One of my missionary friends, Ældste Karl Hugh, greets a passing freight train in proper Danish fashion.
Middelfart station, June 1986
As a much younger man, I spent 22 months working in Denmark as an LDS (Mormon) missionary. And during that time
I rode a lot of trains.A lot. Did this break my heart? No, it did not. The first train I rode in Denmark was “hyggetoget” leaving from the
main Copenhagen train station (Københavns Hovedbanegård, or KBH for short) on the way to my first
area in Kolding. Each month for transferring missionaries around the country, the mission office relied mainly on two trains.It worked like this: the
intercity train that left KBH about 8 AM would haul all transferring
missionaries moving west/north, and the train leaving the far end of the line
at Fredrikshavn at the same time would haul all the transferring missionaries
moving south/east.Wherever you were in
the mission, your transfer letter would instruct you to travel toward the mainline such that
you ended up on the same train as the rest of the transferring missionaries.
A typical DSB route diagram. Frederikhavn is at the end of the rail lines at the upper (northern) end of the country, while Copenhagen is at the far east (right) edge of the map where all the lines converge.
"Hyggetoget" (the hygge train) was a nickname missionaries gave these two trains, because once you had boarded the train, it was easy to find and make friends among the other missionaries transferring that same time. Hygge is a uniquely Danish word that implies comfortable companionship with good friends, and that's what we usually enjoyed for those few minutes traveling together.
This will always be my ideal passenger train - a Danish State Railways Intercity train with an MZ-class diesel leading a long string of B-class carriages. This eastbound IC train was photographed in my wife's hometown of Middelfart in May of 1993. The then-recent advent of mainline electrification to support the new IC-3 trainsets, meant this type of train did not have long to live.
So, on that first train there were several other
missionaries leaving Copenhagen for new areas elsewhere in Denmark.Cities we stopped where other missionaries
may have hopped on or off the train included Roskilde and Slagelse on Sjælland,
then Nyborg and Odense once we crossed Storebælt by ferry.Middelfart could also have been one of those
stops, except I’m pretty sure neither Ældste Lund nor Peterson transferred in or
out of there that time.
For me, I got
off the train at Fredericia and found my way to the train heading west toward
Kolding and Esbjerg.Søster Asplund,
whom I’d met in the MTC, was transferring to Esbjerg, so we changed trains
together.With my Danish not being 100%
yet (or even 10% for that matter), I had difficulty understanding the station announcements on the
loudspeaker. I almost got off at the first stop, Taulov, but Søs. Asplund
helped me avoid that mistake.The next
stop was Kolding, where I stepped off and met my trainer, Ældste James Jensen.
Travel by train was a very frequent occurrence for all missionaries serving in Denmark, not just during the time I served. This photo was taken of my district while in Odense when Søster Bradley (front left) hopped on a train for a new assignment in København, August 1986. Søster Bradley's companion, Søster Dansie, is at my right. In the rear are (from L to R) my companion, Ældste Jeff Hill, then Ældste Chad Lambourne and Ældste James Healy. Within less than a year, I would have served as a companion to both of the other elders in this photo.
There was too much new stuff for me to process all at once,
but after further experience with DSB, the Danish State Railways,
I can now comment on the equipment used during this May, 1986 time frame.The main Intercity trains, which ran the
length of the KBH to Fredrikshavn mainline usually consisted of one or two 1st
class cars (A vogne) and a long string of 2nd class cars (B
vogne).The only difference between the two classes were fewer, larger compartments in the 1st class cars and more,
smaller compartments in the 2nd class cars.
These were the European style compartment
cars, similar to those seen in the Harry Potter movies, with six-seat
compartments along one side and an aisleway on the other side of the car.In addition to the privacy afforded by the
compartments, the best part of the cars was that the top half of the windows
slid down! And if your compartment mates didn’t want it open, you could also
stand out in the aisle and open one of those windows. "Læn Dem endelig ud!"
A typical DSB MR-tog, seen crossing Gudenaaen (Denmark's largest river) as it approaches Silkeborg in June 1987
MZ class locomotives pulled the IC trains almost exclusively.These Swedish-built locomotives had EMD 16-cylinder, turbocharged 645 engines and rode on three-axle “C” trucks, so except for having two
cabs pushed as far as possible to the opposite ends of the frame, these were
equivalent to the SDP-40F locomotives once used by Amtrak. Plus they were "dual-purpose", meaning MZs powered high-speed freight trains just as often as they did passenger trains.
An eastbound freight just west of Slagelse. It is led by an MX-class locomotive, with an MY-class and MH-class switcher in tandem behind the MX.
The smaller MX and MY classes with A-1-A
trucks had EMD 567 engines, 12-cylinder versions for the 1425 hp MX class and 16-cylinder versions in the 1900 hp MY class, so they looked and sounded just like double ended American "F-units". These saw use primarily
on freight trains, although from photos in books
I understand MYs may still have been used as passenger power on some of the more obscure
routes while I was in Denmark.
Most of the DSB branchline passenger runs I rode were the
MR-class self-propelled cars, very similar to the Budd RDC cars that ran some
places in the US.The MRs were two cars,
each with a cab at one end, and semi-permanently coupled at the non-cab end to
form an articulated dual-end car.These
had a more American-style seating plan with a central aisle and pairs of seats
facing each other to form four-seat “pods”.There was actually a two-seat compartment at the end of one of the cars,
which were nice to ride in if not already occupied.These were the trains serving much of the
Esbjerg-Fredericia traffic, so Ældste Jensen and I rode them a lot to and from
our Saturday post-P-day district meetings.I also rode them frequently while serving in Silkeborg a few months
later.
Another enjoyable aspect of rail travel in Denmark, up until about 15 years ago, was the need to cross Storebaelt (the Great Belt) between the islands of Sjælland and Fyn by ferry, instead of the bridge/tunnel now in place. Riders could leave their rail car and ascend to the upper decks of the ship, purchase refreshments, and enjoy the view and fresh air from the open decks. Sisters Dansie (left) and Asplund (right) join Elder Healy (center) and two I don't remember, November 1986.
Hers's a shot taken at Korsør of an MT-class switching locomotive shoving half of an intercity passenger train into the lower deck of the ferry Kronprins Frederick. August, 1987
Nearly all my train travel while in Denmark consisted of
trips on either local passenger trains to and from meetings, and occasionally
on the IC trains either during transfers or to Zone Conferences.
There was a “hobby” among the missionaries at
that time of “collecting lines”, meaning one would trace on a map all the
highway and rail routes they travelled during their mission.I fell easily into this hobby because of my
interests in geography, travel and railroads.I collected some interesting routes by bus on a few occasions, but my
favorites were those I covered by rail.Some of these were part of our missionary work, and some were as tourists on
P-days:
·While in Kolding, we rode the train out to
Esbjerg (July ’86) with other missionaries and members to attend a music
fireside at the ward there.Nici King (a recently returned missionary from Fredericia Ward, and my future wife) was
also on this trip, and she regretted wearing the shoes she did because of the
long walk from the station to the church.
·Shortly before leaving Odense (Nov ’86), I
arranged for a cab ride with a DSB engineer we’d met while tracting.Unfortunately, I got transferred shortly
beforehand, and Ældste Hill and Dozier had the most boring day of their lives
on that trip.They may have ridden an
MY, but I’m not sure.
A Lollandsbanen Y-class arrives at Nykøbing F station, December 1987
·While assigned to Nykøbing-Falster for a few
weeks (Nov-Dec ’86), Ældste Talbot and I rode the private railway Lollandsbanen
from Nykøbing out to Nakskov and back (equipment note:all the private railways I rode used Y-class
trains for passenger service, basically older versions of the MR trains DSB was
using).
A typical DSB railroad depot for medium-size towns such as Silkeborg
·While in Silkeborg (May of ’87 maybe), Ældste
Linford and I were invited to spend a night at the President’s home in Greater
København (can’t remember exactly where at that time - President and Sister Jacobs later lived in Holte).We took the standard route to get there, but
then received permission to return via the Kalundborg to Aarhus ferry, with
some “rare mileage” (for missionaries, at least) by rail out to Kalundborg and
between the Aarhus ferry dock and the station.
A section of my line map showing roads, railways and ferry routes I traveled while on my mission. The line from Herning, in the extreme upper left, angling southeast down to Vejle required special permission from the Mission President, since it deviated from the route I was directed to take when I transferred out of Silkeborg.
·While transferring out of Silkeborg (July ’87),
I called the office and received permission (after a lengthy and pointless
discussion with Ældste Jakobsen) to deviate from my assigned routing
(Silkeborg-Skanderborg) and travel via Herning to catch “hyggetoget” at Vejle,
resulting in another rare mileage line on my map.
·While in Slagelse (Aug ’87), Ældste Saunders and
I rode to Høng on the Høng-Tølløse Jernbane at least once to visit some
potential investigators.
·Also while in Slagelse (Sep ’87), Ældste Lambourne
and I rode down to teach a potential investigator living on the north edge of
Falster.On the return trip, we missed
the next-to-last bus.Although we then
caught the last bus and successfully made our rail connection at Nørre
Alslev, we were too late into Næstved to catch the last bus back to Slagelse.Instead, we ended up hitchhiking halfway and walking
the rest to arrive at our apartment about 5am the next morning.
Electric trains on Kystbanen - during my mid-1980's mission, this was the only electrified mainline in Denmark. Since then, nearly every mainline has been electrified. These locomotives were designated EA-class.
·While in Næstved (Fall ’87) Ældste Lambourne and
I took a P-day to visit a bunch of tourist sites in and around København on a
P-day (equipment note:the local trains
on Sjælland almost exclusively used Bn class coaches in a push-pull
configuration.The end car facing toward København had a control cab, and the cars themselves were a center aisle
style with two doors at the one-third and two-thirds points of the car’s
length.I did not like these cars very
much. Power was either a Sjælland-only ME-class or an MZ).He and I were no longer companions, but he was the
DL for our district. Neither my companion, Ældste Morrow, nor Ældste Lambourne's comp wanted to travel that day, so we paired them up at our apartment, and then Lambourne and I
headed out. This arrangement probably would not be allowed today.I don’t remember our exact routing, but I’m
pretty sure it included the electrified Kystbane (Coast line) up to Helsinør, and the private railways
to Hillerød and Fredriksværk before returning home.
·Also at some point while in Næstved, I believe
Ældste Roe and I returned from a meeting in København via Køge.This would also have been rare mileage for
missionaries back then.
·I also seem to remember a trip to Gedser, at the
far southern tip of Falster, and then back to Nykøbing, again just for the sake
of a “line”.
·In my last area, Birkerød (Jan-Mar ’88), Ældste Kolditz and I
probably rode the Hillerød to Helsinør route at least once more.And, we also rode a lot of S-tog commuter
trains in the Greater København area.
Denmark's own IC-3 trains. Great for riding, but kinda awful to look at.
I have returned to Denmark five times since my mission and
ridden trains for some portion of all these trips.My biggest disappointment has been the
onslaught of diesel and electric IC-3 trains that now carry passengers on
nearly all DSB routes.I’m pretty sure
things hadn’t changed too much rail-wise when I visited Nici for Christmas of
1989, but on subsequent trips it has all been IC-3s and newer versions of the
old MR trains. The IC-3s are designed and built in Denmark by Scandia of Randers. Yes, they are sleek and functional, but the blunt ends - intended for ease of coupling multiple sets in series - represents the absolute lowest point ever for Danish design (my opinion). Great for riding, but kinda awful to look at.
“Sølvpilen” captured at speed just west of Slagelse in the summer of 1987
The high point of my ’89 trip,
besides spending time with my intended, was returning to København aboard DSB’s
“Sølvpilen”, the silver-bodied “lightning train” that was the ultimate in speed
and comfort in its day.The ride wasn’t
that much more exciting than a standard IC train, but at least I can say I rode
it before it was gone.
A newer self-powered passenger train passes the tiny community of Napstjært, where some of my 19th Century Danish ancestors were born. July, 2010.
On that trip, we also rode the train up to Fredrikshavn to
visit Nici’s cousins Marianne and Kaj. This was my first time traveling north of Aarhus.Their home sits only a few meters
away from one of the platforms for another private railway, Skagensbanen.We visited them again in May of 1993, and that
time I arranged to ride the Y-train up to Skagen and have Nici and Marianne
meet me up there.This ride also took me
through my “ancestral home” (at least on Grandpa Brady’s maternal side) of
Napstjært, so I videotaped part of the ride for posterity.
During this visit, I also made a side trip to Silkeborg, with a stopover in
Aarhus to see Shad and Ulla Roe, my former companion and his wife. He had also married a Danish girl but they chose to live in Denmark rather than the US - I can't always say I blame them.They lived
south of Aarhus and I rode another private railway Y train with him down to their home, and then by myself back up to Aarhus after our visit.
I did not have much time for recreational train riding
during trips 3 and 4. Number 3 was to see the Copenhagen LDS Temple and to visit my mother-in-law Ellen King one last time,
and number 4 came a year later to arrange Ellen’s funeral with Nici.
The main railway station at Malmö, Sweden. July 2010
However, when our whole family went over in July 2010, I managed a
little better.Most of our travel was driving
a rented Citröen, but I did catch an IC-3 to Slagelse one evening to
meet up with another former missionary friend. At the time, he worked for Railion - the current contract operator of freight trains on DSB rails. I rode with him over to Malmö, Sweden
for my long-awaited cab ride.This time
it was aboard a German DB electric locomotive, at the head end of a high-speed
freight on the routing the new Øresund and Storebælt bridges has opened
up. Another engineer took over for my friend at Nyborg, but my friend continued with me as far as Odense, where my rental
car was parked. Between the late hour,
welded rail, an electric locomotive, and green signals nearly the whole way, it was
a pretty anticlimactic trip and I’m sure I dozed at some point.Still, I was grateful for the experience!
Late-night, speed-blurred view of Roskilde Station from my 2010 cab ride.
Here are a few more images of favorite Danish locomotives:
With lines very similar to the classic American "F-unit" locomotives, and with diesel engines identical to them, DSBs MY- class are easily my favorites. I shot this particular one at Nykøbing-Falster, and by chance MY1154 was one of the last two to operate in regular service on DSB twenty years later.
By luck, I also managed to photograph this rare specimen at Nykøbing-F. Manufactured by Frichs, a Danish builder at Aarhus, the eight examples of this model, only owned by Danish privatebaner - private railways, did not have a class designation. Instead, they came to be known as "Marzipanbrød" because their curved roof and ends bore resemblance to chocolate-covered marzipan candy bars.
Most Danish trains today run off the electrified catenary wires. This one is an EG-class hauling empty container cars westbound near Odense in July 2010
Plus, here are a few segments of video I've shot on post-mission visits to Denmark:
