5th February 2012 - RodelblitzSunday 5th February 2012 A leisurely start this morning as we only needed to stagger the 35 or so miles to Eisenach to pick up our target for the day, 2-8-2 steam loco 41 1144 on one the regular “Rodelblitz” trips that run every year for four weekends during January and February. We had heard plenty of good reports about these trains so it was time that we went and investigated for ourselves. 41 1144 at Arnstadt Hbf Contact with one of the organisers had been made via a friend in the UK so, as the train was already in the platform when we arrived at Eisenach, we found the man concerned and ensconced ourselves in the front coach ready to enjoy the thrash from the loco although it would also mean enduring the cold with most of the windows open. Our German host kindly gave us an invite to the loco’s footplate before departure so the offer was taken up, not least for the fact that it was nice and warm up there. The driver for the day was a real steam man – his day job was driving the steamers on the metre gauge Selketalbahn, part of the wonderful Harz system, nothing like having a busman’s (or should that be engineman’s?) holiday. The trip to Arnstadt was everything we expected and most enjoyable though 41 1144 was not really extended with only four coaches in tow. We don’t think they can take any more as the train had to do a small shunt at Zella-Mehlis in order to pass the local train, the platform loop being too short to accommodate four mainline coaches and a large steam engine. On arrival at Arnstadt, we had a quick scout round for somewhere to eat with the proviso that if we couldn’t find anywhere in 50 minutes then we would go back to Erfurt on the next train heading that way. Other than the place opposite the station which most of the rest of the passengers piled into, we couldn’t find anywhere so it was onto the local unit and back to Erfurt for a quick Chinese in the station there. The return to Arnstadt was on one of the hated (to us) class 612 units but there was no way that we wanted to miss the return journey which was just as good as the outward though, this time, we elected to travel in one of the middle two coaches with the windows shut. Apparently the front coach on these trains is intended for “eisenbahnfans” who like the windows open to listen to the loco whereas Joe Normal and his kids travel in the others and keep warm.
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