Bayerische Zugspitzbahn- moderne und historische Fahrzeuge zwischen Garmisch, Eibsee & Zugspitze

Recordings of the Bavarian Zugspitzbahn from the Pentecost weekend in May 2023. It is a metre-gauge railway with adhesion and cogwheel drive (Riggenbach and Strub system), which connects the villages of Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Grainau in southern Bavaria (Germany) with the Eibsee and the highest German mountain: "Zugspitze". Between Garmisch (705 m) and Zugspitzplatt (2588 m), 1800 meters in altitude are overcome and Germany's highest railway station is served. The use of the vehicles is very versatile and interesting and is sometimes adapted several times a day to the current weather conditions and needs. Vehicle use: On the Grainau-Zugspitze mountain section, the most modern railcars 12 to 16 from Stadler from 2006, each in double traction, are used in scheduled traffic at hourly intervals. In the off-peak times in the mornings and afternoons, these run continuously to Garmisch Partenkirchen. In bad weather, the railcars are used in single traction. Then they will also be used on the valley section. When the weather is good and there is a lot of traffic, the 4 Stradler railcars remain on the mountain route and run as 2 train units in double traction. On the Grainau-Garmisch valley section, a former shuttle train with Swiss vehicles (motor coach 309 (built in 1979) of the Bernese Oberland Bahn BOB and two former control cars of the Bern-Solothurn regional transport RBS) is used when there is a high demand for traffic. Although the railcar (former service between Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald) is equipped with a cog wheel (for works traffic in the Grainau depot entrance), it is not approved for the mountain route beyond Eibsee due to the incline and the tunnel profile. In the case of public holiday traffic and holiday weekends (as in the recordings from May 27th to 29th, 2023, Pentecost), the capacity of the hourly scheduled trains is not sufficient. Additional trains made up of older rolling stock are deployed every hour, staggered by 30 minutes. If necessary, these start in Grainau at 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00. Some of these trains remain parked in a siding on the Zugspitze during the day and only return down to the valley in the afternoon. If there is a particularly high demand, 2 multiple units run directly one behind the other within sight ("A" and "B" trains). Unfortunately, the reinforcement trains are deployed at extremely short notice and there are no external communication channels through which the deployment can be anticipated. Depending on the staff on duty, the Grainau station counter will be more or less helpful and willing to provide information about the additional trains. (Many thanks to the very friendly employee who gave me valuable tips!) The double railcars Beh 4/8 No. 10 and No. 11 of the SLM Winterthur/Siemens (built in 1987) are used for the booster trains, as well as the still existing railcar 5 from 1979 (SLM/BBC) with a control car from the 1960s . In addition, the newest locomotive in the fleet (locomotive 19 from Stadler, built in 2017) is used together with 2 historic presentation cars. This locomotive can be observed almost every day during the week with supply trains. With a bit of luck, the historic locomotive 4 (AEG built in 1929) can still be found in front of the Grainau depot for shunting. The recordings: 00:00-00:48 Zugspitzplatt tunnel station 00:49-04:44 Tunnel exit at Riffelriss station with lockable tunnel portal 04:45-09:42 between ripple crack and crossing station "Alternate 3" 09:43-10:28 above Eibsee 10:29-11:04 Station Eibsee 11:05-24:01 between Eibsee and Grainau 24:02-32:10 The Swiss valley shuttle train between Grainau and Garmisch Partenkirchen 32:11-35:58 shunting of the historic tall locomotive No. 4 AEG built in 1929 35:59-46:15 shunting trips – moving in and out of the Grainau depot