This section contains photos taken recently with some comments, a blog. These pictures also appear in their respective categories if there is an album yet.
Use the "Map This" button at the top right to see a map with the photo locations pointed out on it.
If you need help in finding places, or if you are visiting the area and would like some more input on places to go, drop me a line at pix [at] mtnsub [dot] org. (you know what to do with the 'at' and 'dot' thingies...)
Use the "Map This" button at the top right to see a map with the photo locations pointed out on it.
If you need help in finding places, or if you are visiting the area and would like some more input on places to go, drop me a line at pix [at] mtnsub [dot] org. (you know what to do with the 'at' and 'dot' thingies...)
24-May-2009
Spent three intense days along the L37 through the lovely Vesdre Valley. This is the original 1841 alignment of the first international railway line linking Germany and Belgium, and one of the first major railways built in Europe. To this day the ICE and Thalys high-speed trains utilize this historic line between the border and Liege/B, running at much-reduced speed due to the excessive curvature.
This era is about to come to an end, though, as June 2009 will see the ICEs move to the new, parallel LGV3 which will shorten running times considerably. The Thalys are expected to follow suit towards the end of the year, when their ETCS installation is completed.
Reason enough for a visit to sample the beautiful scenery and take in some early summer sunshine. It seems road transportation hasn't changed all that much in the interim 168 years...
Note this is a Dutch Hispeed-owned, German-built ICE3M, on its way from France to Germany, photographed in Belgium. Welcome to Europe!
ICE3M eastbound en route from Paris/F Gare du Nord to Frankfurt/D passes Goffontaine in the Vesdre Valley.
Spent three intense days along the L37 through the lovely Vesdre Valley. This is the original 1841 alignment of the first international railway line linking Germany and Belgium, and one of the first major railways built in Europe. To this day the ICE and Thalys high-speed trains utilize this historic line between the border and Liege/B, running at much-reduced speed due to the excessive curvature.
This era is about to come to an end, though, as June 2009 will see the ICEs move to the new, parallel LGV3 which will shorten running times considerably. The Thalys are expected to follow suit towards the end of the year, when their ETCS installation is completed.
Reason enough for a visit to sample the beautiful scenery and take in some early summer sunshine. It seems road transportation hasn't changed all that much in the interim 168 years...
Note this is a Dutch Hispeed-owned, German-built ICE3M, on its way from France to Germany, photographed in Belgium. Welcome to Europe!
ICE3M eastbound en route from Paris/F Gare du Nord to Frankfurt/D passes Goffontaine in the Vesdre Valley.
3-May-2009
Just returned from a very enjoyable trip to the Settle & Carlisle in North Yorkshire, with a few days around Barnetby, North Lincolnshire, tacked on for good measure. Photos from the trip are now stored in two folders on the UK galleries page. Here's a teaser.
156 425 bound for Leeds heads through Blea Moor.
Just returned from a very enjoyable trip to the Settle & Carlisle in North Yorkshire, with a few days around Barnetby, North Lincolnshire, tacked on for good measure. Photos from the trip are now stored in two folders on the UK galleries page. Here's a teaser.
156 425 bound for Leeds heads through Blea Moor.
24-Apr-2009
Another shot from the L37, this time a bit further north than the picture taken on the 22nd of April.
The modernized AM70s in contemporary grey livery are easy to spot by the blanked-out left hand side window. Closing in on 40 years of service, the simple but dependable EMUs continue to be a staple on local trains across the country.
AM70 659 passes underneath the Rue Lancaumont as it leaves Welkenraedt bound for Liege.
Another shot from the L37, this time a bit further north than the picture taken on the 22nd of April.
The modernized AM70s in contemporary grey livery are easy to spot by the blanked-out left hand side window. Closing in on 40 years of service, the simple but dependable EMUs continue to be a staple on local trains across the country.
AM70 659 passes underneath the Rue Lancaumont as it leaves Welkenraedt bound for Liege.
22-Apr-2009
The relatively small town of Eupen in eastern Belgium boasts an hourly Intercity train, the IC-A to Oostende, as its only long-distance train service. The service is quite popular with riders from Liege on west so it is generally run with 11 coaches including a cab-control car and a class 13 electric in push-pull configuration. For the Paysage de l'Ardennes Bleue it is decidedly overkill, but makes a fine sight nonetheless.
Here one of today's trains on a westbound run descends into the valley of the river Vesdre between Welkenraedt and Dolhain-Gileppe. The L37 is one of the oldest railway lines in Belgium, completed between Köln/D and Liege in 1843.
1349 with Oostende-bound IC-A near Heggen.
The relatively small town of Eupen in eastern Belgium boasts an hourly Intercity train, the IC-A to Oostende, as its only long-distance train service. The service is quite popular with riders from Liege on west so it is generally run with 11 coaches including a cab-control car and a class 13 electric in push-pull configuration. For the Paysage de l'Ardennes Bleue it is decidedly overkill, but makes a fine sight nonetheless.
Here one of today's trains on a westbound run descends into the valley of the river Vesdre between Welkenraedt and Dolhain-Gileppe. The L37 is one of the oldest railway lines in Belgium, completed between Köln/D and Liege in 1843.
1349 with Oostende-bound IC-A near Heggen.
19-Apr-2009
Had to take a road trip this weekend, and managed to stop for a short look-see at a location I hadn't previously been to - Ashausen, south of Hamburg on the busy north-south line through Hanover, Fulda, and Würzburg. (click on "Map This" at the top of the page to see the location for this and the other pictures on this page)
Being a Sunday freight was relatively scarce and in fact this was the only one in good light. It is the westbound empty ore move from the Peine-Salzgitter blast furnace in Salzgitter-Beddingen to the Hansaport ore transloader in Hamburg. The attractive train is complemented by Ashausen's signal gantry and not-too-ordinary pedestrian bridge.
VPS 185 519 sister with empty ore train Salzgitter-Beddingen - Hamburg Hansaport in Ashausen.
Had to take a road trip this weekend, and managed to stop for a short look-see at a location I hadn't previously been to - Ashausen, south of Hamburg on the busy north-south line through Hanover, Fulda, and Würzburg. (click on "Map This" at the top of the page to see the location for this and the other pictures on this page)
Being a Sunday freight was relatively scarce and in fact this was the only one in good light. It is the westbound empty ore move from the Peine-Salzgitter blast furnace in Salzgitter-Beddingen to the Hansaport ore transloader in Hamburg. The attractive train is complemented by Ashausen's signal gantry and not-too-ordinary pedestrian bridge.
VPS 185 519 sister with empty ore train Salzgitter-Beddingen - Hamburg Hansaport in Ashausen.
10-Apr-2009
Railroad-labor relations in France and Belgium are a bit special. The unions like to strike and they do it often. To the point that the public mostly just shrugs it off with "ah, just another strike".
Of course if you don't know anything and set up to catch a couple of freight trains, you tend to come up empty. As was the case on April 10th, when all freight service was being struck. 2.5 hours of waiting netted - nothing.
Well, the window trains ran. So that's what I got then... Maybe not all bad, as the class 13s are scheduled to move to B-Cargo by the end of the year when delivery of the new Siemens class 18s is expected to be ramped up.
Happy Easter everybody!
1346 with IC Maastricht - Ostende passes Hermalle-sous-Argenteau
Railroad-labor relations in France and Belgium are a bit special. The unions like to strike and they do it often. To the point that the public mostly just shrugs it off with "ah, just another strike".
Of course if you don't know anything and set up to catch a couple of freight trains, you tend to come up empty. As was the case on April 10th, when all freight service was being struck. 2.5 hours of waiting netted - nothing.
Well, the window trains ran. So that's what I got then... Maybe not all bad, as the class 13s are scheduled to move to B-Cargo by the end of the year when delivery of the new Siemens class 18s is expected to be ramped up.
Happy Easter everybody!
1346 with IC Maastricht - Ostende passes Hermalle-sous-Argenteau
4-Apr-2009
The weekend of the 5th of April the L24 was shut down for trackwork and trains were diverted via the L39 and L37 Montzen - Welkenraedt - Aachen Süd - Aachen Hbf and return. Even though the class 225 diesels have not been around since December 2008, they are still the only class of engine save for the class 66 that was usable for the detours. Good thing Cobra spends millions on the Traxx lease...
Anway, here's a trio of 225s heading for Montzen to pick up the first train of the day. One 225 will lead towards Germany while the two others will shove on the rear. The area here shows evidence of the massive earthwork undertaken when the old flyover and connection to the L24a was removed the previous year.
225 029 with 225 027 and 225 028 in tow south of the Buschtunnel.
The weekend of the 5th of April the L24 was shut down for trackwork and trains were diverted via the L39 and L37 Montzen - Welkenraedt - Aachen Süd - Aachen Hbf and return. Even though the class 225 diesels have not been around since December 2008, they are still the only class of engine save for the class 66 that was usable for the detours. Good thing Cobra spends millions on the Traxx lease...
Anway, here's a trio of 225s heading for Montzen to pick up the first train of the day. One 225 will lead towards Germany while the two others will shove on the rear. The area here shows evidence of the massive earthwork undertaken when the old flyover and connection to the L24a was removed the previous year.
225 029 with 225 027 and 225 028 in tow south of the Buschtunnel.
3-Apr-2009
I have wanted to follow one of the ACTS trash trains in the Limburg region of the Netherlands for quite some time, and on the 3rd of April I finally did. ACTS serves a number of transloads, including one in the Beatrixhaven industrial estate north of Maastricht.
Here we see rented Vossloh G2000 1384 (with the odd asymmetrical cab) after having pulled the Essent facility and backed the train down to the little yard. As soon as the brakeman has walked back to the engine they will pull out, run down the main south into Maastricht, pick up the other half of their train (from Haanrade) left there, and run north to Wijlster.
This G2000 will be returned to Vossloh on the 4th. ACTS at this time receives a total of 6 G2000s to pinch-hit for their fleet of G1206s which are having a/c units installed at Vossloh in Moers. Good move; as can be seen by the blooming bush, temperatures are on the rise. 24 degrees C and counting...
Vossloh 1384 with the ACTS trash train 50101 (Beatrixhaven - Maastricht) in Weert.
I have wanted to follow one of the ACTS trash trains in the Limburg region of the Netherlands for quite some time, and on the 3rd of April I finally did. ACTS serves a number of transloads, including one in the Beatrixhaven industrial estate north of Maastricht.
Here we see rented Vossloh G2000 1384 (with the odd asymmetrical cab) after having pulled the Essent facility and backed the train down to the little yard. As soon as the brakeman has walked back to the engine they will pull out, run down the main south into Maastricht, pick up the other half of their train (from Haanrade) left there, and run north to Wijlster.
This G2000 will be returned to Vossloh on the 4th. ACTS at this time receives a total of 6 G2000s to pinch-hit for their fleet of G1206s which are having a/c units installed at Vossloh in Moers. Good move; as can be seen by the blooming bush, temperatures are on the rise. 24 degrees C and counting...
Vossloh 1384 with the ACTS trash train 50101 (Beatrixhaven - Maastricht) in Weert.
1-Apr-2009
It's springtime! Temperatures soar, the sun's out, trees and bushes are about to burst into bloom. Time to get out - get it while the getting's good...
The getting was fairly good in Eschweiler, between Aachen and Cologne. Regular readers will have noticed it's one of my favorite spots to hang out. Good sight lines all day long, early traffic warning afforded by crossing gates, quiet, off the beaten path. And generally good traffic, although there is a marked decrease when compared to last year; on account of the economy.
Here we see a class 155 westbound with an intermodal train. As DB Schenker culls their fleet of older units rendered surplus by the slacking economy, these venerable Co' Co' survivors from ex-East Germany are acutely endangered. Rumor has it they as well as the 50 year old class 140s are to be sidelined soonish. So getting a good shot of a rather clean unit is all the more satisfactory.
Here is another view from the day, illustrating a slightly different angle obtainable from the same spot.
155 259 with the 40158 (Milano/I - Bierset/B) in Eschweiler.
It's springtime! Temperatures soar, the sun's out, trees and bushes are about to burst into bloom. Time to get out - get it while the getting's good...
The getting was fairly good in Eschweiler, between Aachen and Cologne. Regular readers will have noticed it's one of my favorite spots to hang out. Good sight lines all day long, early traffic warning afforded by crossing gates, quiet, off the beaten path. And generally good traffic, although there is a marked decrease when compared to last year; on account of the economy.
Here we see a class 155 westbound with an intermodal train. As DB Schenker culls their fleet of older units rendered surplus by the slacking economy, these venerable Co' Co' survivors from ex-East Germany are acutely endangered. Rumor has it they as well as the 50 year old class 140s are to be sidelined soonish. So getting a good shot of a rather clean unit is all the more satisfactory.
Here is another view from the day, illustrating a slightly different angle obtainable from the same spot.
155 259 with the 40158 (Milano/I - Bierset/B) in Eschweiler.
20-Mar-2009
63084 is always an exceedingly colorful train, courtesy of the UBC and IFF bulktainers it carries to the giant DSM chemical complex in Geleen-Lutterade. It has almost reached its destination in this view, showing 6517 powering it southbound out of the Sittard station.
The red paint on almost all 6400-class road switchers is fading to all kinds of pink hues. They already now look far worse than they ever did in their original grey and yellow paint scheme.
6517 with 63084 (Warffum - Lutterade DSM) southbound in Sittard.
63084 is always an exceedingly colorful train, courtesy of the UBC and IFF bulktainers it carries to the giant DSM chemical complex in Geleen-Lutterade. It has almost reached its destination in this view, showing 6517 powering it southbound out of the Sittard station.
The red paint on almost all 6400-class road switchers is fading to all kinds of pink hues. They already now look far worse than they ever did in their original grey and yellow paint scheme.
6517 with 63084 (Warffum - Lutterade DSM) southbound in Sittard.
in this box:
New comment: Requires approval