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Emmerich - TEE Rheingold

This was my car on TEE Rheingold, from Amsterdam to Munich. This car became part of TEE Rheinpfeil later in the journey. One of my goals on this trip was to ride a TEE (Trans Europ Express), the highest class of European train. The Rheingold was the most famous of these in Germany. From the time I left Stockholm, my travel was by train. I had a Eurailpass, which gave me first class travel, something that I found easy to get used to.

 

The Rheingold (named after the Wagner opera) was a luxury train from Hoek van Holland to Basel, from 1928 until World War II. It was re-established in 1951, and became one of Germany's first TEE trains in 1965. As a TEE, it had a dome car for viewing, particularly along the famous area of the Rhine River.

 

The Rheingold and Rheinpfeil (Rhine arrow) trains operated in tandem. Rheingold ran from Hoek van Holland (the ferry port for Engand) to Basel. One part started from Amsterdam. Rheinpfeil ran from Dortmund to Munich. The two trains had a common stretch from Duisburg to Frankfurt. they traveled along the Rhine a few minutes apart. There were through cars covering all origins and destinations. I traveled from Amsterdam to Munich in one car, which was on Rheingold to Duisburg, then switched to Rheinpfeil.

 

This is no longer the case. European express trains operate as units, and cars are not switched from train to train. Instead, you walk from one train to another, with your luggage. If you are lucky, the two trains are on opposite sides of a platrorm.

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Uploaded on March 18, 2009
Taken on March 27, 1970