Germany                    Train to Chemnitz            10 November 2024


   Today I decided to visit Dresden and pop into Chemnitz along the way.
   I'd been wanting to add some variety to my travels by visiting this
   city.  Interestingly, it's the birthplace of composer Daniel
   Rosenfeld, better known as C418, who was born here in 1989.  His
   compositions have been a great source of comfort to me during certain
   periods of my life.  Initially, Chemnitz wasn't part of my itinerary,
   but when I arrived at Leipzig station and happened to spot the
   particular train heading to Chemnitz, knowing it was just an hour's
   journey from there to Dresden, I decided to treat myself to this
   detour.

   About the train: I noticed it just as the conductors were leaning out
   of several carriages, waving their red hand signals used in German
   railway signalling.  This wasn't the usual express train I frequently
   travel on, but rather a vintage-looking one, with each carriage
   compartmentalised without any connecting passageways between them -
   or at least none that I could spot.  The scene was made all the more
   atmospheric by the thick fog that had enveloped both my city and
   Leipzig since morning, which I can still see through the train
   window.  The train disappeared into the mist as it pulled away from
   the station.

   Unfortunately, I wasn't destined to catch that particular train I'd
   spotted and hoped to ride.  Just after the conductors waved their red
   hand signals and disappeared inside, the train departed.  There was
   no point in running after it, so I simply stood there, mesmerised,
   watching it leave.  That's when I decided I wanted to ride it myself,
   so I revised my route and waited.  Yes, this little adventure meant I
   had to endure an hour of cold at the station, but it was absolutely
   worth it to experience a journey on this historic train through the
   fog that still blankets Saxony.

   To make good use of my time while freezing, I researched these
   trains.  It turns out they're operated by Mitteldeutsche Regiobahn,
   and according to the Deutsche Bahn app, this service began running
   today, 10 November, and will continue until 14 December this year.
   The full designation of the train I'm currently on is quite a
   mouthful, especially on an empty stomach: D-TDRO 55 80 21-33 002-9
   Bomz 520.  Initially, I'd planned to shorten my waiting time at the
   station by taking a train to Geithain and catching my connection to
   Chemnitz from there.  However, in typical Deutsche Bahn fashion, that
   train was cancelled just before departure.  Well, zug fällt aus
   happens.





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