Introduction
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| 263 010 departs from Vinohrady towards Bratislava. 11/07/2023 |
I had some leave in July booked for some time, but being so close to my recent trip to the USA and Canada (report still pending!) it became apparent that I had no plan just a few weeks left to go.
I didn't really want to waste the leave, and after some disappointing weather across the pond wanted to be somewhere 'easy' and where I knew I would have a good time whatever the elements threw at me.
While out in Canada, James Hawkes had expressed an interest in Slovakia, and after eventually deciding not to head to Portugal for a second time in only a few months a plan was made around this with plenty of targets to cross off the list. The 14 day weather forecast was already out at the point of booking the flights and it looked largely promising!
Monday 10th July
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742 447 trips wagons around the back of the station at Břeclav. 10/08/2023
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Flew out with Wizz from Gatwick to Vienna hand-luggage only to avoid the extra fees, and also since I was travelling around quite a lot.
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| 242 289 and 749 181 stabled at Břeclav. 10/07/2023 |
I didn't spend long in Austria, hopping on a Railjet to the HBf and then straight onto another bound for Břeclav just over the border in the Czech Republic. The intense heat of Vienna had reduced on my arrival, but in my typical style (this year at least) I arrived to a thunderstorm. James informed me that the weather *had* been lovely- roughly until the time that my plane landed! My umbrella had already been used and it was only day one! Good start! While the weather had been good during the day, the levels of freight traffic had not, and this was to continue for the next few hours now that I had arrived. The most interesting trains seen were a pair of PKP Cargo (ex-ATW) Goggles and a 742 doing some local shunting.
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| 362 054 prepares to depart Břeclav. 10/07/2023. |
With light fading rapidly, and having already purchased ČD mug which I didn't have room for, it was time to head to James' recommended restaurant, which looked closed until you were in it, for an excellent Goulash. Back at the station our train to Bratislava was, like many others, late. However it did have a restaurant car, which turned out to be as hot as hell and had no Czech beer on tap. It didn't have much actually- but I did source some pudding!
We headed straight to the hotel in Bratislava, only a couple of minutes walk from the main station.
Haulage:
1116 247 Vienna Airport - Vienna Hbf
1216 226 Vienna Hbf - Breclav
383 103 Breclav - Bratislava
Tuesday 11th July
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240 030 at Bratislava main station on the 12:04 vice turn to Banska Bystrica. 11/07/2023
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I was certainly pleased to wake to a cloudless sky!
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| ČD 230 024 passes Bratislava Vinohrady. 11/07/2023 |
My first aim of the day was to head over to Bratislava Vinohrady for some morning shots, having liked the station on my last visit, just without any sunshine! Unfortunately the Goggles that I saw last time were now nowhere to be seen, the turns to Prievidsza now running from Nove Mesto rather than the main station. I did however get a few nice shots, including one of the attractive 'Gorilla' class 350's.
On the platform there were a few members of railway staff carrying out a survey- a bit of a pain as Ideally I needed to be off the platform for my shot (and while this isn't a huge problem in this part of the world, I thought being right next to them and walking into the 10ft might not be the best plan!)- the staff were chatty and advised that they were surveying in advance of platform reconstruction works. While quite desperately needed, new platforms will certainly alter the character of this station- I was advised that work could start at soon as September.
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ES4990 001 or 350 001 in heritage colours waits its next working at Bratislava main station. At the time it was expected to be withdrawn before long, but in reality lasted only around a week longer when it succumbed to an electrical fire at Trnava. 11/07/2023
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One of a class of just two in Slovakia, 381 002
works ECS into the station at Bratislava. 11/07/2023 |
A couple of freights were seen, the most interesting one being hauled by ČD Laminated 230 024, though I wasn't really in the best of positions for any of them.
Making my way back loco hauled a pleasant couple of hours were then spent at the main station. I made it back just in time to see another 'Laminatka' in the form of private LocoTrain 240 033 which was probably the most interesting loco of the day.
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LocoTrain 240 033 hauls a freight through the main station. 11/07/2023
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The long platform at Bratislava Hl.n is a wonderful place to watch trains, and there is plenty to keep one entertained here both in volume and variety. Highlights included 350 001 (in its heritage scheme as ES4990 001, and reported lost to fire just a week or so after this trip), 381 002 (one of just two of the modern Skodas working for ZSSK), 242 289 working for IDS Cargo and 240 030 on a passenger turn.
Of course, I had hung around specially for the 240, having seen it on the spreadsheets but was well and truly bowled for it's arrival- of all the trains! Freight levels were reasonable with 6 trains in the 2 hours spent here.
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OBB Taurus locos currently work between Bratislava, Komarno and Dunajská Streda, though are due to be replaced by units later this year. 2016 001 leads a train towards Nove Mesto.
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Next it was a bus move to the line south of Nove Mesto. A nice location was found, with a shop usefully nearby to top up water supplies on what was proving to be a sweltering afternoon. The umbrella was proving its worth again today in quite a different function as a sun shield!
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| 044 071 hauls a freight for RTI near Nove Mesto. 11/07/2023. |
The area proved fruitful with eight freight movements (including light engines) seen in around 3 hours, and most of it passing in the right direction! The majority of passenger service are also still of interest at the moment being OBB 2016's towards Dunajská Streda until the unit invasion arrives in December. The highlight here for me was a pair of 363's on a car train, still wearing their blue and white livery I think a pair of these probably now look better than the double unit 131's in the east of the country which all now carry the updated ZSSK scheme.
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A smart pair of ZSSK Cargo boxes, 362 102 and 089 work tanks towards Nove Mesto. 11/07/2023
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| 240 125 on a mixed train near Nove Mesto. 11/07/2023 |
The final move of the day was back to the Vinohrady and to then walk back towards the main station for some lineside shots. The locations and light were great, but unfortunately the levels of freight were disappointing. We just wanted one well lit train, but were kept waiting until the absolute last knockings of the light to get anything at all- and that was a Vectron which did not photograph too well. At least there were some passenger trains to make up for it, but again they mostly seemed to be going in the wrong direction.
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362 003 catches the evening light beautifully between Vinohrady and Bratislava main station. It was a shame that nothing more exciting was captured here! 11/07/2023
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383 102 works a passenger service in from Austria
and is approaching Nove Mesto. 11/07/2023 |
All in all it had been a successful day, and we headed to the old town for dinner. We flagged a place that wanted to charge us around €20 for a burger and chips, and settled on a still expensive traditional dish instead. I know we were on the main drag, but when did Bratislava get expensive!?
Haulage:
350 020 (+362 028) Bratislava - Vinohrad
362 026 Vinohrady - Bratislava
Wednesday 12th June
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| 757 015 approaches Bratislava Predmestie with a service from Nove Mesto to Prievidsza. 12/07/2023 |
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742 313 shunts the local trip freight that runs several days a
week from Predmestie. A pleasing sight if not the Grumpy
we were really hoping for. 12/07/2023 |
This morning we headed to Bratislava Predmestie in hope of seeing the 751 worked trip freight which originates here several times a week and then heads down towards Dunajská Streda. On my last visit to Bratislava we had tried to see it outside the city and been unsuccessful. Today we had mixed fortunes- the train was running, but it was 742 313 which greeted us in place of the booked 'Grumpy'.
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242 555 with a freight at Bratislava Predmestie.
12/07/2023 |
Aside from the trip freight activity was a bit more sparse than we would have liked. The few passenger trains are in the hands of 757 'Goggles' working the route to Prievidsza and freight was also somewhat below par. Usefully James made friends with the driver of a light engine 740 804- Michael would be invaluable later in the trip as he was able to check the real time maps which are reserved for rail staff!
James and I split ways shortly before lunchtime- he was keen to return to yesterday's fairly busy spot, while I wanted to get myself a ride with 240 076 which was out vice a unit to Trnava.
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240 076 approaches Vinohrady with a unit vice turn to Trnava. 12/07/2023
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Freight traffic picked up a little as soon as he was gone (usually it is me that repels it!) and after snapping a few more trains I made the short walk back across to Vinohrady station. I was surprised to see a red/yellow 240 Bratislava bound as I approached, and was a little worried that this might have been my loco on a different diagram! As it turned out, it wasn't, and had I excitedly jumped on it I would have missed my own planned move, which did duly show up.
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| 186 435 on the mainline near Briežky. 12/07/2023 |
I enjoyed the run to Trnava, the 240's are quirky machines and will be much missed on passenger duties when they do finally disappear completely. This likely isn't far off as they now have no booked work and only seem to come out to replace failures and cover shortages. That said, few days seem to go by without any working at the moment- indeed today was turning into something of a Laminated gala with, I think at my final count, 5 examples spotted working around Bratislava on passenger. The highlight of my run was when the 240 made such a loud bang while paused at one station that it startled passengers waiting on the other platform, 4 tracks away!
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240 082 ascends the chord from Nove Mesto as it joins the mainline at Briežky. 12/07/2023
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A more regular 362 took me back to Bratislava where I had hatched a plan to quickly get to a lineside location near Briežky for a photo of my 240 returning. It was a bit of a rush involving a tram and a run (not massively fun in the heat) but I made it to the spot I had found, which was a significant scramble up the embankment where the lines from Nove mesto and Vinohrady join going into the main station.
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| 2016 031 heads to Bratislava main station at Briežky. 12/07/2023 |
I was immediately rewarded by my efforts with a rather clean looking 240 082 on a car train coming off the spur- probably my best picture of one to date. I just needed the passenger and a ČD example to complete the set now.
I spent a pleasant 90 minutes or so here, during which a pleasing 6 freight trains turned up - all heading towards Bratislava (why could the line not have been this busy last night!)- including my much wanted ČD 240! Unfortunately passenger Laminated action didn't go quite so well. Aside from my shot of 240 076 I also caught 240 092 heading in from, presumably, Nove Zamky - but bowled by a cloud. Incredibly two of the inbound passenger workings got bowled (from behind) by unexpected 240's!
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| Finally a fully well lit ČD Laminatka in the form of 240 106 caught at Briežky. 12/07/2023 |
In total 240 030, 240 076, 240 084 and 240 092 were all seen on passenger during this short space of time, while not seen 240 119 was also out on the Banska Bystrica circuit. With the two freight examples also seen, I couldn't really complain about the Laminated action!
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| 240 092 rounds the curve at Vinohrady with another vice turn. 12/07/2023. |
It was time to move on from the spot and across to the other side of the main station for some shots at
Bratislava-Železná studienka where I was also reconvening with James, but I got distracted and stayed at Vinohrady for the shot we failed to get the previous night of passenger 240 084 (which I should really have been on). The cloud put paid to what I really had in mind, and between that and delays meant that I didn't reach Studientka for some while. This really wasn't helped by my 'City Elephant' unit sitting down within sight of Bratislava main station for the best part of 20 minutes...!
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2016 034 enters the station at Bratislava-Železná studienka with a Bratislava - Vienna service. 12/07/2023
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Unfortunately this delay cost me the only freight which I might have seen at this very rural feeling location. We knew my friend 240 076 was also due, but naturally this became late, and ended up racing the sun to it's death. As is so often the case, a shot was achieved but it was not what it would have been had the train been on time. Had it been 90 seconds later the light had gone completely!
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240 076 crosses the viaduct at Bratislava-Železná studienka with a Trnava - Kuty service (vice 761 unit) in the absolute last knockings of sunlight. 12/07/2023
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A final catch up with 240 076 pausing at Bratislava Main
Station while working back from Kuty to Trnava. 12/07/2023 |
We had now found ourselves in a gap of no passenger trains for a while and it was starting to get late into the evening. I found a bus (what did we do before Google maps) to get us to the city centre where we enjoyed a nice pizza and some trams before picking our bags up and making our way to our overnight train to Kosice. Our 2 bed compartment was boiling and non-AC, which made for an uncomfortable and noisy night. The train left over 30 minutes late behind 350 004 waiting for a connection, a delay which we would never make up.
Haulage:
240 076 Vinohrady - Trnava
362 014 Trnava - Vinohrady
350 004 Bratislava - Kosice
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| 751 129 pauses at Rožňava with it's short load from Dobsina, bound for Plesivec. 13/07/2023 |
Thursday 13th July
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757 025 + 023 depart Trebisov with the late running sleeper
from Bratislava to Humenne. 13/07/2023 |
In order to get a bit more sleep and save the pre-05:00 wake up call, it had always been intended to stay on the train beyond Kosice to Trebisov, continuing its journey to Hummene. The power for the last section was Goggles 757 025 and 757 023. Trebisov looked almost as desolate as my last visit here, though at least platform reconstruction had finished and the yard contained some interest with a shut down 751 052 and 752 618. A unit back to Kosice saw us still arrive long before 09:00.
It was a €20 taxi to get us to the airport. Not to fly home, but to pick up the hire car we would be using for the next few days. It was strange to be at the airport around a time with no flights, the whole place being rather dead! With the car picked up we headed towards the hills around Roznava. Todays plan was to go Grumpy hunting.
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751 129 Betliar, preparing to depart almost an hour
early, no station work being required here. 13/07/2023 |
The weather forecast was pretty dire, but that still didn't quite prepare us for the torrential downpour we drove through. Our first port of call was the Dobsina branch, where we had done very well for Grumpies on their trip freight back in 2016. The spreadsheet revealed that when the train did run, these days it was almost certain to be a 742- today however we were in luck. For the first time in ages the train was entrusted to a Grumpy- 751 129, and a loud one (not that it made a lot of noise on two wagons!). We almost missed the train running early between Dobsina and Betliar, where with no further shuntint to do it continued very early, and was chased to Roznava.
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163 107 emerges from Ťahanovský Tunnel bound
for Kosice. 13/07/2023 |
Freight traffic was a little down on normal due to a line closure between Molvada nad Bodvou and Kosice, but the redcap was still able to inform us that a train was due around lunchtime. Fingers were crossed that this would be the regular heavy stone train from the quarry at Turňa nad Bodvou, so we made our way to Hrhov to wait for it. When silenced 751 199 appeared light engine we were certainly disappointing. The redcap had only said one train was due and the trip freight with no wagons wasn't what we wanted at all! Knowing the trains are usually quite close together we decided to stay a little longer, while I ate the remains of my sleeper breakfast- some slices of bread with a sort of pork pate- it wasn't too bad.
Fortunately the gamble paid off, the unmistakable sound of Grumpies climbing the gradient could be
seen a while before we saw the train. The light wasn't perfect, but certainly wasn't the worst as 751 123 and 751 046* slogged past us up the gradient, 751 026 assisting from the rear. What a train!
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751 123 and 046* with 751 026 banking on the rear ascend the gradient of the Jablonov pass with train 51154 conveying limestone from Turnňa nad Bodvou to Slavec. 13/07/2023.
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We hung around a little longer for the afternoon passenger Goggles- a bad move as we got caught in an absolutely torrential downpour again. The umbrellas were out and I had to adopt a 'mushroom' stance for about 20 minutes to keep my equipment and my shoes dry as best as possible. Need I add, this photo was a disaster!
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| 163 114 approaches Ťahanovský Tunnel from Kosice. 13/07/2023. |
With no more trains expected here and the rain having now eased enough to move, it was back in the car to some spots north of Kosice to finish the day. The light was again tricky, but train movements plentiful. The evening was finished off finding our hotel and heading into town for a rather nice steak to celebrate seeing the Grumpies. I have to admit, I had rather enjoyed the day, despite my scepticism about coming back to these diesel lines with their low traffic volumes.
Haulage:
757 023 + 757 025 Kosice - Trebisov
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| 163 108 has just crossed the Hornad river at Mala Vieska with a train from Kosice. 13/07/2023. |
Friday 14th July
Today was to be another case of quality over quantity- assuming of course that we saw anything at all!
The target was the broad gauge line which runs broadly from Kosice to the Ukrainian border at
Maťovce. The route is plied by the large double-unit Skoda class 125's all of which are nicely finished in green and yellow hauling bulk loads of iron ore to the Slovak US Steel plant.
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125 842/841 lead 125 840/839 through Ruskov with an ore train from Maťovce to the US Steel works near Kosice. The train was banked by heritage pair (E469 5018/5017). 14.07.2023.
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With a little more information on when to expect the trains, and better weather, than previous visits we were hoping to cross off a few target shots relatively quickly.
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163 109 in its attractive green livery pauses at Vyšná Myšľa
with a train to Čierna nad Tisau. 14/07/2023. |
The first location we tried was close to Vyšná Myšľa where the broad gauge line passes over the standard gauge. The first problem was immediately apparent- there is a lot of vegetation around the broad gauge line, and a substantial bush was obscuring the view we wanted. Either way, we believed a train was due so it was decided to make the best of the location. Our reward, as always seems to be the case on this line was one of the BDzMot style overhead inspection vehicles which paused in front of us, took a measurement from the catenerary and then trundled off slowly. Not a good sign for any 'proper' trains!
I was aware that one of the green 163's -163 109 was due on the Standard gauge almost immediately, so in order to try to rescue something of the morning we drove over the the station, effectively blind, hoping there might be a shot if we made it. Fortunately the station was actually delightful, and the train was late (or we would have missed it!).
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| 757 007 passes Ruskov with a Humenne - Kosice train. 14/07/2023. |
Of course while waiting here we saw a train on the broad gauge- only light engines, but still four units in total!
With nothing else due we made a reccie for a spot later in the day and then started scouting further locations for the midday trains. Slanec was discounted, and then we started to face the conundrum that trains were expected at similar times in both directions. Fearing that we were simply driving around discounting locations and potentially about to miss everything, we settled on the old favorite location of Ruskov where the broad gauge and standard gauge lines could be seen. Fortunately unlike my last visit here the weather was beautiful! Michael (from the 740 at Bratislava) had provided some gen that there were several westbound trains, including on the broad gauge. Avoiding the clouds my third day attempting to get a good photo of a 125 was finally successful as 125 842 / 841 / 840 / 839 lead a train through, banked by the heritage loco ES469 5018/7 (each part of the double loco is numbered individually).
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Double unit Skoda 131 019 arrives at Ruskov where it will
pause for a similar banking locomotive to be removed after
ascending the steep gradient from Trebisov to Slanec. 14/07/2023. |
There were a couple more freights on the standard gauge, and then it was time to move on. The big decision now was whether to stay and hope for some more 125's or head further east to the exchange sidings with Ukraine. With a 125 in the bag, it was decided to head east for something different. The drive was over an hour and on the way another broad gauge freight was seen (luckily at a point where we could see the line!)- this was chased to a level crossing and another shot achieved. Again a quick decision had to be made, chase the train back to one of the our pre-planned but unused locations where the sun should be spot on, or continue on our current quest. Having come this far it was decided to press on.
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125 829/828 and 125 811/810 work another broad gauge train towards Kosice at Drahňov. 125 802/801 are banking at the rear. 14/07/2023.
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At Čierna the European network of Slovakia meets the broad gauge network of Ukraine, with broad gauge lines extending to an exchange yard, and served by the Ukrainian VL11 class. There is also a transfer station where broad gauge trains enter into an elevated tippler to transfer their goods to standard gauge wagons. Fortunately a footbridge provides a great vantage point of this latter facility.
Our decision to press on was a good one for as soon as we stepped onto the bridge a long train of iron ore was being propelled up into the unloader by smoaky broad gauge 770 810 and 809.
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Broad gauge 'Bumblebees' 770 809 and 770 810, better known as ChmE3 just a few miles across the border in Ukraine, are shunting an ore train up onto the loader at Čierna. the wagons will be pushed through a tippler and their cargo transferred to the wagons on the right. 14/07/2023.
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After watching the process for a little while we headed just a little further east, to the final road before the border (there is no road crossing at this point). We didn't have to wait too long for a freight, VL11 3761 bringing a train out of Slovakia and over the border. The light was terrible in this direction but it was still quite a thrill to see a Ukrainian train while the country is virtually off limits. It seemed strange to consider that we were now only a couple of miles from Chop, where we had found ourselves standing on the platforms during the loco change of our overnight sleeper in Ukraine proper back in 2019. Only a similar distance to our south was the border with Hungary. We were in fact so close to Ukraine that I was picking up my mobile signal from over the border- unfortunately this discovery cost me £10 in data having left the EU roaming area!
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| VL11 3761 approaches the Ukrainian border as a BDZmot conveys from the border checkpoint. 14/07/2023. |
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Heritage scheme E469 5018/5017 have recently arrived into
the yard at Maťovce from Kosice. 14/07/2023. |
Content with our success, and with no sign of the 770's returning down the ramp it was time to try our luck at the other nearby crossing point, Maťovce where the class 125's also give way to Ukrainian traction.
There is no grand viewpoint here, but several level crossings effectively run through the yard, and there are other points where one could walk in. Driving around there was little sign of activity, though we did find some locos close to the fuel point. Keen to continue our trait of not getting arrested next to the border we made a quick dash in for photos of 770 806, 751 112 and a few more parked up 125's, (125 831 / 824 / 804 and their partners) and were just heading over to Ukrainian loco ChM33 3669 when we were interrupted by the arrival of a broad gauge train from Kosice with the locos we had seen earlier at Ruskov. By the time this had been photographed our presence had been discovered and a young lad gestured that it was time for us to go.
We headed back to Čierna with the hope that the 770's might now be almost finished on the loader and ready to head ack to the yard with a better sun angle, however both the locos (and half of the train) and the sun had gone. Time to return to Kosice after a quick drive past the big yard here in which 183 042 was seen, the only of these locos I saw on the trip (though James did catch one working the next day).
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183 042 is stabled at Čierna nad Tisau, the only example I
saw on this trip. 14/07/2023. |
The 90 minute drive back would just give time to have a quick meal before I had to head off on the 22:13 overnight to Prague, leaving James to fly back from Kosice in the morning. I was apprehensive about another sleeper having not had the most pleasant night travelling from Bratislava to Kosice, but I needn't have been. The train was mostly formed of Czech coaches which were very modern, air conditioned and comfortable. I enjoyed a €3 mini bottle of wine from the opening windows of the Slovak compartment coach before returning to my limited headroom top bunk to try to plan the next day. I was the last of the three occupants to in our berth to go to sleep- but by this time I did at least have a plan. It would work perfectly if we made the 10 minute connection at Prague off the sleeper in the morning!
Haulage:
383 109 Kosice - Zilina
Saturday 15th July
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| Small Bobina E422 0003 works the first 'heritage' service of the day from Bechyne to Tabor, seen crossing the road/rail bridge at Bechyne. 15/07/2023. |
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Preserved M400 001 at Bechyne. The unit was
working heritage shuttles for an extra fee. 15/07/2023. |
After a surprisingly good nights sleep the train pulled into Prague main station on time and the quick connection was made on to 362 086 heading towards České Budějovice which I would take to Tabor. The line from here to Bechyne was part of the itinerary from my last trip to the Czech Republic, but due to some sort of farce the trains were cancelled and we never got to do it. This move put me efficiently onto the first train of the day to use the heritage 'Small Bobina' loco e422 0003 on the 09:05 to Tabor. The run was very pleasant and it was nice to bump into Jason and Alan on board. I took the hour break in Bechyne to photograph the returning Bobina and also pick up one of the standard locos, which turned out to be 113 002 back to Tabor.
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113 003 is the regular traction at Bechyne as it prepares to return to Tabor. 15/07/2023.
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OBB locos 1116 117 and 094 pass at Horni
Dvoriste working services between Linz and
České Budějovice. 15/07/2023 |
With the train running a little late I was pleased to see that the connection did still make into my next train south to České Budějovice with 380 014. My planning here had unfortunately put me onto a unit rather than the OBB hauled rakes to head south to Rybnik.
It soon became apparent when the guard came round that things were not going to be as I expected on the Lipno branch.
My train, advertised to Horni Dvoriste was in fact going through to Lipno nad Vltavou, and clearly wasn't going to be hauled by a class 210. A check of the spreadsheets revealed that instead 210 059 would meet the train working inbound from Lipno and work forward to Horni Dvoriste. It would then have a long lay-over before working back down the branch. It would appear that on Saturdays there are not two locos out, which was going to make things a bit trickier.
With no loco until 210 059 returned, there wasn't much else to do but take it to Horni Dvoriste, where I would then have the best part of an hour until an OBB set back to Rybnik and another unit down the branch to intercept the loco for a picture. Fortunately, despite Google's advice, the bar at Horni Dvoriste was open (there is nothing else there) and I was able to buy myself some crisps and a beer.
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| S458 0059 (210 059) is probably the most attractive of the fleet that is based at České Budějovice and is seen at Čertova stěna working the 16:07 Rybnik - Lipno nad Vltavou. 15/07/2023 |
I have to say I found the Lipno branch disappointing- not just through the lack of locos- but also that the whole route was very vegetated. I think I must have images of the Rhein Gorge in Switzerland but the route is really nothing at all like that. It is also worth noting that there is virtually nothing at Lipno nad Vltavou when you do get, there the station is in the middle of nowhere!
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| 242 214 departs České Budějovice for Plzen. 15/07/2023. |
Having dropped back to 210 059 and then completed the route loco hauled, it was time to think about getting back to Prague, the faffing waiting for a loco here making this later than originally planned.
By České Budějovice I was pretty hungry, and with the light still good, rather than taking the quick connection I diverted to KFC and then attempted some photography at the station in hope of catching a 242, now somewhat rarer since their retirement at Brno.
Unfortunately the shadows were now growing, and trains were poorly positioned, my train home casting a shadow across the 242 heading for Plzen.
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| 754 009 shunts at České Budějovice. 15/07/2023. |
To top things off there was then a colossal faff as at departure time it was decided to totally re-form the coaches of the Prague train which had been sitting nicely with the loco attached for the last two hours.
The 210 shunter got plenty of work shuttling coaches between the train and the adjacent sidings at least three times as the entire train formation was changed, eventually leaving around 30 minutes late. The guard did at least walk through to check passengers hadn't now missed their connections. I was pretty tired after a long day and retired to bed at my hotel which was just a few minutes from Vrsovice station and which didn't have shampoo.
Haulage:
350 013 Zilina - Bohumin
1216 953 Bohumin - Prague Hl.N
362 086 Prague Hl.N - Tabor
100 103 Tabor - Bechyne
113 003 Bechyne - Tabor
380 014 Tabor - České Budějovice
210 059 Rybnik - Horni Dvoriste
1116 117 Horni Dvoriste - Rybnik
210 059 Certova Stena - Lipno Nad Vltavou
210 059 Lipno Nat Vltavou - Rybnik
362 040 České Budějovice - Prague Vrsovice
Sunday 16th July
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T478 1215 (749 253) arrives into Prague Hl N on one of the CZK tourist turns, passing stabled 162 038. 15/07/2023.
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Original 'Bardotka' T478 1006 (749 006) at Prague Vrsovice
ready to work the Mělník turn. 16/07/2023. |
One of the main reasons for coming back to Prague was the CZK 'Grumpy' turns. If the weather had turned out as badly as several of my other recent trips I knew I could end on a high with these. As it happened, the weather wasn't too awful overall, but there were still several locos to tick off today.
First up was 749 006 which was taken from Vrsovice to Mělník on the Mšeno turn. I bumped into Jez on this one and we enjoyed the run to Melnic with the Grumpy before encountering a grumpy security/platform police lady at Melnic. This proved to be a busy station for freight trains, with several passing before we picked up 705 708 back to Marasykovo- Jez now heading home for an early turn on Monday!
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| Tatra T3's in various forms work many tram services in and around Prague. 16/07/2023 |
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| 750 708 at Prague Masarykovo. 16/07/2023. |
I had a bit of a gap until my next move, so had a wander around the city where I was glad for the cloud cover taking off the heat a little bit. It was then time to meet target number two in the form of 751 033 on the Rakovnic turn. I took a unit to Beorun (not realising there was a loco behind) for the DMU to Rakovnik. Now sunny I had an hour to explore the town and get lunch and an ice cream before 751 033 rolled in and returned us down the scenic line.
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T478 103 (751 033) calls at Rakovnic with the returning CZK turn. 16/07/2023.
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| 362 171 receives orders at Prague Vrosovice. 16/07/2023. |
I had worked out that if we were on time and I moved quickly I could hop over to Marasykovo to take a unit out to intercept 714 207 on the Slarny bike train (a required class even if the loco looks like a clown) at Roztoky u Prahy. I missed a nice diesel freight while wandering around the station, before being surprised to see 714 230 roll in vice 207 which I had seen on the stock earlier. The train lays over for a bit here and chatting to the crew revealed that the second Slarny run had gone very late after 714 207 failed with some sort of wiring fault which meant that it couldn't work the doors of the stock. Rather than cancelling the loco swapped with the station pilot and made use of the lay over at Slarny to make back time.
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371 005 in heritage colours at Prague main station. 16/07/2023
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714 217 in its 'special' livry just before being declared
a failure and therefore not working to Slarny. 16/07/2023. |
The 714 was enjoyable, if not overly exciting, but did also put me in position back at the main station for one final move of the day, picking up a slightly late running 749 253 back to Vrsovice. Last time I had 253 it was a silenced loco working for ČD so it was nice to hear it had found its voice, even if the run was just a few minutes. Back at Vrsovice a pleasant half hour or so was spent watching 749 253 and 006 shunting their stock before departing back to their depot.
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749 006 (T478 1006) ready to head to the depot at the end of the day from Prague Vrosovice. 16/07/2023.
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| T3 8429 approaches Bohemians tram stop near Vrosovice. 16/07/2023. |
Dinner was at a traditional pub serving my favorite duck and red cabbage before going out for a ride on some old Tatra trams and paying a visit to the Lenin Bar at the giant (not currently working) metronome which occupies the plinth once home to the worlds largest statue of Lenin- demolished in 1963.
It was another late night.
Haulage:
749 006 Prague Vrsovice - Melnic
705 708 Melnic - Prague Masarykovo
751 033 Rakovnic - Prague Hl.N
714 230 Roztoky u Prahy - Prague Hl.N
749 253 Prague Hl.N - Prague Vrsovice
Monday 17th July
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162 054 under the roof at Prague Main Station. 17/07/2023.
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| 151 011 departs from Prague Liben. 17/07/2023. |
My final day of the trip dawned to a mix of sunshine and cloud but was forecast to clear up nicely. I made my way to Prague Liben for the morning shot from the bank, the plan simply being to watch the trains come past. Of course, most of them did while still under that bank of cloud.
What I really wanted was one of the older Skoda locos on a freight train, I knew that it was surely just a waiting game as I had passed one on a train in the yard, another was shunting around and another then arrived light engine.
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| Rabbit Rail 751 173 stabled at Všetaty. 16/07/2023. |
This is a great spot to sit back and watch the trains- though it did get a bit hot and I almost had to consider employing the sun shade umbrella again! There is a good amount of freight, plus various CD and ZSR loco hauled trains, with regular Regio Jet services thrown into the mix as well.
It kept me waiting some while, but eventually I did get what I wanted - 123 019, looking a little shabby, on a nice train of tanks had finished off my photographic aims for the trip.
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| 386 202 at Prague Liben. 17/07/2023. |
Getting back to the main station was a little more stressful than I would have liked. I had not realised until I got to the station that all the long distance trains were considerably late, and there was nothing local due either. Quite a few passengers on the platform were all trying to get into Central Prague and were clearly going to try their chances on the short hop with the first train which was a Leo Express. No chance. Aware that these trains are compulsory reservation, when it stopped every single door had a member of staff to guard it and they were certainly not letting anyone on!
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ČD Cargo 123 019 brings a set of tankers out of the yard at Prague Liben. 17/07/2023.
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| 110 006 stabled at Prague. 17/07/2023 |
By the time 193 690 turned up I was tighter for time than I had planned (especially as I had still promised myself one of those doughnut-ice cream type things for lunch), but I worked out that this could easily be made up by taking the Airport Bus from the main station rather than faffing around on the Metro and local bus connection. Of course, I need not have worried as the airport was a breeze and my flight roughly an hour late!
Haulage:
162 121 Prague Vrsovice - Prague Hl.N
162 046 Prague Hl.N - Prague Liben
193 690 Prague Liben - Prague Hl.N
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240 076 is approaching Bratislava Main Station working in from Trnava at Briežky. 12/07/2023.
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