Cold War Express | The British Military Train - Berlin
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- Опубліковано 23 кві 2023
- In this video documentary I tell the story of the Historic British Military Train, Berlin. And retrace its Cold War route through present day Germany, 3 decades after German Reunification, the end of The Cold War, and the train ceasing service.
The British Military Train Berlin, nicknamed "The Berliner", was a Military Duty Transport Train that ran once a day from West Berlin to the City of Braunschweig in West Germany, and back again between 1945 and 1991 carrying military personnel, their families and designated British Civilians.
The British Military Train passed twice through the heavily fortified Inner German Border and Berlin Wall , and was subject to military checks by the Soviet Army, before spending 4 hours travelling through East Germany, often under surveillance from the East German Stasi. The DDR with its huge Soviet Military occupation forces, was technically "Enemy Territory" during the Cold War 1945 - 1989
On board, its 180 military and civilian passengers, who were locked in the train for their own safety and protected by armed British soldiers enjoyed a luxurious experince with Fine Dining and subsidized wines, provided by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, who also catered the famous Orient Express.
The BMT owed its existence to a binding treaty drawn up in 1945 at the end of WW2 between the Soviets and The Western allies at the Potsdam Conference; to allow military access to Allied controlled West Berlin.
From the late 1950s onwards as The Cold War intensified, the Soviet forces in East Germany and the puppet communist DDR Government found it diplomatically impossible to stop the train running, so instead they tried making its passage as difficult as possible.
Only after the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, and withdrawal of the Soviet Army from Germany in 1991, did it bring an end to the trains purpose, although it continued to run until 1991.
Today The Berliner is remembered as a unique part of British Military History.
CHAPTERS:
01:48 Background
04:50 Braunschweig, West Germany
09:28 Helmstedt, West Germany
15:32 Marienborn, East Germany
24:27 Magdeburg, East Germany
26:45 Potsdam, East Germany
27:37 Griebnitzsee, East Germany
31:20 Berlin- Charlottenburg, West Berlin
#berlin #soviet #coldwar #britisharmy #trainjourney
Thanks so much for this history. I travelled to Berlin by train three times in 1980-1981 and remember passing this military train and being so surprised by the Union Jacks and the display of British military splendour and organisation. As a totally innocent non-military passenger I sensed the showing-off aspect of it all. The ordinary civilian train into West Berlin was a totally different experience. I remember the stop at Helmstedt when the DB locomotive was replaced by a huge, growling Soviet-style locomotive. The train stopped at Marienborn, when the DDR Grenzschutzpolizei boarded the train and almost took it apart, going over it with a fine-tooth comb to make sure there were no escapers hidden anywhere. It was surrounded by guards with dogs on leashes and free roaming dogs sniffed underneath the carriages. I remember seeing one of the guards opening a broom cupboard to check for hiding escapers. You would have had a job hiding a cat or dog in it. The train was very slow and the track to Berlin was single most of the way. If the train was held up anywhere, even briefly, at signals for any reason, mysteriously, armed guards with dogs would appear to watch the train until it was moving again. Somehow, even tucked away safely in the train, one was aware of the hideously oppressive nature of the East German regime. An utterly memorable experience that I have never forgotten.
Likewise your experience mirrors mine. I remember when the East German guards came into our carraige all the other passengers (Poles and East Germans) becoming instantly submisssive and we realised this was not a joking matter. When the guards got off at the boarder with Berlin, the tension instantly dropped as the train started moving slowly, and it being an old compartment carriage we lowed the windows and as the train moved slowly away towards the boarder we leaned ou of the window and gave the guards standing one the platform the finger and shouted Anglo Saxon profanity at them. Then the train lunched to a halt and we stood tranfixed as the AK47 wielding enraged guards ran towards us. They were metres away when the train moved off and we escaped much to the compete disbelief of the other passengers who thought we were dead. But then there was the journey back, same guards.........waiting !
Same here, and you depict the eeriness of it all perfectly. I especially recall the studied abrupt formality and overdone thoroughness of the border guards and their dogs.
@@dufushead There were Poles and East Germans on a train to West Berlin?
Lokwechsel in Potsdam ,westdeutsche Lok ...bist du da sicher ? Der Bahnverkehr in Westberlin ,wurde von der Deutschen Reichsbahn betrieben und somit blieb die DR Lok -ich glaube sogar die war im Bw Grunewald ,daß auch der DR unterstand beheimatet -dran . Was aber sein kann -genau weiß ich es nicht -daß der Lokführer gewechselt wurde ,denn obwohl Deutsche Reichsbahn ,waren die Lokführer und Bahnbediensteten in Westberlin ,Westberliner ,die zwar in D Mark bezahlt wurden ,aber offiziell Angestellte der DDR waren und somit z.b auch das ganze Parteigedöns über sich ergehen lassen mußten .
Does anyone know if the us had something similar
I was train commander a number of times in 86-87.
Strangest time was when interpreter started talking directly to Russian officer and then received some money from him on the way down to the Zone. The Russian wanted him to buy some spare parts for his Lada when we were in Braunschweig in the afternoon. We had to tip out the contents of a soldiers grey suitcase to take the parts and all the documents down to platform on the way back.
Yes, vodka was drunk frequently. Also watched a bit of European football with the Russian officer too.
It was in 1986 that the USSR kicked our ass in Mexico so I bet they must have been drunk that day.
Long time since I was a new AQMS and you were a new Sgt at 5 Hy Regt in Dortmund John. My wife Angie was on the train with th Wives Club, a week before the wall came down, and we still have a bottle of red wine with the train labelling on it.
Andy has an extremely "military English" style of communicating. This is not a criticism ! You can just imagine him uttering "ONE. at the word of command, place hands on rifle. TWO. Raise rifle to a position ...." etc etc. Another great video, thanks. Sounds like really fond memories of mixing with the toffs in the dining car !
I have been retired 16 years... but old habits die hard 🤨
@@AndyMcloone It's an extremely clear & easy style of speech to listen to. Non-English nationals might find it strange, coupled with your accent, but the fact that words are clearly separated etc must help. Having no stoopid music drowning out the commentary is a real bonus
@@AndyMcloone I left a long time before you, but I still call myself a recovering soldier :)
Some habits never leave you…
ONE!!! Points to note!
YES very clear and well produced vids.
Another great historical documentary. I rode the US military version of this train many times in the 1970's. It was simply called "The Duty Train". Our trip was longer, departing Frankfurt at about 8 pm and arriving in Berlin around 6 am the next morning. Unfortunately, we did not have a dining car and had to bring along our own food and booze. Other than the longer journey and lack of a dining car, the details of the journey through East Germany were the same. Thanks for imortalizing this Cold War oddity.
I did train guard several times in the 70s, couldn't really call it a dining. If my memory serves me right, the limit of food served being boiled eggs...an interesting duty.
And there was another train that went to Bremen/Bremerhaven, making two US Duty Trains. Being a tuba player in the 298th Army Band, we often played for the troops that used those trains. We also used them on a regular basis, as well. While there wasn't a dining car, there was a man who sold food. The US trains left mid-evening and arrived before sunrise.
There was also a French train that went all the way into France, although I don't remember which city.
@Bill Long I rode that same train from Frankfurt, but it Stopped at Olsterholz- Sharmbeck ,before continuing on to Bremen and Bremerhaven. At least it did for me, since I was getting stationed at Garlstadt.
@@billlong963 Looked it up for you, they stopped last in Strasbourg.
I was in the 287th MPCo from 1974 to 1977 and rode the Duty Train several times. We had a group in our Company that had duty on the train and we heard all sorts of stories as to how much the Commies would trade for Playboys and Levis jeans. It was definitely a slow ride to travel those 110 miles but was fun anyway as long as you brought your own party supplies for the journey.
I remember taking the Berliner in 1984 to go the Berlin to learn to swim.
It was a Sunday evening when we pulled into Magdeburg Station and it was packed with East German soldiers on their way back to their units. There we where stuck on our train (proudly showing it’s UJ’s), in enemy territory, surrounded by enemy soldiers, thinking how surreal this all is.
Had to be especially surreal for Brits since it didn't escape the attention of the Soviets that you had to build your own transit system in Belfast between 1969 and 1998.
Did this quite a few times as a guard and a passenger between 85 and 91. It was rarely as busy as on the documentary. The train was VERY rocky, its a wonder the waiters never threw the food and drink all over the passengers.
It was often used as a day out for those stationed in Berin. 3 hours shopping in Braunschweig with plenty of wine on the train on the way home and all for next to nothing.
Doors were chained after leaving Charlottenburg. The map had a lot of info and timings on it to help make the journey more interesting. Chains were removed after crossing the border so passengers could alight at Helmstedt.
After the 10th November 1989, chains were kept on at Helmstedt and only removed for the odd passenger getting on or off. On the day in question hundreds of East Germans were on the platform in Helmstedt. They were told not to board the train, this was ignored, they stormed the train and waited to be taken to Braunschweig. They were eventually taken, but after that day the chains stayed on!
Добрый день!
Спасибо за комментарий!
Я служил с 1988 по 1990 год советским пограничником на вьезде и выезде из Западного Берлина.
Как прекрасно что стена пала !!!
И очень жаль что стены живут в умах руководителей Кремля ...
Однажды на Земле не будет ни стен ,ни границ. Потому что сам Бог наведет порядок !
Желаю вам всего самого хорошего!
Aww, I needed to translate the wonderful comment by Александр, with the help of Google. Thought I'd share it. He wrote:
"Good afternoon
Thanks for the comment!
I served from 1988 to 1990 as a Soviet border guard at the entrance and exit of West Berlin.
How wonderful that the wall fell !!! And it's a pity that the walls live in the minds of the Kremlin leaders ...
One day there will be no walls or borders on Earth. Because God himself will bring order!
I wish you all the very best!"
A few comments on here about the French and American trains. The reason they traveled at night was because there had been lots of disciplinary incidents of people taking photographs in these trains. Only the British train was allowed to travel during the day.
That’s probably why the US train didn’t have a dining car!
One of the duties of the train officer was to patrol the train to make sure nobody took pictures. I can say from personal experience that discipline for anyone caught was serious. I once had to confiscate an entire roll of film from a passenger.
I was the duty Train CO several times between 85-87. The story about the vodka is true. Also the TCWO would occasionally take cans of Guinness to give them.
One minor point: apart from the novelty of being the train officer once, it was far from being something that went on your CV. As a single person there was bügger all to do in Braunschweig for 3 hours. Especially when you were bimbling around in Service Dress. The daily ‘Flag Tour’ run into East Berlin via Checkpoint Charlie was much more interesting!
If you were a U.S. soldier commanding the American train during that time frame, I probably rode it under your command a few times. I have to admit that I was very much into photography during my time in Berlin. I loved taking pictures of everything about the city. That would include the Russian soldiers standing on the train platform whenever we stopped so the commander could present our ID’s and travel documents. I took quite a few pictures every time we stopped, I’m so lucky I didn’t get caught. There was one Russian soldier that actually waved at me when he saw my camera.
I travelled on the US Army troop train from Frankfurt to Berlin and back again in March of 1981. I remember specifically that the train pulled out of Frankfurt exactly at sunset and was timed to get to Berlin exactly at sunrise. I always assumed that this procedure was to enforce the no-photography edict. Thanks, Bob!
I first saw the Iron Curtain crossing from Plauen in Thuringia to Hof in Bavaria in June 1988. I was 22 at the time and an electrical engineering student at the Technical University in my hometown of Lodz in Poland not expecting the communist rule to end any time soon. I applied for an internship abroad at the international organization IAESTE and was able to choose the offer from the company Energieversorgung Ostbayern AG in Regensburg. I had to apply for a passport at the local passport office in Lodz and also get the West German visa (this caused more problems because the West German embassy in Warsaw was processing a lot of visa applications and there was a waiting time of several hours).
So I traveled by train from Lodz through Görlitz, Dresden, Plauen, Hof to Regensburg. The border security systems of the GDR made an intimidating impression - there were several rows of high metal fences, wide strips of grass between these fences (I don't remember any strips of sand), lattice masts with searchlights and observation towers. The platform of the small border station at Gutenfürst was also fenced off. Passport control was relatively quick and easy. After entering Germany, I immediately saw that the standard of living was significantly higher.
On the return journey two months later there was a bit of trouble with the West German border officials - they said I had stayed a month too long in Germany. The date on the visa was handwritten in such a way that the month number 09 could also be recognized as 08. Somehow I convinced the officers that it's an 09. When I entered the GDR, my luggage was quickly searched by a GDR customs officer. Back in Lodz I had to deposit my passport at the passport office.
On my next trip to Regensburg a year later, the passport regulations in Poland were relaxed and I was allowed to keep my passport at home after returning.
During that second stay in Regensburg in July and August 1989 there were soon media reports about the mass exodus of GDR citizens via Hungary to Austria and on to West Germany. At the end of August I saw the first Trabis with GDR license plates on Bavarian autobahns.
I traveled to Regensburg for the third time in July 1990 and at that time there were no longer any controls at the inner-German border, but the train made a long stop where these controls had taken place two months earlier (the timetable with this stop included was not yet changed). In addition, the tickets became more expensive because of the monetary union. In Bavaria I saw a lot of cars with GDR license plates and met students from Leipzig - a clear proof of the new freedom of travel.
At the same time in Hungary we already had a passport valid everywhere, no restriction on visa and 50 USD to spend, we could also travel to West Berlin visa free. We could sense it was coming to end so the dismantling of the Iron Curtain came as no surprise.
My dad's motorcycle ran out of gas on the autobahn once, when visiting friends in DDR.
You weren't allowed to make unscheduled stops, and he forgot to fill up before crossing the border.
Luckily a family in a yugo came by shortly after, and they had a spare tank.
They left so quick, that my dad didn't return the favour. Because a patrolcar was probably already dispatched, from the watchtower further down the bahn.
So he caught up to them quickly and threw in 2 packs of cigarettes with one that had 5 D-mark put into the front plastic.
You know in case an officer were to stop him.
But he made it to the destination, and he had danish toiletpaper and butter which was highly sought after.
First time the east germans visited us, they thought we were rich because we had milk, bread, diapers and colour TV
@@mortenfrosthansen84We had milk, bread, diapers and colour TVs in East Germany. I can't remember any shortages of the first 3 items and for a very low price, too. Colour TVs were a different story though, not always available and hugely expensive. Also I don't buy the scheduled travel story. Yes, when transiting from West Germany to West Berlin you were not allowed to leave the Transit-Autobahn and they certainly checked the transit time between borders to make sure you didn't do a diversion into the countryside. But there were petrol station along the route which were available to everyone. I always have seen West German cars on those petrol stations. The fuel was very cheap for West Germans because of the favourable exchange rate between 4:1 and 10:1.
@@wanderschlosser1857 maybe you didn't experience the same rationing or your community/family had connections.. otherwise talk to my dad, he's telling it
Good to remember those awful times, and how the world is still not completely free from Russian authoritarianism.
As a German, I really appreciate these videos about this messed up part of our history. The Cold War History always had a certain appeal to me.
Great work!
I was stationed in Berlin with the US Army in the years 1970-72. Our duty train ran at night, and we couldn't see much to the DDR at all. After a few trips I chose to ride the British train during the day. It was interesting to pass through East Germany during the day, especially garrison towns like Magdeburg. I enjoyed it much more than the US train.
Really enjoyed this. I was a young Junior (RCT) soldier in 1986 and was privileged enough to take this train to Berlin. Brought back some great memories. Cheers Mike
I travelled on the British Military Train - the Berliner in 1968 when stationed in Spandau with 1 Glosters travelling to Dortmund to do a German Interpreters Course. The army had to produce id cards for us for the Russians. I must have travelled on it another time too when we went on exercise in West Germany. The thing that stands out for me similar to when I used to go regularly into East Berlin as I was in my unit's Intelligence Section, was how drab, sad and grey it all was! I never imagined it would all come down one day! Thank you so much Andy for putting this all together and bringing back some special memories.
I travelled aboard The Berliner, on several occasions, in the '70's, being stationed in Celle during that time ('72 til '80). It was during the Winter months, dark evenings, when you noticed the 'drabness' the most. There was very little lighting, certainty no street lights to be seen as the train travelled though DDR and Potsdam. On such evenings you knew you had crossed into West Berlin simply by looking out the trains windows, and in the darkness of early evening seeing street lighting, car headlights and homes having lights on! The contrast was truly astounding. Dark, cold and dank DDR.
I ´m a German - I was born in West-Berlin, now living in the Ruhrgebiet. I would like to say to all British Soldiers > THANK YOU for your Service in the Cold War Time in GE and Berlin to keep Berlin independent. Great Video - Thanks.
Thank you for this history hours. I'm a German, which lives in the Former britisch sector in the district of Spandau. My Cousin served in the German Security Unit, a Part of the british Military Forces. It's over 30 years ago and many old "West-Berliner" missed until today the "Allies"!
Well brother I was an American Soldier in the Berlin Brigade and rode our train several times. I met and trained with the British Hospital Soldiers. They were great and your video brings back many memories. Thank you. 87-89
Andy, Is there a professional or media prize for documentaries/vlogs/travelogues given annually in the category this episode is in? I would nominate you unhesitatingly for this film. You showed us the past, you showed us the present, but you also showed us the connections, old and those that remain. Your history was not just dates, but the sources of the political and social behaviour of those who fashioned and used this special train - the military caste traditions of the British, the dogma of the Soviets, those decaying buildings, the leftover watchtowers, the many boundaries that you showed the train crossing, physical and political. And all this, in the face of the uninterested commuters (and voters) of the present, speak of your love for history as much, to the delight of all train lovers, as for trains. As a former teacher I know that the 34 minutes on the screen, took at least many, many times that time to put together and then to fashion into a flawless text and film, which kept us held throughout by the screen. Many thanks for all that hard work. I come from a railway family with political connections, so it was manifold enjoyment!
I rode the train from Helmstedt station in West Germany to West Berlin and back in the Fall of 1977. I was chosen for what was then called the Berlin Orientation Tour, and I was issued the requisite Flag orders required to make the trip. it was a bit surreal traveling so slowly through East Germany, doing some unauthorized peaking out through gaps between the blackout curtains and window frames, seeing East German troops standing along the entire route of our super slow journey. As a US Army enlisted man, I was assigned one of the six berths in a compartment where we were supposed to sleep through the journey. I don't think anyone slept on that trip, as we were either attempting to take a peek outside or there were card games and a lot of low level chit chat (we were supposed to stay silent as well as out of sight). once we arrived in West Berlin we had an authorized crossing into East Berlin via Checkpoint Charlie, afforded to us due to the status of forces agreement between the four powers of Berlin. The train ride and that half day in East Berlin form some of the greatest memories of my life.
Thanks a lot for your hard work. It truly has become a masterpiece 😊
I am 42 years old now, I grew up traveling from the western part to and from W-Berlin with my parents all the time. Today, I am living in Berlin-Charlottenburg trying to show my kids as much as possible from these crazy days in the 80s and 90s and what was life about. Luckily there is still much to see and there are people like you, showing the world what live was back in the day.
We are blessed to live and roam in a free Europe today. Thanks to all you guys out there and your service in that part of our German history. ❤
I was living in Berlin as a child, my father was in the RAF at the time. Because I had reached the age of 10 I had to go to boarding school in Wilhelmshaven called Prince Ruperts. I remember my first trip and it was quite exiting having armed solders on each carriage door (they were chained closed) there were a lot of school kids on the train as there was another boarding school called Ham. I traveled the train about 6 times a year for three years and traded biros, erasers, A4 paper with the East German and Russian guards for their furry hats and other trinkets much to the annoyance of the British guards who tried in vain to stop the practice but us kids were far to crafty for them. This was when the early trains had slide down windows. I also, with my family, when we went on holiday to west Germany during the summer traveled the “corridor” which was the road consisting of three autobahn routs between east and west. You had a minimum and maximum time slot to travel through and it was to catch you speeding when the Russian guards checked your time stamp when getting to the boarder. My father traveled one time in a rather large RAF Opal Commodore with some other servicemen and nearing Berlin they realised they had been travelling over the speed limit so decided to pull over for 15 mins to let the time roll on. Someone reported them to the East German military and just as the time rolled on they saw an army truck in the distance so the legged it to the control point and got into Berlin just before the truck full of East Germans pulled up to arrest them. Close call.
The school in Hamm was called Windsor Boys School, there was another school in Hamm called Windsor Girls School
I doubt that East German soldiers were allowed to arrest British soldiers as long as they were on the transit route. I've seen myself when British soldiers made photos of an East German military convoy inside East Berlin and they were not hindered to do so. There certainly was a report made by the Stasi and possibly the Soviets and that's about it. They were part of the occupation forces in Germany after all with special rights. The Soviets did the same in West Berlin.
@@tallmale188 I was at Windsor Boys school BFPO 103 - Caernarvon House 71 -74 😊
@@wanderschlosser1857 Any western military was to speak to USSR military only. In case GDR Stasi or police approached one would demand to speak to a SU official only.
A good friend of mine who was ex Para Regiment told me about this train.
I couldn't get my head around what he was telling me, this video has really helped me to appreciate
What he was telling me.
I served in Hohne for 3.5 years, and never knew this went on, until much later in life. Fascinating. Thank you so much.
I sent this to my dad, (who is in Royal Hospital Chelsea) and he loved it
That was excellent thank you, a proper nostalgia trip. I was lucky enough to have been one of the train guards twice and seeing that helped make more sense of it all. I don't think at 17 I really understood the larger picture of what was going on. Your content is always fascinating. Thank you again.
I have made the train trip from Hannover to West-Berlin in mid-80s. Same route, and I still remember the strict DDR-controls with dogs in Marienborn and Potsdam.
I was stationed in West Berlin from Feb 80-Feb 82. My eldest son was born in the BMH (British Military Hospital) in Apr 80. During my time there with 38(Berlin) Field Squadron Royal Engineers I carried out the duties of Train Guard Commander a few times. We carried live ammunition and were responsible for the security of the train during the trip to Helmstedt and back. This video brought back many happy memories of the best 2 years of my military career. Lots of trips through Checkpoint Charlie to the East for social trips and one as a ‘scribe’ in a huge American car for an intelligence gathering trip. Also a couple of flights in a gazelle patrolling the wall around the Spandau area. My office in Smuts Barracks was only 30 metres from Spandau Prison where Hess was being held. A great video thank you.
I was also responsible for issuing all of our BTDs for the Squadron
Thanks for the reminder of those days in Berlin. I travelled frequently while serving at RAF GATOW. I still have the Dinner menu from the train. I worked in the BASC which is another story.
As a Corporal in the RAF I remember journeying on the British Military Train to Berlin (and back) on just the one occasion. I was stationed at RAF Brüggen at the time and was attending a Corporal's course at RAF Gatow. I can't remember whether it was March 80 or March 81 when I went, but just prior to arrival at Gatow (a few days before) a C130 Hercules had flown in and a (bored?) East German guard had taken a pot shot at the aircraft as it had flown overhead in the process of landing leaving a bullet hole which was in the process of being repaired - the border between West Berlin/East Germany was quite close to Gatow. It was a very interesting experience.
Brilliant Andy.. it's me again😂😂 really enjoyed this one.. as usual... I did many train guards and this brought back tons of memories. When the train stopped we used to have to stand at each end of the train. On the train.. On the military freight train guard we would have to get off and stand next to a Russian soldier. Just a kid like me.. We used to have to stay at Helmstedt for two days on the guard carriage .but could go out around town .in uniform . Great video mate.Used the train to go on leave once. It was an experience. But too long winded compared to flying. You could lose 2 days leave due to the travel time.. but I'm glad I did it once. 😊
I wanted to cover the Freight Train, but the video was too long as it was. Thanks
I traveled on the train in the 70's as part of the Intelligence Corps observation team tasked with logging any military activity particularly in the camps and depots that could be observed from the carriage window.Tanks noted from memory included T54/55 and the "dreaded" T10 as well as engineer kit such as the BAT M. We felt rather important, partially because we had a compartment to ourselves, though in reality it was very low level stuff.
I think you deserve bonus points for getting 'Carry on up the Khyber' into the video!
😉
My dad was British forces and travelled on the train. As a teen I travelled to Berlin along the corridor on two occaisions. Even now the memory of all the procedures and being surrounded by minefields, soviet troops and tanks, armed checkpoints and guard towers really feels surreal.
A little correction: Marienborn is not a high-speed station. The entire route of The Berliner has been downgraded to a branch line. The highspeed route from Braunschweig to Berlin is now further to the north, going via Oebisfelde and Stendal. The old route now has only a few IC trains, which are limited to 100mph. If you want to travel the original route of the Berliner, you can take a double-decker IC train from Braunschweig, or if you have a lot of time at hand, you can take the RB40 and switch to the RE1 at either Magdeburg or Burg.
Well that's more of a 'forest for the trees' kind of thing, it's a great video!
Furthermore, 48 minutes from Berlin to Braunschweig is not possible. 48 will get you from Berlin to Brandenburg. To Braunschweig is 2 hours and 20 minutes.
Wouldn't get served like that on many trains nowadays - linen tablecloths and white jacketed stewards pouring coffee!
very interesing Andy. if i can tell you a story. my late father was a special branch officer with Merseyside police (this tale told to me by his workmates at his funeral)..he and another officer followed two east German policemen in north west England. they knew they were being trailed and Dad knew they knew they were being followed. they ended up in Blackpool where the German's went on the Big dipper at Blackpool pleasure beach. it's like a carry on film now..two east German's in front car and two British police behind up and down up and down. you couldn't write this script but it was true.
You might like a video I’m making on the Frederick Forsyth novel and 1987 Micheal Caine movie “The Fourth Protocol”. Talking about Soviet Cold War espionage in 1980s UK
@@AndyMcloone thanks Andy will watch. I love all this east/west stuff
My Dad (Intelligence Corps) used the Berliner a few times in the seventies. I was only a kid back then but it is fascinating to follow in his footsteps 50 years later.
These videos on the border transits are absolutely brilliant! Really well made and informative.
Thank you for the wonderful video about German post-war history and its quirky details. Being a German from West-Berlin I still vividly remember the days when we used to travel in transit through the DDR by train or car. The one thing that puzzles me though is your description of the second loco change in Potsdam, since railway operations in all of Berlin (East and West) was always done by Deutsche Reichsbahn, the East German railway company and there were no Deutsche Bahn locos or staff to be found in West Berlin.
Yes my bad, I meant to say West Berlin Locomotive not West German. Im sure the locomotive was changed either for security or Admin reasons at Potsdam but as you say a DR one not a DB, it was definitely searched at Potsdam
@@AndyMcloone Just on a side-note the DB was called "Deutsche Bundesbahn" until reunification
@@htschwrtz6425yes, and the railway company merger was delayed until 1994 due to the needs to harmonize procedures.
Travelled on the BMT in December 1980, on my 14th birthday. My dad was based at Wegberg, and was a referee for the RAF footie league. He and two others were sent to officiate a game between Gatow and Gutersloh I think. Dad dragged me along, and as a train nut found the whole experience fascinating. Seeing Soviet and DDR personnel for the first time which was more jaw-gaping than scary to this 14 year old lad. As it would have it, the football ground was declared unusable for the game, so we had a free weekend in West Berlin. Two nights at Edinburgh House, Checkpoint Charlie, Charlottenburg Palace, the Olympic Stadium, Kurfurstendam, Funkturm and the international conference centre was hosting one of the biggest christmas markets I have ever seen. Thanks for the video, it's been a great trip down memory lane for me. The day after we got back, we heard that John Lennon had been shot :(
Excellent! Loved that! My only attempt to get up to Berlin was when my boss yanked me off the train on hearing I had managed to get myself loaded on a Basic Swimming Course!
You need to speak with Cold War Conversations. This would make a great podcast.
Thank you for your fabulous videos. I grew up in the GDR, being at the age of 16 when the wall came down. I remember taking a train from Rostock to Lübeck at Nov-11 1989 - it was a terrific experience!
Many thanks for this trip down memory lane.
I was taken to Berlin on my PTI course for the one week swimming/lifeguard/open water survival courses.
The train had great food, which was served, silver service style, as the east Germans were crammed into their carriages halted beside us at the crossing point station.
A poignant experience of my life as we were soon to witness the 'wall coming down' and the end of the cold war (just as this new one started).
We were stationed in Berlin between 1961 to 1963. We travelled on this train whenever we needed to go to the west to catch a flight to the UK on leave. Loved Berlin.
I know an old boy from fishing who has told me storys about his times on that train and in Germany. Madness.
Write 'em down! The old boys won't be with us much longer. And you can get a lot out of a man when you're both sat in the pouring rain drowning worms :-).
I had the chance to go to Berlin in 1989 about 6 months before the wall came down. I still kicking myself for not taking it.
Edit: The train started from Braunschweig?! That is where I was in 1989!!
I believe that technically, in Potsdam they just changed one DR locomotive for another DR locomotive. West Berlin had the East German DR as an official railway operator according to some allied agreement. So all rail transport including S-bahn on the West Berlin territory were operated by the East.
I was born in 1985 in the United States but Cold War Europe has always interested me since I was a kid. Thank you for this video! My dad was a train engineer in the US and I didn’t know this was a thing while looking up something about him. This is super cool. I was stationed in Hohenfels Germany when I came of age and served. Thank you so much for this!
I travelled on it in 1977, my papers saying I was a Petty Officer in the RN.. ( not too sure how long I would have lasted under that guise lol) your documents had to be totally perfect, a comma or full stop in the wrong place and that meant you where taken off and held in a jail until the time of the return train. I loved it, lovely food and free wine lol
At the beginning of the summer of 1990, I took the U.S. Military Train - which we called the ‘Duty Train’ from West Berlin to Europe to start a summer of traveling around Europe with a Eurorail ticket. My dad was serving as a diplomat at the U.S. Embassy to the GDR in the occupied city of Berlin at the time. When I returned two months later, the Duty Train no longer existed, and Checkpoint Charlie had been dismantled. I still have my Duty Train ticket.
Thanks for an informative look at one of the backwaters of the Cold War experience. My dad was stationed at HQ USAFE in Wiesbaden then we followed its move down to Ramstein in 1973. We took the US "duty train" to Berlin in 1972, which turns out to be my only overnight sleeping car run (so far.) Nothing fancy, but it was free just like the British ones were. The lack of dining on the US trains did leave a hungry hole in the trip if you didn't pack some snacks.
The rules regarding riding the train were very similar if not the same. Temptation led me to sneak a peek at one of the stops inside the DDR. Sure enough, there were grim looking guards carrying AKs just feet away outside the window.
A couple of years later, I was hanging out with some friends at the University of Maryland campus in Munich during Oktoberfest. In a conversation with a GI who knew something more than average about the Berlin situation, I learned about the mission cars. Similar to the trains, these served to show the flag by asserting freedom of movement through Soviet sectors, just as the Soviet army did in the British, French and US sectors. Layered in on top of that was the fact that they collected intelligence. While the trains may not have had any specific intel collection purposes (although I wouldn't rule that out either), it's not surprising that the East Germans assumed that they did. While the trains never suffered any casualties, the Mission car crews did, with the low point being the death of Major Arthur D. Nicholson, who was shot and killed by an East German guard on March 23, 1985. While the experience of riding the duty train could be surreal, the guns and bullets were undoubtedly very real.
Excellent video and great to hear the experiences of a British person as an addition to my German ones back in the day. Greetings from Berlin!
I was one of the chef's on this train!!!!
Sadly today's generation of British Soldier will never experience that level of catering in the Army again. If we ran that train today all they would get is a packet of Sodexho cheese sandwiches.😡
@@AndyMcloone I was at Rhiendahlen garrison'80 - '84 and we used to get rota'd on to the train which used to come up from Monchengladbach. I always worked with a french chef who, bizarrely hated the English. Did you know the canteen carriage was sold at auction in Hull about 18 mths ago for £7K. It's at a museum up north somewhere. I wanted to buy it and put it on the lawn outside the house, and open a coffee shop in it!!
12:50 it’s unusual to see the face of the East German guard. They normally turned away when anyone pulled out a camera.
Remember going on shopping trips to Helmstaedt from West Berlin during military service in 1972-5 and again in 1987-9. Happy days.
I served on that train in 1979, great memories.
When we served in Osnabruck,in the early 1950s we travelled on the Blue train which took troops from The Hook of Holland to Hamburg via several stops in Holland and Osnabruck,the biggest overseas garrison at that time.
Brilliant! I flew in as a civilian youth in 81-83, but remember the S or U bahn trains slowing down to go through East Berlin platforms, with armed guards to stop anyone jumping on to go West!
The Stations still had adverts from the 60’s on the platform. Sad but fun times seeing it all from the right side.
I remember as an East German youngster coming with my father from a football game near Friedrichstrasse at the end of the 80's. The street had the remains of the staircases to Underground stations but covered with thick steel plates. You could feel the West German Underground rattling through those ghost stations underneath. In Berlin the Underground tunnels are often just below street level. If you think about that today, it's just unreal.
Love this, thank you. My first visit to Berlin was around a year or two after the wall came down. However, in September 1982 I went by train to Romania, outwards via Hungary, back via Yugoslavia. Lengthy halts at all the border crossings while soldiers checked the train and every compartment, lifting seats etc. Twenty-five years later I recreated the trip by travelling by train from Istanbul back to London via Bucharest, Budapest and Vienna. This time my Passport wasn’t checked between the Turkish border (into Bulgaria) and the Eurostar terminal at Brussels.
Many thanks for digging up some wonderful memories for me Andy! I travelled this train as a 19 year old Air Training Corps cadet Flight Sargent on my way to 'Berlin Camp' at RAF Gatow in 1982. Back then, I had no inkling that the wall would fall in my lifetime. I have managed to re-create the train in miniature (N-Scale 1:160) because Arnold (a German model railway manufacturer) has issued models of the coaches used by the Berliner. Passing through Checkpoint Charlie on an RAF bus for a day trip to the East was like travelling back in time by 30 years. Very surreal.....
I can still remember the train in the 80er. I lived in Helmstedt as a child and did my training in Braunschweig. In Brunswick, the train always departed for Berlin around 1600 hours. 30 minutes later he was always in Helmstedt, where the locomotive change to the Deutsche Reichsbahn of the GDR took place. In the morning around 10 a.m.From 30 to 1100 he always came back from Berlin. Although I had already started taking pictures at that time, I had taken very few photos of the train. Thanks for showing. Greetings from Berlin/ Germany. Sven
Excellent video. Thank you so much. In 1979 I travelled in both directions on civilian trains (so-called Korridorzüge) between Hamburg and West Berlin via Büchen, Ludwigslust, and Wittenberge. A different, more northerly corridor. What I remember most vividly were the East German dog handlers who visited every compartment at the border and checked every nook and cranny, especially on westbound trains. They were clearly searching for people, not contraband!
Brilliant bit of history.
I'm stoked!
Andy - a great video, thanks for taking the time to do this, otherwise all that stuff that we did when wearing the green would be lost; this is historical archive value, well done. As for me, Berlin in 1973 to 1975 and in the Zone between 1977 to 1983 - several trips on the train during that time. Schultheiss beer seemed to loom large as I remember. Thanks again .
Thank you for this video. As a"child of the 80's" the Cold War is of great interest, for years I thought Berlin was right on the border between West & East Germany with on idea how DEEP INTO East Germany it was. Again many many thanks for your time and effort.
Seems like a lifetime ago. Thanks for enlightening me.
Another great video!
Lovely video, makes one appreciate the world we live in and take for granted.
I was posted to 38 Squadron R.E. in Berlin in 1989 and I arrived there on Nov 8 1989, exactly 1 day before the wall came down and even though the cold war was on its last legs by this point, I remember going on the BMT both as a passenger and as a train observer.
As a passenger it was great, I, a young Sapper being served a fine dinner in a proper dining car by white coated stewards while very lean Russian soldiers at the checkpoints would stand on the platform and watch us eat. I have no doubt that the timing of the meals was entirely deliberate just to piss them off.
As a train observer we would given notebooks and we had to note down any kind of military activity that we saw along the way, tank parks, any kind of military activity etc.
When we passed the Russian training areas, we always had a few lads on the train who's job would be to take notes of what Russian equipment they saw, we would get books showing different type of Russian equipment and note if we saw any of that type . When we guarded the train we had 4 lads, 2 at each end of the train and we carried SMGs with 9 rounds of ammo each.
Greetings from Russia! We have in common memory a lot of stories, interesting information about soviet troops in DDR, according to nostalgic about duty of post-soviet veterans and ostalgia of ex-DDR citizens. Unfortunately there is discord between ex-allied, just politics... So, you do very big job for history science. There is a lack of information in internet about allied (British, French, usa) troops service.👍
Another outstanding video, thank you.
Absolutely fascinating, great video!
THANK YOU FOR DETAILED VIDEO
this is brilliant, thank you very much!
Really enjoyed this. Thanks for making it.
Superb video once again, Andy!
When, I wonder, was the last run of 'the Berliner'? There must have been more than a few tears shed, that something unique was about to pass into history.
Last Operation run was 7th February 1991. There was a Commemorative Journey (with historic DB Rolling Stock) in 2012 See ua-cam.com/video/gJLs0U_G3NU/v-deo.html
Great video again, can't wait for more
Check out my Channel Community Tab, I give advance notice of my production schedule there
Fascinating bit of railway history I had never heard of, thank you for sharing.
Thank you. This brought back 1967 and 1968. I rode the American duty train frequently because I was in the Berlin American High School band, and we played at all of the football games with other American schools in Germany. It was all sleeper cars with only a few MPs with side arms. no food at all available back them. My dad would point out the British train and lament the fact that we didn't show more moxy like them. they would be coming home as we departed.
Thanks Andy. That was fascinating.
Watching the video that was filmed during winter added to the grimness of the time.
Thanks once again for a great documentary! 😊
Awesome video! Thanks so much for sharing this piece of history.
Fascinating. Thanks.
Another interesting video Andy, thank you.
Yet another great Cold War documentary. Cold War stuff, and DDR stuff in particular, has always fascinated me. Many thanks for making this!
Brilliant great video
As always, a brilliant insight into a fascinating era of history. Thanks so much for sharing this, a really enjoyable watch.
Superb video Andy. Thanks so much.
Thanks for taking the time to share this. Fascinating history of the Berliner and as someone with a great interest in trains, Germany and the cold war this is just perfect viewing! Looking forward to watching some of your other videos now.
Fascinating. Excellent episode.
Wow, thanks so much for this video. All this brought back many memories. I served in the RCT during the 80s and dropped off a few 'people' at that same car park at Braunschweig (Brunswick). It was all pretty bizarre at the time. I learned basic Russian and German with a view to serving on the BMT. Love the commentary, with a 'regimental pause' between sentences. 😊
Another very interesting historical perspective Andy.
Thanks.
Thanks Andy, really interesting.
Another great story 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Very interesting, I only ever got a chance to visit Germany, for the first time in 1999, so obviously after the end of the Cold War and the reunification of Germany.
Great video, brings back memories of travelling on it in 1984 to attend the British Schools Sports event at the Berlin stadium. We had an incident whilst travelling out, one lad left his camera on the window ledge and was spotted whilst we waited in a station. The train was held for several hours while negotiations went on as the soviets wanted the camera to see what images where on it. Eventually the camera was handed over, the film processed at the station and we went on our way. Happy days.
Fantastic content. Thanks a lot
Quality historical journalism , Andy !
Great video as usual. Many thanks.