Rail-related points of interest in the Hamburg area

[Drsatan]

Evening all

Next weekend, myself and my father will be visiting Hamburg, staying for two nights. The main purpose of the visit will be to look around the Minatur Wunderbahn.

However, I'd be interested to hear of any rail-related points of interest, or U-bahn or S-bahn routes of particular interest.

 

[30907]

Miniaturwunderland will take plenty of your time, don't rush it!

The (real-life not model) high-level section of U-Bahn (aka with good reason Hochbahn!) from Landungsbrücken to Rödingsmarkt.
S3 operated by dual- voltage units on the "main" line West of Neugraben.
Langenfelde and Eidelstedt yards for passenger stock, beyond Altona (the terminus part of which itself is due to close - and which hosts the Nightjet sleepers run by Oebb).

Maschen Yard on the Hannover line, largest hump yard in Europe IIRC.

The independent AKN system North from Eidelstedt S and Norderstedt U ( and further afield at Elmshorn) - not been on it myself.

And the freight network in the docks S of the Elbe, about which I know nothing.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Altona (the terminus part of which itself is due to close

What's the plan there? S-Bahn only? What about Dammtor, which is along the way?

The independent AKN system North from Eidelstedt S and Norderstedt U ( and further afield at Elmshorn) - not been on it myself.

That's a curious little operation - sort of like a diesel "U-Bahn lite" - the older trains (don't know if any are still in use) even look like little 2-car U-Bahn units.

Notably they've had bi-modes since the 1990s, they run (or did run, they seem to have fads of doing it and not doing it) on the AKN lines on diesel then through on the third rail to Hbf.

 

[jayiscupid]

For sheer joy of train watching head to Hamburg Harburg and pitch yourself at the end of the right hand platform for the best view. On most days you'll always have at least one train in sight from either the passenger lines heading into the Central station or the multiple freight lines that serve the docks and the huge Maschen yard to the south.

You'll see everything from high speed ICEs, loco hauled Intercity/Eurocity and Night trains, regional loco push pull and EMUs not to mention the huge amount of DB and private freight locos.

My friends and I spent 4 hours there amazed at how busy that line is. It's like the German version of Clapham junction but with variety rather than the same 3 UK EMUs!

Sundays and Mondays have slightly less traffic but still pretty busy.

Enjoy!

 

[30907]

What's the plan there? S-Bahn only? What about Dammtor, which is along the way?

New through station, I think towards Langenfelde. Presumably to release the site for development. Dammtor unchanged.

 

[gordonthemoron]

don't miss the two Flak Towers and the Alte Elbe Tunel

 

[Bletchleyite]

New through station, I think towards Langenfelde. Presumably to release the site for development. Dammtor unchanged.

Cheers. Did a bit of Googling and apparently it's Diebsteich, so turning right instead of left at the junction.

Don't know what the Altonaer will think of that!

 

[317666]

In addition to what's mentioned above, I'd suggest doing the U4 to HafenCity Universität. Pretty interesting station with all the lighting cycling through colours. The U3 is home to the oldest U-Bahn stock still in operation, the DT3s (although they're mostly on their way out), the S21 (and S11/S2 in the peaks) to the oldest S-Bahn stock, the 472s (which only have a few more years).

Me and a friend went to Miniaturwunderland in November and it took us four hours to look round the whole thing - as someone said earlier it's definitely not something to be rushed! I'd also suggest booking tickets on the website before you go, as the queue can get pretty long sometimes.

 

[CC 72100]

I went to Hamburg last year; a few of my threads from the time may help?

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=135157

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=138372

Defo book for MW, and yes, allow at least 4 hours. When I was there I left after 4 hours and still had missed the US section as I had other stuff to do that day.

If you have a regular Hamburg day ticket, then you're also valid on the river boat services - line 62 to Finkenwerder gives you a good view of the container terminals.

 

[Groningen]

Must not imagine that in future trains from all part of Germany and other countries end or begin in Hamburg Diebsteich instead of Hamburg Altona. They need of course some tracks and platforms there. But on the other side; a little more north is the Deutsche Bahn (and others) yard.

 

[DaiGog]

I would consider having a ride out to Rendsburg via the Rendsburger Hochbrucke (enormous bridge), then take a local train to Husum, and head back into Hamburg from there over the other enormous bridge, the Hochbrucke Hochdonn. Both cross the Kiel Canal. The round trip can be done in a few hours, and all on regional services for cheap ticketing purposes.

Rensdburg bridge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendsburg_High_Bridge
Hochdonn bridge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hochdonn_High_Bridge

 

[Groningen]

The correct name of the waterway is Nord-Ostsee-Kanal. If they build a tunnel at Rendsburg traintravel would be at least 5 minutes faster, but the money!

 

[30907]

The correct name of the waterway is Nord-Ostsee-Kanal

But it has been known in English as the Kiel Canal since it was opened. And Kiel is on the Baltic Sea coast.

 

[Groningen]

But it has been known in English as the Kiel Canal since it was opened. And Kiel is on the Baltic Sea coast.

Lukely they did not name it the Brunsbüttel Canal (otherside of the canal). Correctly translated you could call it also the North Balticsea Canal. Kiel is more known than Brunsbüttel. By the way; Rendsburg has besides a tunnel for cars also a tunnel for pedestrians. Just like under the Thames, Schelde (Antwerpen) and Nieuwe Maas (Rotterdam).

 

[coppercapped]

The correct name of the waterway is Nord-Ostsee-Kanal. If they build a tunnel at Rendsburg traintravel would be at least 5 minutes faster, but the money!

I think you'll find that when it was built it was called the 'Kaiser Wilhelm Kanal'...

'Nord-Ostsee-Kanal' came later!

 

[Groningen]

I think you'll find that when it was built it was called the 'Kaiser Wilhelm Kanal'.

Absolutely true untill 1948.

And how do you think they have named the railwaytunnel at Cochem between Koblenz and Trier? Kaiser-Wilhelm-Tunnel! Untill 1988 it was the longest railwaytunnel in Germany.