Ffestiniog Railway (Wales) - Drivers Eye View - Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog Timsvideochannel1 2023-08-19 | I'd like to say a big thank you to Claire and the booking office staff for their help in making this video possible, along with the locomotive crew and everyone at the Ffestiniog Railway, past and present for all their hard work that has given future generations the wonderful visitor experience we see today. Porthmadog Harbour station is the starting point for both Ffestiniog Railway and the Welsh Highland Railway trains, resulting in busy periods at the start and end of the day when trains return to be stabled overnight and locomotives run across the Cob to Boston Lodge works where they are maintained and prepared for their next duty. On a sunny evening it's hard to think of a nicer place to enjoy a pint than at the railways very own pub and restaurant where the railway action can be watched from the outside seating area.Trains use both sides of the long island platform and a walk to the end is rewarded with stunning views all around as well as being a great vantage point to watch trains crossing the Cob (the wall separating the sea from the Afon Glaslyn flood plains). Our locomotive has coupled up to its train and we are ready to set of on the picturesque ride to Blaenau Ffestiniog. I could write a book about the views from the train window, but until such time, please join me on a scenic journey through beautiful Wales. The railway holds a special place in history for a number of reasons, it is the oldest surviving railway company in the world, being built by the "Festiniog Railway Company" spelled with a single 'F' in the act passed to allow construction to start in 1833 with the line opening on 20th April 1836 . The 13 1⁄2 miles (21.7 km) long line was built on a continuous downhill grade between Blaenau Ffestiniog and the port at Porthmadog to transport slate from the quarries to the port for onward shipping. Loaded waggons used gravity to run down to the port with the empty waggons being hauled back to the quarries by horses that had ridden down hill in special waggons called 'dandy waggons'.By the end of the 1850's it was clear that more capacity was required leading the board to investigate the possibility of using steam locomotives, the outcome of which was the placing of an order with George England and Co for two narrow gauge 0-4-0 steam locomotives, the first, named 'Mountaineer' was delivered on 18th July 1863, followed a few days later by 'The Princess'. After running in trials and some modifications they entered service on 23rd October 1863 allowing the use of longer trains to increase capacity and in 1865 they enabled the introduction of passenger trains, making the railway the first narrow gauge railway in Britain to run such trains. The first double Fairlie articulated locomotive was introduced in 1869, these locomotives are now one of the most widely recognised features of the railway.By the 1920s the railway suffered a gradual decline in traffic owing to slate being replaced by modern materials and the loss of overseas trade during WW1. Ordinary passenger services ceased on 15th September 1939 and slate traffic ended on 1st August 1946. The act created to allow the construction of the railway made no specific provision for its closure, thus another act was required to repeal the old one, as luck would have it, the company didn't have the money to do so, as a result the track was left in place to be reclaimed by nature. The abandoned railway attracted railway enthusiasts and eventually with financial help from Alan Pegler the next chapter in the railways history began resulting in the first train of the new era running across the Cob in 1955. The locomotive for this trip was 'David Lloyd George'. Please click on this link to learn more - festipedia.org.uk/wiki/David_Lloyd_GeorgeFor more information about the railway please click on any of the following links - festrail.co.ukfrheritage.org.uk/about-us/the-ffestiniog-railway/#:~:text=Designed%20as%20a%20means%20of,one%20James%20Spooner%20of%20Worcestershire.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ffestiniog_RailwayTo book your own Ffestiniog Railway adventure, please click on this link - festrail.co.ukTrack gauge - 1 ft 11½ ins (597mm)Map 00:17 - Google Earth/MapsMap 00:25 - openrailwaymap.org00:57 - Porthmadog04:53 - Boston Lodge Works05:42 - Boston Lodge09:56 - Minffordd16:34 - Penrhyn21:50 - Rhiw Goch29:12 - Plas Halt35:22 - Tan y Bwlch39:49 - Garnedd Tunnel42:18 - Coed y Bleiddiau46:06 - Campbell's Platform47:51 - Dduallt49:11 - Start of 1978 Deviation53:56 - Moelwyn Tunnel59:26 -Tanygrisiau01:06:42 - Blaenau Ffestiniog
Drivers Eye View - Welsh Highland Railway (Rheilffordd Eryri) - Porthmadog to Caernarfon Timsvideochannel1 2023-09-30 | With just one day left to film the Welsh Highland Railway and there were no trains scheduled to cover the full route from Porthmadog to Caernarfon. Claire who had kindly arranged for me to film over the previous two days worked out that I could film the complete route although no trains were booked to make the full journey. I attached a camera to the Porthmadog to Beddgelert train, at Beddgelert the locomotive that had worked the first train of the day from Porthmadog took the afternoon train on to Caernarfon, there was no return working, so I followed by car giving me several opportunities to film the train along the way. I arrived early at Porthmadog for a tasty breakfast in Spooners Cafe, before filming the train making its way over the Cob from Boston Lodge where the empty stock and locomotive had been stabled over night, my heart sank as it began to rain. I mounted the camera on the locomotive hoping that it was only a shower, as it turned out the rain persisted all day, I watched the video back on my computer expecting it to be a complete washout, to my surprise I enjoyed watching the resulting atmospheric journey, the mountains were at their moody best. The Welsh Highland Railway - 'WHR' - (Welsh: Rheilffordd Eryri) is a restored narrow gauge located in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. The 25-mile (40.2 km) long 1 ft 11 ½ in (597 mm) gauge line connects Caernarfon to Porthmadog, the line passes through the scenic Aberglaslyn Gorge as well as serving the popular tourist village of Beddgelert. The railway shares Porthmadog Harbour station with the Ffestiniog Railway's line to Blaenau Ffestiniog. One of the line's most notable features is the United Kingdom's only mixed gauge flat rail crossing.During restoration most of the civil engineering was undertaken by contractors whilst the track was laid by volunteers. The original WHR ran from Porthmadog to Dinas, where it connected with the standard gauge Caernarfon to Afon Wen line. The modern day WHR uses the track bed of the long closed Afon Wen line to access its modern Caernarfon terminus, located in the shadow of the city's impressive castle, it is conveniently situated close to both the harbour and the town centre.Bryngwyn and the slate quarries around Moel Tryfan were served by a short branch off the original WHR, the old branch line trackbed is now footpath know as the "rail trail".The 3⁄4-mile (1.2 km) long Welsh Highland Heritage Railway runs from its station close to the Cambrian Coast railway's Porthmadog station along the trackbed of the former Cambrian Railways exchange siding to connect with the WHR main line at Pen-y-Mount junction.To watch videos I made documenting the reopening of the WHR, please click on the following links - youtu.be/_qwmYHPQ6tk youtu.be/EtKiyuOlruU youtu.be/aKkKhL5INd8Map 00:17 Google Earth/MapsMap 00:24 OpenRailwayMap - Use of the 'OpenRailwayMap' mark is licenced by the OpenStreetMap Foundation To find out more about the railway or to book your own Welsh Highland Railway adventure please click on this link - festrail.co.uk
Drivers Eye View - Welsh Highland Railway (Rheilfford Eryri) - Beddgelert to Porthmadog. Timsvideochannel1 2023-09-23 | The Welsh Highland Railway - 'WHR' - (Welsh: Rheilffordd Eryri) is a restored narrow gauge railway located in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. The 25-mile (40.2 km) long 1 ft 11 ½ in (597 mm) gauge line connects Caernarfon to Porthmadog, the line passes through the scenic Aberglaslyn Gorge as well as serving the popular tourist village of Beddgelert. The railway shares Porthmadog Harbour station with the Ffestiniog Railway's line to Blaenau Ffestiniog. One of the line's notable features is the United Kingdom's only mixed gauge flat rail crossing.During restoration most of the civil engineering was undertaken by contractors whilst the track was laid by volunteers. The original WHR ran from Porthmadog to Dinas, where it connected with the standard gauge Caernarfon to Afon Wen line. The modern day WHR uses the track bed of the long closed Afon Wen line to access its modern Caernarfon terminus in the shadow of the city's impressive castle, conveniently situated close to both the harbour and the town centre.Bryngwyn and the slate quarries around Moel Tryfan were served by a short branch off the original WHR, the old branch line trackbed is now a footpath know as the "rail trail".The 3/4 mile (1.2 km) long Welsh Highland Heritage Railway runs from its station close to the Cambrian Coast Railway's Porthmadog station along the trackbed of the former Cambrian Railways exchange siding to connect to the WHR main line at Pen-y-Mount junction.To watch the videos I made documenting the reopening of the WHR, please click on the following links - youtu.be/_qwmYHPQ6tk youtu.be/EtKiyuOlruU youtu.be/aKkKhL5INd8Map 00:30 Google Earth/MapsMap 00:36 OpenRailwayMap - Use of the 'OpenRailwayMap' mark is licenced by the OpenStreetMap Foundation To find out more about the railway or to book your own Welsh Highland Railway adventure please click on this link - festrail.co.uk01:38- Beddgelert03:19 - Goat Tunnel or No.1 Tunnel (38 Metres)05:47 - A498 (road)06:12 - Afon Glaslyn (river)08:35 - Aberglaslyn Pass09:27 - Aberglaslyn No.2 Tunnel (29 metres) 09:46 - Aberglaslyn No.3 Tunnel (9 metres)10:08 - Aberglaslyn No.4 Tunnel (292 metres)12:18 - Nantmor14:12 - A4085 (road)16:23 - Hafod y Llyn24:43 - B4410 (road)26:27 - Afon Glaslyn27:10 - Pont Croesor33:51 - Pen-y-Mount Junction34:25 - Pen-y-Mount Junction, Station34:45 - Welsh Highland Heritage Railway34:57 - Porthmadog bypass36:49 - Cambrian Coast Railway37:47 - Snowdon Street38:38 - Porthmadog40:16 - Britannia Bridge41:43 - Porthmadog Harbour Station45:16 - Boston Lodge Works
Drivers Eye View - Welsh Highland Railway (Rheilffordd Eryri) - Porthmadog to Beddgelert Timsvideochannel1 2023-09-16 | I'd like to say a big thank you to Dave the driver, Roger the fireman and Claire for arranging everything.The Welsh Highland Railway holds a special place in my childhood memories because the Aberglaslyn Pass was a favourite place for my grandfather to take me. Back in the mid sixties there was little sign of a railway apart from the bridge to nowhere, another rickety old bridge over the Afon Glaslyn (river) with a plank in the middle to walk on and some short tunnels and one long one that was very dark. Childhood memories tend to be a bit sketchy and my grandfather sometimes embellished the truth, I'm not sure whether or not Ivor the engine and Jones the steam ever actually graced the rails next to the river, but why let the truth get in the way of good story? The Glaslyn Pass was like a magnet, I visited many times over the years and I learned that the story my grandfather told me of a short lived narrow gauge railway through the gorge was indeed true. Sometimes there would be rumours that some enthusiast group or other was going to reopen the line, but it was an obvious lost cause, it had been closed longer than it had been open and in places it was difficult to determine the actual route of the railway. The rumours persisted and eventually rails were laid along long part of the closed Caernarfon to Afon Wen Railway as far as Dinas the former terminal of the WHR. I travelled on one of the first trains between Caernarfon and Dinas, by then it was clear that the possibility of once again being able to travel by narrow gauge train to Porthmadog might be more than a pipe dream. There were still many hurdles to overcome, but nevertheless I looked forward to my annual visits to photograph the rail head inching its way towards Beddgelert. The Forestry Commission Camp site served by the Welsh Highland Railway's Meillionen Halt became the destination for many family holidays, at first it was difficult to determine where the railway once ran, but as the years passed, the route was cleared, fences erected and eventually the railhead made its way past the campsite, culminating is being woken one morning by the sound of a diesel locomotive propelling a works train past our caravan. In 2001 work was bought to a halt by an outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease for a year or so, there were issues with the National Trust and trains were not allowed to terminate at Beddgelert, meaning the line had to be completed all the way to Hafod y Llyn before trains could carry passengers. Rhyd Ddu became the limit of passenger working for what seemed like an eternity, although in reality work on the railway was continuing, finally trains started running to new temporary termini at Hafod y Llyn in 2009 and Pont Croesor in 2010. The dream of once again being able to travel by narrow gauge train from Dinas to Porthmadog became a reality in 2012 with the start of through running between Caernarfon and PorthmadogThe Welsh Highland Railway (Welsh: Rheilffordd Eryri) is a 25-mile (40.2km) long, 1 ft 11 1⁄2 ins (597 mm) narrow gauge heritage railway in the Welsh county of Gwynedd, operating between Caernarfon to Porthmadog. 01:51 - Porthmadog02:49 - Britannia Bridge04:59 - Snowdon Street05:45 - Cambrian Coast Railway06:14 - Porthmadog bypass06:34 - Welsh Highland Heritage Railway06:46 - Pen-y-Mount Junction, Station12:45 - Pont Croesor15:01 - Afon Glaslyn15:27 - B4410 (road)24:39 - Hafod y Llyn26:11 - A4085 (road)27:22 - Nantmor29:07 - Aberglaslyn No.4 Tunnel (292 metres)30:07 - Aberglaslyn Pass30:21 - Aberglaslyn No.3 Tunnel (9 metres)30:34 - Aberglaslyn No.2 Tunnel (29 metres) 33:10 - Afon Glaslyn (river)33:22 & 33:37 - A498 (road)35:49 - Goat Tunnel or No.1 Tunnel (38 Metres)36:37 - BeddgelertTo watch videos I made documenting the reopening of the WHR, please click on the following links - youtu.be/_qwmYHPQ6tk youtu.be/EtKiyuOlruU youtu.be/aKkKhL5INd8Map 1:12 - Google Earth/MapsMap 1:18 - openrailwaymap.org - Use of the 'OpenRailwayMap' mark is licenced by the OpenStreetMap Foundation To find out more about the railway or to book your own Welsh Highland Railway adventure please click on this link - festrail.co.uk
The Hungarian Railway Museum (Budapest) Magyar Vasúttörténeti Park Timsvideochannel1 2023-09-10 | The Magyar Vasúttörténeti Park (Hungarian Railway History Park) is a railway museum located in the former Hungarian State Railways (MÁV) Budapest North Depot. The museum covers more than 70,000 square meters and features over one hundred exhibits, including locomotives, rolling stock, track maintenance vehicles and other railway related equipment.For more information, please click on this link - erih.net/i-want-to-go-there/site/hungarian-national-railway-museumThis visit was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” - if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please click on this link - railwaytouring.net/europe
Drivers Eye View Plus - Budapest Childrens Railway - Castle Hill Funicular - Buses, Trains & Trams Timsvideochannel1 2023-09-09 | The Gyermekvasút (Children's Railway) also referred to as Budapest Line 7 is a 11.2 kilometre narrow gauge (760mm) railway connecting Széchenyihegy and Hűvösvölgy. Before the end of communism in Hungary the line was known as Úttörővasút (Pioneer Railway). The official designation is now MÁV Zrt. Széchenyi-hegy Gyermekvasút and apart from the train driver, all posts are filled by children aged between 10 and 14 operating under adult supervision. It is believed to be the largest children's railway in the world today.The Széchenyihegy terminus is a 250-metre walk from the upper terminus of the Budapest Cog Railway, whilst the Hűvösvölgy terminus is adjacent to the Budapest tram terminus of the same name.In this video we see the Children's Railway from the drivers point of view along with a selection of passenger and lineside shots before riding the Budapest Cog-wheel Railway and making our way to Castle Hill to admire the city and Széchenyi Lánchíd (chain bridge) across the Danube (river). Another highlight of the day was the Budavári Siklót (Buda Castle Funicular) and finally we take a look at Budapest-Keleti (railway station). 00:04 - Budapest Children's Railway 00:47 - Hűvösvölgy locomotive & carriage depot 02:58 - Hűvösvölgy station 13:35 - Hárshegy 21:21 - Szépjuhászné 29:21 - János-hegy 38:45 - Virágvölgy 43:11 - Csillebérc 48:11 - Normafa 50:31 - Széchenyi-hegy 52:37 - Budapest cog railway 53:08 - Danube (River) 53:37 - The Budapest Castle Hill Funicular (Budavári Sikló) 56:32 - Széchenyi Chain Bridge 56:42 - Buda Castle 58:12 - Budapest Keleti stationThis visit was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” - if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please click on this link - railwaytouring.net/europe
Molli Railway or Mollibahn (East Germany) - Street Running, Passenger, Guard and Lineside Views Timsvideochannel1 2023-09-02 | The Molli "German: Mecklenburgische Bäderbahn or Mollibahn" is a narrow gauge (900 mm) steam operated railway in Mecklenburg, East Germany, operating between Bad Doberan, Heiligendamm and Kühlungsborn West. The line is 15.4 km long with trains taking around 40 minutes to complete the trip. An unusual feature of the line is the street running through Bad Doberan, followed by an attractive run through an avenue of Linden trees "Lime trees". The rest of the route is through pleasant rolling farmland and occasional seaside resort towns. Frederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg granted a licence for the construction and operation of a narrow gauge railway from Doberan station to Heiligendamm; constructed by Lenz & Co, the first section began operating on 9th July 1886, initially running during the summer season only, it was worked by a steam tram, the line was later classified as a light railway. The Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin nationalized the line and incorporated it into the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg Friedrich-Franz Railway on 13th March 1890. It was decided to extend the line as far as the Baltic seaside resort of Arendsee, this extension opened to traffic on 12th May 1910, by this time trains were running all year round. From 1st April 1920, it became part of the Deutsche Reichsbahn. Goods were transported from 1910 until 1969 when goods services were withdrawn, due in part to narrow gauge transporter wagons used to piggyback standard gauge waggons on other narrow gauge railways being too large to run through the narrow streets of Bad Doberan. On 1st October 1995, an operating company, consisting of Bad Doberan district along with the towns of Kühlungsborn and Bad Doberan, took over the line from the Deutsche Bahn. Map 0:33 - Page URL - commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Karte-Baederbahn-Molli.pngFile URL - upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Karte-Baederbahn-Molli.pngAttribution - Muns based on OpenStreetMap contributors, CC BY-SA 2.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsTo learn more about the railway, please click on this link - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molli_railwayFor timetable and tickets, please click on this link - https://www.molli-bahn.de/fahrplaene-tickets This visit was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” - if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please click on this link - railwaytouring.net/europe
Ffestiniog Railway (Wales) - Drivers Eye View - Blaenau Ffestiniog to Porthmadog Timsvideochannel1 2023-08-26 | The Ffestiniog Railway (Welsh: Rheilffordd Ffestiniog) is a 13 ½ miles (21.7km) long, 1ft 11 ½ inch (597 mm) narrow-gauge heritage railway located in Gwynedd, Wales, connecting the harbour at Porthmadog to the slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestiniog. Please join me for a ride from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Porthmadog through some of the finest scenery to be found anywhere in Wales on one of the worlds oldest heritage railways.I'd like to say a big thank you to Claire and the booking office staff for their help in making this video possible, along with the locomotive crew and all at the Ffestiniog Railway, past and present for their hard work that has made this railway the wonderful visitor experience it is today. Porthmadog Harbour station is the starting point for both Ffestiniog Railway and the Welsh Highland Railway trains, resulting in busy periods at the start and end of the day when trains return to be stabled overnight and the locomotives run across the Cob to Boston Lodge works where they are maintained and prepared for their next duty. On a sunny evening it's hard to think of a nicer place to enjoy a pint than at the railways very own pub and restaurant where the railway action can be watched from the outside seating area.Trains use both sides of the long island platform and a walk to the end is rewarded with stunning views all round as well as being a great vantage point to watch trains crossing the Cob (a wall separating the sea from the Afon Glaslyn flood plains). Our locomotive has coupled up to its train and we are ready to set of on the picturesque ride to Porthmadog. I could write a book about the views from the train window, until then, please join me on a scenic journey through beautiful Wales. The railway holds a special place in history for a number of reasons, it is the oldest surviving railway company in the world, being built by the "Festiniog Railway Company" spelled with a single 'F' in the act passed to allow construction to start in 1833 with the line opening on 20th April 1836 . The line was built on a continuous downhill grade between Blaenau Ffestiniog and the port at Porthmadog to transport slate from the quarries to the port for onward shipping. Loaded waggons used gravity to run down to the port with the empty waggons being hauled back to the quarries by horses that had ridden down hill in special waggons called 'dandy waggons'.By the end of the 1850's it was clear that more capacity was required, leading the board to investigate the possibility of using steam locomotives, the outcome of which was the placing of an order with George England and Co for two narrow gauge 0-4-0 steam locomotives, the first, named 'Mountaineer' was delivered on 18th July 1863, followed a few days later by 'The Princess'. After running in trials and some modifications they entered service on 23rd October 1863 allowing the use of longer trains to increase capacity and in 1865 they enabled the introduction of passenger trains, making the railway the first narrow gauge railway in Britain to run such trains. The first double Fairlie articulated locomotive was introduced in 1869, these locomotives are now one of the most widely recognised features of the railway.By the 1920s the railway suffered a gradual decline in traffic owing to slate being replaced by modern materials and the loss of overseas trade during WW1. Ordinary passenger services ceased on 15th September 1939 and slate traffic ended on 1st August 1946. The act created to allow the building of the railway made no specific provision for its closure, thus another act was required to repeal the old one, as luck would have it, the company didn't have the money to do so, as a result the track was left in place to be reclaimed by nature. The abandoned railway attracted railway enthusiasts and eventually with financial help from Alan Pegler the next chapter in the railways history began resulting in the first train of the new era running across the Cob in 1955. For more information about the railway please click on any of the following links - festrail.co.ukfrheritage.org.uk/about-us/the-ffestiniog-railway/#:~:text=Designed%20as%20a%20means%20of,one%20James%20Spooner%20of%20Worcestershire.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ffestiniog_RailwayTo book your own Ffestiniog Railway adventure, please click on this link - festrail.co.ukTrack gauge - 1 ft 11½ ins (597mm)Map 00:25 - Google Earth/MapsMap 00:32 - openrailwaymap.org00:55 - Blaenau Ffestiniog08:05 - Tanygrisiau09:26 - Start of 1978 Deviation13:13 - LLyn Ystradau14:57 - Moelwyn Tunnel 16:02 - Original route19:43 - Dduallt and spiral loop over-bridge22:37 - Campbell's Platform24:41 - Coed y Bleiddiau26:26 - Garnedd Tunnel28:56 - Tan y Bwlch35:56 - Plas Halt43:16 - Rhiw Goch47:00 - Penrhyn51:19 - Minffordd57:05 - Boston Lodge57:48 - Boston Lodge Works01:01:14 - Porthmadog
Severn Valley Railway - Passenger and Lineside Views - with BR Standard 4MT 4-6-0 No.75069 Timsvideochannel1 2023-08-12 | This video is filmed from a passenger and lineside perspective. Our locomotive, BR Standard 4MT 4-6-0 No.75069 looked magnificent, just as it must have looked when new as it left BR’s Swindon works in 1955 to take up its first duties at Dover. Our train is made up of BR Mk1 and LNER Gresley teak carriages. For a weekday outside of the school holidays our train was well loaded, with most seats occupied, a good omen for the imminent start to the school summer holidays, traditionally the railways busiest period of year. The guard blows his whistle, quickly followed by a loud bark from our engine as we set off along the scenic Severn Valley, never far from the river our train calls at the pretty wayside stations and halts of Eardington, Hampton Loade, Country Park Halt, Highley, Arley, Northwood Halt and Bewdley, once a double junction station, originally opened in 1862 as one of the main intermediate stations on the 40 ¾ mile (65.6km) line between Hartlebury and Shrewsbury. The Tenbury & Bewdley Railway opened in 1864, with its route through the Wyre Forest branching off the SVR 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Bewdley station. The GWR opened a "loop-line" to Kidderminster in 1878 making Bewdley a double junction station. The Wyre Forest line closed in 1962, followed by the Severn Valley line in 1963. British Rail continued to serve the last remaining stations of Stourport-on-Severn, Burlish Halt, Bewdley, Foley Park Halt and Kidderminster until January 1970. We pass a range of interesting stock, both old and modern in the sidings as we leave Bewdley, next there is the strange sight of exotic animals in West Midland Safari Park before we dive into the darkness of Bewdley tunnel. On the outskirts of Kidderminster we pass over Falling Sands Viaduct carrying the SVR high above the River Stour and the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. As journeys end approaches the SVR runs next to British Rail's Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster Line. On the approach to its Kidderminster terminus the SVR has sizeable locomotive and carriage sheds where a range of locomotives and stock can be seen in the sidings. With a screech, the bakes bring us to a halt at the impressive Kidderminster SVR terminus station, a first class re-creation of an important GWR station, modelled on the design used for Ross-On-Wye. The undercover concourse offers a comprehensive range of facilities including a cafe, gift shop, heritage sweet shop and the "King & Castle" pub. After a refreshment stop we board our train for the run back to Bridgnorth.Please join me for a ride on one of Britain's best known and much loved heritage railways.To plan your own Severn Valley Railway adventure or to learn more about the line, please click on this link - svr.co.uk/plan-your-visitMap at 00:18 – Google MapsMap at 00:25 - openrailwaymap.orgTrack gauge - standard-gauge - 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Drivers Eye View - Version 2 – Severn Valley Railway – Kidderminster to Bridgnorth with no e Timsvideochannel1 2023-08-07 | Having made a rather embarrassing faux pas in the first version of this video (there is no 'e' in Bridgnorth), a mistake that was picked up on by a surprisingly large number of eagle eyed viewers, I decided to post a corrected version of the video. I hope the good people of Bridgnorth will forgive me. The original video will remain for a week or two before it becomes an unlisted video, although it will still be available using this link for those wishing to read the comments - youtu.be/0E98UFm_6yMThe Severn Valley Railway is the heritage railway that has it all – tunnels, viaducts, beautifully restored stations and the impressive Victoria Bridge over the River Severn, at the time of construction, the 200-foot railway bridge was the longest single span cast iron bridge in Britain. The railway is home to a substantial fleet of locomotives, both steam and diesel, complimented by a large collection of railway carriages representing all regions of Britain's railways. There is a museum at Kidderminster and the station is an authentic recreation of GWR terminus. Bridgnorth station is close to the attractive town, divided into upper and lower town, the town is connected to the station via a substantial footbridge and the steepest inland funicular railway in Britain connects the two halves of the town. Taking 9 years to construct, the line was opened in 1862, today's Severn Valley Railway was originally part of the much longer Shrewsbury to Hartlebury line. The Bewdley to Kidderminster section opened in 1878 and like many railways in the area was operated by the GWR. The line served the local community and transported coal from mines served by the railway to nearby power stations as well as customers further afield. The end came in 1963 when passenger services were withdrawn, a mere two years later a plan to save the Severn Valley line was hatched in a pub.I owe a massive thank you to the staff, footplate crew and volunteers who assisted me in shooting this video. Please join me for a trip with BR Standard 4MT 4-6-0 locomotive No.75069, designed by R.A. Riddles for mixed traffic use on secondary routes. To plan your own Severn Valley Railway adventure or to learn more about the line, please click on this link - svr.co.uk/plan-your-visitMap at 00:28 – Google MapsMap at 00:34 - openrailwaymap.orgTrack gauge - standard-gauge - 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Drivers Eye View – Severn Valley Railway – Kidderminster to Bridgnorth Timsvideochannel1 2023-08-04 | The Severn Valley Railway is the heritage railway that has it all – tunnels, viaducts, beautifully restored stations and the impressive Victoria Bridge over the River Severn, at the time of construction, the 200-foot railway bridge was the longest single span cast iron bridge in Britain. The railway is home to a substantial fleet of locomotives, both steam and diesel, complimented by a large collection of railway carriages representing all regions of Britain's railways. There is a museum at Kidderminster and the station is an authentic recreation of GWR terminus. Bridgnorth station is close to the attractive town, divided into upper and lower towns, the town is connected to the station via a substantial footbridge and the steepest inland funicular railway in Britain connects the two halves of the town. Taking 9 years to construct, the line was opened in 1862, today's Severn Valley Railway was originally part of the much longer Shrewsbury to Hartlebury line. The Bewdley to Kidderminster section opened in 1878 and like many railways in the area was operated by the GWR. The line served the local community and transported coal from mines served by the line to nearby power stations as well as customers further afield. The end came in 1963 when passenger services were withdrawn, a mere two years later a plan to save the Severn Valley line was hatched in a pub.I owe a massive thank you to the staff, footplate crew and volunteers who assisted me in shooting this video. Please join me for a trip with BR Standard 4MT 4-6-0 locomotive No.75069, designed by R.A. Riddles for mixed traffic use on secondary routes. To plan your own Severn Valley Railway adventure or to learn more about the line, please click on this link - svr.co.uk/plan-your-visitMap at 00:28 – Google MapsMap at 00:34 - openrailwaymap.orgMy mistake - I misspelt Bridgnorth - there is no 'e'. I hope the good people of Bridgnorth will accept my apologies for misspelling the name of their wonderful town.
The Oldtimer Museum - Rügen Timsvideochannel1 2023-07-29 | The Oldtimer Museum Rügen - formerly the Rügen Railway and Technology Museum (Eisenbahn & Technik Museum Rügen or ETM) is a German railway museum based on the Baltic Sea island of Rügen. It was established in 1994 and is housed in the museum section of the Nazi-built Kraft durch Freude (strength through joy) building complex at Prora.Museum exhibits include diesel, electric and steam locomotives as well as a large collection of shunting Locomotives, some of which are listed below -00:24 & 13:16 - DRG Class 03 – No. 03 002 with streamlining made at the Reichsbahnausbesserungswerk Meiningen.13:24 - DR Class 23.10 No. 23 1021 (later 35 1021-1)13:36 - Rotary Snowplough10:28 - German Diesel Locomotive No. V200 00911:18 - DRG Class 44 No. 44 397 (later 44 0397-8 when oil-fired, 44 2397-6 when coal-fired)11:46 - DR Class 50 No. 50 3703 (rebuilt from 50 877)13:32 - DR Class 52.80 – No. 52 8190-2 (rebuilt from 52 2887)10:38 - ÖBB Class 1018 – No. 1018.04 as E18 20813:20 - SDZ class P36 - Soviet steam locomotive P36-123A substantial number of cars are exhibited in date order with examples from both East and West European manufacturers placed next to each other, along with a large collection of motor cycles and bicycles. Military vehicles, helicopters, fire engines and aircraft are also represented.
Guard, Lineside & Passenger Views - The Rügen narrow-gauge railway (German: RügenscheBäderbahn) Timsvideochannel1 2023-07-22 | In this video we return to the Rügen narrow-gauge railway to take another look, this time from the guards point of view along with passenger and lineside views.The delightful Rügen narrow-gauge railway (German: Rügensche Bäderbahn), also known by its nicknamed “Rasender Roland or Raging Roland") is a 24 km long 750 mm gauge steam operated railway connecting Putbus to Göhren via Binz, Sellin and Baabe on the Baltic Coast island of Rügen in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Since 2008, it has been run by the Pressnitztalbahn GmbH. At Putbus the railway connects with the Deutsche Bahn standard gauge network. The Rasender Roland is used by locals and tourists alike to reach popular holiday destinations in Southeast Rügen. The first section of the line opened on the 22nd July 1895 ran between Putbus and Binz and is still in service today. By 1896 the Rügensche Kleinbahn-Aktiengesellschaft (RüKB) had extended its network to cover almost 105 km with lines to Altefähr, Bergen auf Rügen, Lauterbach Mole and Göhren. Sadly the bulk of the network closed between 1967 and 1970.For more information about the railway, please click on this link - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%BCgen_narrow-gauge_railwayTo book your own adventure, please click on this link - steam-route-saxony.com/en/ore-mountains_chemnitz/237/Ruegensche_BaederBahn.htmlThis visit was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” - if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please click on this link - railwaytouring.net/europe
Drivers Eye View - Rügen narrow-gauge railway (German: Rügensche Bäderbahn) or Rasender Roland Timsvideochannel1 2023-07-15 | The delightful Rügen narrow-gauge railway (German: Rügensche Bäderbahn), also known by its nicknamed “Rasender Roland or Raging Roland") is a 24 km long 750 mm gauge steam operated railway connecting Putbus to Göhren via Binz, Sellin and Baabe on the Baltic Coast island of Rügen in German's "Mecklenburg-Vorpommern" state. Since 2008, it has been run by the Pressnitztalbahn GmbH. At Putbus the railway connects with the Deutsche Bahn standard gauge network. The Rasender Roland is used by locals and tourists alike to reach popular holiday destinations in Southeast Rügen. The first section of the line opened on the 22nd July 1895 and ran between Putbus and Binz and is still in service today. By 1896 the Rügensche Kleinbahn-Aktiengesellschaft (RüKB) had extended its network to cover almost 105 km with lines to Altefähr, Bergen auf Rügen, Lauterbach Mole and Göhren. Sadly the bulk of the network closed between 1967 and 1970.For more information about the railway, please click on this link - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%BCgen_narrow-gauge_railwayTo book your own adventure, please click on this link - steam-route-saxony.com/en/ore-mountains_chemnitz/237/Ruegensche_BaederBahn.htmlThis visit was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” - if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please click on this link - railwaytouring.net/europe
Bluebell Railway - Drivers Eye View - Sheffield Park to East Grinstead with 4MT 2-6-4T No.80151 Timsvideochannel1 2023-07-08 | Join me at the Bluebell Railway for a Driver's Eye View of the Line with No.80151 a member of the BR Standard 4MT 2-6-4T class of locomotives. If you are able to visit the railway you can be sure of a warm welcome from the staff and volunteers who keep this wonderful railway operating just as it did back in the days when steam was still king of the rails.The Bluebell Railway is an 11 mile (17.7km) heritage line located almost entirely in West Sussex, England with Sheffield Park being the exception as it is located just over the border in East Sussex. The railway is managed by the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society using steam traction to operate trains between Sheffield Park and East Grinstead, serving intermediate stations at Horsted Keynes and Kingscote. It was the first preserved standard gauge steam-operated railway in the world to operate a public service. The society ran its first train on 7 August 1960, less than three years after the line from East Grinstead to Lewes had been closed by British Railways. Today the line is managed and run by volunteers supported by a team of full time employees. The railway began amassing its collection of steam locomotives before steam had stopped running on British mainline railways in 1968, today it has over 30 steam locomotives, the second largest collection in the UK after the National Railway Museum. The railway is also home 150 carriages and wagons, most of them pre-1939.To learn more about the Bluebell Railway or to book your own adventure, please click on this link - bluebell-railway.comThe Bluebell Railway hosts a number of excellent gala events throughout the year, to get a taste of what's on offer, please click on any of the links below - Bluebell Railway - 2023 Branch Line Gala Weekend - youtu.be/_1zgY6IQvccEnjoy the Sights & Sounds of Steam at the Bluebell Railway’s – 2022 "Giants of Steam" Autumn Gala - youtu.be/ZhKsJhI2P1kFlying Scotsman visits the Bluebell Railway - youtu.be/t_aiRcfRQXEBluebell Railway - Model Railway Weekend 2022 - youtu.be/toKcQwEFw3kBluebell Railway - Diamond Jubilee Event - Part 1 - youtu.be/ToqHUz9WOMsBluebell Railway - Diamond Jubilee Event - Part 2 - youtu.be/TZ5uiBsGeWY
The Waldeisenbahn Muskau - Passenger & Lineside Views from Weißwasser to both Muskau & Kromlau. Timsvideochannel1 2023-07-01 | This is the last of a series of 4 videos covering the Muskau Forest Railway (Waldeisenbahn Muskau). The railway looked like a scene one might expect to see on a picture postcard as our little engine simmered in the pretty snow covered landscape. In this video we travel as a passenger, occasionally leaving the train to take photograghs of our little locomotive steaming through the forest with its tree branches outlined against the azure blue sky by the recent snow fall.A brief history of the line - The opening of the standard gauge railway between Berlin and Görlitz in 1867 put Weißwasser on the emerging national railway map, bringing with it opportunities for the industrial development of the Muskau Arch such as lignite mining (low grade brown coal). Muskau Arch covers an area approximately 20 km long by 20 km wide, it was created during the oldest of the three European ice ages some 340,000 years ago when glaciers scoured sand, gravel, clay, and lignite which they carried and dumped as terminal moraine creating the region known as Musskau Arch.In 1883 Hermann Graf von Arnim acquired the Muskau Estate which included Weißwasser and Bad Muskau along with its parks and palaces. Industrial activity saw the development of lignite mines, sawmills, brickworks and paper mills which in turn led to creation of a 600mm gauge rail network, originally known as the “Graeflich von Arnimsche Kleinbahn”, today known as the Waldeisenbahn (Forest Railway).The first line opened in 1895 as a horse drawn tramway connected the “Caroline I” lignite mine near Krauschwitz to a loading platform at Muskau. A year later the Krauss Company supplied the first steam locomotives. The network quickly expanded in just a few years to over 85 kilometres starting at Muskau, it reached Pechern to the East, Köbeln to the North, Tzschelln and Ruhlmühle in the South West. By 1921 Krauschwitz became the operating centre.As more companies used the railway it expanded its fleet of steam locomotives to cope, by 1940 up to 11 locomotives were required to operate services, the first small diesel locomotives also arrived at this time used mainly for shunting.Trains ran through the streets of Weißwasser until 1933 when road improvement works led to the cessation of street running and the splitting of the railway system resulting in the creation of the Tzschellner network situated to the Southwest of the town.The end of WW2 hit the railway hard with the loss of many of the industries it once served. In the post war period the need to rebuild industry saw the railway viewed as an important resource with Deutsche Reichsbahn operating the system from 1951 onwards.During the 1960’s the Forest Railway became busy once again with the opening of several new mines requiring new locomotives and rolling stock to provide 6 or 7 engines in steam to cover the daily service requirements.As the 70’s dawned the writing was on the wall, even the short lived new connection to the clay pit in Mühlrose to serve the Weißwasser brickworks failed to save the day, even the brickworks closed in 1991.From the 1970’s onwards the railway lost customers resulting in lines closing and rolling stock being sold off. The railway ceased to operate in March 1978, with most of the locomotives finding new homes on museum railways around Germany, just one locomotive No.99 3317 remained being plinthed at Weißwasser in 1979.New life was breathed into the railway in the mid 1980’s when a group of railway enthusiasts got together and established a base in Weißwasser, resulting in Weißwasser brickworks to Mühlrose line being used by heritage trains in 1984. Since then the railway has flourished into the wonderful system we see today.Other videos in this series - The Waldeisenbahn Muskau - Driver's Eye View Plus - Part 1 - Weißwasser to Bad Muskau - youtu.be/U-IOhT9lS3IThe Waldeisenbahn Muskau - Driver's Eye View Plus - Part 2 - Bad Muskau to Gablenz/Gora - youtu.be/a8UZxneXWQMThe Waldeisenbahn Muskau - Driver's Eye View Plus - Part 3 - Weißwasser to Kromlau - Return Trip - youtu.be/j_iAcKfEGUYMusic – Track – Composer – Source33:41 - ES_Dresden Swing – Trabant – epidemicsound.com This visit was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” - if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please click on this link - railwaytouring.net/europeFor information about the Waldeisenbahn (Forest Railway) - https://www.waldeisenbahn.de/geschichte/ To learn more about the Berlin and Görlitz railway - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin%E2%80%93G%C3%B6rlitz_railwayFor information about the formation of the Muskau Ark – en.unesco.org/global-geoparks/muskauer-faltenbogen-luk-muzakowa
The Waldeisenbahn Muskau - Drivers Eye View Plus - Part 3 - Weißwasser to Kromlau - Return Trip Timsvideochannel1 2023-06-24 | To watch Part 1, please click on this link - youtu.be/U-IOhT9lS3ITo watch Part 2, please click on this link - youtu.be/a8UZxneXWQMThe Waldeisenbahn Muskau (the Muskau Forest Railway) located in Saxony, Germany isn't just one railway, it's a railway system with a number of branches, in this video we take a return trip between Weißwasser and Kromlau. With the fresh snow glistening in the sunshine under a perfect blue sky, the scene was set to enjoy our handsome little steam engine and its rake of period carriages. Please join me for a memorable journey through a stunning winter landscape.The opening of the standard gauge railway between Berlin and Görlitz in 1867 put Weißwasser on the emerging national railway map, bringing with it opportunities for the industrial development of the Muskau Arch such as lignite mining (low grade brown coal). Muskau Arch covers an area approximately 20 km long by 20 km wide, it was created during the oldest of the three European ice ages some 340,000 years ago when glaciers scoured sand, gravel, clay, and lignite which they carried and dumped as terminal moraine creating the region known as Musskau Arch.In 1883 Hermann Graf von Arnim acquired the Muskau Estate which included Weißwasser and Bad Muskau along with its parks and palaces. Industrial activity saw the development of lignite mines, sawmills, brickworks and paper mills which in turn led to creation of a 600mm gauge rail network, originally known as the “Graeflich von Arnimsche Kleinbahn”, today known as the Waldeisenbahn (Forest Railway).The first line opened in 1895 as a horse drawn tramway connected the “Caroline I” lignite mine near Krauschwitz to a loading platform at Muskau. A year later the Krauss Company supplied the first steam locomotives. The network quickly expanded in just a few years to over 85 kilometres starting at Muskau, it reached Pechern to the East, Köbeln to the North, Tzschelln and Ruhlmühle in the South West. By 1921 Krauschwitz became the operating centre.As more companies used the railway it expanded its fleet of steam locomotives to cope, by 1940 up to 11 locomotives were required to operate services, the first small diesel locomotives also arrived at this time used mainly for shunting.Trains ran through the streets of Weißwasser until 1933 when road improvement works led to the cessation of street running and the splitting of the railway system resulting in the creation of the Tzschellner network situated to the Southwest of the town.The end of WW2 hit the railway hard with the loss of many of the industries it once served. In the post war period the need to rebuild industry saw the railway viewed as an important resource with Deutsche Reichsbahn operating the system from 1951 onwards.During the 1960’s the Forest Railway became busy once again with the opening of several new mines requiring new locomotives and rolling stock to provide 6 or 7 engines in steam to cover the daily service requirements.As the 70’s dawned the writing was on the wall, even the short lived new connection to the clay pit in Mühlrose to serve the Weißwasser brickworks failed to save the day, even the brickworks closed in 1991.From the 1970’s onwards the railway lost customers resulting in lines closing and rolling stock being sold off. The railway ceased to operate in March 1978, with most of the locomotives finding new homes on museum railways around Germany, just one locomotive No.99 3317 remained being plinthed at Weißwasser in 1979.New life was breathed into the railway in the mid 1980’s when a group of railway enthusiasts got together and established a base in Weißwasser, resulting in Weißwasser brickworks to Mühlrose line being used by heritage trains in 1984. Since then the railway has flourished into the wonderful system we see today.Music – Track – Composer – Source33:41 - ES_Dresden Swing – Trabant – epidemicsound.com This visit was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” - if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please click on this link - railwaytouring.net/europeFor information about the Waldeisenbahn (Forest Railway) - https://www.waldeisenbahn.de/geschichte/ To learn more about the Berlin and Görlitz railway - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin%E2%80%93G%C3%B6rlitz_railwayFor information about the formation of the Muskau Ark – en.unesco.org/global-geoparks/muskauer-faltenbogen-luk-muzakowa
The Waldeisenbahn Muskau - Drivers Eye View Plus - Part 2 - Bad Muskau to Gablenz/Gora Timsvideochannel1 2023-06-17 | This video starts at Bad Muskau with a number of photo run-pasts to allow passengers to see and photograph the train from the lineside. The snow covered landscape and our handsome locomotive combine to create near perfect photographic conditions. A camera mounted on the locomotive captures the action from the drivers point of view. The opening of the standard gauge railway between Berlin and Görlitz in 1867 put Weißwasser on the emerging national railway map, bringing with it opportunities for the industrial development of the Muskau Arch such as lignite mining (low grade brown coal). Muskau Arch covers an area approximately 20 km long by 20 km wide, it was created during the oldest of the three European ice ages some 340,000 years ago when glaciers scoured sand, gravel, clay, and lignite which they carried and dumped as terminal moraine creating the region known as Musskau Arch.In 1883 Hermann Graf von Arnim acquired the Muskau Estate which included Weißwasser and Bad Muskau along with its parks and palaces. Industrial activity saw the development of lignite mines, sawmills, brickworks and paper mills which in turn led to creation of a 600mm gauge rail network, originally known as the “Graeflich von Arnimsche Kleinbahn”, today known as the Waldeisenbahn (Forest Railway).The first line opened in 1895 as a horse drawn tramway connected the “Caroline I” lignite mine near Krauschwitz to a loading platform at Muskau. A year later the Krauss Company supplied the first steam locomotives. The network quickly expanded in just a few years to over 85 kilometres starting at Muskau, it reached Pechern to the East, Köbeln to the North, Tzschelln and Ruhlmühle in the South West. By 1921 Krauschwitz became the operating centre.As more companies used the railway it expanded its fleet of steam locomotives to cope, by 1940 up to 11 locomotives were required to operate services, the first small diesel locomotives also arrived at this time used mainly for shunting.Trains ran through the streets of Weißwasser until 1933 when road improvement works led to the cessation of street running and the splitting of the railway system resulting in the creation of the Tzschellner network situated to the Southwest of the town.The end of WW2 hit the railway hard with the loss of many of the industries it once served. In the post war period the need to rebuild industry saw the railway viewed as an important resource with Deutsche Reichsbahn operating the system from 1951 onwards.During the 1960’s the Forest Railway became busy once again with the opening of several new mines requiring new locomotives and rolling stock to provide 6 or 7 engines in steam to cover the daily service requirements.As the 70’s dawned the writing was on the wall, even the short lived new connection to the clay pit in Mühlrose to serve the Weißwasser brickworks failed to save the day, even the brickworks closed in 1991.From the 1970’s onwards the railway lost customers resulting in lines closing and rolling stock being sold off. The railway ceased to operate in March 1978, with most of the locomotives finding new homes on museum railways around Germany, just one locomotive No.99 3317 remained being plinthed at Weißwasser in 1979.New life was breathed into the railway in the mid 1980’s when a group of railway enthusiasts got together and established a base in Weißwasser, resulting in Weißwasser brickworks to Mühlrose line being used by heritage trains in 1984. Since then the railway has flourished into the wonderful system we see today.Map at 00:27 - Google MapsMap at 00:32 - openrailwaymap.orgThis visit was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” - if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please click on this link - railwaytouring.net/europeFor information about the Waldeisenbahn (Forest Railway) - https://www.waldeisenbahn.de/geschichte/ To learn more about the Berlin and Görlitz railway - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin%E2%80%93G%C3%B6rlitz_railwayFor information about the formation of the Muskau Ark – en.unesco.org/global-geoparks/muskauer-faltenbogen-luk-muzakowa
The Waldeisenbahn Muskau - Drivers Eye View Plus - Part 1 - Weißwasser to Bad Muskau Timsvideochannel1 2023-06-10 | Blue skies, fresh glistening snow, a handsome narrow gauge steam locomotive, it doesn’t get any better, please join me for a tour of the Forest Railway system in the kind of picture perfect setting usually reserved for Christmas cards. The opening of the standard gauge railway between Berlin and Görlitz in 1867 put Weißwasser on the emerging national railway map, bringing with it opportunities for the industrial development of the Muskau Arch such as lignite mining (low grade brown coal). Muskau Arch covers an area approximately 20 km long by 20 km wide, it was created during the oldest of the three European ice ages some 340,000 years ago when glaciers scoured sand, gravel, clay, and lignite which they carried and dumped as terminal moraine creating the region known as Muskau Arch.In 1883 Hermann Graf von Arnim acquired the Muskau Estate which included Weißwasser and Bad Muskau along with its parks and palaces. Industrial activity saw the development of lignite mines, sawmills, brickworks and paper mills which in turn led to creation of a 600mm gauge rail network, originally known as the “Graeflich von Arnimsche Kleinbahn”, today known as the Waldeisenbahn (Forest Railway).The first line opened in 1895 as a horse drawn tramway connected the “Caroline I” lignite mine near Krauschwitz to a loading platform at Muskau. A year later the Krauss Company supplied the first steam locomotives. The network quickly expanded in just a few years to over 85 kilometres starting at Muskau, it reached Pechern to the East, Köbeln to the North, Tzschelln and Ruhlmühle in the South West. By 1921 Krauschwitz became the operating centre.As more companies used the railway it expanded its fleet of steam locomotives to cope, by 1940 up to 11 locomotives were required to operate services, the first small diesel locomotives also arrived at this time used mainly for shunting.Trains ran through the streets of Weißwasser until 1933 when road improvement works led to the cessation of street running and the splitting of the railway system resulting in the creation of the Tzschellner network situated to the Southwest of the town.The end of WW2 hit the railway hard with the loss of many of the industries it once served. In the post war period the need to rebuild industry saw the railway viewed as an important resource with Deutsche Reichsbahn operating the system from 1951 onwards.During the 1960’s the Forest Railway became busy once again with the opening of several new mines requiring new locomotives and rolling stock to provide 6 or 7 engines in steam to cover the daily service requirements.As the 70’s dawned the writing was on the wall, even the short lived new connection to the clay pit in Mühlrose to serve the Weißwasser brickworks failed to save the day with the brickworks closing in 1991.From the 1970’s onwards the railway lost customers resulting in lines closing and rolling stock being sold off. The railway ceased to operate in March 1978, with most of the locomotives finding new homes on museum railways around Germany, just one locomotive No.99 3317 remained, it was placed on a plinth at Weißwasser in 1979.New life was breathed into the railway in the mid 1980’s when a group of railway enthusiasts got together and established a base in Weißwasser, resulting in the Weißwasser brickworks to Mühlrose line being used to run heritage trains in 1984. Since then the railway has flourished into the wonderful system we see today.Map at 00:30 - Google MapsMap at 00:38 - openrailwaymap.orgThis visit was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” - if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please click on this link - railwaytouring.net/europeFor information about the Waldeisenbahn (Forest Railway) - https://www.waldeisenbahn.de/geschichte/ To learn more about the Berlin and Görlitz railway - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin%E2%80%93G%C3%B6rlitz_railwayFor information about the formation of the Muskau Ark – en.unesco.org/global-geoparks/muskauer-faltenbogen-luk-muzakowa
Driver’s Eye View - Zittau Narrow Gauge Railway - Part 3 - Kurort Jonsdorf to Vittau Timsvideochannel1 2023-06-03 | In the final episode of this trilogy covering the Zittau Railway we rejoin our train at Kurort Jonsdorf, with the snow still falling heavily we watch our locomotive run round its train ready for the return journey. Please sit back and enjoy the fairy-tale snow covered Saxony landscape as we set off back to Bertsdorf and Zittau.The Zittau Mountains are situated in Southeast Saxony close to the Polish-Czech border. Daily trains connect Zittau to the health resorts of Oybin and Jonsdorf passing through attractive countryside and pretty villages along the way. It was snowing hard for most of our journey adding a little extra excitement as the loco crew cleared snow from around the points to allow our train to pass safely over them. Operations at Bertsdorf junction of the branches to Oybin and Jonsdorf were particularly interesting as our locomotive preformed a complicated manoeuvre in the ever deepening snow to change direction from the Kurort Oybin to the Jonsdorf branch. This journey will be covered in three parts.Click here to see Part 1 - youtu.be/eL2di_3wZF0Click here to see Part 2 - youtu.be/VEYWrmay6q4Music - Album/Genre - Track - Version – Source00:00, 42:41 & 45:00 - ES_The Souvenir - Trabant 33 – epidemicsound.comMap at 00:28 - Google MapsMap at 00:34 - openrailwaymap.orgThis visit was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” - if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please click on this link - railwaytouring.net/europeTo find out more about the railway, please click on this link - https://www.zittauer-schmalspurbahn.de/en/home/The track gauge - 750 mm (2 ft 5 1/2 inches)
Driver’s Eye View - Zittau Narrow Gauge Railway - Part 2 - Kurort Oybin, Bertsdorf & Kurort Jonsdorf Timsvideochannel1 2023-05-28 | In Part 1 we travelled from Zittau to Kurort Oybin via Bertsdorf, the junction for the branches to Kurort Oybin and Kurort Jonsdorf. In this video we travel along the two branches from Kurort Oybin to Kurort Jonsdorf via Bertsdorf where our locomotive runs round its train in heavy snow. The Zittau Mountains are situated in Southeast Saxony close to the Polish-Czech border. Daily trains connect Zittau to the health resorts of Oybin and Jonsdorf passing through attractive countryside and pretty villages along the way. It was snowing hard for most of our journey adding a little extra excitement as the loco crew cleared snow from around the points to allow our train to pass safely over them. Operations at Bertsdorf junction of the branches to Oybin and Jonsdorf were particularly interesting as our locomotive preformed a complicated manoeuvrer in the ever deepening snow to change direction from the Kurort Oybin to the Jonsdorf branch. This journey will be covered in three parts.Click on this link to see Part 1 - youtu.be/eL2di_3wZF0Music - Album/Genre - Track - Version – Source00:00, 15:37 & 32:57 - ES_The Souvenir - Trabant 33 – epidemicsound.comMap at 00:34 - Google MapsMap at 00:41 - openrailwaymap.orgThis visit was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” - if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please click on this link - railwaytouring.net/europeTo find out more about the railway, please click on this link - https://www.zittauer-schmalspurbahn.de/en/home/The track gauge - 750 mm (2 ft 5 1/2 inches)
Driver’s Eye View - Zittau Narrow Gauge Railway - Part 1 - Zittau to Kurort Oybin Timsvideochannel1 2023-05-20 | The Zittau Mountains are situated in Southeast Saxony close to the Polish-Czech border. Daily trains connect Zittau to the health resorts of Oybin and Jonsdorf passing through attractive countryside and pretty villages along the way. It was snowing hard for most of our journey adding a little extra excitement as the loco crew cleared snow from around the points to allow our train to pass safely over them. Operations at Bertsdorf, the junction station for the branches to Oybin and Jonsdorf were particularly interesting as our locomotive preformed a complicated manoeuvrer in the ever deepening snow to change direction from the Kurort Oybin to the Jonsdorf branch line. This journey will be covered in three parts.Please click on this link to see Part 2 - youtu.be/VEYWrmay6q4Map at 00:32 - Google MapsMap at 00:39 - openrailwaymap.orgMusic - Track - Composer - Source 00:00 & 47:47 - ES_The Souvenir - Trabant 33 - epidemicsound.com This visit was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” - if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please click on this link - railwaytouring.net/europeTo find out more about the railway, please click on this link - https://www.zittauer-schmalspurbahn.de/en/home/The track gauge - 750 mm (2 ft 5 1/2 inches)
Driver’s Eye View - Fichtelberg Railway - Pt 2 (German: Fichtelbergbahn) Oberwiesenthal to Cranzahl Timsvideochannel1 2023-05-12 | In Part 2 we rejoin our train for the return trip to Cranzahl. Please sit back and enjoy the picturesque Saxony Scenery as the almost perfect lighting conditions highlight the wonderful winter colours.Once the standard gauge railway from Chemnitz to Chomutov via Annaberg and Vejprty was opened to traffic in 1872, attention turned to connecting the former mining town of Oberwiesenthal (Germany's highest town) to the Saxon Railway system. Plans were made in 1884 to build a narrow gauge railway between Cranzahl to Oberwiesenthal, although construction didn't start until 1896. The line opened to traffic on 20th July 1897, proving popular, it carried 67756 by the end of its first year in operation, tourism continued to boost passenger numbers and special transporter waggons enabled the railway to carry standard gauge waggons with around 30 a day serving the quarry at Hammerunterwiesenthal alone. After 1990 traffic began to decline with freight services ceasing in 1992, in 1994 ownership was transferred to Deutsche Bahn and plans were made to either close the railway or sell it. To celebrate the railway's centenary communities along the route got together with the Pressnitz Valley Railway and the Lößnitzgrund Railway to organized a festival week featuring narrow gauge locomotives and rolling stock from all over Germany operating an intensive schedule on all three lines The event attracted over 40000 visitors, leading to local districts making plans to acquire the railway. On June 1st 1998 BVO Bahn GMB took over operating the line, in 2007 the Saxon Steam Railway Company took over giving the railway a new name “Fichtelbergbahn” to reflect its new roll as a tourist line serving resorts along the route, the line soon acquired a new status recognise throughout Germany and beyond, especially in winter transporting winter sports enthusiasts to the ski areas of Oberwiesenthal.Map at 00:30 - Google MapsMap at 00:38 - openrailwaymap.orgThis visit was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” - if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please click on this link - railwaytouring.net/europeTo learn more about the railway, please click on this link - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichtelberg_railwayTo book your own railway adventure please click on this link - steam-route-saxony.com/en/ore-mountains_chemnitz/1/Fichtelbergbahn.html
Mid Hants Railway - Watercress Line - 2023 Spring Steam Gala Timsvideochannel1 2023-05-08 | I wasn't going to visit the railway for this event until “Goliath” was added, now with six locomotives in steam including "Kilmersdon" on driver experience runs in the yard at Ropley I decided there was enough action to make a visit worthwhile. "Pendennis Castle" wasn't available for its booked morning duties, fortunately the support crew repaired her in time to take up her afternoon roster. The running day seemed shorter than previous events with the first train out of Ropley leaving at 09.20 and the last service from Alresford to Ropley leaving at 16.55 with little in the way of light engine movements to photograph. Access to Ropley was held back until 9 o'clock preventing photographers from catching the best part of the day as the engines come off shed, it's frustrating hearing the action without being able to capture it. Kilmersdon on driver experience runs added some interest to the gaps between trains, I missed the shuttle trains that usually run at special events between Ropley and Alresford. I'm aware that the railway faces financial pressures but I can't help feeling that with less action and no discount for members, the railway runs a risk of loosing more than it gains as a result of cutbacks. A longer day would allow more people to take driver experiences, ride the guards van on the freight train, buy a bacon sandwich and enjoy a ride on the miniature railway. I think people would pay £50 or maybe a little more to ride in the locomotive cab in one direction. Sadly I didn't have time to do any of the extras, just enough time to take some photographs at each station. The only way to do everything available with the shorter day and less trains is to visit for two or more days and that's a bit pricey. I enjoyed my day, but in the past I was able to do everything on offer meaning the railway succeeded in prising more money out of my pocket than it did at this event with no members discounts. There are far more heritage railways than there are weekends in the year to stage special events, for railways to survive they are going to have to become inventive to attract visitors at a time when visitors are feeling the pinch. There were plenty of lineside photographers, are they contributing, if not, why not? When I've photographed from the lineside no one has ever asked me for a donation, I would give if I was asked and I'm sure others would too. Instead of running separate steam and diesel galas it might be worth considering one bumper mixed traction event. Visiting Locomotives - 01:03,11:32 & 35:41 - GWR 5205 2-8-0 Class No.5239 ‘Goliath’ - Courtesy of the Dartmouth Steam Railway01:10 & 15:10 - GWR Castle Class 4-6-0 No.4079 'Pendennis Castle' - Courtesy of the Didcot Railway Centre Home Fleet - 10:42, 24:36 & 39:36 - S&DJR 7F 2-8-0 No.53808 - Owner - Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust06:34 & 15:00 - Peckett & Sons R3 Class 0-4-0 ST - Works No.1788 'Kilmersdon' - Owner - Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust01:35 & 15:40 - LSWR Urie S15 Class 4-6-0 No.506 (BR No.30506)12:38 & 41:28 - LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-2T No.41312 01:21 - British Rail Class 11 Diesel Shunter No.12082To find out more, or to arrange your own visit to the railway, please click on this link - watercressline.co.uk
Driver’s Eye View - Fichtelberg Railway (German: Fichtelbergbahn) - Pt 1- Cranzahl - Oberwiesenthal Timsvideochannel1 2023-05-05 | Once the standard gauge railway from Chemnitz to Chomutov via Annaberg and Vejprty was opened to traffic in 1872, attention turned to connecting the former mining town of Oberwiesenthal (Germany's highest town) to the Saxon Railway system. Plans were made in 1884 to build a narrow gauge railway between Cranzahl to Oberwiesenthal, although construction didn't start until 1896. The line opened to traffic on 20th July 1897, proving popular, it carried 67756 by the end of its first year in operation, tourism continued to boost passenger numbers and special transporter waggons enabled the railway to carry standard gauge waggons with around 30 a day serving the quarry at Hammerunterwiesenthal alone. After 1990 traffic began to decline with freight services ceasing in 1992, in 1994 ownership was transferred to Deutsche Bahn and plans were made to either close the railway or sell it. To celebrate the railway's centenary communities along the route got together with the Pressnitz Valley Railway and the Lößnitzgrund Railway to organized a festival week featuring narrow gauge locomotives and rolling stock from all over Germany operating an intensive schedule on all three lines. The popular event attracted over 40000 visitors, leading to local districts making plans to acquire the railway. On June 1st 1998 BVO Bahn GMB took over operating the line and in 2007 the Saxon Steam Railway Company took over, giving the railway a new name “Fichtelbergbahn” to reflect its new roll as a tourist line serving resorts along the route, the line soon acquired a new status recognise throughout Germany and beyond, especially in winter transporting winter sports enthusiasts to the ski areas of Oberwiesenthal.Please sit back and enjoy a ride along this scenic railway line with one of the railway's powerful steam locomotives to the ski resort town of Oberwiesenthal.Map at 00:35 - Google MapsMap at 00:42 - openrailwaymap.orgThis visit was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” - if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please click on this link - railwaytouring.net/europeTo learn more about the railway, please click on this link - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichtelberg_railwayTo book your own railway adventure please click on this link - steam-route-saxony.com/en/ore-mountains_chemnitz/1/Fichtelbergbahn.htmlTrack Gauge 750 mm ( 2 ft 5 1/2 inches)
Bluebell Railway - 2023 Branch Line Gala Weekend Timsvideochannel1 2023-04-29 | Beautifully restored locomotives coupled to matching historic carriages, steaming through the pretty Sussex countryside helped to make this a memorable event. The Bluebell Railway, along with the visiting locomotive owners and the railways volunteers deserve a massive thank you because without them events like this would not be possible. Visiting Locomotives - Hunslet No.15 “Hastings” courtesy of Mike Hart O.B.E and The Kent & East Sussex Railway.Lancashire and Yorkshire A Class No.52322 courtesy of Andy Booth & The East Lancashire Railway.Lancashire and Yorkshire “Pug” No.19/LMS No. 51218 courtesy of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Trust and The East Lancashire Railway. Home Fleet -BR Standard 4MT Tank Engine No. 80151.Stroudley A1 Terrier No.72 “Fenchurch”.SECR Stirling 0-6-0 O1 No.65.
A Passenger’s Forward View - Weisseritz Valley Railway - Kurort Kipsdorf to Freital-Hainsberg Timsvideochannel1 2023-04-23 | For the last return trip a camera was fixed to the underside of the carriage veranda roof giving a view of both the locomotive and the scenery it was passing through. A second camera was used to pan either side of the train.The Weisseritz Valley Railway, dating from 1883 is the oldest narrow gauge railway still in operating in Germany. The railway connects Freital near Dresden, with Kipsdorf in the Ore Mountains following a highly scenic route through the Red Weißeritz (river) valley.Construction of the 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) line started in 1881 with the first section to Schmiedeberg opening on 1st November 1882, by 3rd September 1883 regular trains were run-ning to the end of the line at Kurort Kipsdorf. In 1912 construction of the Malter Valley Dam necessitated part of the track to be re-routed. By the time of the floods in 2002 freight services had ceased, but the railway was still carrying in the region of 200,000 passengers per year. Like the 1897 floods, the 2002 floods caused severe damage to the track-bed with most bridges damaged or destroyed. The estimated repair bill of around €20 million put the lines future at risk until a successful fund-raising campaign to cover the cost was put in place resulting in regular trains returning to Dippoldiswalde on 14th December 2008. The line between Dippoldiswalde and Kurort Kipsdorf was due to reopen in 2010, but with rising costs and budgetary cutbacks, the Saxon narrow gauge lines suspended work until new funding could be secured. Work on rebuilding the remainder of the line resumed in 2014 with the completed route to Kurort Kipsdorf reopening on 17th July 2017.Please join me for a magical journey through the Red Weißeritz (river) valley with a powerful 2-10-2 tank locomotive at the head of our train.The Weißeritztalbahn is a 26.33 km (16.36 miles) long, 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) gauge railway, with a maximum gradient of 3.47% and a top speed of 30 km/h (18.6 mph).00:28 - Wikitravel Map of Europe - wikitravel.org/en/File:Map_of_Europe.png00:36 - Route Map - openstreetmap.org/copyrightLicensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license (CC BY-SA 2.0)To learn more about the railway, please click on this link - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weisseritz_Valley_Railway#ReferencesThis visit was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” - if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please click on this link - railwaytouring.net/europe
Part 2 - Weisseritz Valley Railway - Guards Eye View Plus - Kurort Kipsdorf to Freital-Hainsberg Timsvideochannel1 2023-04-22 | In Part 2 we retrace our route back to Freital-Hainsberg following the Red Weißeritz (river) through the picturesque Weisseritz Valley.The Weisseritz Valley Railway, dating from 1883 is the oldest narrow gauge railway still in operating in Germany. The railway connects Freital near Dresden, with Kipsdorf in the Ore Mountains following a highly scenic route through the Red Weißeritz (river) valley. Construction of the 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) line started in 1881 with the first section to Schmiedeberg opening on 1st November 1882, by 3rd September 1883 regular trains were run-ning to the end of the line at Kurort Kipsdorf. In 1912 construction of the Malter Valley Dam necessitated part of the track to be re-routed. By the time of the floods in 2002 freight services had ceased, but the railway was still carrying in the region of 200,000 passengers per year. Like the 1897 floods, the 2002 floods caused severe damage to the track-bed with most bridges damaged or destroyed. The estimated repair bill of around €20 million put the lines future at risk until a successful fund-raising campaign to cover the cost was put in place resulting in regular trains returning to Dippoldiswalde on 14th December 2008. The line between Dippoldiswalde and Kurort Kipsdorf was due to reopen in 2010, but with rising costs and budgetary cutbacks, the Saxon narrow gauge lines suspended work until new funding could be secured. Work on rebuilding the remainder of the line resumed in 2014 with the completed route to Kurort Kipsdorf reopening on 17th July 2017.Please join me for a magical journey through the Red Weißeritz (river) valley with a powerful 2-10-2 tank locomotive at the head of our train.The Weißeritztalbahn is a 26.33 km (16.36 miles) long, 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) gauge railway, with a maximum gradient of 3.47% and a top speed of 30 km/h (18.6 mph).00:34 - Wikitravel Map of Europe - wikitravel.org/en/File:Map_of_Europe.png00:42 - Route Map - openstreetmap.org/copyrightLicensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license (CC BY-SA 2.0)To learn more about the railway, please click on this link - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weisseritz_Valley_Railway#ReferencesThis visit was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” - if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please click on this link - railwaytouring.net/europe
Weisseritz Valley Railway - Guards Eye View Plus - Part 1 - Freital-Hainsberg to Kurort Kipsdorf Timsvideochannel1 2023-04-15 | The Weisseritz Valley Railway, dating from 1883 is the oldest narrow gauge railway still in operating in Germany. The railway connects Freital near Dresden, with Kipsdorf in the Ore Mountains following a highly scenic route through the Red Weißeritz (river) valley.Construction of the 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) line started in 1881 with the first section to Schmiedeberg opening on 1st November 1882, by 3rd September 1883 regular trains were running to the end of the line at Kurort Kipsdorf. In 1912 construction of the Malter Valley Dam necessitated part of the track to be re-routed. By the time of the floods in 2002 freight services had ceased, but the railway was still carrying in the region of 200,000 passengers per year. Like the 1897 floods, the 2002 floods caused severe damage to the track-bed with most bridges damaged or destroyed. The estimated repair bill of around €20 million put the lines future at risk until a successful fund-raising campaign to cover the cost was put in place resulting in regular trains returning to Dippoldiswalde on 14th December 2008. The line between Dippoldiswalde and Kurort Kipsdorf was due to reopen in 2010, but with rising costs and budgetary cutbacks, the Saxon narrow gauge lines suspended work until new funding could be secured. Work on rebuilding the remainder of the line resumed in 2014 with the completed route to Kurort Kipsdorf reopening on 17th July 2017. Please join me for a magical journey through the Red Weißeritz (river) valley with a powerful 2-10-2 tank locomotive at the head of our train.The Weißeritztalbahn is a 26.33 km (16.36 miles) long, 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) gauge railway, with a maximum gradient of 3.47% and a top speed of 30 km/h (18.6 mph).01:33 - Wikitravel Map of Europe - wikitravel.org/en/File:Map_of_Europe.png01:42 - Route Map - openstreetmap.org/copyrightlicensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license (CC BY-SA 2.0)To learn more about the railway, please click on this link - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weisseritz_Valley_Railway#References This trip was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” - if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please click on this link - railwaytouring.net/europe
Driver’s Eye View - (Germany) - Dresdens Hill Railways and Transport Museum Timsvideochannel1 2023-04-09 | Dresden is the capital city of Saxony located in the former East Germany on the banks of the River Elbe. It is an attractive city with a rich history dating back as far as the late 12th century, to a Sorbian settlement called Drežďany (meaning either "woods" or "lowland forest-dweller"). It is one of the most visited cities in Germany with 4.7 million people a year staying in its hotels and guest houses. In this video we take a look at two of Dresden’s more unusual railways starting with the Suspension Railway (German: Schwebebahn Dresden). It is a funicular railway with a difference, in that instead of running on conventional rails it is suspended from an overhead mono-rail, apart from its unusual suspended format, it is operated as a conventional funicular railway with the two cars attached to each other by a cable which runs around a drum at the top of the incline. The ascending car is pulled up the hill by the weight of the descending car, assisted if necessary by an electric motor driving the drum. For more information, please click on this link - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dresden_Suspension_Railway The second Funicular Railway (German: Standseilbahn Dresden) featured is a conventional funicular railway connecting the districts of Loschwitz, and Weisser Hirsch. For more information, please click on this link - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dresden_Funicular_Railway In the final part of this video we visit the Dresden Transport Museum (German: Verkehrsmuseum Dresden) where all modes of transport are on display. The museum collection is housed in the Johanneum, one of the oldest museum buildings in the city, it was built between 1586 and 1590. The Transport Museum was inaugurated on 1 May 1952 as a result of an agreement between the Hochschule für Verkehrswesen (High School for Transportation) and the Ministry of Transport for the construction of a transport museum in the German Democratic Republic. The museum was mainly intended to house the exhibits of the Saxon Railway Museum that had been evacuated during the Second World War. For more information, please click on this link - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dresden_Transport_Museum - For information about opening hours and tickets, please use this link - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dresden_Transport_MuseumThis visit was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” - if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please click on this link - railwaytouring.net/europeMusic - Track - Composer – Source - 00:00 - ES_German Dance - Traditional - epidemicsound.com05:11 - ES_String Quartet Finale Menu Mosso - Traditional - epidemicsound.com08:26 - ES_The Royal Gardens - Sinfonietta Cinematica - epidemicsound.com15:00 - ES_String Quartet No. 5 in F Major, K. 158_ Tempo Di Menuetto Part 2 (Traditional) -epidemicsound.com34:11 - ES_Eine Kleine Nachtmusic - Traditional - epidemicsound.comMuseum crowd sound effects - SFX Producer - epidemicsound.comVideo film, Photography and Editing by Tim
Driver’s Eye View - Dresden (Germany) - T4DMT ČKD Tatra - Heritage City Tram Tour Timsvideochannel1 2023-04-07 | Dresden is the capital city of the State of Saxony located in the former East Germany on the banks of the River Elbe. It is an attractive city with a rich history dating back as far as the late 12th century, to a Sorbian settlement called Drežďany (meaning either "woods" or "lowland forest-dweller"). It is one of the most visited cities in Germany with 4.7 million people a year staying in its hotels and guest houses. In this video we take a tour in T4DMT ČKD Tatra tram around part of the city’s tram network giving passengers the opportunity to see many of the historical buildings and sights that make this such a popular destination for tourists.To learn more about the city, please click on this link - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dresden The origin of the tram network can be traced back to 1872, when the first horse-drawn line opened between the city centre and the village of Blasewitz, now a borough of Dresden. Today’s network is approximately 134.0 km (83.3 miles) serving 154 tram stops. The tracks are built to a unique gauge of 1,450 mm (4 ft 9 3⁄32 ins) sometimes called the ‘Dresden Gauge’.To learn more about Dresden’s trams, please click on this link - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Dresden00:55 Hauptbahnhof Nord, 01:27 Walpurgisstraße, 03:02 Prager Straße, 04:09 Webergasse, 05:25 Postplatz, 07:16 Theaterplatz, 07:58 Augustus Bridge - Elbe River (Augustusbrücke), 08:46 & 09:20 Neustädter Markt, 10:02 Palaisplatz, 10:50 Anton-/Leipziger Straße, 12:45 Alter Schlachthof, 14:01 Alexander-Puschkin-Platz, 14:44 Oschatzer Straße, 15:43 Altpieschen, 16:46 Mickten, 17:30 Mickten turn-back loop, 19:18 Mickten, 20:39 Altpieschen, 21:19 Rathaus Pieschen, 22:16 Bürgerstraße, 23:17 Liststraße, 25:17 Großenhainer Straße / Fritz-Reuter-Straße, 26:58 Friedensstraße, 28:25 Bischofsplatz, 29:52 Bischofsweg, 31:16 Alaunplatz, 33:32 & 34:01 Görlitzer Straße, 35:28 Bautzner-/Rothenburger Str., 36:19 Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, 37:59 Albertbrücke (Elbe River), 38:58 Sachsenallee, 39:45 Güntzplatz, 40:50 Permoserstraße, 41:42 Trinitatisplatz, 44:10 Blasewitzer Straße / Fetscherstraße, 45:21 Gabelsbergerstraße, 47:04 Fetscherplatz, 48:22 Krankenhaus Sankt Joseph-Stift, 51:56 Comeniusplatz, 53:11 Fetscherplatz, 54:25 Mosenstraße, 55:32 Spenerstraße, 56:10 Bergmannstraße, 57:14 Pohlandplatz, 58:38 Gottleubaer Straße, 59:25 Altenberger Straße, 01:00:01 Ludwig-Hartmann-Straße, 01:00:42 Ludwig-Hartmann-Straße, 01:01:40 Gustav-Freytag-Straße, 01:03:24 Heinrich-Schütz-Straße, 01:04:27 Jüngststraße, 01:06:20 Blasewitz Schillerplatz, 01:06:46 Dresden Suspension Railway (Schwebebahn Dresden), 01:07:34 Dresden Funicular Railway (Standseilbahn Dresden),Map - 00:26 - Google Earth/MapsDresden Tram Map - 00:32 -Page URL - commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Liniennetzplan_Stra%C3%9Fenbahn_Dresden_2012_schematisch.pngFile URL - commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Liniennetzplan_Stra%C3%9Fenbahn_Dresden_2012_schematisch.pngAttribution - Don-kun, CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsTrack gauge - 1,450 mm (4 ft 9 3⁄32 ins) sometimes called the ‘Dresden Gauge’.Operating voltage 600 Volts DCThis visit was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” - if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please click on this link - railwaytouring.net/europe
A Passengers View of the Lößnitzgrundbahn (Lössnitz Valley Railway) Timsvideochannel1 2023-04-01 | In this video we see the line from a passenger’s point of view as our train passes through the gentle landscape traversed by the Lößnitzgrundbahn (Radebeul–Radeburg railway).The Radebeul–Radeburg railway, one of Germany’s oldest narrow gauge railways is a 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) narrow gauge, steam operated railway on the outskirts of Dresden, Germany, also known as the Lößnitzgrundbahn (Lössnitz Valley Railway) and locally nicknamed the Lößnitzdackel (Lößnitz Dachshund),.Primarily a tourist attraction, the line maintains a year-round timetable between its main base at Radebeul East station adjacent to the Deutsche Bahn station on the main line between Dresden and Meissen. Scheduled traffic on the Radebeul to Radeburg line is maintained by Sächsische Dampfeisenbahngesellschaft mbH using steam locomotives built in the 1950s.Older trains, using engines and carriages built in the late 19th and early 20th century, are maintained and operated by the non-profit Traditionsbahn Radebeul. Heritage trains can be seen in action on special event days.Our train steams on towards Radeburg, crossing Dippelsdorf Lake on a causeway to reach Moritzburg, famous for its Baroque castle, Schloss Moritzburg. After a short stop at Moritzburg, we set off again passing next to Bärnsdorf Lake divided by a dam into the Upper and Lower ponds complete with a Lighthouse. After a brief stop at Bärnsdorf our train picks up speed, passing a series of picturesque villages as it traverses relatively flat farm land to reach the end of the line at Radeburg.Maps 00:30 & 00:36 – Google Earth/Google MapsTo find out more about this railway or to book your own trip, please click on this link - https://www.loessnitzgrundbahn.de/For a brief history about the line please click on this link - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radebeul%E2%80%93Radeburg_railwayThis visit was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” - if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please click on this link - railwaytouring.net/europe
Driver’s Eye View - Dresden - Radebeul-Radeburg Railway - Part 2 - Radeburg to Weißes Roß Timsvideochannel1 2023-03-31 | Once again the crew of No.99 1747-7 were kind enough to allow me to place a Camera on their Locomotive. In this video we return towards Radebeul as far as Weißes Roß, where our trip was cut short by a road traffic accident just one stop short of our destination.The Radebeul–Radeburg railway, one of Germany’s oldest narrow gauge railways is a 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) narrow gauge, steam operated railway on the outskirts of Dresden, Germany, also known as the Lößnitzgrundbahn (Lössnitz Valley Railway) and locally nicknamed the Lößnitzdackel (Lößnitz Dachshund),.Primarily a tourist attraction, the line maintains a year-round timetable between its main base at Radebeul East station adjacent to the Deutsche Bahn station on the main line between Dresden and Meissen. Scheduled traffic on the Radebeul to Radeburg line is maintained by Sächsische Dampfeisenbahngesellschaft mbH using steam locomotives built in the 1950s.Older trains, using engines and carriages built in the late 19th and early 20th century, are maintained and operated by the non-profit Traditionsbahn Radebeul. Heritage trains can be seen in action on special event days.Our train steams on towards Radeburg, crossing Dippelsdorf Lake on a causeway to reach Moritzburg, famous for its Baroque castle, Schloss Moritzburg. After a short stop at Moritzburg, we set off again passing next to Bärnsdorf Lake divided by a dam into the Upper and Lower ponds complete with a Lighthouse. After a brief stop at Bärnsdorf our train picks up speed, passing a series of picturesque villages as it traverses relatively flat farm land to reach the end of the line at Radeburg.Maps 00:20 & 00:27 – Google Earth/Google MapsTo find out more about this railway or to book your own trip, please click on this link - https://www.loessnitzgrundbahn.de/For a brief history about the line please click on this link - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radebeul%E2%80%93Radeburg_railwayThis visit was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” - if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please click on this link - railwaytouring.net/europe
Driver’s Eye View - Dresden (Germany) - Part 1 - Radebeul-Radeburg Railway, (Lößnitzgrundbahn) Timsvideochannel1 2023-03-25 | The Radebeul–Radeburg railway, one of Germany’s oldest narrow gauge railways is a 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) narrow gauge, steam operated line on the outskirts of Dresden, Germany, also known as the Lößnitzgrundbahn (Lössnitz Valley Railway) and locally nicknamed the Lößnitzdackel (Lößnitz Dachshund),.Primarily a tourist attraction, the line maintains a year-round timetable between its main base at Radebeul East station adjacent to the Deutsche Bahn station on the main line between Dresden and Meissen. Scheduled traffic on the Radebeul to Radeburg line is maintained by Sächsische Dampfeisenbahngesellschaft mbH using steam locomotives built in the 1950s.Older trains, using engines and carriages built in the late 19th and early 20th century, are maintained and operated by the non-profit Traditionsbahn Radebeul. Heritage trains can be seen in action on special event days.Our train steams on towards Radeburg, crossing Dippelsdorf Lake on a causeway to reach Moritzburg, famous for its Baroque castle, Schloss Moritzburg. After a short stop at Moritzburg, we set off again passing next to Bärnsdorf Lake divided by a dam into the Upper and Lower ponds complete with a Lighthouse. After a brief halt at Bärnsdorf our train picks up speed, passing a series of picturesque villages as it traverses relatively flat farm land to reach the end of the line at Radeburg.At 33:10 it has been pointed out to me that I’ve made a mistake, the Pond/Lake is not ‘Deutschbaselitzer Großteich’ as shown in the caption, it should read ‘Großteich’.Track gauge - 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in)Maps 00:35 & 00:42 – Google Earth/Google MapsTo find out more about this railway or to book your own trip, please click on this link - https://www.loessnitzgrundbahn.de/For a brief history about the line please click on this link - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radebeul%E2%80%93Radeburg_railwayThis visit was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please click on this link - railwaytouring.net/europe
A Passengers View of the Harz Mountain Railways - Nordhausen Nord to Wernigerode Hochschule Harz Timsvideochannel1 2023-03-19 | In this video we see the Harz Railway between Nordhausen Nord and Wernigerode - Hochschule Harz from a passenger’s point of view. We start off on the balcony of the first coach immediately behind the locomotive for the first part of the video, next we take a look around the depot at Wernigerode Hochschule, finally we board a train back to Nordhausen Nord in very wet and windy conditions.The Harz Narrow Gauge Railways (German: Harzer Schmalspurbahnen or HSB) is a railway company operating a metre gauge (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) network in the Harz mountains, located in Central Germany (formerly East Germany). The company was formed after the Second World War with the merger of the Gernrode-Harzgerode Railway Company and the Nordhausen-Wernigerode Railway Company, the entire network fell within the Soviet Zone of Occupation, later East Germany. After the compulsory acquisition of the line in 1949, the East German Deutsche Reichsbahn ran it until 1993. On 1 February 1993 the private railway company Harzer Schmalspurbahnen GmbH (HSB) took over the rolling stock and the daily running of the system from the Deutsche Reichsbahn, since then it has acted as both the railway operating company (EVU) and railway infrastructure company (EIU). HSB owns about 140 kilometres (86 miles) of track, connecting the principal towns of Wernigerode, Nordhausen and Quedlinburg. Much of the network is steeply graded and picturesque, with the most popular destination being the Brocken, the highest mountain in the region. The company runs a significant number of its trains with steam haulage, mostly employing 1950s vintage 2-10-2 tank locomotives, hauling traditional open-platform bogie carriages. The company is mainly owned by the various local authorities whose territories it serves. On the day of our visit to the line we were booked to travel from Nordhausen to the Brocken, sadly Mother Nature stepped in to change our literary with winds rumoured to be well over 100mph preventing trains from running to the Brocken, instead we could either travel to Wernigerode or to Wernigerode - Hochschule Harz for a works visit. In this video we travel between Nordhausen and Wernigerode - Hochschule Harz.To book your own trip, please click on this link – www.hsb-wr.de/For more information about the railway, please click on any of these links - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harz_Railwayen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harz_Narrow_Gauge_Railwayscsrail.org/harz/2015/9/30/history-and-background-on-the-harzer-schmalspurbahnen-gmbhThis visit was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” - if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please clock on this link - railwaytouring.net/europe
Driver’s Eye View - Harz Mountain Railways - Part 2 - Bahnhof Eisfelder Talmühle to Drei Annen Hohne Timsvideochannel1 2023-03-18 | Welcome to Part 2 of Drivers Eye View - Nordhausen Nord to Drei Annen Hohne. Our locomotive can be heard working hard as it lifts its train higher into the mountains, recent tree felling has changed the landscape, with no leaves on the remaining trees the views are uninterrupted, I’d guess that it’s been 40 or more years since such views were last seen. With the wind blowing and wet sleet falling on the wild hillsides this ride had all the authentic atmosphere one would expect from a 365 days a year working railway, although it was freezing cold on the carriage balconies, the coal fired stove inside the carriage kept passengers warm. The Harz Narrow Gauge Railways (German: Harzer Schmalspurbahnen or HSB) is a railway company operating a metre gauge (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) network in the Harz mountains, located in Central Germany (formerly East Germany). The company was formed after the Second World War with the merger of the Gernrode-Harzgerode Railway Company and the Nordhausen-Wernigerode Railway Company, the entire network fell within the Soviet Zone of Occupation, later East Germany. After the compulsory acquisition of the line in 1949, the East German Deutsche Reichsbahn ran it until 1993. On 1 February 1993 the private railway company Harzer Schmalspurbahnen GmbH (HSB) took over the rolling stock and the daily running of the system from the Deutsche Reichsbahn, since then it has acted as both the railway operating company (EVU) and railway infrastructure company (EIU). HSB owns about 140 kilometres (86 miles) of track, connecting the principal towns of Wernigerode, Nordhausen and Quedlinburg. Much of the network is steeply graded and picturesque, with the most popular destination being the Brocken, the highest mountain in the region. The company runs a significant number of its trains with steam haulage, mostly employing 1950s vintage 2-10-2 tank locomotives, hauling traditional open-platform bogie carriages. The company is mainly owned by the various local authorities whose territories it serves. On the day of our visit to the line we were booked to travel from Nordhausen to the Brocken, sadly Mother Nature stepped in to change our literary with winds rumoured to be well over 100mph preventing trains from running to the Brocken, instead we could either travel to Wernigerode or to Wernigerode - Hochschule Harz for a works visit. In this video we travel between Bahnhof Eisfelder Talmühle and Drei Annen Hohne.To book your own trip, please click on this link – https://www.hsb-wr.de/For more information about the railway, please click on any of these links - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harz_Railwayen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harz_Narrow_Gauge_Railwayscsrail.org/harz/2015/9/30/history-and-background-on-the-harzer-schmalspurbahnen-gmbhMap - 00:36 - Google maps Harz Railways Map - 00:43 - creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0Page URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...File URL: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Attribution - Harz_map.png: Bamsederivative work: Liesel, CC BY-SA 3.0This visit was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” - if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please clock on this link - www.railwaytouring.net/europe
Driver’s Eye View - Harz Mountain Railways - Part 1 - Nordhausen Nord to Bahnhof Eisfelder Talmühle Timsvideochannel1 2023-03-11 | The Harz Narrow Gauge Railways (German: Harzer Schmalspurbahnen or HSB) is a railway company operating a metre gauge (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) network in the Harz mountains, located in Central Germany (formerly East Germany). The company was formed after the Second World War with the merger of the Gernrode-Harzgerode Railway Company and the Nordhausen-Wernigerode Railway Company, the entire network fell within the Soviet Zone of Occupation, later East Germany. After the compulsory acquisition of the line in 1949, the East German Deutsche Reichsbahn ran it until 1993. On 1 February 1993 the private railway company Harzer Schmalspurbahnen GmbH (HSB) took over the rolling stock and the daily running of the system from the Deutsche Reichsbahn, since then it has acted as both the railway operating company (EVU) and railway infrastructure company (EIU). HSB owns about 140 kilometres (86 miles) of track, connecting the principal towns of Wernigerode, Nordhausen and Quedlinburg. Much of the network is steeply graded and picturesque, with the most popular destination being the Brocken, the highest mountain in the region. The company runs a significant number of its trains with steam haulage, mostly employing 1950s vintage 2-10-2 tank locomotives, hauling traditional open-platform bogie carriages. The company is mainly owned by the various local authorities whose territories it serves. On the day of our visit to the line we were booked to travel from Nordhausen to the Brocken, sadly Mother Nature stepped in to change our literary with winds rumoured to be well over 100mph preventing trains from running to the Brocken, instead we could either travel to Wernigerode or to Wernigerode - Hochschule Harz for a works visit. In this video we travel between Nordhausen and Bahnhof Eisfelder Talmühle.To book your own trip, please click on this link – https://www.hsb-wr.de/For more information about the railway, please click on any of these links - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harz_Railwayen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harz_Narrow_Gauge_Railwayscsrail.org/harz/2015/9/30/history-and-background-on-the-harzer-schmalspurbahnen-gmbhMap - 00:26 - Google mapsHarz Railways Map - 00:33 - creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0Page URL: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Karte_Harzer_Schmalspurbahnen.pngFile URL: upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Karte_Harzer_Schmalspurbahnen.pngAttribution - Harz_map.png: Bamsederivative work: Liesel, CC BY-SA 3.0 This visit was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company” - if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please clock on this link - railwaytouring.net/europe
Driver’s Eye View - Halle (Germany) - Chartered Heritage (Tatra T4) Tram Tour Timsvideochannel1 2023-03-04 | Halle is the largest city of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt (with a population of around 239,000). It is served by a 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge tram network covering some 87.6 km (54.4 miles). The trams operate on 750 Volts over 12 different routes, mostly radiating from the town centre – Please click on this link to see a map of the tram network - urbanrail.net/eu/de/hal/halle-saale.htmHalle's early history is connected with the harvesting of salt, followed by a varied and interesting existence, with many of the buildings reflecting the various political regimes the city has existed through from the Bronze age up to the present day. The earliest documented mention of Halle dates from AD 806, to learn more about the city’s history, please click on this link - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halle_(Saale).In this video we take a chartered Tatra T4 tram tour around part of the city’s network, allowing us to see the varied architecture, ranging from the mid 15th century, such as the Market Church of Our Lady (Marienkirche), seen in the Market Square (Marktplatz) at the end of the tour through to stunning modern buildings that proclaim the importance of the city today. Our tram takes us past brutalist blocks, reminding us of the city’s time behind the Iron Curtain to reach the spacious leafy suburbs. This chartered tram ride was part of a rail tour arranged by the “Railway Touring Company”, if it’s something you’d like to know more about, please click on this link - railwaytouring.net/europe
Beautiful Catalonia, Besalu, Portbou, Roses, Girona and its magnificent Cathedral of Saint Mary Timsvideochannel1 2023-02-25 | Hi, this is the last in a series of videos covering a Rail Discoveries tour to the Pyrenees and Catalonia. The railways visited as a part of this holiday are covered in earlier videos, please click on these links to see some of them – Pyrenean Cog Railway - Driver’s Eye View - Núria to Ribes de Freser Pyrenean Cog Railway - Driver’s Eye View - Núria to Ribes de Freser - youtu.be/heDjgR_IHQgScenic - Vall de Núria Cog Railway - Return Ticket - Ribes de Freser / Núria - youtu.be/03IszBgpcjUDriver’s Eye View (Fr) - Le Train Rouge - Rivesaltes to Axat - Pt 3 - Lapradelle to Saint-Martin-Lys - youtu.be/bDs9QN5eUeMIn this video we take a look at some of the towns and villages visited as part of this tour – Besalu, Portbou railway station and seafront, Roses promenade, Girona and its magnificent Cathedral of Saint Mary. There was also plenty of free time to enjoy the wonderful Roses seafront, take a boat trip or ride a road train high into the hills behind the main town. To learn more about this and similar tours please click on this link - raildiscoveries.com/tours/pyrenees-and-cataloniaMusic - Track - Composer - Source00:00 - World - Spanish Streets - Passion's Lie - Scorefitter04:28 - ES_Ocean Beach 4 - SFX Producer - epidemicsound.com09:23 & 12:14 - World - Spanish Streets - Seductive Call - Scorefitter15:58 - ES_Three Variations - Cercles Nouvelles - epidemicsound.com 19:49 & 24:58 - ES_New Passion - Cercles Nouvelles - epidemicsound.com
Dalí Theatre-Museum - Figueres (Girona) - Spain Timsvideochannel1 2023-02-18 | This visit to the “Dalí Theatre-Museum” was part of a “Catalonia & Little Trains of the Pyrenees” tour with Rail Discoveries. This museum is not somewhere I’d normally go, but as it turned out it was a very enjoyable experience and I’d certainly recommend it. Inaugurated in 1974, the Dalí Theatre-Museum is built on the remains of the former Municipal Theatre of Figueres and it is considered to be the last great work of Salvador Dalí. Everything in it was conceived and designed by the artist so as to offer visitors a real experience and draw them into his unique and captivating world. Dalí established the Foundation in 1982 in order to manage his museum at Figueres with the aim of protecting and promoting his work. Dalí passed away in 1989, but his legacy, through the Foundation will continue to inspire and fascinate visitors for generations to come. To learn more about the museum, ticket prices and location, please click on this link - salvador-dali.org/en/museums/dali-theatre-museum-in-figueresSalvador Dalí was Born in Figueres on 11 May 1904. In 1916 he spent time at the Molí de la Torre estate on the outskirts of Figueres, owned by the Pichot family, a family of intellectuals and artists; it was there, through the collection owned by the painter Ramon Pichot, that he discovered Impressionism. Please click on this link to learn more about the life and times of Dalí - salvador-dali.org/en/dali/bio-daliThis visit to the “Dalí Theatre-Museum” was included as part of a Rail Discoveries “Catalonia & Little Trains of the Pyrenees” tour, for more information please click on this link - raildiscoveries.com/tours/pyrenees-and-catalonia
Le Petit Train Jaune (The Little Yellow Train) & Villefranche-de-Conflent (France) Timsvideochannel1 2023-02-11 | The ‘Ligne de Cerdagne’ or ‘Le Petit Train Jaune’ (English: Little Yellow Train) is a Metre-gauge railway (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) located in the French Pyrenees connecting Villefranche-de-Conflent to Latour-de-Carol. Construction started in 1903, although it was 1927 before the line was completed to Latour-de-Carol.The 63 kilometres (39 miles) long railway serving 22 stations and request stops climbs to an altitude of 1,593 metres (5,226 ft) above sea level at Bolquère-Eyne, the highest railway station in France. The line is single-track with passing loops, it threads its way through 19 tunnels and over two substantial viaducts, one of which is unusual for a railway bridge in that it is a suspension bridge. The trains operate on an 850 volts DC third rail system similar to that found on the Southern Region of British Rail. Two types of train are used on the route, modern entirely enclosed two-car multiple units and older style trains made up of covered carriages sandwiched between powered motor units, when the weather allows, open carriages are also used. The best views of the impressive viaducts and the dramatic scenery the railway passes through are obtained from the nearby road or from an open carriage if one is included in the train. The weather was fine on the day I visited, sadly there was no open carriage and the allocated covered carriage with balconies at either end was crowded making it difficult to take photographs or to appreciate the scenery. With improvements to the nearby N116 road and a declining population in the Cerdagne the rail link is now chiefly a tourist attraction whose long-term future is in doubt. Without forward or rear facing views and limited side views, riding this train in a crowded, enclose carriage is a frustrating experience, it would be a good idea to include an open carriage in every train and leave passengers who want to enjoy the views free to decide whether or not they want to brave the weather. In the second part of this video we visit the pretty town of Villefranche-de-Conflent dating back to pre-Roman times. The narrow streets are full of cafes, art studios and tourist shops selling locally produced goods and souvenirs. We take a walk through the covered passageways and tunnels built inside the towns fortifications. To learn more about this fascinating place and its history, please click on this link - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villefranche-de-ConflentThis railway was included as part of a Rail Discoveries “Catalonia & Little Trains of the Pyrenees” tour, for more information please click on this link - raildiscoveries.com/tours/pyrenees-and-catalonia Note: The yellow train does not show in the 2023 version of this holiday although the excellent “Train Rouge” and “Vall de Núria Cog Railway” are still included. Music - Track - Composer/Version - Source00:00 - World - Parisian Travels (Looking for Directions) - Scorefitter15:51 & 28:41 - ES_Zigzag - Berny Shepard - epidemicsound.com00:32 - Map of the “Little Yellow Train” route -Page URL - commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:669000_-_Ligne_de_Cerdagne.pngFile URL - upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/669000_-_Ligne_de_Cerdagne.pngAttribution - Poudou99, CC BY 4.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Driver’s Eye View (Fr) - Le Train Rouge - Rivesaltes to Axat - Pt 3 - Lapradelle to Saint-Martin-Lys Timsvideochannel1 2023-02-04 | The final part of our journey to Axat and Saint-Martin-Lys takes our train high into the Pyrenees via a series of tunnels and lofty viaducts. To lose height the railway scribes a complete ‘U’ around Axat where our train pauses briefly before continuing to Saint-Martin-Lys where there is a gap in the original Carcassonne to Rivesaltes line between Saint-Martin-Lys and Quillan. Passenger services on this section ceased as long ago as 1939 although the line was retained for freight until 1989, by 1990 the track had been lifted. The stone masons responsible for building the tunnels, viaducts, bridges and retaining walls left some of the finest examples of their trade I have seen anywhere in the world. After a short break to take photographs and look around the old station we boarded our train back to Axat. For the more active, it is possible to peddle your own train over this section of the line, the rail-bikes can be seen parked in the sidings at Axat. For more information please click on this link (English translation available) - routes.fandom.com/wiki/Ligne_Carcassonne_-_RivesaltesIn 1878 “La Compagnie des chemins de fer du Midi et du Canal latéral à la Garonne” began building a railway line in the Eastern Pyrénées to connect Carcassonne with Perpignan. The route used by today’s “Le Train Rouge” was complete in 1904. As with many lines built in lightly populated areas, it fell victim to improved road transport, eventually falling into disuse in the late 1980’s. In 1992 three railway enthusiasts formed an association to resurrect a train service along the route, by 2001 they had succeeded raising sufficient funds, volunteers and rolling stock to run a train service. TPCF - Train du Pays Cathare et du Fenouillèdes (Fenouillèdes is the Catalan name for this region). The friendly staff and volunteers would love to welcome you on one of their trains, but if you can't make it please sit back and enjoy a virtual ride through the beautiful French/Catalonian Countryside. To learn more or to book your own adventure, please click on this link - https://www.letrainrouge.fr/ This railway was included as part of a Rail Discoveries “Catalonia & Little Trains of the Pyrenees” tour, for more information please click on this link - raildiscoveries.com/tours/pyrenees-and-catalonia To learn more about the route, please click on this link - https://mikendavid.blog/2020/10/10/le-train-rouge/ Europe Map 00:22 - wikitravel.org/shared/File:Map_of_Europe.png Route Map 00:32 & 00:40 - wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OpenRailwayMap Music - Track - Composer - Source00:00 & 41:30 - ES_Past Mystery Time - Trailer Worx - epidemicsound.com35:28 - ES_Eleganza - Lucas Pittman - epidemicsound.com42:40 - ES_Toujours Seule - Trabant 33 - epidemicsound.com
Driver’s Eye View (France) - Le Train Rouge - Rivesaltes to Axat - Part 2 - Maury to Lapradelle Timsvideochannel1 2023-01-07 | Welcome back to Le train Rouge - Rivesaltes to Axat. In Part 2 “Maury to Lapradelle” our train passes through the Languedoc wine making region of Southern France. If you are planning to visit the area or maybe you are just curious, this article is well worth reading - anglophone-direct.com/train-du-pays-cathare-fenouilledes We continue our gentle climb following the Agly and Maury rivers. Vineyards cover the valley floor and lower slopes of the Pyrenees on the Southern side and the lower slopes of the Massif Central on the Northern side. The neatly laid out vines are replaced by tall conifers as we get closer to Lapradelle.In 1878 “La Compagnie des chemins de fer du Midi et du Canal latéral à la Garonne” began building a railway line in the Eastern Pyrénées to connect Carcassonne with Perpignan. The route used by today’s “Le Train Rouge” was complete in 1904. As with many lines built in lightly populated areas, it fell victim to improved road transport, eventually falling into disuse in the late 1980’s. In 1992 three railway enthusiasts formed an association to resurrect a train service along the route, by 2001 they had succeeded raising sufficient funds, volunteers and rolling stock to run a train service. TPCF - Train du Pays Cathare et du Fenouillèdes (Fenouillèdes is the Catalan name for this region). The friendly staff and volunteers would love to welcome you on one of their trains, but if you can't make it please sit back and enjoy a virtual ride through the beautiful French/Catalonian Countryside. To learn more or to book your own adventure, please click on this link - https://www.letrainrouge.fr/ This railway was included as part of a Rail Discoveries “Catalonia & Little Trains of the Pyrenees” tour, for more information please click on this link - raildiscoveries.com/tours/pyrenees-and-catalonia To learn more about the route, please click on this link - https://mikendavid.blog/2020/10/10/le-train-rouge/ Europe Map 00:31 - wikitravel.org/shared/File:Map_of_Europe.png Route Map 00:38 & 00:45 - wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OpenRailwayMap Music - Track - Composer - Source 00:00 & 47:50 - ES_Toujours Seule - Trabant 33 - epidemicsound.com
Driver’s Eye View (France) - Le Train Rouge - Rivesaltes to Axat - Part 1 Rivesaltes to Maury Timsvideochannel1 2022-12-31 | Le Train Rouge (The Red Train) runs between Rivesaltes in Roussillon and Axat in Southern Aude, following the Agly and Maury rivers the train passes through a varied and interesting landscape starting in a wide fertile valley with vineyards covering the lower regions before the valley narrows and the vines give way to the dramatic scenery of Corbières Massif and the forests of the upper valley.In 1878 “La Compagnie des chemins de fer du Midi et du Canal latéral à la Garonne” began building a railway line in the Eastern Pyrénées to connect Carcassonne with Perpignan. The route used by today’s “Le Train Rouge” was complete in 1904. As with many lines built in lightly populated areas, it fell victim to improved road transport, eventually falling into disuse in the late 1980’s.In 1992 three railway enthusiasts formed an association to resurrect a train service along the route, by 2001 they had succeeded raising sufficient funds, volunteers and rolling stock to run a train service. TPCF - Train du Pays Cathare et du Fenouillèdes (Fenouillèdes is the Catalan name for this region) run today's train service, the friendly staff and volunteers would love to welcome you aboard one of their trains, but if you can't make it please sit back and enjoy a virtual ride through the beautiful French/Catalonian Countryside. To learn more or to book your own adventure, please click on this link - https://www.letrainrouge.fr/ A number of people have asked what the clicking sound is. I looked on the internet and this is the best answer I could find. Please click on the link, an English translation is available by clicking on the "English Translation" tab - fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/FlamanThis railway was included as part of a Rail Discoveries “Catalonia & Little Trains of the Pyrenees” tour, for more information please click on this link - raildiscoveries.com/tours/pyrenees-and-catalonia To learn more about the route, please click on this link - https://mikendavid.blog/2020/10/10/le-train-rouge/ Europe Map 00:22 - wikitravel.org/shared/File:Map_of_Europe.png Route Map 00:29 & 00:36 - wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OpenRailwayMap Music - Track - Composer - Source 00:00 & 50:34 - ES_The Parisian Barber - Trabant 33 - epidemicsound.com
Scenic - Vall de Núria Cog Railway - Return Ticket - Ribes de Freser / Núria Timsvideochannel1 2022-12-24 | In this video we enjoy the magnificent scenery from 4 cameras, front, back and both sides of the train, we also enjoy a ride on the Coma del Clot gondola and a walk around Núria Lake.The Núria Rack Railway is located in the Pyrenees mountains in the north Catalonian region of Spain, it was opened in 1931 to serve the Vall de Núria mountain resort, it is the highest rack railway in Southern Europe rising more than 1,000 metres over its 12.4 km length, starting from Ribes Enllaç, adjacent to the Renfe station on the Barcelona-Puigcerdà railway line and finishing at Núria (altitude 1,964 metres). The railway is the only means of transport to the car free mountain resort of Vall de Núria, located in the county of Ripollès. The train journey takes around 40-minutes serving two intermediate stations at Ribes-Vila and Queralbs located just after the start of the rack section and also the furthest point that can be reached by road. Since opening on March 22nd 1931 the1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge line has been electrified at 1500 V DC via an overhead power supply. It became part of the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) on January 2nd 1984. The first 5.5 km (3.4 miles) of the line is operated as a conventional adhesion railway with the remainder of the line operating as a rack railway using the Abt system with a maximum gradient of 15%.Track Gauge - 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)To see complete cab rides showing this railway please click on either of the links bellowPyrenean Cog Railway - Driver’s Eye View - Núria to Ribes de Freser - youtu.be/heDjgR_IHQgDriver’s Eye View - Vall de Núria Cog Railway - Part 1 - Ribes de Freser to Núria - youtu.be/dCt_ViEYw74Music - Track - Composer - Source00:00 & 09:16 - ES_Jazz Intimate 3 - Magnus Ringblom - epidemicsound.com 11:43 - ES_Gentle Thoughts 10 - Johan Hynynen - epidemicsound.com13:24 - ES_Gentle Thoughts 5 - Johan Hynynen - epidemicsound.comThis railway was included as part of a Rail Discoveries “Catalonia & Little Trains of the Pyrenees” tour, for more information please click on this link - raildiscoveries.com/tours/pyrenees-and-cataloniaTo find out more about the railway or to book your own trip, please click on this link - https://turistren.cat/en/trains/cremallera-de-nuria/
Pyrenean Cog Railway - Driver’s Eye View - Núria to Ribes de Freser Timsvideochannel1 2022-12-17 | I’d like to say a special thanks to the girls in the Ribes Enllaç booking office for going the extra mile to obtain permission for me to mount a camera on the front of the train, I’d also like to thank the driver for his help in making this video possible. With the camera mounted on the front of the train this video covers the complete return trip back to Ribes de Freser showing the spectacular views usually only the driver gets to see.The Núria Rack Railway is located in the Pyrenees mountains in the north Catalonian region of Spain, it was opened in 1931 to serve the Vall de Núria mountain resort, it is the highest rack railway in Southern Europe rising more than 1,000 metres over its 12.4 km length, starting from Ribes Enllaç, adjacent to the Renfe station on the Barcelona-Puigcerdà railway line and finishing at Núria (altitude 1,964 metres)The railway is the only means of transport to the car free mountain resort of Vall de Núria, located in the county of Ripollès. The train journey takes around 40-minutes serving two intermediate stations at Ribes-Vila and Queralbs located just after the start of the rack section and also the furthest point that can be reached by road.Since opening on March 22nd 1931 the1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge line has been electrified at 1500 V DC via an overhead power supply. It became part of the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) on January 2nd 1984. The first 5.5 km (3.4 miles) of the line is operated as a conventional adhesion railway with the remainder of the line operating as a rack railway using the Abt system with a maximum gradient of 15%.Track Gauge - 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)Music - Album/Genre - Track - Version - Source00:42 & 40:38 - ES_Autumn in Nice - Trabant - epidemicsound.comThis railway was included as part of a Rail Discoveries “Catalonia & Little Trains of the Pyrenees” tour, for more information please click on this link - raildiscoveries.com/tours/pyrenees-and-cataloniaTo find out more about the railway or to book your own trip, please click on this link - https://turistren.cat/en/trains/cremallera-de-nuria/
Driver’s Eye View - Vall de Núria Cog Railway - Part 1 - Ribes de Freser to Núria Timsvideochannel1 2022-12-10 | I'd like to say a massive thank-you to the staff of the railway for their help in making this video.The Núria Rack Railway is located in the Pyrenees mountains in the North Catalonia region of Spain, it was opened in 1931 to serve the Vall de Núria mountain resort, it is the highest rack railway in Southern Europe rising more than 1,000 metres over its 12.4 km length, starting from Ribes Enllaç, adjacent to the Renfe Ribes de Freser station on the Barcelona-Puigcerdà railway line and finishing at Núria (altitude 1,964 metres)The railway is the only means of transport to the car free mountain resort of Vall de Núria, located in the county of Ripollès. The train journey takes around 40-minutes serving two intermediate stations at Ribes-Vila and Queralbs located just after the start of the rack section and also the furthest point that can be reached by road.Since opening on March 22nd 1931 the 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge line has been electrified at 1500 V DC via an overhead power supply. It became part of the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) on January 2nd 1984. The first 5.5 km (3.4 miles) of the line is operated as a conventional adhesion railway with the remainder of the line operating as a rack railway using the Abt system with a maximum gradient of 15%.Track Gauge - 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)Music - Track - Composer - Source 00:22 & 36:34 - ES_Autumn in Nice - Trabant 33 - epidemicsound.comThis railway was included as part of a Rail Discoveries “Catalonia & Little Trains of the Pyrenees” tour, for more information please click on this link - raildiscoveries.com/tours/pyrenees-and-catalonia
Scenic Switzerland - Pilatus Railway - Front Seat Passenger View of the Worlds Steepest Railway Timsvideochannel1 2022-12-03 | Having made ‘Driver’s Eye’ style videos of the ascent and decent of the mountain I was left with video shots I’d taken with two other cameras, having looked though them, I decided to make a ‘Scenic Passenger’s Point of View’ video covering the ride in both directions along with views from the paths around the top of the mountain. To see the ‘Driver’s Eye’ style videos please click on the links below - Driver’s Eye View (Switzerland) - Pilatus Bahn (Railway) Alpnachstad to Pilatus Summit Station - youtu.be/NF5tuLvbyRsPilatus Bahn Summit to Alpnachstad – Driver’s Eye View of the World's Steepest Cog Railway - youtu.be/9hADexvvZKcMusic - Track - Composer - Source33:42 - ES_When You're Ready - Spectacles Wallet and Watch - epidemicsound.comFilmed – 23.07.2022To learn more about the railway or to book your own trip, please click on this link - https://www.pilatus.ch/en/discover/cogwheel-railway
Pilatus Bahn Summit to Alpnachstad – Driver’s Eye View of the Worlds Steepest Cog Railway Timsvideochannel1 2022-12-02 | After the disappointment of the days steam adventure being cancelled due to the hot weather, the day was nevertheless turning out to be a very good one. We’d been advised by our tour group leader to use our Swiss Rail passes to travel where ever the fancy took us and I’d opted to travel with another member of the group to Alpnachstad for a ride the World renowned Pilatus Cog Railway. Having arrived early, we had a chance to chat with one of the railway’s staff members who went out of her way to extend a warm welcome and tell us that the trains we were about to ride on were to be retired at the end of the season and that testing the replacement units had already started. In this video we cover the journey down the mountain having spent time enjoying the mountain top views and refreshments in the cafe. We chatted to the friendly Summit station staff whilst we waited for our train, it was nice to speak with people who clearly loved their railway and were keen to make sure we got the best out of our visit. The driver kindly allowed me to place a camera on the front window for the trip back down to Alpnachstad. For people who have not watched the video of our trip up the mountain, I have copied and pasted the brief description I wrote about the railway’s history and the unusual Cog system devised especially for the railway – The Pilatus Railway (German: Pilatusbahn) located in Switzerland is the steepest rack railway in the world, with a maximum gradient of 48% and an average gradient of 35%. Alpnachstad is the lower terminus where it connects with regular boat services on Lake Alpnach and the Brünig railway’s trains to Lucerne and Interlaken. The upper terminus near the Esel summit of Pilatus is at an elevation of 2,073 m (6,801 ft) Eduard Locher proposed a railway with the maximum grade of 48%, conventional rack systems in use at the time were not thought capable of coping with such gradients owing to the risk of the cog wheel jumping out of the teeth on the rack rail resulting in the loss of both the ability to drive or brake the train. To overcome this problem Locher devised a system where the rack was placed horizontally between the tracks with the teeth cut on both outside edges facing away from each other, two flanged cogwheels mounted on vertical shafts underneath the train engaged with the rack rail and flanges running under the rack prevented the cog from climbing out of engagement. Please click on this link to learn more about the Locher rack railway system - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduard_Locher The system was also capable of guiding the car without the need for flanges on the wheels, indeed, the first cars on Pilatus had no flanges on running wheels, but they were later added to allow cars to be moved through tracks without rack rails during maintenance. Construction of the line began in March 1886 and the line opened on 4th June 1889, it was electrified at 1,650 V DC in 1937 with the trains taking power from an overhead wire. This video features the original 1937 trains in their last months of operation before the introduction of modern trains from Stadler. The 800 mm (2 ft 7+1⁄2 in) gauge line is 4.6 km (2.86 miles) long and climbs 1,629 m (5,344 ft) from start to finish and the original rack rails, now well over 100 years old are still used today, whilst they have become worn over the years, it was discovered that by turning them over they could be reused offering the potential of another 100 + years in service. The train’s electric motors are used as generators to act as brakes during the descent with the electricity generated being dissipated as heat through resistance grids. The railway was financed entirely with private capital and has remained financially viable throughout its life.Filmed – 23.07.2022To learn more about the railway or to book your own trip, please click on this link - https://www.pilatus.ch/en/discover/cogwheel-railway
Driver’s Eye View (Switzerland) - Pilatus Bahn (Railway) Alpnachstad to Pilatus Summit Station Timsvideochannel1 2022-11-26 | The Pilatus Railway (German: Pilatusbahn) located in Switzerland is the steepest rack railway in the world, with a maximum gradient of 48% and an average gradient of 35%. Alpnachstad is the lower terminus where it connects with regular boat services on Lake Alpnach and the Brünig railway’s trains to Lucerne and Interlaken. The upper terminus near the Esel summit of Pilatus is at an elevation of 2,073 m (6,801 ft) Eduard Locher proposed a railway with the maximum grade of 48%, conventional rack systems in use at the time were not thought capable of coping with such gradients owing to the risk of the cog wheel jumping out of the teeth on the rack rail resulting in the loss of both the ability to drive or brake the train. To overcome this problem Locher devised a system where the rack was placed horizontally between the tracks with the teeth cut on both outside edges facing away from each other, two flanged cogwheels mounted on vertical shafts underneath the train engaged with the rack rail and flanges running under the rack prevented the cog from climbing out of engagement. Please click on this link to learn more about the Locher rack railway system - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduard_LocherThe system was also capable of guiding the car without the need for flanges on the wheels, indeed, the first cars on Pilatus had no flanges on running wheels, but they were later added to allow cars to be moved on tracks without rack rails during maintenance.Construction of the line began in March 1886 and the line opened on 4th June 1889, it was electrified at 1,650 V DC in 1937 with the trains taking power from an overhead wire. This video features the original 1937 trains in their last months of operation before the introduction of modern trains from Stadler.The 800 mm (2 ft 7+1⁄2 in) gauge line is 4.6 km (2.86 miles) long and climbs 1,629 m (5,344 ft) from start to finish and the original rack rails, now well over 100 years old are still used today, whilst they have become worn over the years, it was discovered that by turning them over they could be reused offering the potential of another 100 + years in service. The train’s electric motors are used as generators to act as brakes during the descent with the electricity generated being dissipated as heat through resistance grids. The railway was financed entirely with private capital and has remained financially viable throughout its life.Filmed – 23.07.2022To learn more about the railway or to book your own trip, please click on this link - https://www.pilatus.ch/en/discover/cogwheel-railway
