Steam in Denmark, June 2000

Now, I was having a day of wandering in Copenhagen, on 25th June 2000, and was heading towards the direction of The Little Mermaid, when I heard a steam train, and managed to get onto the bridge at Østerport just as it arrived.

DSB Pr 908 approaches Østerport, 25th June 2000.

Pr 908 departs from Østerport. There is a video on YouTube which includes a departure, but from the opposite platform, on the same day. The train was run as 'Round the Houses'.

"Steam around Copenhagen: For the last time in a couple of years it will be possible to do the "Rundt om husene" steam trains around Copenhagen, as rebuilding of the Copenhagen Freight Ring into a S-bane suburban line will close the Vigerslev-Vanløse-line until 2004-05.

Dansk Jernbane Klub arranges trains on 11. 18. and 25. June with steam locomotive Pr908 and old wagons. Timetable:

København H. dep.   10.38 11.35 12.38 13.38 
Østerport dep.      10.44 11.41 12.44 13.44* 
Nørrebro dep.       11.05 12.05 13.05 14.05* 
København H. arr.   11.30 12.30 13.30

Other trains and activities can be found at the Dansk Jernbane-Klub website (24. May 2000, sources dk.fritid.jernbaner and DJK)"

Class P 4-4-2 908 was built by Hanomag in 1908. Seven members of the class were rebuilt to Class PR 4-6-2 between 1943 and 1954. 908 was rebuilt in 1945-46.Withdrawn in August 1964 and handed over to the railway museum. Last steamed in 2007.

It seems that I was particularly lucky to be in the right place at this time.

Class H 40 was built by Robert Stephenson & Co in Newcastle in 1868. Sold to VVGJ in 1914, then sold in 1946 to  DDPA (ESSO) for use as a pre-heater, before donation to the railway museum in 1947. Seen in the museum at Odense on 28th June.

Class Hs 415 on visitor shuttles at the railway museum at Odense, 28th June. 415 was built at A / S Vulcan, CFKiehn, Maribo, Denmark in 1901 and worked until withdrawal in 1970, when it was handed over to the railway museum.

The Danish Railway Museum

Diesels & Electrics in Denmark, June 2000

A trip to consume what remained of my frequent flyer flights from the 1990s, which was the end of that lark, as so much pivoted and changed around 9/11, moving into an era of much reduced travel, alternatively enabled through corporate IP telecoms and visual conference calls - the same change as is now being realised by many more now in 2020. In Denmark I backpacked, travelling on a railpass once arrived in Denmark, noting that this is an expensive country for hotels and food. When at the post offices, I could not miss Postmand Per.

Flights on KLM via Amsterdam:

Date	Flight	From	To	Miles	Type	Reg	Disp
24/06/2000	KL1008	LHR	AMS	230	B767-306ER	PH-BZI	flying for Azur Air (Russia) VQ-BSX
24/06/2000	KL1131	AMS	CPH	395	F70	PH-KZC	flying for Myanmar Air Force '003'
01/07/2000	KL1128	CPH	AMS	395	B737-306	PH-BDN	scrapped Oct 2010
01/07/2000	KL1023	AMS	LHR	230	B737-42C	PH-BPF	freighter flying for Airwork (New Zealand) ZK-TLM

DSB ME 1510 at Copenhagen, probably on 25th June. The ME class, intoduced in 1981, and assembled by Henschel in Kassel, Germany, are powered by EMD 16-645E3B engines set at 3300 hp, with ac traction motors. 1510 was new in April 1981, using a bodyshell manufactured by Scandia at Randers in Denmark, burned on 30th November 2005 and was the first to be withdrawn, disposed of in 2007. First of class 1501 is now in the Danish Railway Museum collection.

The design was based upon Henschel's DE2500 prototype, which was, however, MTU powered.

There is a relevant article on the class in the March 2020 issue of Today's Railways Europe under the 'Endangered Species' banner, where the class is expected to replaced be end of 2021 by new Siemens Vectron Class EB electric locomotives, of which more here.

DSB EG 3106, seen at Odense, probably on 27th June, had been delivered on 23rd May, and seems to have been in training before the opening of the Øresund Bridge, which opened as I departed on 1st July. Class EG are rated at 8600 hp, and were originally delivered to the DSB cargo operation, which was sold to Railion in 2001, now DB Cargo where 3106 continues to run. Built by Siemens, the former Krauss-Maffei of Munich, part of their ES64 EuroSprinter family.

"The first EG-hauled through freight train from Padborg to Malmö and return ran on 22. June 2000, GD 21306 (replaced GD45750 Padborg-Copenhagen Freight Yard), hauled by EG 3106. Departure was from Padborg 4.33, Cph 9.58-9.58 onwards to Malmö Freight Yard. The train arrived in time at Cph but was delayed for one hour, as a swedish radio had to be found before it could continue to Sweden. In Sweden the EG is limited to 80 km/h and always has to have two locomotive drivers, as they are still not proved for use with the swedish ATC secuity system.

EG 3106 returned to Padborg with GD 21311 Malmö-Padborg (replacing GD40552), ordinary departure 12.51, but the train was delayed.

The EG-testings with the MY-locomotives between Odense and Slagelse still continues. (30. June 2000, thanks to various people)."

DSB MY 1126 was at that time withdrawn, and apparently at Odense for use as dead weight for Class EG testing.

As the longer term readers may recall, I am rather favourably inclined towards the NOHAB GM locomotives, following those remaining in Hungary, most recently in 2016. Class MY, assembled in Sweden between 1954 and 1965, was based upon the EMD F7 design, with power unit set at 1700 - 1950 hp and A1A-A1A bogie arrangement. All but the first had bodies constructed by Frichs in Denmark, and shipped to Sweden for assembly.

1126 was built with a 16-567C engine set at 1700 hp, delivered on 31st August 1957. The 'graffiti' paint scheme was applied in 1988 for a programme of ATCS testing in 1989-90, this using an IBM PC XT. 

"Train Brain could be used to control the train. The stretch and train data - climb conditions, train weight, rolling resistance - could be programmed into the computer and it could then determine the most economical driving. DSB anticipated up to 15% energy savings compared to traditional, manually controlled driving. Train Brain could be pre-programmed with the stop pattern for driving, and the train would function as completely driverless, or you could remotely control the train via the radio connection and Train Brain.

The computer could monitor the functions of the locomotive, including a troubleshooting program. Train Brain could also be used to transfer error data to a central database in order to optimize "preventive" maintenance.

In the case of freight traffic, the locomotive's computer could be provided with information on carriage use and destinations, and the reports from the train are collected centrally in a computer program that could optimize the use of the carriage.

When traveling by passenger train, Train Brain could include a space reservation system and a passenger information system.

A long trail at the south end of Copenhagen's Godsbanegård was reserved for the experiments with ATCS. Along the way, several "stops" were built where the test train was to stop. Furthermore, some special baliser / transducers were laid out for ATCS. The ATCS locomotives were also equipped with transducers so that the position of the train on the line could be checked at intervals; moreover, A TCS, like ATC, was based on the measurement of distance by counting the number of wheel revolutions. In December 1988, the first driverless test run was carried out, with MY 1126 controlled solely by the mounted computer. The locomotive drove back and forth on the test section following the programmed roadmap and stopped at the designated "stops"."

Returned to normal traffic in 1992, and in February 1994 was leased to Norway to cover Winter Olympics traffic, and where the NOHAB Di.3 was similar. Shunter platforms added in 1995. Removed from traffic in January 2000 at Copenhagen. Reactivated in 2002 and sold to DJK (Danish Railway Club).

The engine in 1126 is a 567C built in December 1956.

Now appears to be in the care of MY Veterantog, associated part of DJK.

DSB MY 1152 is from the later batch, fitted with a 16-567D engine set at 1950 hp. Delivered to DSB on 15th March 1965. Stored in January 2000, and withdrawn in December that year. Sold to VLTJ (Lemvigbanen) as MY 28 and operated with them until 2008, when merged to the associated MjbaD (Midtjyske Jernbaner = Central Jutland Railways) for whom it still operates.

The following locomotives are 1146 and likely 1150.

"25. May MY 1126-1146-1150 and 1152 arrived in Odense in order to be used for dead weight for these testings... (29. May 2000, source dk.fritid.jernbaner and more).

On 30. May EG 3104 used 4 MY-locomotives as dead weight, when running to Slagelse on train FM 8836. The MY's where MY 1152 (idle) + MY 1146 + MY 1150 + MY 1126 (3 dead engines)."

Inspection on Google Maps shows that the farther sidings and building have been removed in favour of a 2015 built pedestrian and cycle bridge 'Byens Bro', and road vehicle parking.

Class EA 3007 Kristine Meyer at Odense, it appears pushing on the rear of a eastbound train. The class of 22 locomotives, based upon DB Class 120, were built under the leadership of BBC, at the Henschel works in Kassel, with all but the first two bodies manufactured at Scandia.

3007 was new in 1985, and continues to operate for DSB.

The majority of the class now operate in Romania and Bulgaria. DSB intend to replace their remaining locomotives by the end of 2021, through the new Vectron deliveries.

1152 may have been stored, but it appears to have been a warm storage, as here it is about to pilot an unidentified MZ loco out of Odense in the Copenhagen direction. Probably 28th June 2000.

Lemvigbanen MX 26 Tørfisken, at Herning, 28th June. The MX class is a lighter variant of NOHAB, this example fitted with a 12-567D engine set at 1445 hp. Delivered to DSB in 1961 as 1025, Sold in 1993 to VLTJ (Vemb - Lemvig - Thyborøn Railway (Lemvigbanen)) and merged into MjbaD in 2008, for whom it still operates. 

VLTJ has a tribute song!