REAL FREIGHT IN GERMANY

Tony Streeter savours the early morning atmosphere of Plandampf

In the 1990s, multiple Plandampfs (meaning ‘timetabled steam’) each year drew Brits and others to Germany to experience ‘Pacifics’ on expresses on various lines. Now, other than isolated events, Plandampf in the old East Germany basically means the autumn events held around the steam hotspots of Eisenach and Meiningen (in the state of Thuringia). They now focus on a mix of ‘real’ trains and ‘photo-extras’, the centrepiece being the heavy gravel workings from a quarry at Immelborn. The next event, featuring two ‘44’ 2-10-0s, is imminent: October 18-20. Visit: https://bit.ly/2PMcjyi