The 601 diesel train

(1985 - 1988)

Concerning technical design, I'm a fan of the fifties and sixties of this century. For Germany, in my opinion, no train represents these years better than the VT11 diesel train, to which later the serial number 601 was given by the German Federal Railway. When I was a schoolboy, I could see those fast trains each day when I used the much slower local trains to go to school. The 601 had a big impressive sign "TEE" at its front, which meant TransEuropExpress and stood for a certain standard of long distance trains in Europe at that time. I did not take photos when I was a schoolboy. Much later, in the eighties, this TEE was out of regular service. But it was still possible to observe the trains from time to time.

After being the TransEuropExpress, some of them were painted with the sign "Intercity" and served in the regular schedule between Germany's bigger cities. I met this one in Frankfurt.

At the end only few of the trains had survived and now served as special trains "Alpen-See-Express", operating between Hamburg or Dortmund and the alpine vacation areas on Saturdays and Sundays. As often as I could, I took the opportunity to observe them and take photos.

Most of the trains had a painted "DB" sign at their front, like this one here in Frankfurt Central Station.

For the parades of the German Railroad's 150^th Anniversary in 1985 one was restored with the original metal TEE signs. I took this photo near Jossa in the Spessart forest.

Due to frequent technical problems with the engines, one never knew if it would come or if it would be replaced by a different and less romantic train. At this winter day in Oberlahnstein at the Rhine river the waiting was not in vain.

The highest express train station in Germany is Klais station near Mittenwald. This photo was taken from a cross country skiing track that leads along the railroad line.

The characteristic profile of the locomotive looked beautiful at this day in spring near Friedland south of Göttingen.

The railroad lines at both sides of the Rhine river offered lots of possibilities for photos. However, one never could be really sure on which side of the river the train would come. This photo was taken near the Loreley tunnel.

The Loreley Rock at the Rhine river near St. Goarshausen is one of Germany's touristic places. And it is surely a good place for a railfan, because the train frequency is very high and the landscape is beautiful. This train has just passed the Loreley tunnel.

One can hope that at least a few trains will be preserved so that railfans can still admire them in future years.

The danisch relatives of the 601 can be seen on the page about Aarhus (Denmark)

Pictures of a Switzerland TEE train can be found on the Gottardo page.