Munich transit pictures (I): 35 years of suburban trains

[keysersoze]

Hello everybody,

 

so this will be my first post with transit pictures from Munich, I hope you like them!

 

On July 1st, 2007, the Munich S-Bahn (suburban rail) celebrated its 35th birthday. At Munich Ostbahnhof (Eastern Station), old and new transit equipment was on display, and there was an open house at the Steinhausen suburban rail yard & shops. Here are a few shots:

 

Munich's first 3-car set of suburban rail cars, class 420, built in 1969, was in regular passenger service until 2004 and is used for fan trips throughout the system ever since. On July 1st, it's waiting on track 12 for departure to Markt Schwaben. On the left, you see a car of one of the DB night trains operating Munich - Hamburg and Munich - Berlin, which are stored at the outernmost platform of Ostbahnhof throughout the daytime.

 

Stuttgart had a suburban rail system long before Munich; one 3-car set of the oldest cars (class 465) is preserved and used for fan trips. The cars were built in 1933 and have been in passenger service until 1978.

 

On this picture, you see the first type of cars for both Stuttgart's (on the right) and Munich's (on the left) suburban rail systems. When Stuttgart's old cars were put out of service in 1978, they were replaced by the same type of car Munich operated at that time, so Munich and Stuttgart had identical fleets from 1978 to the early 2000's.

 

On display was also one of the newest double-decker cars for the commuter rail line Munich - Muehldorf. Since 1993, Deutsche Bahn (German Rail) has put some 1,600 new double-decker cars into service on commuter rail lines throughout Germany. This one is one of the few cars delivered with first-class compartment on the upper level.

 

The interior of the first-class upper level: leather seats with fold-out tables and power outlets for laptop computers at every seat.

 

The next picture is taken in the Steinhausen shops. You see a lot of 423's (which are the successors of Munich's old 420's) and a regional service-426 on the right. Munich now operates a 423-only fleet with a total of 952 cars on its suburban rail lines. The 425 and 426 regional service cars are also maintained by the suburban rail shops.

 

The last picture shows a view of the storage yard with a new, 28-floor office tower being built in the back.

 

So, this was my first picture post from Munich; I hope you liked it and more is about to come!

 

Oliver

[nycbusfan]

Nice shots, It's great to see transit systems from all over the world.

[R1Toasty]

Interesting. I like the seat with the plug, that's cool. I dunno if we have those here.

[trainfan22]

Nice pics i like seeing overseas trains they look cool.

[Brighton Local]

Wow dude! Excellent Stuff.. At least you guys still have 'redbirds' over by you.

[Harry]

The first class upper level is looking mighty good. Looks like something you'd fine in a private jetliner.

[Pablo M 201]

Excellent pics def!

 

Always like seeing those trains in action on BahnTV.

[sebbieprops]

Great shots....nice to see some pictures from Germany!

[tramrunner]

I love to see rail pictures from Germany. I was there 2 times, yet far from Munich. I was in Westfalia, namely Aachen, Koln Dusseldorf triange. I guess that the trains are prete the same throughout the Germany.

 

Do such trains as on first picture still run in Munich area? I did not see them in Westfalia. Here are some of my German Rail pix. THey are poor in quality, hower they sontain what I saw.

http://www.dgmaestro.com/GermanRailPix/

 

I rode their double-deckers, as well as the 423s S-Bahn trains as on the last photo.

 

I mentioned anohter very interesting fact about doubledeckers.

The older ones (easily recognized by sliced windows, and older faces) have pneumatic doors. The newer ones have

 

As of 423's I'd wish that next after R160 subway cars in NYC to look like German 423s is it possible?

 

PS. I guess NYC is in desperate need for an S-Bahn system

[tramrunner]

http://www-users.rwth-aachen.de/christoph.schmitz2/strecke/strecke_e.html

 

its more detailed and about the Westfalia region of Germany

[keysersoze]

At least you guys still have 'redbirds' over by you.

Hehe, that's right Red with white doors is the current paint scheme for all regional transit cars and EMUs/DMUs throughout Germany, so the equipment looks pretty much the same no matter where you go in Germany.

 

Do such trains as on first picture still run in Munich area? I did not see them in Westfalia.

No, unfortunately Munich retired its entire fleet of 420 series EMUs between 2000 and 2004. However, many 420 EMUs are (re-painted in the current red/white colours) still running on the Stuttgart and Frankfurt S-Bahn (suburban train) systems and the newer-built ones might make it until 2020.

 

Munich has a 423-only fleet now, Frankfurt and Stuttgart have mixed 420/423 fleets, and the Westfalia S-Bahn system (linking Köln, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen, etc...) has 423 EMUs as well as locomotive-drawn, non-powered cars (the ones one can see on your pictures of the S6).

 

I guess NYC is in desperate need for an S-Bahn system

Well, LIRR and Metro-North are not so different from the Munich S-Bahn, they employ mainly EMUs and link the suburbs to the city with frequent stops in Suburbia and fewer stops in the city itself.

The big difference is, Munich S-Bahn only serves an area of about 25 miles around the city, while the farther-away "suburbs" are served by regional trains/commuter trains.

 

As far as I have seen, LIRR and Metro-North venture way farther into the suburbs/into the countryside, with some of the outernmost branches not being electrified and not having through trains to NYC except for rush hours.

 

Still, I think Metro-North and LIRR would be designated as "S-Bahn" over here. For example the MNRR Hudson Line from Grand Central to Croton-Harmon would definitely be an S-Bahn line.

[sebbieprops]

Thanks for the links!