British Military Berliner - A Cold War train

[jis]

Fascinating video about the Berliner that ran between West Germany and West Berlin during the Cold War. It was operated by the British Military....

 

[Willbridge]

I rode this several times in 1969-71. He did not mention that we could ride each others' trains. There are some very small errors in the video and some things changed through the years, but overall this is excellent.

Here is a link to a story of a typical incident on the British train, which traveled by day.

https://www.berlin1969.com/stories-geschichte/a-moment-in-magdeburg-1970/
And here is the dining car menu. Foreign guests (me, for example) were invited into the First Class diner seating. At this time the West Mark was equal to US25 cents.

 

[cirdan]

The story about the little boy reminds me of a story a good friend told me.

She grew up in a small town in East Germany.

Visiting Berlin (East Berlin of course) was a big treat for her as it was her first time in a big city.

There was at that time a section of railroad line that ran alongside the Berlin wall, and you could see the security zone with its barbed wire and grim watchtowers, the wall itself, and the buildings of West Berlin behind it.

She asked her mother why there was a wall and so much barbed wire, and her mother tried to explain in a way an 8-year old could understand.

Taking in these explanations, my friend said to her mother, "One day I would like to see what that wall looks like from the other side".

The entire train fell silent. This was not something you were allowed to say or even think.

Sensing she had said something wrong, but not fully understanding the situation, she corrected herself

"We could go all the way around West Berlin of course, and see what it looks like from the other side without going inside."

 

[Willbridge]

The story about the little boy reminds me of a story a good friend told me.

She grew up in a small town in East Germany.

Visiting Berlin (East Berlin of course) was a big treat for her as it was her first time in a big city.

There was at that time a section of railroad line that ran alongside the Berlin wall, and you could see the security zone with its barbed wire and grim watchtowers, the wall itself, and the buildings of West Berlin behind it.

She asked her mother why there was a wall and so much barbed wire, and her mother tried to explain in a way an 8-year old could understand.

Taking in these explanations, my friend said to her mother, "One day I would like to see what that wall looks like from the other side".

The entire train fell silent. This was not something you were allowed to say or even think.

Sensing she had said something wrong, but not fully understanding the situation, she corrected herself

"We could go all the way around West Berlin of course, and see what it looks like from the other side without going inside."

Do you mind if I include this in the wrap-up article that I'm slowly writing?
https://www.berlin1969.com/stories-geschichte/and-tears-are-our-only-reward/

The train is in East Berlin. The interlocking tower is in West Berlin. The fence in this 1970 photo was the Wall.

 

[cirdan]

Do you mind if I include this in the wrap-up article that I'm slowly writing?

Sure, be my guest

 

[AmtrakMaineiac]

One thing I regret is in my 1977 trip to Germany I didn't fit in a trip across the Iron Curtain to Berlin. Would have been tough to fit in as my buddy from my Air Force days had already filled up my schedule with side trips to Amsterdam and Zurich, plus Heidelberg and Trier etc.

 

[Willbridge]

One thing I regret is in my 1977 trip to Germany I didn't fit in a trip across the Iron Curtain to Berlin. Would have been tough to fit in as my buddy from my Air Force days had already filled up my schedule with side trips to Amsterdam and Zurich, plus Heidelberg and Trier etc.

We in Berlin Brigade in those days were used to being bypassed by tourists. The major reason was that the Deutsche Reichsbahn did not participate in Eurailpass. (They almost did, even printed some material, and then dropped the idea.) We also surmised that there were young people who for political reasons did not want to be confronted by the situation, or were just over there for a good time.

And speaking of a good time, there were GI's who bought a copy of "Europe on Five Dollars a Day" so that they could hang out in the recommended spots and meet American and Canadian girls!