September Sights

It is beginning of September 2008. Markdorf still enjoys the last days of summer. Days already get shorter - an opportunity for some evening foto trials.

September 8 at 8.15 pm: Two 650 DMU rush by on their way to Friedrichshafen south of Markdorf.

The moon shines over the country, at this day the Alps are very visible.

September 11, same time. The train is stopping as scheduled. It is already a lot darker today...

...in town we nearly see night.

In September the sugar beet campaign is starting. A swiss sugar plant in Frauenfeld is buying ecologically grown beets from Straubing in Bavaria. For this purpose unit trains build with swiss gondolas are send to Straubing.

An all swiss Eaos Gondola train is lead eastwards by DB 225 078-5 on Friday afternoon, September 12. Also on a German model railroad layout such a train would be prototypically and add some colour.

The train is too long to fit in the visible area. The nice sunny weather moved away...

Most of the gons are grey, only a few brown ones are mixed in.

After a rainy and windy night it becomes dry at noon Sunday September 14, 2008. A Touristik special from St. Anton to Trier rolls through Markdorf. The location is west of town.

2 hours later another empty gondola train comes from Switzerland.

On Tuesday morning, 9/16/2008 the first loaded beet train is scheduled for Markdorf. I was at work when the train came.

In the evening close to 6 pm another empty is exiting the Markdorf siding to the east. I was just too late for the two 225 engines. Maybe there is a crossing with the 7.10 local in the station. I am heading out again.

At 7.10 the local rolls by to Friedrichshafen eastwards. There will be no crossing with this train. The last rays of the sun put this scene into a warm glow. This train takes about 8 minutes to Friedrichshafen, the next option for a long train to cross. But then at 7.16! The semaphore flaps up - a train comes westwards! Hope comes up to get the "beet" still at some light.

611 009-2 rushes by at 19.22. I already had to blow up the ISO rating to the max to get a reasonable shutter speed. It is now very fast becoming darker and I doubt the track has capacity for another westward.

Just as the tripod was fixed to by bicycle the semaphore flapped up again! Wow - shal I be lucky? Ok build up the tripod again. Only 1/80 shutter speed at open aperture, OK lets try.

Lights appear - yeah this is the beet!

225 007 and a second 225 are highballing through Markdorf.

Even the engineer is greeting - a happy ending!

The next morning I am walking to the bridge over the tracks. But at 7.27 too many commuter traffic avoid an early loaded beet train. But I still like this view to the east.