Akropolis Expresstrain history made real by

History starts in 1967Typical train consist of AkropolisExpress in 1971 Highlights:- Wagon Restaurant provided by

OSE- 1st class and 2nd class passenger

cars provided by DB- 2nd class passenger cars - 1 CIWLT 1st/2nd class passenger

car- Significant higher pulling

weight in summer time than in winter time

1967 – The BeginningAcropolis Express was established in 1967 as a supplement to the already since 1963 existing route to/from Dortmund with the introduction of new train consists. The passengers were sitting in open sitting railcars whereas for the sleep there were also sleeping wagons 1st class. Until the mid 70s the sleeping cars were provided by the Jugoslawian Railways JŽ. The open sitting railcars were provided mainly by DB and JŽ, but only the DB wagons were passing in Greece. In the 80s the Hellenic State Railway Organization (ΟΣΕ) providedpart of the railcars too. Akropolis Express was, after Hellas-Express and Istanbul-Express, the railway connection with the longest route in West Germany.

1978-1979 A Normal Trip of Akropolis Express In the years 1978-1979, in contradiction to most of the long distance trains to Greece, the trains did not use the most improved electrified line between Beograd and Skopje through Niš, but the less developed through Kosovo Polje, a crossroad west of Pristinja the capital of Kosovo. The train trip was lasting for one whole day and one night (approx. 38 hrs) as the train was starting in the morning and was reaching the destination after one night as it can be seen in the following timetable of 1988

Akropolis Express Timeplan as of 1988

D291 ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE

STATION D290ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE

08:14 MUNICH 22:41

09:52/10:10 SALZBURG (AU-GE) 20:24/20:47

13:06/13:09 VILLAH 17:35/17:37

13:46/14:14 JESENICE (AU-JU) 16:05/16:55

15:10/15:30 LJUBLJANA 14:35/14:55

17:50/18:15 ZAGREB 11:50/12:15

21:17 VINKOVCI 8:57

23:14/23:48 BEOGRAD 05:58/06:38

11:00/12:41 GEVGELJA (GR-JU) 18:22/18:30

14:27/15:00 THESSALONIKI 15:58/16:40

22:30 ATHENS 8:30

Munich-Athens in 38 hours

Akropolis Express Wagon Configuration in 1985

Typical German Locomotives for Akropolis Express through the German Part of the Trip

The typical German-Austrian Locomotives used for hauling the Akropolis Express in the German Territory in the 70s, 80s and early 90s were among others:- Electric Loc BR111 of DB- Electric Loc BR103 of DB- Electric Loc BR110 of DB- Electric Loc BR151 of DB- Electric Loc 1144 of ÖBB

Akropolis Express pulled by BR110 in 19.7.1975 in Villach

Akropolis Express 31/7/1988 in Austria pulled by BR111

Akropolis Express D291 on 6/8/1988 on the way from Villah (AU) to Jesenice (JU) close to Rosenbach/Austria

Akropolis Express D291 pulled by BR111 and BR151 of the DB

Akropolis Express in 1990 in Austria pulled by 1144 of the Austrian Railways ÖBB

Akropolis Express D291 Munich-Athens pulled by BR111 in the 80s crossing the famous Falkenstein bridge

Akropolis Express Train Sign

Akropolis Express in Greek Cinema

Akropolis Express passing through the Caste of Platamonas in the early 1990s

Lets all support the effort of märklin to make this legendary train