So the Germany Locomore service started up just recently in Germany, crowd funded, making some runs where they feel there is profit to be made that DB is leaving on the table (or having to due to the DB's size/demands) .. from Stuttgart via Frankfurt (m) Süd over to Berlin.

The beauty (for folks of my era) is they are running refurbed cars from those 80's.. the ones with windows you can pull down and stick your head out of, and the old mechanical doors. Good times. So far one train, morning Stuttgart -> Berlin, then afternoons, back down to Stuttgart.

They are also trying something new - theme rooms you can book reservations or just sit in - rooms around a theme so that you will be sitting with folks that should have things in common to talk about: board games, photography, startups, comics, etc. An interesting concept. Being internet-only booking, the overhead of the enterprise is low, the tickets are 1/2 of DB for the same runs, the locos are rented and the rolling stock is refurbed old stuff. Hoping it works out. Still 22€ for Stuttgart to Berlin, not bad.