Forbach
One of my favorite longterm projects was documenting the transition of the Murgtalbahn from a mountain branch line to an electrified line for light-rail EMUs and standard electric locomotives.
Beginning in 1997 I followed the process until the completion 2004, right before I relocated.
On April 2, 2001 the weather forecast was good enough to spend a day along the line, making good use of new angles made possible by the ongoing brush and tree cutting. This was needed to clear the right of way to work on the foundations of the caternary posts which had been erected already way down the line.
The days of the old semaphore signals were counted as were the days of diesel-hauled passenger trains from Karlsruhe to Freudenstadt.
The dieselhydraulic 218 298 had one of the hourly passenger trains in tow as it was ducking under a picturesque road bridge (built from granite, quarried locally). The minute before the train had left Forbach station which was already under heavy reconstruction.
It's all nice and clean, just like a model railway.
Forbach
One of my favorite longterm projects was documenting the transition of the Murgtalbahn from a mountain branch line to an electrified line for light-rail EMUs and standard electric locomotives.
Beginning in 1997 I followed the process until the completion 2004, right before I relocated.
On April 2, 2001 the weather forecast was good enough to spend a day along the line, making good use of new angles made possible by the ongoing brush and tree cutting. This was needed to clear the right of way to work on the foundations of the caternary posts which had been erected already way down the line.
The days of the old semaphore signals were counted as were the days of diesel-hauled passenger trains from Karlsruhe to Freudenstadt.
The dieselhydraulic 218 298 had one of the hourly passenger trains in tow as it was ducking under a picturesque road bridge (built from granite, quarried locally). The minute before the train had left Forbach station which was already under heavy reconstruction.
It's all nice and clean, just like a model railway.