Trainspotting Quiz

I've posted a seasonal quiz at http://www.youtube.com/user/trundlebahn/videos Watch the 10 videos, write down the numbers or names of the locos and send me an email with your answer. The competition closes on 4 January 2012. At that point, I will randomly select 5 winner entries from the all-correct answers I received. All winning entries will receive a DVD of your choice from my collection at www.linesiding.co.uk

Freital-Potschappel narrow gauge workshop

Alongside Freital-Potschappel station between Dresden and Freital Hainsberg is an isolated narrow gauge workshop. Freital Hainsberg is another 2 stations away and if a connection ever existed, it is not there today. What is the purpose of this workshop (consisting of several buildings and some track) and how does stock arrive/leave the site? It could do it by standard gauge wagon or (more likely) by road. Does anyone know anything about this site?

From a historical perspective, I think I've found an answer to why this workshop is here. The following grab shot is from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sachsenschmalspur.png

From this map, it appears that a connection to Hainsberg once existed and also that Potschappel was the terminus for a line heading North West. However, my questions about the present day operation remain unanswered.

More details at http://www.wilsdruffer-schmalspurnetz.de/ including so English of this network centred on Wilsdruff that extended to Meissen, to Oschatz and via dual gauge connection to Freital Hainsberg. There is a museum at Wilsdruff station.

Erotic Car Wash?

I spotted this rather tatty poster near Weisses Ross crossing on the railway today. What, I wondered, is an erotic car wash? Can anyone help? I did try the website listed but Telekom won't let me go there. Perhaps someone else will have more luck on a computer server without a porn filter?

Dresden Winter Steam & Sparks Blog started

On my own website, http://www.linesiding.co.uk/ I have started posting a Dresden blog which is primarily about the narrow gauge steam and the trams. Please see that for further details of my trip.

Commemorative Stone

Just near my guest house in a small park is a monument which I thought worth translating:

With a bit of tweaking, this is what Google Translate comes up with:

To the immortal victims of fascism and the fighters for freedom and humanity we will never forget you!

VVN local group Radebeul

Google Translate isn't prefect - its initial attempt leaves you wondering if it thinks fascism is a good think but I think the final result is rather fine. I wonder what VVN stands for?

In Dresden

I've arrived in Dresden at the Advent weekend. That doesn't mean too much to me but I got the signs that that means that everything closes down early (parts of Germany close down Saturday afternoon and stay closed through Sunday) - not great if your guest house only provides breakfast! Out in the suburbs at Radebeul, it's quite sleepy anyway. During DDR days there wouldn't have been many drinking and eating establishments and not many have arrived since. The hotel on the main road which looks like my nearest restaurant was closing their kitchen at 17:00. I did an emergency shop at Lidl (German red wine and snacks) and the petrol station shop (local beers) and hopped on the number 4 tram in the direction of town. OK, it was the bright lights of the Burger King that persuaded me to get off at Altpieschner Elbcenter tram stop but when I discovered I had stumbled on a Dresden brauhaus (in this case the Watzke brewery in a former ballroom in an historic building) the beer won out.

Reading notes from Dave Thornhill on Dresden beer venues after sampling my first 1/2 ltr of Altpeischner Spezial, I discovered I'd got everything right by chance. I also tried the seasonal Weihnachtsbock (6.2%) but think the Altpieschner was better. Good news is they are open Sunday evening so a return visit is in order to try the Rauchbier (4.9%) as well as some more of the standard brews.

Tomorrow, the narrow gauge steam trains will get my full attention with an Advent special train using heritage loco and stock due out as well. But I will go back to the Brauhaus Watzke in the evening.

Update:

I could be back here every night while I am here! I tried the Rauchbier and it was very quaff-able but went back to the Altpieschner for 2 more half litres as it definitely their best beer. Food, of the hearty German sort, was also good. I had chicken with bratkartoffeln. Behind the bar are these signs:

These translate as:

Watzke's beer is for your health and not for your fullness

Free beer tomorrow

Dresden - Winter steam and sparks

Off to Dresden tomorrow for some winter steam. I plan to visit 3 steam ng lines that provide a year-round service for both locals and tourists. These 3 lines are among the 8 former-East German ng lines that have transitioned from real steam to ???. Are they still real steam? Well, 1 of the lines I will visit still has a 5 am steam-hauled train which operates on school days. How real is that!

The lines I will visit are:

Lößnitzgrundbahn

Weißeritztalbahn

Zittauer Schmalspurbahn

I addition, I expect to see the Railway Touring Company tour passing through Dresden with mainline steam, the Dresden tram system which includes a Volkswagen freight tram and the Dresdener Park Railway (primarily operated by children). This line will be running Advent trains which I hope will be steam.

John