gate and not surprisingly it was pretty busy with the chaps posing in
uniforms doing a roaring trade with people fotting them. Our final stop was the Dom but it was a bit of a trek for
June along Unter der Linden and we were on the wrong side of the roadworks to get to a bus stop. We stopped for
a break when June started limping a bit. She’d developed a blister the previous day after getting a bit of grit in her
shoe and the plaster that she’d put on in the morning had just rubbed off making things worse. We carried on
slowly and managed some sunny fots of the Dom as well before making our way to Hackescher Markt S-bahn
station. I decided that it would now be pushing it to get to Brewbaker and back for our intended train to Königs
Wusterhausen so I decided on the fall back plan of catching the earlier 17:40 Cottbus train from Alexanderplatz but
just as we stepped onto the platform at Hackescher Markt the doors closed on an S-bahn and sods law, before the
next one arrived we watched the Cottbus train sail past! This now gave us an hour spare so June popped into C&A
for a bit of retail therapy while I grabbed a snack and had a quick trip to Ost and back on required Trabbi’s.
The 18:40 Cottbus train was running a bit late and the platform was heaving but we managed to get seats and
relaxed for the twenty five minute run to Königs Wusterhausen or at least that’s what we thought would happen.
Instead, just after passing Berlin Karlshorst we ground to a halt and heard an announcement about kids on the line.
Shortly afterwards, an airport service pulled up alongside us and we had a further announcement saying that the
police were now en route so we guessed that everything was on stop and we’d be there a while – at least we had
seats! The Bert opposite was getting very irate as he kept losing the signal when he tried to call the missus which
resulted in a few expletives so when we eventually got moving after almost an hour he was straight on the phone to
find out what state his tea was in.
This delay was doubly frustrating as we could have had an hour in Brewbaker after all but we’d decided to head to
Königs Wusterhausen early so that we would also have had time to go to Bohnsdorf. This now looked doubtful but
at least we were en route to the brewery tap (Schloß restaurant) and looking forward to a decent meal. This time
the expletives came from me when we found that the entire Schloß grounds were closed – no sign of life in the
café, the restaurant or what we assumed was the brewery building – what a waste of three hours! There was
nothing for it but to trudge back to the station but at least we’d now have time to get to Bohnsdorfer Brauhaus at
Altglienicke. As per usual we just missed an S-bahn and then to rub it in a required 182 came through which had to
be reluctantly flagged. The move to Bohnsdorf worked well but it was now getting late due to us missing the
previous S-bahn so neither of us was really surprised when we were told upon arrival that the kitchen had closed.
We made do with a couple of Dunkels in the cellar bar (very tasty and the hoppiest dunkel I think I’ve had in
Germany) before heading back to the hotel via the airport and a midnight snack at Alexanderplatz.
With only a few weeks to go before being replaced by a DB railcar, SU45-115 waits to work a regional train from Poznan
forward across the border from Rzepin to Frankfurt (Oder).
DB
PKP
PKP
PKP
DB
DB
DB
DB
DB
DB
114.030 08:50
370.006 10:43
ET22-829 12:12
SU45-115 13:03
114.022
13:34
182.014 15:02
143.278 18:16
114.039 18:29
182.002
18:40
EMU
21:01
Berlin Charlottenburg - Frankfurt (Oder)
Frankfurt (Oder) - Swiebodzin
Swiebodzin - Rzepin
Rzepin - Frankfurt (Oder)
Frankfurt (Oder) - Cottbus
Cottbus - Berlin Alexanderplatz
Berlin Alexanderplatz - Berlin Ostbahnhof
Berlin Ostbahnhof - Berlin Alexanderpl.
Berlin Alexanderpl. - Königs Wusterhausen
Königs Wusterhausen - Berlin Adlershof
10:13
11:37
12:53
13:28
14:52
16:21
18:19
18:32
19:08
21:21
RE18107
EC43
5832
5832
RE18221
RE37414
RB18931
RE18186
RE37385
S46
07:06
09:40
10:40
10:40
13:34
15:02
17:19
17:33
15:33
21:01
Magdeburg Hbf - Frankfurt (Oder)
Berlin Hbf - Warszawa Wschodnia
Poznan Glowny - Frankfurt (Oder)
Poznan Glowny - Frankfurt (Oder)
Frankfurt (Oder) - Cottbus
Cottbus - Wittenberge
Nauen - Berlin Schönefeld Flughafen
Frankfurt (Oder) - Berlin Charlottenburg
Wismar - Cottbus
Königs Wusterhausen - Berlin Westend
DB
DB
DB
EMU
EMU
143.574
21:25 Berlin Adlershof - Berlin Altglienicke
21:30 S45
21:04 Berlin Südkreuz - Berlin Schönefeld Flughafen
23:10 Berlin Altglienicke - Berlin Schönefeld Flug 23:15 S45
22:44 Berlin Südkreuz - Berlin Schönefeld Flughafen
23:22 Berlin Schönefeld Flug - Berlin Alexanderpl. 23:44 RB18938 23:02 Königs Wusterhausen - Nauen
Thursday 17/05/2012
After a lie in to catch up on sleep I fond the laptop was being a pain and after thirty minutes of getting nowhere I
rebooted it only to find that it had downloaded a pile of updates. I eventually found out the times I needed while
eating breakfast but ran out of time to check my e-mails and post some gen as we wanted to pay a visit to the
Mauerpark, another of the remaining sections of wall.
The area around the Nordbahnhof and the “Friedhof der Sophiengemeinde Berlin” cemetery had been divided by
the wall which ran alongside Bernauer Straße and a section has remained as an exhibit. Nordbahnhof itself is
relatively untouched since the day when it suddenly found itself a terminus, except obviously for the reinstatement
of the through line. The booking hall carries some photos and information on the splitting of the public transport
network in 1961 and this is followed outside by information on the wall. It includes a memorial to those who failed in
their escape attempts, along with remains of the wall, the “death strip”, the patrol path and lights, the signal wire
and the inner fence – no wonder it was so difficult to escape! Also rather sobering was the splitting of the cemetery
and the fact that East Germans had severely restricted access due to its location by the wall but West Germans
were denied access to the graves all together.
June and I had decided to split up for a few hours as she wanted to rest her feet and visit the zoo while I wanted to
have a final spin on the Ludmilla to Szczecin before it finishes in June.
One one June’s favourites when visiting zoos (along with the big cats), a rather sleepy wolf reluctantly poses for the camera!
As we had day tickets June headed back into town while I went North to Gesundbrunnen to buy a FIP ticket to
Szczecin. After two dud electrics to Angermünde, I then had to flag a required one as the 232 was too far away to
view but much to my relief it was required so I rejoined the train after taking a few fots. After the usual sedate run to
Szczecin, I was surprised to see quite a few people get off – I wonder if they realise that their train is disappearing
in three weeks? After a quick wander into town for a few fots and to grab a few snacks I made my way back to the
station, rejoined the train and cracked open the Zywiec Porter that I’d picked up which seemed to make the return
journey pass a bit quicker…..
I changed onto the RE at Angermünde as it left first (and was required!) and strangely it was timed five minutes
faster than the EC for the run back to Berlin Hbf! I caught the next available RE to Charlottenburg to meet June
back at the hotel. Changing at the multi level Hbf is no mean feat – whoever designed the escalator layout
obviously never had any intention of using them and the lifts are incredibly slow as they normally stop at every level
in both directions (assuming that you can find the right lift in the first place that is)!
After posting some gen and catching up with some of my e-mails (which included finding out that several others
had also been in the Berlin area!) we decided to head off to Brewbaker, having missed out twice in the previous
two days but we were bowled again - Brewbaker was closed so that was another hour wasted!
After heading back to the Stadtbahn I was bowled yet again after leaping for a required Trabbi as I hadn’t realised
that the diagrams were different on a bank holiday with a few of the fill in turns not running. When we got off at
Berlin Friedrichstraße and I checked the loco it was one of the ones I’d scored the previous evening! I drowned my
sorrows with a quick beer in Bauhaus Mitte which was packed due to the bank holiday while we pondered what to
do next. The obvious choice was a visit to Rollberg as they now opened on Thursday’s and June had never been.
At first I wondered whether we were going to get bowled again as the old Kindl brewery seemed to be in complete
darkness but the small corner section that’s been re-opened by Rollberg was to my relief open. It’s a fascinating
little place and intriguing to see the huge coppers of the old Kindle brewery next to the small and efficient
equipment of Rollberg. After a friendly welcome I withered the serving wench by showing her the fots on the latop
that she’d taken of us during Daffy’s stag do. She was so impressed that I’d returned with June that she presented
June with a free Rollberg linen shopping bag! A couple of quick drinks turned into a relaxing social but as Rollberg
don’t do food and we’d not realised that they offered a dial a pizza service until too late we decided to make a move
to Südstern for something to eat. We weren’t too surprised to find that they’d stopped doing food shortly before our
arrival and after serving us a beer we got the impression that they were looking to close so we decided to call it a
night.
DB
DB
DB
DB
DB
DB
DB
DB
DB
114.039
114.017
101.073
232.583
232.583
114.024
112.116
EMU
143.278
10:08
11:38
11:59
12:51
14:32
15:35
16:41
18:15
18:40
Berlin Charlottenburg - Berlin Friedrichstr
Berlin Gesundbrunnen - Bernau
Bernau - Angermünde
Angermünde - Szczecin Glowny
Szczecin Glowny - Angermünde
Angermünde - Berlin Hbf (tief)
Berlin Hbf - Berlin Charlottenburg
Berlin Charlottenburg - Berlin Ostbahnhof
Berlin Ostbahnhof - Berlin Friedrichstraße
10:21
11:51
12:32
13:46
15:25
16:27
16:49
18:36
18:46
RE18173
RE69606
EC178
EC178
EC179
RE69613
RE18182
S5
RB18928
10:08
10:36
06:29
06:29
14:32
15:09
15:33
17:58
18:20
Berlin Charlottenburg - Frankfurt (Oder)
Wünsdorf Waldstadt - Schwedt (Oder)
Praha Hl.n. - Szczecin Glowny
Praha Hl.n. - Szczecin Glowny
Szczecin Glowny - Praha Hl.n.
Schwedt (Oder) - Wünsdorf Waldstadt
Frankfurt (Oder) - Berlin Charlottenburg
Berlin Spandau - Strausberg
Berlin Schönefeld Flughafen - Nauen
Friday 18/05/2012
When our alarm went off I can honestly say that I felt like sh*t and just wanted to roll over and go back to sleep.
We’d not had that much to drink the previous night so I put my condition down to not eating much since my Polish
ham and cheese roll at lunchtime on the 232 however as soon as I brushed my teeth I was rather ill so I began to
suspect the roll as being dodgy!! I hardly touched breakfast which was probably a good thing as once we were on
tour IC to Minden I was sick again. Hoping that this had cleared things a bit I ate a roll that I’d picked up at
breakfast but this also re-appeared so it’s fair to say that it wasn’t one of my most enjoyable journey’s! I soldiered
on and by the time we reached Koln I was feeling pretty hungry so risked a snack. Luckily it stayed down although I
still felt really washed out so once we were on the unit across the border I sent Denzil a text advising him of my
condition and asking if we could bring the stewards meeting forward to tie in with our arrival in Bruxelles.
As has often happened in recent times, our Eurostar “any Belgium station” ticket was accepted by the guard on the
unit out of Aachen (despite him saying it wasn’t valid and we should have paid) as he seemed more interested in
the lack of an obvious first class indication on the ticket (a single star in the class box is all that was shown). We
changed onto the IC at Liege and I heard back from Denzil saying that he and the others would all meet us at 19:00
so June and I picked up a few bottles of water for the following day before the meeting as I had no interest in
chasing 18’s while feeling sick. The meeting went well and a couple of cokes had no adverse affects although I was
still feeling hungry so when the others suggested eating in one the bar/restaurants outside the front of Midi June
and I decided to join them before heading off to our hotel. In the end we had an enjoyable meal although the full
menu wasn’t offered due to all the restaurants closing not long after the last TGV/Eurostar departures and I even
risked a Blanche – my first and last beer of the day! Dave Roberts was in the same hotel as us so joined us for a
walk to the hotel as all thoughts of heading out for a nightcap had gone out of the window and I just wanted to
crash in a heap and hopefully recover a bit ready for the tour the next day.
Due to being ill and not taking any photos during the day, I’ve taken advantage and included a second one from Thursday –
232.583 waits to depart from Szczecin Glowny with EC179 which it will work as far as Angermünde. This is the second of the
German/Polish border crossings that will shortly to lose its remaining diesel working.
DB
DB
112.116
101.074
08:08 Berlin Charlottenburg - Berlin Hbf
08:37 Berlin Hbf - Minden (Westf)
08:16 RE18153 08:08 Berlin Charlottenburg - Frankfurt (Oder)
11:10 IC148
08:37 Berlin Hbf - Schiphol Airport
DB
DB
DB
SNCB
SNCB
146.011
112.166
146.028
EMU
1848
11:28
13:01
15:15
16:34
17:41
Minden (Westf) - Hamm (Westf)
Hamm (Westf) - Köln Hbf
Köln Hbf - Aachen Hbf
Aachen Hbf - Liege Guillemins
Liege Guillemins - Bruxelles Midi
12:42
14:38
16:07
17:25
18:36
RE10618
RE10723
RE10126
IR5037
IC488
11:28
12:34
13:22
16:34
17:22
Minden (Westf) - Düsseldorf Hbf
Münster (Westf) Hbf - Krefeld Hbf
Hamm (Westf) - Aachen Hbf
Aachen Hbf - Liege Guillemins
Vise - Oostende
Saturday 19/05/2012
For the first time in quite a while I was acting as Train Manager on the Mercia Charters railtour and I’d picked one
with a difference – our first ever mainline steam charter! June and I managed a quick breakfast and I felt 10 times
better than I had the previous morning. As there was a tram stop en route to Annessens, I checked the times and
one was due so we caught it to Bruxelles Midi and picked up a loco hauled service to Bruxelles Nord. I thought for
a few minutes that there was a problem as three rains were all sat waiting to head to Nord but we eventually got
going a few minutes late. This late running meant that I went straight into stewarding mode after arrival at Bruxelles
Nord, completely forgetting to check the rear loco, unusual for me.
I’d already received a text from Denzil saying that they were en route from Schaerbeek with the ECS so I knew that
it would be ready and waiting at Nord. We got away on time and I made my way through the train performing my
welcome speech as Train Manager. Although I’m not into steam in a big way I have to say that 29.013 sounded
good and put up a pretty good performance – maybe it’s the MLW connection? Our first water stop was at Ottignies
and it was noted that we’d lost a few minutes en route for no apparent reason. After checking with the traincrew, we
were told that despite all versions of the Infrabel bulletin showing the train as timed for 80km/h, we were actually
restricted to 60km/h! The reason was concerns over the plain bearings on the locomotive tender which was due to
go for overhaul in a fortnights time!
The speed restriction would mean that we’d struggle to keep time but luckily the 30 minutes given for the water
stop allowed us to get away on time again. In addition to the water stop we also had several stops for the crew to
check over the loco and tender and they’d been shown in the booklet as photostops – so it was a bit unfortunate
that the crew forgot to stop at Charleroi Ouest! A rearranged stop at Walcourt also had to be binned as we’d
dropped time again and had to push on to Phillipville where we were booked to cross a northbound unit. Phillipville
is a strange station as it has one long platform line and a through line with a crossover half way along it. We’d
expected to drop down to the South end of the platform so the unit could use the crossover to access the North end
of the platform but instead the signaller routed us down the through line! After discussions with the guard we were
allowed to get off for a rather poor photostop on the cess side but luckily (and as several locals were wandering
around anyway) it was agreed that once the unit had gone we could cross the line for a much better photo.
The final leg of our journey took us through Mariembourg to the end of the line at Couvin where after a short
photostop we retraced our footsteps to Mariembourg with the assist loco 7757 providing traction (which didn’t go
down too well with some of the hardened steam cranks!). We’d requested to use the link onto the CFV3V system
so that we could have a cross platform transfer onto our steam charter to Treignes but we’d been advised that due
to “technical reasons” this might be impossible and so it proved when I spotted a CFV3V guard on the platform
waiting to escort us to the depot. As the crow flies it’s only a five minute walk but via the road it’s about 15 minutes
(even longer for a few of our passengers) so as soon as everyone had arrived at our charter train we set off with ex
DB steam loco 64.250 at the sharp end.
June thought that the run to Treignes was quite scenic and it’s a shame that regular operations are now only over
one section of the “Three Valleys”. I was lucky enough to travel on another section (Dinant – Hastiere – Givet)
which has since closed due to high costs (I assumed related to running on SNCB/SNCF tracks) but I never
travelled on the line to Chimay – a shame as a trip to the Trappist brewery would’ve made for a nice day! Due to
having to fit in between the Couvin – Charleroi service as well as the CFV3V timetable, our time was unfortunately
limited at Treignes to a mere fifteen minutes, just about enough to look round the museum and fot the train with the
two loco’s posed side by side.
64.250 stayed behind at Treignes as ex PKP Tkt48-87 was now the power for the return trip to Mariembourg.
Denzil and I tried to get our main train into the CFV3V Mariembourg platform and just when it seemed that
everyone was happy to do it our plans were scuppered by a no from Infrabel. This was a bit of a blow as it meant
another walk back to the station which cut our time down. Worse was to come as just after everyone had got off
the train for a wander around the depot, Jan our guard received a phone call advising that Infrabel now wanted us
to depart fifteen minutes early to ensure that we kept our path with the 60km/h restriction!! This led to a chaotic ten
minutes trying to round everyone up followed by route march back to the station – not what anyone wanted at the
hottest time of the day! Our efforts were all for nothing as despite getting everyone on board the traincrew were
then told that we’d have to wait for the unit to arrive from Charleroi as booked – not impressed! After checking the
timetable it appeared as though we’d have needed to leave thirty minutes early to stand any chance of reaching
Phillipville in time to cross the unit so why Infrabel had requested a fifteen minute early departure is anybody’s
guess but it was annoying to lose the fifteen minutes at the CFV3V.
Despite a good performance from 29.013 we again lost time but with two water stops on the longer route back to
Bruxelles I was hopeful that our arrival wouldn’t be too late. The first water stop was at La Louviere and had we
known that this would be happening it might have been possible to arrange for access to the museum store
although time would have been short. We managed to get away one minute late but again lost time while heading
for our final water stop at Lessines. This was one for the girls on board as the local fire brigade were turned out
with their hoses!
The final run was a circuitous route back to Bruxelles as we’d requested a run over the non electrified single line
from Burst to Aalst, the best place to arrange for a photostop and a possible run past but the final timings from
Infrabel didn’t allow for either which was a bit frustrating. As we’d made up some time, I walked through the train to
give my thank you and farewell speech before arrival at Bruxelles Midi. It was a very enjoyable day and a nice way
to celebrate Mercia’s fifteenth year of operation and on the whole the tour went well and most passengers seemed
to enjoy themselves. There was only one thing left to do now – relax with a good meal followed by a few beers so
all the stewards met up with a few friends at the Brussels Grill after which we headed down the road to Moeder
Lambic. It was certainly a relaxing evening and as June and I didn’t have any special plans for the morning the
beers kept flowing and we eventually got back to the hotel at around 2am!
Canadian built SNCB museum loco 29.013 pauses at Ottignies for a water stop while heading the Mercia Charters “Paradise
Lost” railtour from Bruxelles Nord to Couvin and Mariembourg.
SNCB
SNCB
SNCB
SNCB
CFV3V
CFV3V
SNCB
2736
27xx
07:36
07:36
29.013
08:02
7757
12:08
64.250
12:40
Tkt48-87 13:30
29.013
14:56
Bruxelles Midi - Bruxelles Nord
Bruxelles Midi - Bruxelles Nord
Bruxelles Nord- Couvin
Couvin - Mariembourg
Mariembourg (CFV3V) - Treignes
Treignes - Mariembourg (CFV3V)
Mariembourg - Bruxelles Midi
07:43
07:43
11:48
12:18
13:20
14:10
19:34
IC1506
IC1506
Z18132
Z18133
V9223
V9224
Z18134
06:35
06:35
08:02
12:08
12:40
13:30
14:56
Brugge - Genk
Brugge - Genk
Bruxelles Nord- Couvin
Couvin - Mariembourg
Mariembourg (CFV3V) - Treignes
Treignes - Mariembourg (CFV3V)
Mariembourg - Bruxelles Midi
Sunday 20/05/2012
As is often the case, our Sunday included a lazy start followed by me hunting down a few type 18’s followed by a
couple of jugs of Lambic Doux in A la Becasse with June.
When is a Benelux train not a Benelux train? When it’s completely leased from someone else! Alpha trains 186.232 heads a
rake of Austrian stock waiting to depart Bruxelles Midi with train IC9221, the 11:18 to Amsterdam Centraal.
Luckily I bumped into Gordon almost straight away who supplied a bit of gen so I knew that I had at least three
required 18’s in the area and in the end I scored four (after also falling onto 1858) and bumped into several other
cranks before retiring for a beer. June and I had booked first class (sorry, standard premier!) on the Eurostar which
turned out to be the right decision as there were quite a few Chelsea fans on board following their trip to Munchen
so we were able to relax in a nice peaceful environment. Denis Cook was also in our coach and as he had a
memory stick with him I was able to give him a copy of a fot that he’d asked me to take at Ottignies – the wonders
of modern technology!!
Back at St. Pancras, we scooted downstairs as quickly as possible to avoid a large queue at immigration and our
efforts paid off as we were through in little over one minute after having our passport and stamped ticket checked.
June and I had several choices for our route home and amazingly there wasn’t any engineering of any of the routes
so we decided to have a slow wander to the Euston tap for a final pint before making our way to Paddington for the
direct HST to Hereford. The only slight glitch was carrying two bags down the steps at Paddington and having
some cretin stick his elbow out and almost knocking me over! Needless to say I was less than impressed
(understatement of the year!) and told him what I thought of him only for him to accuse me of getting in his way –
cheeky f*cker!! As we’ve got a virtually non existent bus service on a Sunday, June and I popped into
Wetherspoons for a quick half (well, it is Mild May after all so a good opportunity to sample a few dark beers) and
rang for a taxi home.
SNCB
SNCB
SNCB
SNCB
SNCB
SNCB
SNCB
SNCB
SNCB
SNCB
ES
ES
BR
BR
1844
1836
1826
1879
1858
2754
2749
1822
1823
1827
373.105
373.217
43176
43017
10:33
10:55
11:33
11:55
12:02
12:17
12:17
13:40
13:40
13:55
14:52
14:52
17:42
17:42
Bruxelles Midi - Bruxelles Nord
Bruxelles Nord - Bruxelles Midi
Bruxelles Midi - Bruxelles Nord
Bruxelles Nord - Bruxelles Central
Bruxelles Central - Bruxelles Nord
Bruxelles Nord - Bruxelles Central
Bruxelles Nord - Bruxelles Central
Bruxelles Central - Bruxelles Nord
Bruxelles Central - Bruxelles Nord
Bruxelles Nord - Bruxelles Midi
Bruxelles Midi - St. Pancras International
Bruxelles Midi - St. Pancras International
Paddington - Hereford
Paddington - Hereford
10:40
11:02
11:40
11:58
12:05
12:20
12:20
13:43
13:43
14:02
16:03
16:03
21:03
21:03
IC2009
IC532
IC2010
IC533
IC510
IC1533
IC1533
IC1512
IC1512
IC535
9141
9141
---------
09:40
09:10
10:40
10:10
10:42
10:41
10:41
12:06
12:06
12:10
14:52
14:52
17:42
17:42
Charleroi Sud - Antwerpen Centraal
Eupen - Oostende
Charleroi Sud - Antwerpen Centraal
Eupen - Oostende
Oostende - Eupen
Genk - Knokke
Genk - Knokke
Knokke - Genk
Knokke - Genk
Eupen - Oostende
Bruxelles Midi - St. Pancras International
Bruxelles Midi - St. Pancras International
Paddington - Hereford
Paddington - Hereford
Summary
At times this trip was a bit frustrating. We seemed to have a habit of taking a bit longer than planned with most
things in Berlin which resulted in us just missing the next leg of the journey. The biggest disappointment was the
trip to Königs Wusterhausen – to be delayed by an hour was bad enough but to get there at the end of the evening
and find it shut was a bit of a blow. I assume that our bowl out at Brewbaker was due to the bank holiday as they
don’t normally open on Sundays (often the same hours as bank holiday) but we have no idea why we had no luck
at Königs Wusterhausen. It was also disppointing to find Prassnik without their own beer (we had the same result in
the Scilly Isles of all places!) but the other brewpubs certainly made up for it and June was very impressed with
Rollberg. I had to smile when I realised that there were at least five other people who I knew in the area during the
week and I’d managed to miss bumping into them all!!
Friday was a bit of a nightmare for me due to being ill and I certainly thought at one stage that I’d be unable to
participate in the tour so I was relieved and pleased to feel much better on the Saturday, especially as it was a very
enjoyable day out and a good social occasion after the tour. We’re now back to our usual routine at work but busy
plotting our next trip away.
© Neil
Aitken
21/05/2012
Hotel Gen
As usual, I consulted HRS for our hotels although the one in Bruxelles was booked direct which allowed us to
specify bed type (one of the major drawbacks with HRS).
Hotel Abendstern
Stuttgarter Platz 8
D-10627 Berlin Charlottenburg
Tel: +49 3031013492
Fax: +49 3031014684
Web: www.hotel-abendstern.de
E-mail: info@hotel-abendstern.de
Located opposite Charlottenburg S-bahn staation, mid way between the two exits on the opposite side of the road
(A couple of other hotels are nearby too). Reception is manned 24/7, some English is spoken and a double room
including a PYB breakfast cost €54 for two of the nights and €67,50 for the third night. Free WiFi was available
although it required a passcode from reception (the first one I got was only for 24 hours) and each time I closed the
laptop down I had to re-enter the code so it was a bit of a pain. A reasonable hotel at a reasonable price (compared
to some we looked at) but the main drawback was the paper thin curtains in the room, probably fine in Winter but a
bit of a pain with the Summer sun.
Hotel Van Belle
Chaussee de Mons 39
B-1070 Brussels
Tel: +32 25213516
Fax: +32 25270002
Web: www.hotelvanbelle.be
E-mail: reservation@hotelvanbelle.be
Located about 10 minutes walk from Bruxelles Midi station but with tram and metro stops closer by. Reception is
manned 24/7, English was spoken and a double room including a hot PYB breakfast cost €54 a night. A free
internet terminal was available in the hotel lobby.
Beer Gen
I used Steve Thomas’s excellent book and website Good Beer Guide Germany (http://www.germanbreweries.com/) and Ron Pattinsons website (http://www.europeanbeerguide.net) for reference while in Berlin and
I’d also previously compiled a list of Berlin breweries and brewpubs for a couple of friends which is shown below:All locations below have been added to a Google map and can be found at the following URL:http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=206283367026035515444.0004bbd2f989be12e621d
A) Berliner-Kindl-Schultheiss - Indira-Gandhi-Straße 66, Berlin Hohenschönhausen 13053
Regional brewery founded in 1842 and now part of the “Radeberger Gruppe”– no tap but the beers are easily found
in the centre. Originally brewing the Schultheiss range but now also brews the Kindl and Bürgerbräu beers after the
group closed their breweries (sounds a bit like Greene King!).
http://www.schultheiss.de/
B) Brauhaus Bohnsdorf - Buntzelstraße 89, Berlin Bohnsdorf 12526
Microbrewery opened in 2008 with a restaurant and a cellar bar.
www.brauhaus-bohnsdorf.com
Public transport: Altglienicke S-bahn (1000m)
Open (Bar): Mon & Wed-Fri 17:00 - 23:00, Sat 15:00 – 23:00, Sun 14:00 – 23:00. Closed Tuesday.
Open (Restaurant): Wed - Mon 11:30 – 22:00. Closed Tuesday.
C) Brauhaus in Spandau – Neuendorfer Straße 1, Berlin Spandau 13585
Brewpub opened in 1995 with a restaurant and hotel, located next to Spandau prison.
http://www.brauhaus-spandau.de/
Public transport: Altstadt Spandau U-bahn (250m)
Open (Apr –Oct): Sun-Thu 10:00 - 24:00, Fri-Sat 10:00 – 01:00.
Open (Nov – Mar): Mon 16:00 – 24:00, Tue – Thu 11:00 – 24:00, Fri – Sat 11:00 – 01:00, Sun 10:00 – 24:00
D) Brauhaus Mitte – Karl Liebknecht Straße 13, Berlin Mitte 10178
Large brewpub opened in 1993 in the city centre. Can be very popular with tourists & locals for food & drink.
http://www.brauhaus-mitte.de/
Public transport: Alexanderplatz S-bahn / U-bahn (150m)
Open: Daily 11:00 – 24:00
E) Brewbaker – Arminiusstraße 2-4, Berlin Tiergarten 10551
Brewpub opened in 2005 but closed for a while after being forced to move out from under the railway arches at
Berlin Tiergarten. Now happily relocated nearby and started brewing again in 2011.
Food is also available 12:00 – 22:00.
http://www.brewbaker.de/
Public transport: Turnstraße U-bahn (450m)
Open: Mon – Fri from 12:00, Sat from 11:00. Closed Sun & Hol.
F) Eschenbräu – Triftstraße 67, Berlin Wedding 13353
Microbrewery & tap opened in 2002. They focus on beers but flammkuchen are available to eat.
http://www.eschenbraeu.de/
Public transport: Wedding S-bahn / U-bahn (600m)
Open: Daily from 17:00 (opens at 15:00 June – August).
G) Georgbræu – Spreeufer 4, Berlin Mitte 10178
Brewpub opened in 1992, located in the Nikolaiviertel. Food is also available.
http://www.georgbraeu.de/
Public transport: Alexanderplatz S-bahn / U-bahn (900m)
Open: Daily from 12:00
H) Hops & Barley - Wühlischstraße 22, Berlin Friedrichshain 10245
Brewpub opened in 2008. Doesn’t serve food.
http://www.hopsandbarley-berlin.de/
Public transport: Warschauer Straße S-bahn (1000m). Trams also stop outside
Open: Daily 17:00 – 03:00
I) Lemke am Schloß Charlottenburg - Luisenplatz 1, Berlin Charlottenburg 10585
Brewpub opened in 1987. Formerly Luisen Bräu but now owned by Lemke. Food is also available.
http://www.brauhaus-lemke.com/index.php/home-3
Public transport: Westend S-bahn (1100m)
Open: Daily from 11:00
J) Lemkes – S-Bahnbogen 143, Dirckenstraße, Berlin Mitte 10178
Brewpub opened in 1999 in two arches under the stadtbahn railway line. Food is also available.
http://www.brauhaus-lemke.com/index.php/home
Public transport: Hackescher Markt S-bahn (150m)
Open: Daily from 12:00
K) Lindenbräu – Bellevuestraße 3, Berlin Tiergarten 10875
Large multi level brewpub opened in 2000 in the big Sony Center (shopping centre). Food is also available.
www.linden-hopfinger-braeu.de
Public transport: Potsdamer Platz S-bahn / U-bahn (150m)
Open: Sun-Thu 11:00 – 01:30, Fri-Sat 11:00 – 02:30
They’ve now opened two other bars but it’s not known where the beers are brewed:K2) Hopfingerbräu im Palais, Pariser Platz, Ebertstraße 24, Berlin 10117
Open: Daily 11:00 - 24:00
K3) Hopfingerbräu im Hauptbahnhof, Europaplatz 1, Berlin 10557
Open: Daily 11:00 - 22:30
L) Marcus Bräu (Microbrauerei Barkowsky) – Münzstraße 1, Berlin Mitte 10178
Brewpub opened in 1982.
http://www.brau-dein-bier.de/ or http://www.marcus-braeu.de/ ??
Public transport: Alexanderplatz S-bahn / U-bahn (300m)
Status unknown – website currently unavailable!
M) Prassnik - Torstraße 65, Berlin Mitte 10119
A small brewpub opened in 2006. The bar is very much a local affair, no food but plenty of smoke and the one beer
brewed (Hell) is not always available.
http://www.mangelwirtschaft.de/
Public transport: Rosa-Luxembourg-Platz U-bahn (300m)
Open: Daily from 19:00
N) Privatbrauerei am Rollberg – Werbellin Straße 50, Berlin Neukölln 12053
Microbrewery opened in 2009 and a bit tricky to find, hidden away discreetly in a corner of the old Kindl brewery.
Brewery shop opens Mon-Fri 11:00 – 16:00. No food so can get a bit smoky inside but there’s a pizza ordering
service and a BBQ is available in warmer weather for anyone bringing their own meat!.
www.rollberger.de/
Public transport: Boddinstraße U-bahn (650m)
Open: Thu-Sat from 17:00 until late, Sun 17:00 – 23:00.
O) Schalander - Bänschstraße 91, Berlin Friedrichshain 10247
Brewpub opened in 2009. Food is also available.
http://www.schalander-berlin.de/
Public transport: Frankfurter Allee S-bahn / U-bahn (400m)
Open: Mon - Fri from 16:00, Sat - Sun from 12:00.
P) Schloßplatzbrauerei Coepenick, Auf dem Schlossplatz / Grünstrasse, Berlin Köpenick 12555
Brewpub opened in 2004. A tiny brewkit located in a very small glass sided building, claiming to be the smallest
brewery in Germany. The tram stop outside is one way only so don’t get caught out when leaving! They often brew
daily so there are normally six beers available. No food but market stalls are often outside.
http://www.brauhaus-coepenick.de/
Public transport: Spindlersfeld S-bahn (1000m) / Köpenick S-bahn (1700m). Trams also stop outside.
Open: Daily from 12:00.
Q) Südstern – Hasenheide 69, Berlin Kreuzberg 10967
Brewpub opened in 2005. Food is also available.
http://www.brauhaus-suedstern.de/
Public transport: Südstern U-bahn (150m)
Open (Winter?): Mon - Fri from 17:00, Sat from 14:00, Sun & Hol from 10:00
I sampled one Polish beer (a bottle of Zywiec Porter – very dark and very strong! 9.5%) and the rest of our time
was spent in Bruxelles in some of our regular haunts:A La Becasse http://www.alabecasse.com/
Moeder Lambic Fontainas http://www.moederlambic.eu
Brussels-Grill Restaurant, Rogier http://www.brussels-grill.be
Railway Gen
All of the gen has been posted to the relevant Yahoo groups:Belgen http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/belgen/
DB-locoinfo http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/DB-locoinfo
Polrailgen http://groups.yahoo.com/group/polrailgen/
EuropeanRail http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/europeanrail/
All of these groups require membership but are a valuable source of help and information thanks to the large
amount of members who post. Most groups also contain information on loco diagrams and workings etc.
Monday 14/05
120.159 – CNL456
143.254 – RE18267
143.574 – RB18929
182.011 – RE37385
Tuesday 15/05
112.133 - RE4356
112.165 - RE18511
Wed 16/05
112.103 - RE18125
112.108 - RE18118
112.185 - RE18166
114.014 - RE18126
114.022 - RE18221
114.030 - RE18107
114.039 - RE18186
143.278 - RB18931
143.566 - RE18267
143.574 - RB18938
182.002 - RE37385 (60 late due to brats on the track!)
182.008 - RE37409
182.011 - RE37416
182.013 - RE37388
182.014 - RE37414
370.003 - EC47
370.006 - EC43
ET22-829 - 5832 (to Rzepin)
SU45-115 - 5832 (ex Rzepin)
Thursday 17/05
101.073 - EC178 (to Angermünde)
112.102 - RE18116
112.116 - RE18182
114.012 - RE69628 / RE18314
114.017 - RE18348
114.024 - RE69613 / RE18353
114.031 - RE69631 / RE18309
114.039 - RE18173
143.278 - RB18910
232.583 - EC178 (ex Angermunde)
Loco’s stabled @ Angermunde included DBS 232.524+232.379, LEG 202.484+202.703, SBB 421.397, RBH 116
(143.573), 114 (143.056), 120 (143.079) & 123 (143.941) and HGK DE676 (JT42).
Friday 18/05
Not much noted due to feeling unwell!
101.074 - IC148
112.116 - RE18153
112.166 - RE10723
146.011 - RE10618
146.028 - RE10126
1848 - IC488
Saturday 19/05
Not much noted due to working on the Mercia Charters steam railtour!
SNCB museum steam loco 29.013 (2-8-0) was the main tour loco and this was assisted by 7757. 29.013 was
turned and serviced at Mariembourg during our visit the CFV3V where we has a special train to Treignes, worked
by ex DB steam loco 64.250 (2-6-2t) on the outward leg and ex PKP steam loco Tkt48-87 (2-8-2t) on the return.
Sunday 20/05
1822+1823 - IC1512
1826 - IC2010
1827 - IC535
1836 - IC532
1844 - IC2009
1858 - IC510
1879 - IC533