Built in 1973, 151 013-0 was barely two years old in this recording.
East Westphalia with the teaching staff
East Westphalia with the Teaching Staff
While in the Emsland the heavy holiday D-trains with 01. 10 were the main attraction, Ottbergen was the desired destination for class 44 pulling heavy freight trains.
The topic "Steam in East Westphalia" was unfortunately started a little late by us. Without the help of our geography teacher Horst Nolte, we would have almost never known the fascinating use of steam by the "Jumbos" in and around Ottbergen. We are very grateful to him!
Spring Chicken or to be on the Srap Heap
Age is in the eye of the beholder. Not only with myself, but also with the railway vehicles. On 08.06.1975 I photographed the 151 013-0 of the Bw Hagen-Eckesey as an electric representative of the heavy freight traction in front of her freight train in Warburg.
A state-of-the-art device at the time, it is now almost part of the old iron. Just like this locomotive today, we were aware of the class 44s at that time.
On the Hunt
"We're not here for fun" and "You can still eat" were the wise sayings of our driver when it came to tracking the steam trains with the aim of obtaining the best possible photo yield.
Priorities also had to be set. During one of these chases we had chosen a photo stand in front of Bad Driburg, where we first had to climb the railway embankment. Why our teacher only appeared a few minutes after us and only at the ever louder steam locomotive noise, we learned only after the work was done . .
044 319-2 on 25. 10. 1975 in front of Bad Driburg
During the ascent of the railway embankment, his photo utensils had to be activated. That means: digging in the photo bag, because a new film had to be inserted. The wedding ring slipped from the hand and in the short time - the exhaust came closer and closer - could not be found immediately. Therefore, the place marked, up to the railway embankment, took photos. After the wedding ring was then searched together, successfully and then it went on.
Shortly after 044 319-2 had left the Reelsen tunnel from Bad Driburg, we caught her on the bridge at the road junction to Reelsen.
Often we were stopped by the closed barriers. Then there were always a few "emergency shots".
Here at Brakel we succeeded in such a "forced stop" on 24. 04. 1976 a photo of a train encounter of a tank wagon train drawn by 044 319-2 with a local train with "Silberlingen"-coaches.
This picture still from 044 319-2 - and it went on.
On 11. 05. 1976 we gave the lead to a 044 in Bad Driburg.
We kept a good distance from 044 591-6 on 24. 05. 1976 in Ottbergen.
An appropriate preparation with maps and timetable information was important for the tracking trips.
Long Railway Weekend
Preparation for the journey had to be started in time in the analogue age. Today, it is almost always possible to search for travel times, locations and maps on the Internet.
From the publications in the Eisenbahnmagazin and Eisenbahnkurier was thus prepared for a weekend trip from Friday, 23. 04.1976 (the last holiday in the Easter holidays) until Sunday, 25.04.1976. An overview was compiled by hand.
So we stood on the 23rd. April 1976 at half past three o'clock in the morning at the station forecourt in Hagen and waited for the white SIMCA, with which our geography teacher picked us up for the drive in the direction of Ottbergen. The departure was set so early in order to be able to photograph the freight train arriving in Ottbergen at 06:25 o'clock in still weak light.
This is the first photo with a view over meadows still covered with frost.
After the change of locomotives in Ottbergen on 044 319-2 it continued with enormous steam and noise development in the direction of Altenbeken.
During the day, the sun came out. In an almost cloudless sky we meet 044 209-5:
With such a weak light, as in the first pictures on this day, the evening freight train towards Kreiensen was taken together with an empty trip to Holzminden shortly behind Ottbergen with locomotive 044 534-6 at the top.
The next day the steam hunt continued. Not all trains were running as announced. And there was Saturday, 24th. April 1976 some surprises. For example, we went to Höxter on the hunt for new motifs. A friendly railroad official didn't really want to get out of the language at first. "I'm not supposed to tell you this";. . . We didn't look like military spies from the East, so we found out: "There's a military train coming through."
044 534-6 passes here at the station building Höxter with two pre-war passenger coaches as team carriages and the following defence equipment on flat carriages.
Depot Visit
Since we were in Ottbergen and the surrounding area almost only with our geography teacher in his car, there were compared to other steam locomotive destinations such as Hamm, Duisburg-Wedau, Oberhausen-Osterfeld or Gelsenkirchen-Bismarck predominantly route photos.
However, we also stopped there a few times in order to be able to follow the locomotive treatment up close.
Here, too, the first route led into the locomotive line. Registration in the insurance book, payment of the insurance amount and already the visit of the sanctuary was allowed. The Bw Ottbergen was clearly arranged. Therefore, no separate cards for hanging were issued there as in the Bw Rheine.
044 969-4 on 26. 08. 1975 on the turntable
044 084-2 above the pit
A jumbo sleeping in the afternoon with open shed windows
There must be some smoke. 044 084-2 and 044 319-2 when freshly made.
Visit to the Teacher's Room
Basically, an "audition" did not bode well, especially if I was "ordered" to do so. When steam came to an end in 1976 in East Westphalia, the home of my geography teacher, this was a welcome opportunity to coordinate a railway tour at short notice. If, for example, the last two hours were cancelled on Monday, 24.05.1976, a departure time was quickly set for Ottbergen. And then it started. . .
Here we meet between Ottbergen and Brakel 044 591-6 with not quite compliant buffer plate painting. Because of the approaching steam end on 29. 05. 1976, the corners of the mouth should have been pointing downwards.
044 067-7 arrives here with its freight train under the typical catenary construction in Langeland, only to disappear shortly afterwards in the Rehberg tunnel to Altenbeken.
Steam locomotives on the siding"
While waiting for the evening carriage towards Holzminden - Kreiensen, the 57 2070 as a former heating locomotive in the AW Göttingen and the 044 084-2, which had already been robbed of its signs, reflect the oppressive atmosphere at the end of the steam in Ottbergen.
On 24.05.1976 it stands for the evening train in the direction of Kreiensen 2 to 1.
044 591-6 and a sister machine with a tank wagon.
What a waste of energy!
My farewell photo on 24.05.1976. A wistful view behind 044 067-7 at the exit from Ottbergen towards Wehrden on my last steamer in Ottbergen.
My recordings in Ottbergen end on this 24.05.1976.
All photos from Eastern Westphalia can be found under this link to my photo database.
At the end of May 1976, not only the steam plant in Ottbergen was shut down. In my hometown Hagen the street car turned its last laps on 29.05.1976. On 28. and 29. 05. 1976 I dedicated myself to this sad event in my homeland.
All photos from Hagen from these two days can be found under this link to my photo database.
Thank you very much Horst!!!
Back to overview Railway Stories
The tours with our teacher were entertaining, brought great photos and we even learned one or the other, e. g. in which direction waters in the northern hemisphere meander.