Eifel Plandampf, September 1999

Roger Croston reports (thanks to Hans-Peter Gladtfeld for a copy and the comments in italics)

"From Cathedral to the Porta Nigra - Steam above the Eifel Volcanoes"

"A major Plandampf running through the Eifel region of western Germany " from Köln to Trier was organised by the "Revierdampf" team of five individuals, from Wednesday the 8th to Saturday the 11th of September. This consisted of 28 scheduled and 32 special passenger services over four days. There was, however, no freight traffic due to a national ban on steam hauled scheduled goods trains imposed for various reasons by DB Cargo. The organisers had moved mountains to run the event in the face of great technical, financial and organisational difficulties, including a 100% price increase for steam traction by Deutsche Bahn a mere ten days in advance. Hence the additional use of privately owned locos and further problems arising over their insurance. It could not have been held without the support, both moral and financial, of the government of Rheinland-Pfalz and the Zweckverband SPNV Rheinland-Pfalz Nord, the local train authority, who jointly contributed 60,000 Deutsch Marks - approximately a third of the cost. Over 340 participants also contributed, including more than 65 from the U.K. Thanks in particular must go to Hermann Lessing for his tenacity and determination to make this plandampf run.

The line between Trier and Köln branches off at Ehrang and begins by running through a wonderfully scenic landscape in a deep, densely forested, sharply curving valley which cuts through imposing cliffs. Northwards, as the valley opens out, the track runs over many bridges and through many tunnels alongside the river Kyll and is surrounded by picturesque fields, meadows and towns and villages filled with charming houses, churches, monasteries and a scattering of fairy tale castles. The station architecture is superb consisting of tall slate roofed elegant buildings built from the local red sandstone. Around Gerolstein lie a string of dead volcanoes and the landscape broadens out nearing Jünkerath from where it falls nearly all the way to Köln, finally opening out to form a wide sweeping plain over which the straight railway lines allow for good fast running. Unusually for Plandampf, and for the time of year, the weather was exceptionally good with calm conditions, blue cloudless skies and temperatures in the upper 80s Fahrenheit. Starry nights and cold misty mornings all created a wonderful atmosphere in which to run four days of steam from 04.55 in the mornings until beyond midnight most days - with half a dozen stalwarts defying many hours of sleep to experience the maximum amount possible.

Locos 94 1538, based at Dillenburg, Frankfurt am Main (actually based at Gerolstein, shedcodeplates on preserved locos don't mean anything in this country), and 52 8095 stabled at Schöneweide, Berlin (actually Dieringhausen), shared duties with the specials which ran from Gerolstein either eastwards to Ulmen over a line now closed to passenger traffic, or westwards along a disused track to Gondelsheim near to the Belgian border. Each loco took charge of four trains each day using six wheeled coaches, which were trains numbered Rbz 99001/3/5/7 to Gondelsheim, and Rbz 99002/4/6/8 to Ulmen, where some run pasts took place.

Scheduled services were steam hauled between Gerlostein and Trier for 69kms on Regional Bahn stopping services, and between Trier Hauptbahnhof and Köln-Deutz for 182kms on Regional Expresses. Loco 78 468, built by Henschel in Kassel in 1918 and now based in Oberhausen, ran with services RB22923 and RB22954 on the first three days, with RB22930 and RB22947 on all four days, and with RB22937 and RB22950 on the Saturday. Meanwhile, the Prussian P8, loco 38 2267 (wearing Erfurt-plates, but actually Bochum-Dahlhausen), also built by Henschel in Kassel in 1923 was rostered with trains RB22937 and RB22944 Wednesday to Friday. The timings for both locos were very tight, and the addition of a fourth travelling Post Office coach unannounced by DB to the organisers did not help the timekeeping. The early morning and late night journeys were memorable for running at speed through jet black nights, sometimes tender first; with myriads of bright red sparks falling from the exhaust bouncing along the carriage roofs to fall harmlessly onto the rails; thundering through long curved tunnels; and leaving enormously long vapour trails in their wake. Here and there a few bleary eyed, bewildered shift workers, wondering what had happened to transform their usual train, were picked up from isolated rural stations.

For many, the highlight was the appearance of Pacific 01 1066 built in Berlin in 1940, now usually based in Ettlingen (loco belongs to UEF, Ulm, but is stabled at Ettlingen-Stadt on the private Albtalbahn near Karslruhe, had Bw Rheine and BD Hannover plates in the evcent for the first time since 1975). She had been badly damaged at Kornwestheim shed (near Stuttgart) in 1997 accidentally falling off a turntable into the pit (the turntable was facing the wrong track), but a public subscription had raised sufficient funds for the necessary repairs. During the Eifel Plandampf she was numbered as 012 066-7 and, especially in Köln Hauptbahnhof's crowded platforms, created quite a stir amongst the regular passengers who did not expect to see the huge black snorting monster heading their daily train.

On Thursday, memorable for being the 9th of the 9th 1999, being driven by Jürgen Regler (which curiously enough translates as 'Regulator' - Mr Regulator on the regulator!), the 012 took charge of train RE3244 leaving Trier at 07.55. On departing Mechernich at 09.52, 126 km to the north, the loco made a truly spectacular departure, startling the passers by as she raucously thrashed out of the station along the line which bisects the length of the town's busy high street. And, reaching a confirmed speed of 75 mph, she arrived in Köln-Deutz at 10.45, only one minute late. The return journey with RE3255 departed at 13.14 and was due in Trier at 16.10. The loco ran well up the long consistent 1 in 70 gradient to Jünkerath. The next day, she took charge of RE3256 departing Trier at 13.37, arriving in Köln-Deutz at 16.51 some seven minutes down. On the return with RE3269, departing at 19.15 and running on into the night, she consistently lost time and was 16 minutes late at Gerolstein 113kms to the south. The train, because of this late running, made an unscheduled halt at Ehrang, some 7km north of Trier where the branch joins the main line, to allow some passengers to make connections which might otherwise have been missed in Trier. The departure at 22.21 had to be heard to be believed. The Pacific stormed uphill out of the station into the night to cross the river Mosel at Pfalzel, 3 km to the south. As she accelerated the sound of the exhaust rapidly crescendoed into a deafening thunderous roar, akin to that of a jet engine, which left those passengers who had alighted standing in awe. One Plandampfer was observed to be literally jumping for joy, having never expected to witness such a magnificent full throttled departure ever again since the end of 'real' German steam.

Overnight, it was discovered that the Pacific had unfortunately suffered a failed staybolt, which may explain the loss of time on the turn back to Trier, and she was unable to run as planned the next day, Saturday, with trains RE3248 departing Trier at 09.55, and RE 3257 leaving Köln-Deutz at 15.14. Following repairs, strenuous efforts were made to roster her on later overnight services, but this proved impossible due to a commitment to run a special on the Sunday - there being insufficient time between workings in Trier.

The Plandampf was followed on Sunday the 12th by a steam gala at Gerolstein, when five long distance special steam hauled trains arrived from Saarbrücken, Dieringhausen, Essen, Siegen and Raeren. Several thousand people crowded out the station and nearby shed to enjoy the spectacle and associated attractions."