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.

SNCB / NS Archive trip report - 'That Which Survives'. UK to the Netherlands for a class 58. 6-8 July 2007

1733 hauls an NS Intercity service near Moerdijk. 07/07/2007

 

Eurostar set 3013 at Waterloo ready to form my 
train to Brussels 06/07/2007. 

Aside from a short foray to Ireland in 2006 to sample the 'Thumper' DEMU's, this really was my first 'proper' rail trip abroad- and again in search of some British design. 

We all have regrets over trains that we have missed due to simply being too young or not not having the knowledge of them. One of these regrets for me was missing the class 58's, which worked their final train on 3rd September 2001. The class had gone on to work abroad in France, Spain and the Netherlands and with no prospect of further work in the UK it was clear that if I wanted to see the class in operation I would need to head further afield. 

2021 arrives into Brussels Midi with an international train from Luxembourg with Swiss coaching stock. 06/07/2007.

Shunter 8219 prepares to detach stock. 06/07/2007.

My friend Jonathan from the model railway club had travelled on several railtours run by Mercier Charters and suggested that this would be a good opportunity to sample a class 58 now working with ACTS in the Netherlands. After the details were thrashed out everything was set and we were booked on Mercier's 'That Which Survives' tour for 7th July 2007. 

The tour started in Rotterdam and we would make the journey in both directions by rail - the first serious travel I had done abroad and my first trip on Eurostar since a family holiday to Disneyland in 1996! 

High speed rescue locos fitted with Schaffenberg couplers, 5506 and 5501 arrive into Brussels Midi. 06/07/2007.

2717 arrives into Brusselles Midi. 06/07/2007.

1352 arrives into Brusselles Midi. 06/07/2007.

Plan V 854 is stabled next to Raillion 1602 at
Rotterdam Centraal. 06/07/2007

2007 was the final year of Eurostar operations from Waterloo International before the move to St Pancras and it was good to get some slightly better photos of the operation than those I gook on my dad's camera in 1996! 

The Eurostar was taken through to Brussels where we had a couple of hours before transfering on to Rotterdam by Thalys. 

Raillion 232 909 passes through Rotterdam 
Centraal next to a 'Koplopper' 06/07/2007.

This was my first time in Belgium and I can't pretend that I knew what the trains were at the time- before the influx of the current Vectron fleet there were plenty of older locomotives to see and looking back it is pleasing to see that I managed to capture one of the powerful class 20's before they were withdrawn. We were lucky to also catch a pair of high-speed line rescue class 55 locos which arrived and reversed in the station. Some shunting was also taking place- something quite unfamiliar now in the UK rail scene. 

1753 hauls a rake of ex-German ICK coaches (withdrawn in 2009) into Rotterdam Centraal. 06/07/2007.

1713 hauls a DD-AR set at Rotterdam Centraal. 06/07.2007.

Our transfer on to Rotterdam was by an Amsterdam bound Thalys- I had long had a fascination with the TGV and this was the closest I had come to having a ride on one. The ride was enjoyable, though very little of the journey was actually covered on high-speed lines at this point. I have not travelled by Thalys since this trip, partly due to the loco hauled options available on the route (and the usual expense of taking the Thalys!).

An ICM 'Koploper' at Rotterdam Alexander 08/09/2007

After arrival at Rotterdam there was some time to watch the trains of Nederland Spoorwegen in their distinctive yellow and blue. Particularly pleasing were smart NS 1700 locos working with loco-hauled stock at the time. These locos also worked push-pull double deck DD-AR sets, which confusingly sometimes had a 1700 and sometimes a driving motor coach. 

Other distinctive units working for NS included the distinctive 'dog nose' 2-car Plan V 'mat 64 units that I really which I had showed some more attention! Quickly established as a favorite were also the ICMm 'Koplopers', translating as 'Head Walker' reference the gangways which could be connect units from their noses, the cab being positioned high up on the unit 'jumbo jet' style. 

A DD-AR set is pushed into Rotterdam Centraal by a 1700 loco. These sets have since been re-formed to Intercity format with motor coaches as NIZ units or scrapped. 06/07/2007.

A pair of 'Plan V' units at Rotterdam Centraal 07/07/2007

A trio of 6400 locomotives hauls a freight through Rotterdam
Alexander 08/07/2007.

Freight traffic through Rotterdam Centraal was plentiful, levels not seeming to be affected severely by the opening of the freight only 'Betuweroute' just a few weeks earlier. Some of the most unusual locos on offer were the DB Railion 232's, which I now know well as 'Ludmillas' which worked many of the international trains from Germany. Infact, these 232's would have been my first introduction to German railways.

'Ludmilla' 232 109 is seen near Moerdijk with an iron ore train. 07/07/2007.

A trio of 6400's with a coal train near Moerdijk. 07/07/2007.

As well as the strange foreign locos there was of course some familiarity in the class 66's that were operating for various freight companies. The locos however which did not grab my attention were the Mak 6400 locos which operated in multiple on heavy freight trains- to my eye these were very boxy and looked a bit too much like shunters.

In the striking livery of Vos Logistics, 5814 (58038) powers up before leading the empty stock away from Rotterdam Centraal after working the 'That Which Survives' charter for Mercier Tours. The station has been totally transformed since and is almost unrecognisable- however the footbridge, new at the time is retained within the new structure. 07/072007.

6703 is at the head of the train which is part way through a 
locomotive re-shuffle at Utrecht Centraal. 07/07/2007.

The day of the railtour dawned and stock was brought into Rotterdam Centraal by 5814, ex BR 58038, one of the three class 58's used by ACTS along with 5811 (58039) and 5812 (58044)- 5813 was missed from the number sequence. 

5814 was the third and final class 58 to be shipped to the Netherlands for ACTS and unlike its sisters was not outshopped in the companies blue and yellow livery but instead carried the striking black and orange scheme of Vos Logistics, a major customer. 

5814 attaches to the front of the train, with 1251 
in position at the head to work forward. 07/07/2007.

Also found on the train were examples of ACTS' other heritage traction, and ex-Belgian class 62 diesel, 6703 and an ancient ex-NS Baldwin 1200 class, 1251. 

Full details of the railtour including the routings can be found at the excellent www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk. 

With the other locomotives detached, 6703 performs a photographic run past on the Moerdijk branch. 07/07/2007.

Baldwin designed 1251 is shunted at Utrecht Centraal. 07/07/2007. 

Another first for me was a lineside photo stop- something very much consigned to the history books in the UK but still possible it the slightly less risk adverse countries abroad. The train pulled onto a branch line near Moerdijk and participants had the option to disembark before the train propelled back, ran past us and then set back again to pick up the passengers. This train having rather more British cranks than European the process was not well understood and became protracted as people scattered everywhere, thrilled with the liberty of being allowed off the train and onto the track! The view of the runpast itself was challenging for light, but a number of good pictures were achieved of the mainline which passed above the branch at this point, indeed we used its embankment as a vantage point- this definitely would not be allowed back home. 

1760 flies past the photo stop location at Moerdijk. 07/07/2007.

1849 passes Moerdijk with an intercity service. 07/07/2007.

6703 at the end of the line in the freight terminal at Moerdijk. 07/07/2007.

Very obviously related to the familiar English Electric class 08,
661 is attached to the front of the train at Beekbergen. 07/07/2007.

Another highlight of the trip was running over the preserved lines of Veluwsche Stoomtrein Maatschappij, including being powered by their class 661 shunter, the sisters of the familiar class 08 back home. 

Unfortunately the tour ran into some timing issues and subsequent lineside photo stops had to be omitted. The train was also re-routed at the end of the day due to a combination of a power failure in the Utrecht area and the need to make up for lost time, unfortunately that meant missing a rehearsal and consequently we would not be hauled by the 58 again, arrival back into Rotterdam Centraal (still around an hour late) was behind 1251 and 6703. 

Very foreign looking steam locos are assembled on the depot at Beekbergen. 07/07/2007.

1745 is seen from a passing train on the outskirts of Utrecht. 08/07/2007.

With the railtour completed Sunday was at our leisure to explore the railways of the Netherlands. We took a train from Rotterdam to Utrecht where we would visit the Dutch national railway museum. To reach the museum itself a shuttle train runs from the main station directly into the museum site this is a regular NS train rather than any sort of heritage service. 

1202 restored and cared for by the Dutch Railway Museum makes an unexpected appearance at Utrecht Centraal. 08/07/2007.

1767 is on the rear of the museum train. 08/07/2007.

Back at Utrecht Centraal after visiting the museum we got lucky, while standing on one of the platforms with our cameras somebody started shouting at us in Dutch- initial thought was that there was some sort of problem, as unfortunately is so often the case, however gesturing that we didn't understand the man went away. A few moments later we realised what he was likely shouting at us about- preserved 1212 looking very smart its original blue livery arrived with an empty stock working. So the shouting man was a friend not foe! 

Probably my first sighting of an ICE train, 4601 at Utrecht Centraal. 08/07/2007.

The familiar class 66 has become commonplace in the Netherlands,
6601 is seen at Utrecht Centraal for ERS Railways. 08/07/2007.

Having picked up our things again in Rotterdam it was now time to head back home. We were once again booked on the Thalys to Brussels and then the Eurostar back to London Waterloo. There was some time to spare in Brussels so we elected to hop off the Thalys a stop early at Brussels Noord in order to pick up one of the many loco-hauled options into Brussels Midi. The train we happened upon was one of the 'Benelux' services which would itself have originated from Amsterdam before following the route of our own Thalys through to Brussels. 

1184 calls at Rotterdam Centraal with a 'Benelux' service. 08/07/2007.

These trains were hauled by Belgian class 11 locos which were dedicated to the international Brussels - Amsterdam service. The class 11 itself was in the twilight of their career, being replaced on the Benelux service two years later in 2009 due to the high number of failures on the high profile service. They would remain in traffic on domestic duties until final withdrawal in 2012. The Benelux service was taken over by class 186 'Traxx' locos on an interim basis until the planned delivery of the ill-fated V250 'Fyra' EMU's from Ansaldo-Breda. As of 2020 the 'Traxx' locos are still working the international service. 

1191 is seen passing Lage Zwaluwe with an Amsterdam bound 'Benelux' service. The loco pulls a collection of ICR coaches carry the livery of NS (blue/yellow), the special 'Benelux' livery (red/yellow) and the new Fyra scheme.

5814 runs around the train at Dieren on the preserved line. 07/07/2007.

As often seems to be the case on my visits, the weather in Brussels was poor and before long we had been whisked back home by Eurostar. 

A very enjoyable first trip to Europe. It would be several years before I would return properly, and the ACTS class 58's would be long gone.

A pair of 'Plan V' units seen near Moerdijk- these units finally bowed out of service in 2016 after 55 years of service with NS.