28th Feb - 4th March 2012 Poland

ET41-037A leads its sister unit into Krzys from the north. 04.03.2012.

Prezwozy Regionale SM42-523 is stabled
for the night at Poznan. 01.03.2012

Following our first enjoyable and successful trip to Poland in 2011 James and James headed back to Poland to attempt to tick off the same aims that we didn't achieve the previous year - some snow, and EU06's. We were not successful on either of these fronts and the weather was far from the bright winter sunshine we had experienced previously!                                                                                  Having based ourselves in Katowice the previous year this time we would be staying in the east of the country based in Wroclaw and Poznan.

Tuesday 28th February 2012:

We had arrived into Wroclaw late afternoon the previous day and after a quick visit to the station and a fairly confusing tram ride (it's not easy when you have no map and don't know where each route goes!) made our way to the hotel. 

ET22-282 stands atop a line of 10 other classmates at
Legnica on a wet 28th February 2012. 

Tuesday dawned cold and murky but not cold enough that the murk turned white as we had perhaps hoped! Today was a two stop affair as we headed towards the German border. The first of these stations was Legnica, a large station with lots of promise and presence with its sizeable overall roof. The station was typical of the run-down look of many Polish stations at the time, particularly in the wet weather with water pouring from many places it probably shouldn't' have been. 

You go abroad but you can't avoid them! EWS
66153 working for DB Cargo Rail Polska. 28/02/2012.

Despite many tracks and even bumping into a Polish enthusiast the traffic here was sparse. In the few hours we spent at Legnica we saw just a couple of loco movements but did at least have some shelter from the elements.                                                                                              The most interesting feature here was a long line of mostly (if not all) stored ET22's alongside the station. 

SU46-011 in PKP Cargo colours has attached to the front of EC248 'Wawel' from Wroclaw to Hamburg as it prepares to take the diesel line via Forst.

By the time of our train to the next location of Wegliniec we were more than happy to be on the move. The moment we stepped off the train we were greeted by a familiar sight - an EWS class 66 in the shape of 66153 light engine working for DB Cargo Rail Polska, still looking very much like we were used to as an EWS loco in the UK. 

Also attracting our attention was an attractive red and white liveried 'Ludmilla' 232-105 belonging to East West Railways. The loco had it's lights on and a driver in the cab so we settled into a position ahead of it waiting for it to depart. 

An incredible line up of traction in the inclement weather! Left to right SU46-048, 232-105 (East West Railways), ST43-137, SM42-1251, 3E-007 (PTK ET21), SU46-011.

ST43-137 crawls out of the yard at Wegliniec.

One of the highlights of our trip to Wegliniec was always going to be the passage of the daily EuroCity 248/9 'Wawel' on it's trip between Hamburg and Wroclaw which was, at the time, booked to take the diesel line across the border via Forst. The train arrived from Germany behind SU46-011 and continued forward into Poland with an EP09. The German bound train did the opposite arriving with electric traction and then being taken forward with the same SU46. 

Green pairing ST43-238 and SU46-014 have just attached
to a train in the yard at Wegliniec to head towards Germany.
Conditions were getting very bleak and the light was now
fading fast as we waited for our train back to warmth and dry. 

This activity together with a great many interesting 'older' freight locos distracted us sufficiently from the rain which was the only thing preventing this from being an absolutely mega day!                                                                                                                            Eventually however after several hours the light started to fade and our clothes began to soak through- and 232-105 which we had been observing since arriving was still sitting with its lights on and driver in the cab looking just as ready depart as when we had arrived! With a DMU due back to Wroclaw it was time for us to make our escape, heading into the relative shelter of the leaky station canopy we looked back at the rain we had been standing in. We must have been mad!

Wednesday 1st March 2012:

EU07-174 at Wroclaw Mikolajow brining in our train  to Poznan and beyond.

ET22-1162 passes Wroclaw Slotysowice 1.3.2012

This morning it was time to explore some more local spots within Wroclaw. Our first location was Wroclaw Slotysowice which disappointed with only a couple of freight trains, a green ET22, a LOTOS Traxx and an SM31- a class of loco I had not previously seen up close that did at least make it worth the visit. Trackwork appeared to be taking place here which may have limited further traffic.                                                                  

SM31-168 shunting at Wroclaw Slotysowice 1.3.2012

After seeing significantly less freight than we had hoped it was time to drop back to Wroclaw Mikolajow to pick up a nice green EU07-174 (before it was a 'heritage repaint') to transfer us to Poznan. Unfortunately this was a painfully slow journey due to upgrade works on the line via Leszno which saw single line working in force for large chunks of the journey with very slow line speeds as a result.

ET22-729 prepares to depart Poznan with a Prezwozy
Regionale service towards Leszno. 03.03.2012

After checking into our accommodation we came back to the station with the aim of taking a short ride on the evening steam departure run as part of the Wolsztyn Experience which at the time had two daily trains between Wolsztyn and Poznan. We arrived to find Ol49-59 in charge of the train, remarkably billed as Europe's last scheduled steam operation. Soon we got chatting to the English guests who were 'footplating' on the loco, and then to the Polish loco crew. They asked if we were travelling, which of course we were, and it soon became apparent that in exchange for some zloty they would let us ride in the cab of the loco. After initially dismissing the idea we did the maths. The 50 zloty being asked was less than £10 and riding in the cab of the massive Ol49 was certainly going to be more exciting than being on the cushions! 

Ol49-59 at Poznan on 1st March 2012, steam leaking abundantly as it prepares to work the evening train to Wolsztyn.

Quickly we worked out how far we could go down the branch to Wolsztyn and still get back and then settled down to enjoy the spectacle of mainline steam in the dark of the cool Polish spring night. The knowledge of the crews became immediately apparent, being able to tell just from the lie of the track their exact location and breaking points.                                                                                                                                                                      We were sad to leave the crew when we arrived at the tiny halt of Tloki (even more so when we realised just how tiny and remote this stop was!) and listened to the loco depart into the distance. We had a short wait for our vastly inferior DMU back to Poznan, but what an experience the evening had turned out to be. Probably the best 50 zloty I had ever spent!

Green machine ET22-099 at Poznan with a late night regional service. 01.03.2012.

Thursday 2nd March 2012:

EN57-714rb and ET22-748 in a very traditional scene at Inowroclaw. 02.03.2012. 

EU07-215 Poznan 3.03.2012

After a few photos around the station in Poznan in the morning, including the returning steam service it was time for another excursion today- but first a bit of an issue. James and I had agreed which train to meet on for our transfer to Inowroclaw, but with reduced information around the station due to re-building I had some difficulty finding either him or the train- I ended up getting on the train hoping to find him on board. I quickly realised that he wasn't. Where had we gone wrong? Well- I had got on the right train... just in the wrong direction! My train had already called at Inowroclaw and was now heading down towards Leszno! 

I bailed off at the first stop, Koscian, and had to wait a little while for a train that would take me back to Poznan where I could then try again to reach Inowroclaw! At least there was a tiny bit of company at Koscian- ST43-371 was stabled in the yard and was duely photographed. 

ST43-371 in the yard at Koscian. 02.03.2012.

It was certainly a little later than planned when I arrived into Inowroclaw behind ET22-748. Unfortunately I had missed an original PKP ST44 (I am still yet to see one working in any guise for PKP) and after another disappointing session with only a couple of trains seen it was time to continue our journey on to our final destination for the day; Bydgoszcz. 

Freshly overhauled M62-7038 is shunted out of the works at Bydgoszcz by shunter SM42-261 owned by PESA. 02.03.2012

A line up of locos within the PESA works at
Bydgoszcz with ST45-011, ST44-1242 and
M62-1708 for Rail Pokska taking their pole
positions.02.03.2012

As well as the possibility to see freight, and the disappointment that once again very little turned up, Bydgoszcz is also home to the lage PESA railway works. As well as constructing DMU's of questionable quality the works here also specialises in overhauling locos including many older diesels for both PKP and private operators- what is even better is that a lot of the action can be seen through the fence from the station platform. The only problem here is the fence- so being inquisitive we wandered down to the rail gates and took some photos through the holes in the fence which came out much better. To our surprise the gates opened, and a few snaps later a member of staff appeared. He spoke only Polish but beckoned us in... were we really going to get a look inside the loco works!?

Ol49-59 at Poznan 02.03.2012.

No. Was the definitive answer. It turned out that PESA were not keen at all on us taking photos through their fence and after being invited into their office the strict instruction from an English speaking staff member was that we must delete our pictures and they would watch us doing it. Not having been in the situation before I didn't have a lot of choice and had not prepared for this- maybe it is a good thing now that I can't quite remember what was on the card from the works before the delete button was pressed. 

A bit scarred from the experience we made the best of what we could from the platform. Perhaps for operational reasons, or perhaps because they felt sorry for us (I strongly suspect the former) the shunters then proceeded to shunt around a good collection of the locos in the yard outside the works, parading them out of the gate in front of us, and our cameras, which of course were no problem if they stayed on the platform. Among the treasures were a number of M62's, German 'Ludmillas' and Polish ST48, ST43 and ST45 locos freshly overhauled into their new freight format from SU45's. 

Friday 3rd March 2012:

Pol Meidz Trans M62-1199 powers through Poznan Staroleka. 03.03.2012.

Konstal 105Na trams in service
outside Poznan station. 03.03.2012

Our final full day in Poland saw us spending more time in and around Poznan. After starting again on the main station we once again set off in pursuit of freight, knowing that we would not see any through the main station. We made the trip by tram to the station at Poznan Staroleka, another beautifully run down small Polish station to the south of the city. 

No rewards for guessing the location here as EN57-1769rb makes its call. 03.03.2012

ET22-1164 passes Staroleka light engine. 03.03.2012.

It didn't take long for us to realise that this had been a good decision. Finally we started to see some freight traffic at the sort of levels we had hoped for. What made it even better was warning of trains coming from the north. First the level crossing at the end of the platform would activate, followed by the loud rumble which indicated a freight train crossing the large viaduct immediately before the station. Only as the train hit the level crossing and curved into the station would we see what our cameras had heading towards them. 

The highlight of our time here was a particularly deep rumble which heralded the arrival of Pol-Miedz-Trans M62-1199. We had already seen one of their re-engined M62's which was pleasing in itself, but this time it was the smokey real-deal! 

As we left to head back to the main station something so far unknown on the trip also manifested - some sunlight!

Finally some sunshine! SU45-079 in Przeworzy Regionale colours waits to head its peak hour service to Leszno. 03.03.2012

SP32-202 waits outside the station at Poznan to
form the Fridays only train to Gorzow. 03.03.2012.

Back at Poznan Glowny it was time to enjoy some passenger diesels, very much towards the end of their decline in Poland. By this time, there was just one booked diesel departure on a weekday, the 15:34 Poznan - Leszno with an additional Fridays only service to Gorzow at 16:27. One of my main aims for the trip had been to see and ride behind an SU45, a very uniquely Polish diesel powered by a Fiat licenced engine. Once a common sight right across Poland's regional routes there were just a handful in traffic by this time and the runs out of Poznan were the best bet to score one, both trains being booked for SU45 haulage. 

The usual hopes of an EU06 manifest as our first freight at
Poznan Staroleka appears behind green EU07-195. 03.03.2012

The first of the two trains, the Fridays only Gorzow produced an SP32, in itself not easy to score and a tempting choice for a ride, but in the end I stuck to my guns and took SU45-079 in its attractive and unique red Prezworzy Regionale livery on the Leszno train. The stock was one of the now very rare articulated double decker sets, and with a bit of effort it was just about possible to get a window open enough to enjoy the sounds of the loco.

Saturday 4th March 2012:

ET22-017 pauses at Krzyz with a regional service to Szczecin Glowny. 04.03.2012

 

EP07-395 with a full IC rake of coaches
has arrived into Szczecin Glowny. 04.03.2012.

The final day of the trip dawned sunny! This meant another dash to the station in an attempt to re-take all the cloudy pictures we had from the rest of the week! 

Ol49-59 had also been cleaned and now looked particularly shiny in the sunshine. It was still early morning when James and I parted ways- he was booked on the direct flight back to London from Poznan which left around midday, while I had elected to take a more circuitous route home with an evening flight from Berlin, and there was a particular objective on the way.

EC179 is powered by 232-379 on the approach to Szczecin Glowny. 04.03.2012

EP08-010 Szczecin Glowny. 04.03.2012.

My journey out of Poznan began with ET22-017, the lowest number I had seen on the trip. This took me to Krzys where I had an hour or so to enjoy the sunshine before dropping back onto another green machine, EP07-395 to continue on to Szczecin Glowny. The reason for coming here was to get a ride with a DB 232 'Ludmilla' while I still could- by this time they had just one daily return passenger working, the final section of EC178/179 'Berliner' from Prague to Szczecin which was worked by the diesel for the final few miles across the German border from Angermunde into Poland. 

There was time to wander round, photograph a few trams and get into position for the inbound working which produced 232-379. All that was left now was to board the EC and get my Ludmilla in the book. Later in the year the train would be cut back to Berlin and bring the end to regular 232 workings in Germany. 

144-004 arrives into Angermunde with an RE3 service. 155-031 and 143-124 lead lines of former East German electrics in the yard. 04.03.2012.

186-135 has charge of the overnight train to
Kiev ready depart Berlin Hbf. 04.03.2012.

I wouldn't have much time in Germany so while the loco was changing at Angermunde I opted to connect onto a loco hauled regional service into Berlin rather than wait for the class 101 to take EC178 forward. 

In Berlin there was just time to take in the impressive Hbh with its dual level tracks before I had to think about getting to the airport. By this time the new airport at Berlin Brandemburg should have been in full operation, but delays which would continue to plague it for many years meant that the old airports at Tegal and Schonefeld were still in operation. With it's rail connection I opted for Schonefeld, I had assumed I would not depart from it's tarmac again- little did I know! 

114-018 stands at Berlin Schonefeld Flughaven. 04.03.2012.

Conclusions:

232-397 ready to depart from Szczecin for
Prague on EC178. 04.03.2012.

Another enjoyable trip to Poland when it was easy to find locos in the old liveries and there were still a number of older diesels around, at least if you looked in the right places! This winter we were blessed with neither the snow we dreamed of or the great light we had experienced the previous year (or the EU06's for that matter!) and this would be my last winter trip to Poland for some time. I would next cross the country just a few months later on my Trans-Siberian trip, by which time it was Summer and the gloomy Poland I knew looked an entirely different place.

Ol49-59 calls at Lubon on the outskirts of Poznan
with the morning service to Wolsztyn. 03.03.2012

By the time of my next serious 'railway' trip to Poland the blue livery of PKP Cargo had truly taken hold, the days of ET22's on passenger were behind and even some of the loco hauled long distance trains had succumbed to units.                                                                               Finishing the trip with the German 232 was a real highlight, perhaps in a large part because the weather had finally turned good! Despite the grey, a great trip all in all and my last truly visiting the Poland of old.

The desolate and dilapidated station at Wegliniec on a cold winters day.

SNCF Archive Trip Report 23-27 August 2011

A line up of classic traction at Creil on 25th August 2011. BB67614 and 67523 wait to work services to Beauvais, while classic Z6100 stainless steel EMU 183 waits to work a commuter service back to Paris. 25.08.2011.

Following on from our enjoyable trip to Poland in January 2011, James and James this time were bound to the somewhat 'less exotic' France; Land of wine, cheese and the SNCF. This was my half of the bargain of our initial foreign trips together. 

CC72157 works the 19:11 Paris - Troyes through
Val de Fontenay. 24.08.2011

Having started to pay some attention to foreign railways I had quickly realised that, actually, one didn't need to travel very far at all to find some very interesting traction. With diesel loco-hauled services in the UK almost non-existent it was quite a revelation to discover that some of the nearest 'proper' diesel loco hauled trains from my address were actually in France, less that 100 miles away as the crow flies- no further away that Birmingham! 

French trains looked to be stylish and full of character with a variety of pleasing liveries keep the photographer happy.

Ancient station pilot BB88517 at the Gare du Lyon. 26.08.2011

As well as the Intercities trains hauled by BB67400 diesels from Boulogne (a route I would visit many times over the following years, as the more recent trip reports here reveal) France was a country where away from the LGV high speed lines there were still many traditional practises and trains. The tides had however already turned and influxes of new multiple units in the 2000's had already made massive dents into the traditional SNCF image- it was definitely time to sample what was left.

Thursday 23rd August 2011

BB8588 works the 18:03 Montparnasse - Chartres with RIO stock on 23.08.2011 seen on the outskirts of Rambouillet.

BB16051 stands aside BB67484 which has arrived from Laon

The journey to Paris was certainly far simpler than the previous trip to Poland. It was a familiar journey which I had taken before by Eurostar-  though this was my first time departing from St Pancras International to Paris gare du Nord following the move of Eurostar from Waterloo. 

Immediately upon stepping off the train it was clear that there was plenty of variety and older liveries to be seen here with a variety of locos on the blocks including a 'multiservice' BB16000 and one of the original blue BB67400's which had arrived with a diesel hauled train from Laon.

BB7274 hauls the 18:48 Montparnasse - Chartres. 23.08.2011.

After dropping our baggs and setting in at a particularly small IBIS hotel we then made our way across the city to Gare Montparnasse. This is not the most attractive of Paris terminals being covered with an office building, but does have a number of loco hauled options. I had a location in mind for the evening peak which involved taking a train to the end of the commuter network at Rambouillet, followed by a walk to open countryside. While the sun wasn't as consistent as would have been ideal a number of pleasing shots were made of BB8500 and BB7200 electrics on the peak services to Charters and Le Mans. Included amongst the haul was BB8588 hauling an 8 car 'RIO' trainset- the only occasion I would see one of these outside of commuter use. These low height 'Rame Inox Omnibus' sets were previously used extensively in France; their light weight construction allowed reduced track wear and fast acceleration while the cab at one end allowed easy push-pull operation with diesel and electric locomotives negating any need to run around. 

Pleased with the first day we found a traditional restaurant in Rambouillet for dinner before heading back to the city and our accommodation.

Wednesday 24th August 2011

'Concrete' livery BB7273 works an Intercities service through Saint-Michelle-sur-Orge. 24.08.2011

BB26015 with an 'Aqualys' service from Tours and Orleans
seen passing Juvisy on 24.08.2011.

Today we headed south of the city in search of more loco hauled passenger and hopefully some freight. Our first port of call was the busy junction station of Juvisy, served by RER commuter trains but also a busy spot for passing Intercities trains from both Gare Austerlitz and Gare de Lyon as well as freight trains, being located south of the busy yard at Villeneuve-Saint-Georges. Unfortunately for all it has in quantity of trains it lacks in ease of photography- the many platforms split with the junction making it impossible to cover all of the station, and even then the views were cluttered and none too pleasing. 

Classic Sud-Est TGV 87 on classic lines at Saint-Michelle-sur-Orge. 24.08.2011

Alsthom multi-voltage 'Prima' BB37001 works 
through Saint-Michelle-sur-Orge. 24.08.2011

Much better was our second stop off at Saint-Michelle-sur-Orge where we spent much of the afternoon. While freight levels did not meet our aspirations with just a few trains we were at least rewarded with a regular stream of Intercities services heading to the south hauled by a mix of BB7200 'Nez-Cassis' locos as well as the more modern BB26000 'Sybic's. Regular 'Aqualys' trains passed as well as longer distance Téoz trains towards Toulouse with their brightly coloured Corail stock.

BB26047 speeds through Saint-Michelle-sur-Orge with a Teoz service. 24.08.2011.

Duplex TGV set 723 at Gare de Lyon. 24.08.2011.

After finishing our photography we headed further south to Etamps in order to avoid the lengthy all stations journey back to Paris on the RER. Our aim was to catch one of the few Intercities trains on the route which called here, within the Paris network (and valid on our 'mobilis' ticket). Everything worked well except that the train produced the first modern EMU we had seen on the route all day! Not the loco we had hoped for but it was undeniable that the EMU was comfortable and pleasant to travel on.

CC72141 powers through Rosny Bois Perrier with the 18:41 Paris - Mulhouse. 24.08.2011.

Having spent much of the day watching electric Intercities trains the menu for the evening was the diesel operation from Paris Gare de l'Est towards Troyes and Belfort powered by the large Alsthom 'Nez Casses' (broken nose) CC72100 class. There is a flurry of departures for the evening peak which were enjoyed from the Paris suburbs, the class quickly establishing themselves as a firm favorite of mine.

BB26051 prepares to work an overnight train to Italy (note the Italian stock) at Paris Bercy. 24.08.2011.

BB8640 on shunting duties at Bercy. 24.08.2011.

The final stop of the day was the somewhat unloved terminus at Paris Bercy, effectively an annex to the busy Gare de Lyon. Here we watched the shunting activities in the adjacent car terminal- SNCF operated a 'Motorail' service of sorts where passengers travelled by overnight sleeper train with their cars being transported on seperate Autotrains. One of the sleepers was then seen departing Bercy- perhaps more interesting was the older BB8640 in 'Concrete' livery which had worked the empty stock.

Thursday 25th August 2011

BB67587 waits to be detached from the 15:34 Boulogne - Paris at Amiens for an electric to work forward to Paris Nord on 25th August 2011.

Finally it was time to track down some of those 'local' diesel trains on the Boulogne line. These trains are traditional Intercities services of Corail coaches which are worked between Paris and Amiens with electric traction before switching to diesel haulage at Amiens to take the non-electrified route to Boulogne. 

16007 with the 15:34 Boulogne - Paris at Longeau. 25.08.2011.

We started our journey with BB15035 from Paris which then gave way to blue BB67587 forward. It was particularly pleasing to see one of the original blue locos on our train- this being the livery that these locos were delivered in from 1969. Unfortunately the success was short lived. James left the train at Noyelles while I stayed on to Rué. We were aware that there was a VSOE excursion booked from Calais to Paris that day, and pictures we had seen previously suggested that it would be routed via Amiens with a pair of BB67400's- I had a picture in mind at Rué but could only guess the times. Having found the spot and waited, and waited, and waited it became clear that the train was not coming. Infact, nothing was coming. Back at the station there were a lot less trains advertised than I was expecting- indeed there were precisely none expected before my train back to Paris. We had fallen victim to the SNCF daytime engineering line blocks! There was nothing for it except to abandon the railway and explore the town of Rué, at least enjoying a nice lunch in the process. Back at the station for the next train out of town, and it was BB67487 again on its return from Boulogne. We picked up James at Noyelles who was equally unimpressed with the traffic level (but had at least had some narrow gauge entertainment from the Baie du Somme railway). 

BB15035 will be next stop Paris Nord after departure from Creil. 25.08.2011.

The day needed some rescuing by the time we arrived into Amiens for the loco change. Working forward was one of the outgoing BB16000 class, BB16007 in 'En Voyage' livery which was taken the short hop to Longeau. From here I picked up BB67614 on a local TER service to Creil, pulling a single RRR (Rame Reversible Regionale) while James continued on seperately on the electric service.

Keen to get in a few more of the diesels from the low number I had netted for the day so far, I continued with another blue machine; BB67523 + RRR set on the line to Beauvais- a lovely rural route with mechanical signalling and loco haulage- lovely! At Baeuvais I failed to get any photos as I was met by SNCF security with a rather unfriendly dog who were having none of it - to date this is still virtually the only issue I have ever had with railway photography in France. The journey back to Paris was by way of a new double decker unit.

Friday 26th August 2011

Outgoing BB25259 works empty coaching stock into Lyon Perrache on 26th August 2011 ready to form an evening peak departure.

BB66205 Lyon Perrache. 26.08.2011

Today didn't go to plan. Quite literally, we had a plan to head into Luxembourg to seek out some of the CFL class 1800 'Nohab' derived diesels, but the weather forecast was terrible. In fact it was terrible across the whole of France. The plan was changed, we would attempt to outpace the southbound storm and instead headed by TGV to Lyon to sample the traction in that area. 

Initially this was a good plan. The sun was shining in Lyon upon our arrival, but it didn't last long. By the time we had set up at Lyon Peracche (the smaller, much prettier and more centrally located of the two main stations) the clouds were already rolling in. Still, there were some interesting trains here and the station had some promise (and a big canopy for shelter!). 

BB26187 heads an aggregate train through the rain at Lyon Part-Dieu. 26.08.2011

BB67351 at Lozanne pulling a 6 car RRR, working the
17:33 Lyon Part-Dieux - Roanne.26.08.2011

The Lyon area was home to the last handful of the BB25200 class which were living their dying days on TER services. While we had hoped we might catch the 'heritage' green liveried loco, we were at least able to catch up with one of the class on the very few diagrams they had at this point. After some success here I split from James to go in search of some freight- on my unit to my chosen location the storm well and truly caught up with us with torrential rain, thunder and lightening. 

BB22257 and inclement weather. 26.08.2011

It was no weather to be out looking for freight trains to photograh! My natural response was to consign myself to riding trains instead so I headed back to Lyon Part-Dieu and happened upon a diesel. I didn't really know where BB67375 was going but it's rake of RRR coaches was dry! I took the train to Lozzane (it was headed for Roanne) before taking an AGC unit back to Part-Dieu and then a Sybic to be re-united with James at Lyon Perrache.

Duplex TGV 712 at Lyon Perrache. 26.08.2011

There were a good number of freight trains around Lyon (we had seen very few around Paris) and many here tended to be with older traction- sadly the light simply wasn't up to photographing many of them. All in all not a bad day, if a wet one. I never would see a CFL 1800!

Saturday 27th August 2011

BB15026 and BB26002 stand in the 'Grand Lignes' platforms at Paris St Lazare. The 'Sybic' was one of only a couple to wear the En Voyage livery, most still retaining the original colour scheme at this time. 27.08.2011.

BB64610 leads a collection of small locos through the
classic french station at Chaumont. 27.08.2011. 

It was an early start as I headed out alone to Paris Est. Having been won over by the CC72100 class I really needed to have a ride behind one. These locos don't make any stops within the paris area so it was going to a long distance bash, and with infrequent services the best bet was to take the 07:11 Paris Est - Belfort, which produced CC72145, as far as Chaumont. Here I had almost an hour before CC72141 would take me back to Paris. While not the most exciting thrash from the re-engined locos and within the air conditioned Corail coaches the locos were enjoyable enough to ride behind, the drone of their power being noticable from the front of the trains. These characteristic diesels had certainly become firm favorites of mine- little did I know then that I would end up traveling on the last service train they would work a few years later. 

CC72145  under threatening skies at Chaumont while working the 07:11 Paris Est - Belford. 27.08.2011

17056 Asniers sur Seine 27.08.2011

The remains of our schedule for the day would take in some of the suburban loco hauled operations around Paris. First we headed out of Gare du Nord on the RER to Le Bourget in a final desperate search for some freight. We did see some but the angles were not good. After watching a few BB17000's which did not stop here, it was back into the city and out to the suburban lines from Gare St Lazare. 

BB26013 makes its final approach to Gare St Lazare through Asniers sur Seine. 27.08.2011

373105 with its high speed sisters line up at
Paris Nord,seen from the
Eurostar departure lounge 27.08.2011

St Lazare was a mecca for electric loco haulage with BB15000 and BB26000 'Sybic's working the Grand Lignes into Brittany and Normandy to locations including Rouen, Cherbourg and Le Harve. On the suburban routes it was BB17000's and the modern BB27300's that worked both push/pull single decker 'RIB' stock and high capacity double decker 'VB2N' rakes. From St Lazare the first stop served by the loco hauled trains was Asniers sur Seine, just a few minutes from the terminal. 

We whiled away several hours in this area riding and photographing the trains before, most likely, cutting it fine to get a loco hauled train back into Paris, pick up our bags and head back to the Gare du Nord for our Eurostar home.

Conclusions:

The 18:33 Montparnasse - Nogent le Rotrau is seen west of 
Rambouillet in the hands of BB8591 on 23rd August 2011. 

This was a fairly quick and easy trip and had confirmed, despite some peoples scepticism, that there really was still a lot on offer just across the channel in France. I had particularly enjoyed the variety of liveries on the older locos, which seemed to carry all of their incarnations in roughly equal numbers. It was as if each time a new paint scheme was announced, locos were painted into it at random for a few years until a new one was developed - with many locos simply escaping the paintbrush altogether. 

While not as well known as the 'broken nose' design of locos, many of the older SNCF fleets maintained a stylish look. BB16041 rests at Paris Nord on 26th August 2011.

Loco haulage in France was well in decline by the time of this visit and several classes were seen that would disappear before my next visit. It was never going to be as good again, but this trip was the foundation for almost a decade of very enjoyable, if at times frustrating, trips to France. Hopefully there will be enough interest post Covid for another, before it really is too late.