Corby HST Diverts 5th July 2020

VP-185 powered Midland HST set 43048 and 43049 head north with 1D21 10:00 St Pancras - Nottingham. The picturesque town of Harringworth is in the foreground.

From ground level the Harringworth viaduct is no less impressive. Ex LNER
power cars 43309 and 43317 work 1F44 14:55 St Pancras - Leeds.

The route from Corby to Manton junction is usually regarded as a quiet backwater of the railways. A lone passenger service operated by East Midlands Railway covers the route on weekdays together with a handful of freight trains each day. Indeed until 2009 when the station at Corby was re-opened by East Midlands Trains Corby itself saw no passenger traffic, winning it the accolade of being the largest town in Britain without an active rail station. Such is the success of the new station at Corby that the line from the south is now being electrified in preparation for a half-hourly interval service- however the line north will continue to be bereft of passenger services. 

43058 and 43045 are seen from the northern side of the viaduct as they work 1C61 17:14 Leeds - St Pancras.

As well as its use for freight the line also serves as an important diversionary route for the Midland Mainline when it is closed between Kettering and Leicester with trains taking the diversionary route via Corby, Oakham and Melton Mowbray. Due to planned engineering works this was the case on 5th July 2020 for my visit- the usual handful of freight trains giving way to several express passenger workings each hour in the hands of East Midland Railway's class 222 meridians and HST's. 

 North of Harringworth lies the much smaller Seaton viaduct
which is crossed here by ex LNER 43318 & 43257 with
East Midlands Mk3's working 1C43 10:53 Leeds - St Pancras.

The most impressive structure on the line is undoubtedly the 82 arch, grade II listed Harringworth Viaduct which spans the Welland valley straddling the boundary of Northamptonshire and Rutland as it does. The viaduct was designed by WH Barlow and is thought to contain more than 30 million bricks, the first of which was laid in March 1876 with construction of the full 1,171 meters being completed in July two years later. Dominating the landscape for miles around it is the viaduct which is the greatest draw to the photographer on this route and indeed draws enthusiasts from miles around when steam excursions are routed over it. 

43309 + 43317 chase the sun as they exit Seaton tunnel and begin to cross the viaduct while working 1B41 09:43 Leeds - St Pancras.

Another Midland HST set, 43073 & 43059 head north over the viaduct with 1F39 13:50 St Pancras - Sheffield.

Photographers look on as 43257 & 43318 work
1D46 15:03 St Pancras - Sheffield.

My visit was not aimed at a steam special but the more run of the mill Intercity 125 HST. These trains have been operating on the Midland Mainline since 1983 and have been diverted over the Harringworth Viaduct numerous times during their careers- however change is in the air with replacement trains being ordered for the fleet. PRM (Passengers of Reduced Mobility) legislation however has dictated that the native fleet of HST's including the last VP185 engined power cars are to be removed from traffic as soon as possible, replaced temporarily by 'more compliant' sets cascaded from LNER. The transition should have been complete at the beginning of 2020 but had been delayed granting the attractive Stagecoach (ex East Midland Trains) sets a stay of execution. Would this be the last opportunity to see them in full squadron service over the viaduct?

A second view of ex-LNER power cars 43257 & 43318 working 1D46 15:03 St Pancras - Sheffield, the spire of the Church of St John the Baptist in Harringworth visable above the train.

My final photo of the day, 222013 viewed beyond the country lanes while working 1F49 15:55 St Pancras - Sheffield.

IÉ + NIR Archive Trip Report 'The Great Ireland Adventure' 31 March - 3 April 2008

Top: IÉ Mk3's (note slide plug doors unlike UK examples) catch the sun at Portarlington. 01.04.2008
Middle: NIR 'Castle' DEMU 454 approaches Trooperslane. 03.04.2008
Bottom: NIR '80' DEMU 69 arrives into Whiteabbey. 03.04.2008

I had been warned by a friend at my Model Railway Club that I would like Ireland and its traditional railways with locomotives, familiar British coaches, old infrastructure and plenty of charm. I was also warned that I needed to go very quickly before it was all gone! I had been to Ireland once before (aside from a brief stop off on an Aer Lingus flight from London to Chicago which definitely didn't count) for the 'Portrush Thumper' railtour using NIR's 80 class 'Thumpers' when I was young enough that I had to take my long suffering dad along for company.  

I had barely photographed any IÉ trains on that trip and after a bit of research it seemed I was in the nick of time to get over to the Emerald Isle while there was still some good action left. IÉ had started to take delivery of its new Hyundai-Rotem 22000 class DMU's which were due to replace almost all loco-hauled operations. It was time to plan a trip and in Easter 2008 I headed over to Ireland, this time with my friend Jon in tow. Easter was early that year and we were just in time. 

31st March 2008-

Above: 202 shunts at Dublin Heuston in the revised IÉ livery with yellow ends. 31.03.2008.
Below: 085 leads the line of active locos outside Inchicore Depot. Small GM 167 stands spare on the depot. 31.03.2008

After flying from London we arrived at Dublin's Heuston station late morning. We had heard that today was the final day that IÉ would be using Mk2 stock- there were two options which train the Mk2's would work in from Athlone and it turned out to be the wrong one- the earlier train the 05:05 Athlone - Dublin Heuston had already arrived and was long gone- Our first disappointment was ultimately to have missed the Mk2's by a matter of hours. 

Mk2's were just the last in a string of trains we had missed in Ireland, the steam heated Cravens coaches having finally finished in 2006 and the small GM classes of 121, 141 and 181 having finished their passenger duties over the past few years. The class 121 was hanging on to existence by a thread with only two locos officially in service but doing very little work, official withdrawal coming in June. 

What we had not missed however was a large number of loco hauled trains in the traditional orange and black colours hauled by the 201 'River' class and a handful of the venerable 071's. The 'small GM' classes of 141 and 181 still worked freight and pilot duties and Northern Ireland still had a few surprises as well. 

Above: The days two pilot locos, small GM's 173 (141 class) and 192 (181 class) shunt stock at Heuston. 31/03/2008
Middle: 173 pauses outside the carriage shed at Heuston. 
Bottom: Passing the oldest locos (just) still on the roster at Inchicore, class 121's 124 and 134 built by GM from 1960.

A pleasant few hours were spent in the sunshine at Heuston; a building site during my brief visit in 2005, but now a pleasant terminal station full of locos! Almost all trains arrived behind 201's which would then be shunt released by the two small GM's on pilot duties; 173 and 192, before disappearing off to the shed outside the station or back to the depot at Inchicore. 

Having seen our first 071 class, 077 arrive with a train from Athlone we then boarded a train out to Kildare behind 213. Passing Inchicore works we sighted the last two 121 class locomotives, 124 and 134 which were still officially running- I don't believe they moved during our whole visit, but they were turned on on one occasion. 

Above: 216 leads a Dublin - Cork service formed of Mk4 stock through Kildare. 31.03.2008
Below: Another Cork service at the hands of 231 this time arriving into Thurles.

There was about 40 minutes to wait for our next move at Kildare during which time a 201 was seen in both directions with Mk4 stock on workings to and from Cork. The next train was the 13:25 from Heuston to Limerick Junction- a train which would become something of a staple of this trip as it was one of the few that was now booked for an 071. On this occasion 085 in the, at the time new colours of black and silver, was entrusted to the train with a set of push-pull Mk3's which we took forwards to Thurles. With the help of the European Rail Timetable we knew there would be a good connection here back into Heuston and some 20 minutes later 219 arrived pushing a set of Mk4's from Cork. I recall we were impressed with the coaches, particularly the LED route maps which showed where the train was calling.

GM (071 class) 085 prepares to depart from Thurles while working the 13:25 Heuston - Limerick Junction on 31st March 2008. The silver/black livery had recently replaced the traditional Orange and Black on several 071's. 

201 'River' Class 213 'River Moy' pauses at Kildare with a rake of Mk3's. 31.03.2008

181 class 192 is pictured outside Heuston waiting its next pilot duties. 31.03.2008.

078 leads in to Heuston with a full orange and black Mk3 rake- this could have been the last Mk2 working in the country however this stock was used on an earlier train much to our disappointment! 31.03.2008

1st April 2008-

Another part of the Irish network to explore today as we headed south from Heuston bound for Waterford. While keen initially to cover the route to Rosslare for the coastal scenery locos had already finished here so it was left to 223 to take us south via a reversal at Killkenny- these trains being formed of push-pull Mk3's to avoid the need to run round here.

 

After admiring the impressive signal box we boarded our next train, which we always knew would be a DMU- 2708 working one of the sparse services from Waterford to Limerick Junction, which is actually nowhere near the town of Limerick but is on the main line! 

Here we spotted our only freight train of the trip, a train of 4 wheeled cement 'bubbles' which themselves did not have long left in service before the cement traffic was lost by IÉ.

Completing the circle back to Dublin Heuston was 216 with another train of Mk4's from Cork. Well, it would have got us back to Dublin had we not had a hair brain scheme to get a few more locos and photos in the book! We took 216 back to Thurles where there was an opportunity to photograph 075 working the 13:25 Heuston - Limerick Junction. We then took our first 22000 DMU, 22015 to Kildare (where the Cork trains did not stop). From here ther ewere other options into Dubline and we dropped back a train to pick up some Mk3's with 205.

Top: Mk3 control car 6104 has led a Mk3 rake and 201 into Waterford after reversing at Killkenny. Unlike the UK DVT's these coaches consisted of not just a cab, but also full seating as well as a generator to provide train supply. 01.04.2008
Middle: The impressive signalbox at Waterford. 01.04.2008
Above: 205 brings a Mk3 rake into Kildare. 01.04.2008

From my lack of photos I would assume it was then a quick dash to take 204 back out to Kildare before another positioning move, this time with 22014 (the DMU's being quite light and comfortable despite our negative thoughts towards them for killing off the loco haulage!) to Portarlington. We arrived here in perfect time to see the evening 'peak' trains from Dublin pass through on their way out to the country. In perfect light we captured several 201's (including 201, the leader of the class) with their striking orange and black formations. 

The reason we were here however wasn't for photos- it was to pick up 075 on its run back from Limerick Junction to Heuston, our longest run yet behind the class. Having seen the train earlier with the loco leading a push-pull rake we were pleasantly surprised to see 075 on the front of the driving trailer heading back to Dublin.

Top: The new order, Hyundai - Rotem 22000 DMU 14 at Kildare which we would take forward to Portarlington. The new DMU's had already ousted some of the more interesting loco hauled workings and by September 2009 all Mk3's had also been replaced. 01.04.2008
Middle: Another Mk3 control car, 6013 leads into Portarlington. 02.04.2008

In perfect lighting conditions 212 leads a long rake of Mk3's on an evening commuter service from Dublin seen arriving at Portarlington. 01.04.2008

The sun just shone as 075 is pictured in a fresh coat of the new silver and black livery approaching Thurles with the 13:25 Heuston - Limerick Junction. 01.04.2008

225 leads a push-pull rake into the terminal station at Killkenny from Waterford where it will pass our train, also in the process of reversing at Killkenny, and brought in by 223 which will now push to Waterford. 01.04.2008

Another victim of withdrawal in recent years are the 2700 DMU's built from 1997, which were all stored in 2012 despite being overhauled just a few years earlier. All remain in store with IÉ and consideration has been given to returning a number to service. 2702 would be our train from Waterford to Limerick Junction, seen at Waterford on 1nd April 2008.

2nd April 2008- 

Our last day in the Republic of Ireland and a morning appointment at the Guinness Storehouse (Afterall Jon wasn't here for the trains- he was here for the Guinness). It wasn't easy to drag him out of the gift shop in time for the 13:25 Heuston - Limerick but we did just about both make it. 077 was in charge today, finally netting us an 071 in the original colours. This was enjoyed to Portarlington where we had a little wait for a move back into Dublin which arrived in the form of 225 pushing a push-pull set. We didn't have time to go through to Limerick Junction today as we had a hotel booked across the border and couldn't afford to miss the Dublin - Belfast enterprise train. 

Top: 192 shunting at Dublin Heuston 31.03.2008.
Above: 209 stands at Dublin Connolly ready to work the 'Enterprise' service to Belfast Central. 02.04.2008.
Below: Small GM's 167 and 184 sit within Inchicore works seen from a passing train. The small Bo-Bo GM's would all be withdrawn by 2011 replaced by the larger Co-Co 071's and 201's displaced from passenger work.

We made our way from Heuston to Connolley by the Luas tram to board the Enterprise with 209 at the helm and making plenty of noise even while stationary, the locos using their Head End Power on these trains rather than the generator vans used elsewhere. Loco hauled trains to Sligo had finished before our visit so the Enterprise to Belfast was now the only 'interesting' train to grace Connolly. These trains operate with De Dietrich stock which replaced Mk2a's in 1997 and run several times a day between the two capitals. 

We took the train to Portadown where we would change to a local unit- there was a good reason we were not spending the night in Belfast and with limited accommodation options we had a room booked near the station at Moira- since the 'Enterprise' did not stop here it was a local CAF unit which would complete our journey for the day.

3rd April 2008- 

NIR's 8113 rolls into Moira with the 'Gatwicks' on the 07:50 Portadown - Belfast Central. 03.04.2008

A lot rested on the move this morning working- the only train hauled by NIR's 111 class was the 07:50 Portadown - Belfast Central and this was our only shot at it. Despite leaving in good time we were nearly thwarted by the level crossing which lowered just as we had crossed it and would have marooned us on the wrong platform. Fortunately everything worked as planned and 8113 duly showed up pulling the 'Gatwick' Mk2 stock. These locos are based on the Irish 071 and were a follow on order for 3 locos originally to work Enterprise services as well as infrastructure trains. The 'Gatwick' coaches were, as the nickname suggests class 488 vehicles imported from Gatwick Express operation in England in 2001 and used by NIR until 2009, latterly working just this one daily train. Despite NIR taking deliver (and spending a lot of money) on a Mk2 DBSO in 2009 it never saw service and the 'Gatwicks' were instead disbanded. 

Above: The last pair of unrefurbished '80' class DEMU's 69 + 89 cross River Lagan with a service from Larne Harbour to Belfast Central. 03.04.2008
Below: Castle DEMU 452 at Belfast Central. These trains looked very much like the BR class 150 and while having a very similar bodyshell stood effectively on Mk1 style chassis with an above floor engine. 03.04.2008

'Gatwicks' out of the way interest turned to the important issue of 'Thumper' bashing. Those familiar with the SR DEMU's would have no difficulty recognising the sound of the 4SRKT engines which powered the Mk2 based '80' class and the more modern looking 450 'Castle' DEMU's. 

The '80's by this point were very much on their last legs in original form (indeed I had been on their farewell tour three years previously!) though some were being overhauled in England and would continue for a few more years. The 450's were not seen as threatened at this point but would also ultimately be withdrawn in 2012, just a year after the remaining slam-door '80' class. 

Above: 69 catches a brief moment of sun at Whitehead on the Larne line. 03.04.2008
Middle: 456 approaches Troopersland- the 'engine' end of the Castle units did not have a gangway due to restricted room to walk past the engineroom. 03.04.2008
Bottom: My last sighting of a DEMU in regular service- 069 dissapears into the tunnel at Belfast Central heading back to Larne. 03.04.2008

Armed with the diagrams we set about making up some moves, firstly taking one of the CAF 3000 units to Trooperslane in order to pick up our first 'Castle', 57 'Bangor Castle' back in to Belfast. The opportunity arose to amass a little more 201 mileage with an 'Enterprise' move to Portadown and back netting 207 and 206 before a lunch and a few more DEMU moves. Lunch was taken overlooking the River Lagan where we could also sit and enjoy the Thumpers crossing the river bridge and make sure that the sole '80' in operation turned up as we expected - which it did formed a 4 car with 69 and 89. 

We took a full run over the Larne line with the '80' and then a short move back to Trooperslane. 54 'Carrickfergus Castle' was then taken back into Belfast and then to Whiteabbey putting us in place for one final run with the '80' back to Belfast Central. 

All that was left was a fill in move on a couple of CAF DMU's to Bangor West before heading back to Sydenham and Belfast City airport to fly home- a successful trip to Ireland completed!

NIR's 111 on York Road depot. The three NIR locos were a follow on order and are effectively the same design as the IÉ 071 class. 03.04.2008.

An unidentified 'Castle' set crosses the Lagan river providing great sound affects to accompany lunch. 03.04.2008.

456 arrives into Trooperslane. 03.04.2008.

Journey's end for 089 as it stands at Larne Harbour. The four car set worked for a few more months in unrefurbished format before these workings ceased. Refurbished 'Thumpers' continued to find work for a few more years with NIR before replacement by more DMU's from CAF. 03.04.2008.

206 stands at Belface Central with an 'Enterprise'- we had taken this cross border train on a short run from Portadown. 03.04.2008.

457 Arrives into Trooperslane and would be our first ride on the 450 'Castle' class to Belfast Central. 03.04.2008.

CAF DMU 3006 was our final train of the trip taken from Bangor West to Sydenham for Belfast City Airport. 03.04.2008.

PKP Poland Archive Trip Report 8-12 February 2011

Green Scene - TEM2-185 is passed by EU07-148 at Trzeibinia. 09.02.2011

Introduction:

A good view of the impressive over-line signal box at Gliwice 
as SM42-1058 shunts into the station. 10.02.2011

Another of my early 'pre-blog' trips and in my eyes my first 'proper' trip abroad for railways (I'm not including Ireland or a couple of short hops!). This was born out of a conversation sometime during 2010 with James Hawkes about some of the foreign trains we would both like to see. He was not a newcomer to the Euro-trip having been to Germany and several other countries with his dad, but hadn't had the opportunity to head out much further. I had seen very little of trains abroad but was aware how close France was and there were certainly some trains I wanted to see there but I had nobody to go with. James however wanted to go to Poland, and similarly had nobody to go with. You can probably guess the arrangement that was agreed - first up was Poland with France to follow later in the year. Winter was selected, firstly as we were both itching to go, and secondly because we fancied our chance at getting some snow (well... that didn't work out!). We also particularly wanted to catch up with the few remaining British built EU06 locomotives (based on the class 85 and built by English Electric)- only 20 were built, before production began in Poland of their sister class EU07 and very few of the 'Brits' remained in traffic. As it turns out we never saw an EU-06 either- but we did have an excellent trip with largely good winter weather and an excellent introduction to Poland!

EU07-342 heads towards Kraków Gł at as it approaches Kraków Łobzów. The loco wears the, then fairly new PKP IC colours. 09.02.2011

Day 1 - 8th Feburary 2011:

Several private operators use ex-PKP ET21's. 3E/1-86 is one such example caught passing Gliwice. 10.02.2011

EU07-356 leads a line of 5 classmates waiting for their 
next duty at Kraków Płaszów. 12.02.2011

We arrived into Kraków and took the modern DMU shuttle linking the airport and the main station where the photography immediately commenced. This was a whole new experience for me- I was used to holidays with my parents where I would have to beg for 15 minutes (which usually ended up being much longer) to take a couple of pictures of trains as we passed through the station. Now here I was at Kraków Gł with a licence to take as many railway photos as I wanted, until our cases became a burden and dinner beckoned at least!

Day 2 - 9th Feburary 2011:

ET41-156 passes through Kraków Łobzów with a coal train. 09.02.2011

SM42-925 is in the goods platform at Kraków Łobzów being 
loaded with a train of scrap metal. 09.02.2011

Day two began at Kraków Gł where I got my first proper taste of Polish railways, and also learned that the rebuilt station was no gem for photography- a car park above much of the platform space and very wide canopies making the place dingy and cluttered. We soon moved on by way of my first EN-57 EMU to Kraków Łobzów, just around the corner. Łobzów was a small suburban station with two lines leading to the main passenger station but also had interest as this is the location where the freight lines diverge to the north of the city to avoid the centre. The station itself wasn't great for photography (and like so many in Poland has been totally re-built since) so we set up camp on the long 'Goods' platform nearby- this was actively being used to load a scrap with an SM42 diesel, but none of the workers seemed too bothered by our presence. 

EU07-223 was one of only a handful seen on the trip to be wearing the blue livery. Kraków Łobzów station, behind the train, has since been completely re-built. 09.02.2011

SM42-283 passes Kraków Łobzów with what appears to be a train of scrap coaching stock. 09.02.2011

A typical polish scene as EN57-1170 calls at Krakow Łobzów.
More than 1400 of these EMU's were produced over a period
of 32 years from 1962-93 making them the longest produced
EMU in the world. 09.02.2011

A number of PKP passenger trains were seen here, mostly in the hands of the EU/EP-07 passenger locos as well as some ECS workings to and from the main station. We also saw a handful of freights, the highlight being Green ET41 pair ET41-156 on a coal working, these locos effectively being the double unit of the EU07 (and most likely the first proper 'double unit' locomotive I had ever seen. 

With a successful morning behind us we then boarded a train to the industrial town of Trzebinia.

I remember Trzebinia being possibly the grottiest industrial town I had thus visited- but it was a great railway location with frequent freight and passenger trains. We quickly became distracted by a train which was shunting in the roads to the side of the station- it was formed of a number of coal hoppers top and tailed by a NZTK loco numbered S200-260 (my first sighting of the ChME3 family) and a very colourful TEM2-185 from PTK Holdings SA Zabeze - this one also made a nice bit of noise and smoke!  

NZTK S200-260 of the ChME3 family shunts at Trzebinia. 09.02.2011

PTK Holding TEM2-185 brightens up (and blackens the skies) at Trezibnia while running around its coal train. 09.02.2011

SM42-609 passes through the station at Trzebinia, these locos 
being pretty ubiquitous across Poland. To the right an 
independent snowplough can be seen in blue. 09.02.2011

We were also lucky to catch sight of PKP ET21-386 which arrived light engine. At the time these locos, dating from 1957 were on the brink of extinction with the national operator though we did understand those that were left tended to operate in the mountainous south. We had one more stop today at Jarwozno Szczakowa, reached on an EN47, however by the time we reached the station the light was fading. The nearby hump yard was busy and several SM31's were working here- I class I had not seen but was not able to photograph properly from the station. We had a nose around the depot which included photographing a few more ET41's- we didn't want to delve too far in the dark however and happy with our haul for the day we returned by Kraków hauled by one of the very likeable green ET22 locomotives which were hired to Przewozy Regionalne at the time.

At the end of its career ET21-386 parks up at Trzebinia- this would be the only example I would see in service with PKP. Completing the scene is an ET22 hauled coal train. 09.02.2011

Day 3 - 10th Feburary 2011:

ET22-606 has passed under the signal box and slows to call at Gliwice with a Prezwozy Regionale service. 
At the time PR were hiring in a number of ET22's from PKP Cargo. 10.02.2011

An overall view of Gliwice station with an EN57 and a PKP 
Intercity train hauled by EU07-1014, one of a small number 
re-built with twin windows following accident damage. 10.02.2011

Day three began with another ET22 hauled journey. ET22-986 was a slight disappointment being the exact same loco that had taken us back from Jarwozno last night! The run to Gliwice passed plenty of industry and all of the railway interest that you would expect to go with it, though was tediously slow. Some of the highlights were a green SM31 as well as several Rail Polska M62's. We had been keen to catch these locos, based on the Soviet design but painted into the familiar colours of Wisconsin Central (who used a very similar livery for Rail Polska as for EWS in the UK). Unfortunately the locos we passed in yards were all that we would see of Rail Polska- their trains avoiding us while we had our cameras poised at stations.

SM31-099 and Rail Polska M62-1532 are seen from 
the train window as we pass en-route to Gliwice. 
10.02.2011

We arrived at Gliwice late morning and waited for the trains to flow - We had a really good day here photographing a good range of traction, including more of my personal favourites, the green ET22's. There were plenty of private operators here also with some former Czech Skoda's as well as some of the venerable ET21's which had passed on from PKP ownership.

Looking slightly garish in a fresh application of the new PKP Cargo livery, the familiar shape of SM42-149 enters the station confines at Gliwice. 10.02.2011

As well as ex-PKP locos a number of former Slovak Skoda's have also found private use in Poland. STK / Lotos 181-066 is one such example, seen emerging from the impressive signal box to the east of Gliwice. 10.02.2011 

EU07-195 pauses at Katowice with an intermodal service. 10.02.2011

After a very good afternoon at Gliwice it was time to move on to our final stop for the day at Katowice, as we began our journey back to Kraków. Unfortunately the short winter days had beaten us and there was virtually no light left by the time we arrived. The station however oozed decrepit character, I was especially taken with the large station sign in broken Neon lights- if only they still worked. Just before heading home there was a quick flight of excitement - a single green loco had pulled in on a freight - the most likely candidate yet for our sought after EU06! It wasn't to be, however PKP Cargo EU07-195 still made a nice sight in the fading light.

A line up of EN57 EMU's at the old Katowice station. 10.02.2011

Day 4 - 11th Feburary 2011:

In somewhat less than perfect conditions an interesting pair of CTL locos approaches Kozłów. The first, ET22-R003 was built in Poland for use in Morocco, being repatriated in 2003 and converted to Polish standards. The second loco is ET13-R003 is an ex-Slovak class 140. 11.02.2011

The green livery of EP07-361 is all taht is available to brighten
up a very dull morning at Kozłów. The loco is working the tail
end of an overnight sleeper service. 11.02.2011

In contrast to the trip so far, our final full day in Poland dawned overcast and wet. We had some time for the weather to brighten though as our journey north to Kozłów would take almost 3 hours on an EN57 EMU. Our mission was to reach the LHS (Linia Hutnicza Szerokotorowa), an intrusion of the Russian broad-gauge system into Poland (where 1435mm Standard Gauge is in use as it is in most of Western Europe). There are several sections of the LHS that follow the standard railway and Kozłów is one of these. The appeal here aside from the novelty of the Broad gauge (which I had not seen elsewhere at this point) was that the trains used ST44 locomotives, Polish versions of the M62. Unlike many working for PKP they had not been re-engined and tended to work the trains in multiple, interspersed with some of the ST40 locos which were heavily built ST44's from the underframe upwards. Unfortunately Kozłów is in the middle of nowhere and as we soon discovered having reached the bridge where we could see all the lines, it was also windy and cold! 

A solitary 'interesting' private freight arrived quickly behind a CTL ET22 topping a Skoda, but other than this and occasional passenger trains on the fast trunk line towards Warsaw there was limited traffic- There were even less facilities for us in the cold and wet; it was getting a big grim! Determined to stick it out for the broad gauge line we took shelter under the road bridge we had been standing on to keep out of the wind- eventually at the point we had all but given up and were simply counting down the time until we could board a train back to Kraków a distant rumbling began to emerge. After initially dismissing it the noise only grew louder and eventually a colossal freight came into view on the LHS, hauled by a trio of ST44 locomotives! Exactly what we wanted, even if the picture would be poor in this weather. 

ST44-2039 breaks the silence at Kozłów leading a tripple headed freight on the broad gauge LHS. 11.02.2011

We had no hesitation in boarding the next train back to Kraków pleased that we had at least seen what we came for. The weather was still poor so we took a few photos in the main station before enjoying a run out to Tarnow and back to get a couple more locos in the book. 

Day 5 - 12th Feburary 2011:

An overview from the bridge over the depot at Krakow Prokocim. EU07 electric and SM42 diesel classes dominate the scene. 12.02.2011

A Konstal 105 tram in the streets of Krakow. These Polish-built
vehicles are slowly being replaced with more modern
(often second hand) examples. 12.02.2011

Thankfully our final day dawned sunny again. We headed first to Kraków Płaszów, the cities second station we then made our way by tram to the PKP's main depot in at Prokocim. Initially we struggled to find the depot so adopted the approach taken by the locals, using the railway as our path to find it! Once we had there was the next conundrum- we had never done a foreign depot visit before and were unsure of the protocol - should we introduce ourselves and ask to look around, put on our hi-vis jackets or simply walk in. We settled on the latter since we were not sure what we would say if we did ask (Polish not being our strong point), and felt that the HV jacket option would only attract attention. We didn't have any problems- the only staff we encountered seemed quite happy after we gave them a wave!  

An E1 tram (ex Vienna) works its way through Krakow. 12.02.2011

PKP noses on Krakow Prokocim depot. 12.02.2011

Again we were hoping to catch some of the British built EU06's here, but we had missed them. Several examples had been stored at Kraków but had recently been cut up. That really was our last chance for the trip defeated. Despite that disappointment there was a sea of green locos on the depot and a final treat as we left with one of my favourites, ET22-874 outside with a steel train. I left James back at Płaszów as he planned to spend the afternoon photographing the action there, while I embarked on a whistle-stop tour of the city by tram finishing up at the castle for sundown. We re-convened for a final time before heading back to the airport for our flight home.

ET22-874 pauses outside the depot at Kraków Prokocim with a steel train. The old coaling stages of the depot can be seen in the background. 12.02.2011

The full line up of traction led by EP07-1035 at Krakow Plaszow waiting for their next duties. The red and cream livery was for PKP Intercity before being replaced by the current blue/grey scheme demonstrated on the third and fourth loco. 12.02.2011

EU07-309 crosses the Vistula river heading between Kraków Gł and Płaszów with traditional liveried coaches. 12.02.2011

Conclusions:

ET22-721 passes Gliwice with a coal train. These distinctive Co-Co locomotives really caught my eye on this trip to Poland with the traditional green ones becoming a firm favourite. 10.02.2011

EP09-046 wears the original livery for the class as it prepares to
depart Krakow Plaszow. The EP09 was built from 1986-1997 with
each of the 47 locomotives being slightly different. 12.02.2011

The snow had failed and the EU06's hadn't produced but this had been a great introduction to Polish railways and a really good taster for what Europe had to offer. I probably didn't realise then how many more foreign trips this would lead to, but I guess once you've got the bug it is inevitable. 

By 2011 Poland's railways were already progressing towards a more modern future with the first signs of investment starting to come through, among the sea of EN57's we would occasionally see new EMU's and the new corporate blue livery for PKP Intercity was starting to appear.  By our next trip the following year it was noticeable that the traditional green livery was starting to disappear rapidly and today it is only heritage repaints that keep the old flag flying. Investment in stations has continued as well with both Gliwice and Katowice stations having been totally re-built and the norm or just being able to 'wander' off platforms and across tracks has very much been clamped down on. I've not visited Poland exclusively for a rail trip for a few years, but there is still much it has to offer and I'm sure I will feel its call again before too long.

ET22-527 pauses beneath the once impressive neon station signs at Katowice. One of the original neon signs has been rescued and is kept illuminated on the refurbished station. 10.02.2011