Winter Stopover in Munich, Germany - from the Archives 1979

En route to the UK and my eventual flight back to USA, my next stop after Salzburg was Munich, Germany. I had visited Munich many times when I was a child, but do not remember much from these earlier trips. A childhood friend lived in Munich, but his apartment was too cramped to accommodate me, so I booked a modest (= cheap) room in a pension. Winter travel in Europe was very convenient in this way in the old days. 

The Munich Haupbanhof is a bustling transportation center with trains coming and going all day and through much of the night. You can catch a train to almost any city in even the furthest corner of Europe, although connections into the Balkans can be a bit sketchy. The bahnhof is a mixture of add-ons and reconstructions, without a coordinated architectural look. I do not know if the main platforms still look like my 1979 photograph.

If World War II had resulted in a different outcome, we might have seen a totally different station and rail network. Adolf Hitler envisioned an incredibly ambitious Breitspurbahn (broad-gauge railway) network using 3,000 mm (9 ft 10⅛ in) track. The system would connect the far reaches of the Reich, with lines leading to India (!), Baku (= oil), and even to Fairbanks. The railroad stations for these new super trains would be enormous ornate domed buildings, with gigantism being the overall motif, similar to the plans to rebuild Berlin. The double decker rail cars would be equipped with lounges, a cinema, and luxury restaurants (similar to ocean liners). Railroad engineers and economists knew the plan was utterly hopeless, but nevertheless, some 200 engineers and officials worked on plans during the war. They were the lucky ones, because this job kept them out of the Eastern Front. 

View from the Rathaus of the Frauenkirche (Nikkor 28mm ƒ/3.5 lens with orange filter)

Marienplatz

Whenever I visit an unfamiliar city, I try to find a high tower or hill from which to see the setting. Marienplatz is the historic center of Munich, a gathering place since Henry the Lion founded the city in 1158. I love visiting cities where history engulfs you. Most tourists come to Marienplatz when they first arrive.

Marienplatz

Chilling out at the Rathaus

A nice day in the sun. As I recall, old ladies in Germany always wore thick heavy coats, even on comfortable days with sun.

Unhappy Greeks wondering what happened to their bodies

Leo von Klenze (1784–1864), architect to the court of Ludwig I, built the Munich Glyptothek. Unhappy Greek, Roman and Etruscan heads and bodies hang around. Will these guys will ever return to their original homes? Are their bodies still back home?

Chinesischer Turm at the Englischer Garten. 1-litre beer steins?

Angel of Peace (Friedensengel)

One could spend weeks in Munich taking in the art, architecture, and culture. Well, that applies to most of Europe. Definitely go there - watch, absorb, eat, enjoy, live life.

To be continued next week.

Railroads of Greece 11: east of Tripolis (Greece 2019-07)

In the previous article, I explored the train yard in Tripolis, used by the 1-meter gauge Peloponnesus Railway. Afterwards, I drove east along the country roads that approximately followed the old rail line. The route crosses a plateau with rich agricultural fields and then descends via many turns and bridges towards the coast. The town of Myloi was the main rail junction next to the Gulf of Nauplio (click the link to see Myloi photographs).  

This small work shed is in the town of Steno, a few kilometers east of Tripolis. The tracks were in good condition, but if they are to be used again, gravel and dirt from local roads will need to be cleared, as will brush and trees.

I stopped for lunch at a taverna in Steno. Six Californians were there. They had rented three touring BMW motorcycles in Athens and were on tour around the Peloponnese. They were the only customers, so the proprietor was pleased. He was even more surprised when another American showed up.

1914 country house, Steno

Unoccupied country house, Steno

Steno was on the old road from the coast, and the town had some early-1900s houses in good condition. Notice the nice stonework on the arched windows in the second photograph.

Partheni was my last stop. It really looked like a sleepy little agricultural town that time left behind. Without the train, the only access was by twisty mountain roads. The train platform was in use by a coffee shop. The cicadas chipped in the trees, doves cooed in the trees. Time for a nap.

Railroad outhouse, Partheni, Greece (Moto G5 digital file)

Partheni has some sturdy early 20th century stone buildings. This area looks prosperous; I was pleased.

The black and white photographs are from Fuji Acros 100 film exposed with my Leica M2 camera and 50mm or 35mm Summicron lenses. In Steno, I used a yellow filter to darken the sky. It was a brilliant sunny day and quite contrasty, but the Acros film handles exposure extremes well. The three digital files are from a Moto G5 mobile phone.

Railroads of Greece 10: Tripolis (Greece 2019-06)

Morning coffee, central plaza, Tripolis, Greece (Moto G5 digital file)

In this short article, I want to continue exploring the former train stations of the Piraeus, Athens and Peloponnese Railways (the Chemin de fer du Pirée-Athènes-Peloponése), which was founded in 1882. It owned and operated the 1 m (3 ft 3⅜ in) (metre gauge) railway system connecting Piraeus and Athens to various destinations in the Peloponnese region of Greece. The center of communications in the Peloponnese was Tripolis, the largest town of the nome of Arcadia and a busy agricultural and manufacturing hub. The railway connection with Athens, completed in 1892, was a major boost to trade, and Tripolis experienced rapid development.

Tripolis is a cheerful place, and I stopped for a coffee at a cafe in the main plaza near the cathedral during my summer 2019 trip.

Map of Tripolis from ArcGIS Online

1890 main train station, Al. Soutsou 2, Tripoli 221 00, Greece (Moto G5 digital file)

The handsome 2-story train station was built in 1890. This and other original railroad buildings throughout the Peloponnese shared an architectural design with rock facing, stucco, and clay tile roofs - very appropriate to the locale.

The building is is good condition and is used for something, but there were no occupants the day I was there. The platform was clean and not marred with graffiti. The doves cooed in the trees, all quite sleepy. It looked like the afternoon train from Athens might trundle in any minute.

The water tanks for filling steam locomotives have been preserved. A similar complicated triple tank arrangement is in the coastal town of Myloi.

This little shed shares the same stone facing and arched doorway as the main station.

South of the passenger station, a rail yard contained a lot of rolling stock. Unfortunately, a guard service was on duty and I could not go too far. Note the unused new track on near bundles.

This graveyard (or parking place) for old rail stock was off limits behind a fence. I took this frame while standing on a step leading up to a porch.

The next article will follow the rail line downhill to the east towards the coast. Most of these photographs were from Fuji Acros film exposed in my Leica M2 rangefinder camera. I used a yellow filter on some frames to darken the sky.

Railroads of Greece 8: Ag. Theodoron

Agios Theodoron (also translated as Agioi Theodoroi; Greek: Άγιοι Θεόδωροι) is a small town facing the Saronic Gulf, about 5 miles east of Isthmia, at the eastern end of the Corinth Canal. The 1-meter gauge Piraeus, Athens and Peloponnese Railways (SPAP) formerly passed through Ag. Theodoron. The 1-meter train is no longer in use, having been replaced by the regular gauge Athens Suburban Railway.

The old stations were well-built, and most of the ones I have seen are secure and in good condition. The Greek railway appears to have done a lot of maintenance on tracks and infrastructure up to about a decade ago, when they abruptly discontinued use of the 1-meter system. Possibly this coincided with the onset of the Greek economic malaise around 2007, but I just do not know.

So, what do we do after a day of exploring railroads? Eat a Greek meal, of course, and finish off a bottle of wine (or two) - and then a chocolate torte. The food is locally-sourced, fresh, and home-made. None of that vile fast food crap here. It is a culture shock returning to USA after eating like this.

Romanian Railroads 1: Curtea de Argeș (Romania 2018-01)

Red circle shows Curtea de Argeş, Romania, from ESRI ArcGIS online (click map to enlarge).

Curtea de Argeș is a charming city in south central Romania. It is on the left bank of the Argeş River, which flows southward out of the Carpathian Mountains. The town is near the southern end of the famous Transfăgărășan Highway, Route 7c, which was featured in a Top Gear episode. The town is at the end of a rail line from Pitești.

My wife and I were on the main road heading out of town and passed by the old railroad station. Quick stop - places like this are too good to resist. The first thing I noticed was the unusual dual towers with arched windows, almost resembling Moorish architecture. Also, the facade of the station was covered with a tarp on which windows has been painted or printed. I assume the plaster was failing and the tarps covered the poor surface.

The track side of the station is also covered with tarps. The tracks are in fair condition but rusting. If there had once been rain sheds along the tracks, they are gone now.

The Romania 100 printed on the tarp refers to 100 hundred years of Romanian independence. Does this refer to the collapse of the Habsburg Empire in 1918? Romania had a complicated history and was only free of Ottoman (yes, Ottoman) rule in the 1870s. But Transylvania was controlled by the Austro-Hungarian empire. My guess is that this rail line and station were built in the late 19th century, when the empire engaged in a comprehensive rail construction project, like other countries in Europe and North America.

The waiting hall was clean and intact. This is a classic European rail station, and I am glad a preservation effort is underway.

Digital images from a Moto G5plus phone (sorry, no film photographs this time).

Our Man in Havana 8: The Central Railway Station

The Central Station in 1939, from the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/realestate/cuba-streetscapes-the-new-york-accented-architecture-of-havana.html)

When I visit new cities, I like to check out the railroad station and train infrastructure. The main railway terminal in Havana is the Havana Central Station (Estación Central de Ferrocarriles) in the southern part of Habana Viejo. This handsome building was built in 1912 by the Frederick Snare Company of New York. Recall that in that era, big American companies dominated the Cuban economy and were improving the infrastructure to allow efficient movement of sugar cane and sugar products. After the 1958 revolution, the rail system was nationalized, and little or no funding was provided for upkeep or improvements to the system. In recent years, ridership had dropped rapidly, especially once new air-conditioned long distance busses started running on rural routes. The train is infamous for delays or breakdowns.

As of January 2017, the Central Station was undergoing massive rebuilding. I was not able to find out how this is being funded - by the Cuban government, the UN, or a grant from the Chinese government? Regardless, it was a closed construction site and I was disappointed to not see the interior.

The platforms are in the back (the west side of the building) and are still in use.

I tried to enter and take pictures, but a lady security guard tossed me out. But once I was outside the fence, she did not seem to care, or didn't pay any more attention (she was doing something with her phone).

The houses across the Avenida Bélgica face the station - it must have been a noisy spot.

We saw some rail infrastructure in rural area of Cuba. These tracks were in the village of Guasimal. The tops were not completely rusted, suggesting occasional use.

Photographs taken with a Fuji X-E1 digital camera. 

Burmese Days 9: Yangon Central Station in Tri-X film

Dear Readers, the Yangon Central Railroad Station is such an interesting site for people-watching, I returned with my Leica M2 camera and Tri-X film early one morning to record the scene in black and white.

This huge building was built after World War II between 1947 and 1954 to replace an earlier building that had been destroyed by the fleeing British when the Japanese forces entered Rangoon in 1942. Unfortunately, I could not find any family photographs from the 1950s showing this station. Maybe we never came here.

The ticket booths are old-fashioned and manual.

This is the waiting area for passengers on long-distance trains. We read several accounts that the train to Mandalay is a bumpy and rather uncomfortable overnight trip.

If you plan to take the local commuter Circle Train, you cross the tracks on a crossover and descend to tracks 3 and 4. The guard will direct you if you look confused.

The Circle Train is popular with tourists, and at less than 600 Kyats ($1), it is a bargain. Take water and be ready for humidity, although as of October 2014, there is at least one air-conditioned train.

Pansodan Street crosses the rail yard on an overpass. There are good views of the rail yard from the overpass.

Some of the rail yard looks only partly used. Surely it was much busier in the British era. The men in the lower photograph may have been waiting for work assignments. They all had shoulder bags - possibly lunch or work clothes?

If you visit Rangoon, the Central Station is an interesting stop for people photography. Highly recommended. Please click the link for my earlier post on the Circle Train.

All photographs taken with a Leica M2 rangefinder camera with 35mm or 50mm f/2.0 Summicron lenses. The 35 was the 7-element type 4 Summicron from the late 1990s. I exposed the Kodak Tri-X film at ISO 250 and developed it in Kodak HC110 developer, dilution B for 4:30 minutes. I scanned the negatives at 3,600 dpi with a Plustek 7600i film scanner using Silverfast software.