A Rail Enthusiasts Guide to Paris

Recently I was asked by a couple of friends for some recommendations of what trains to see in Paris, and where to go to find them. I started to write down a few notes, and before I really knew it had compiled quite a text on what to see in and around the city. Now if it was useful to them I figured it might be useful to others as well- after all I think Paris is a fantastic location for a rail trip, and often overlooked- especially by those in the UK for whom it really isn't very far at all to travel!

Note that this article is complied largely from my own sightings on trips which have covered a couple of years. Things may (and will) change without notice as the SNCF continue to upgrade their system. As far as I am aware this text is largely correct as of Summer 2013. Please don't hold me accountable if it is not accurate or you do not see the trains I have listed here!
Any corrections are welcomed.

Terminal Stations:

Gare du Nord

Loco classes likely to be seen:

BB15000

BB22000
BB67400

The station many first arrive at by Eurostar.

Electric locos work Intercities services north to Amiens, Saint Quentin, etc
There are also semi-suburban workings with Corail or double deck stock on the Paris-Creil-

Amiens route (and possibly others).

Diesel locos work a few Corail trains each day to/from Laon. One train each way is

double headed (into Paris in the morning, back to Laon in the evening).

There is a weekend train to/from Le Treport worked which is also diesel hauled.

All suburban trains now believed to be units.

BB17000 could occasionally turn up still maybe?

Other trains to note:

Thalys

TGV

Regional Eurostar

Eurostar

Good places to photograph electric locos away from Gare du Nord could be Saint-Denis (I have not tried it myself but light is supposed to be good in late afternoon/evening.)

A trip to Creil may be worthwhile for possible freight and BB67400 working RRR sets between Amiens, Creil and Beauvis. 

All weekday trains on the line from Paris Nord to Beauvis via Pearsan Beaumont are units (the exception is the Weekend Le Treport train mentioned above).

Gare de l'Est

Loco classes likely to be seen:

BB15000
BB17000
BB26000 'Sybic'
BB22000
BB67400
CC72100

Just 10 minutes walk from Gare du Nord, Gare de l'Est has a very wide range of traction for viewing.

Electric locos work intercity trains out East though they are not as plentiful as from Gare du Nord.

CC72100 'Big Diesels' work Intercities trains to Troyes/Culmont/Belfort.
Departures of the big diesels are not regular with some big gaps in service. The best time to see them is  probably early evening with about 4 departures between 16:42 and 18:42. 

Note there is a lot of engineering work on this route at the moment, and not all trains to Troyes/Culmont are hauled!

BB67400 work two peak hour trains each day to/from Le Ferte Milon. Locos sit on the country end of RIO stock.

BB17000 Work quite a lot of ECS movements- likely to be found bringing in/out stock for the Diesel trains unless it the inbound stock goes straight out again.

There may still be some passenger turns (particularly in the peaks) on the line towards Meaux with BB17000. These may now be units.

Other trains of note:

TGV

ICE

If you want to see EVERYTHING out of Est then try Noisy-le-Sec, though this is a busy station and light is poor in the evenings for departures from Paris. 

Reasonable photo spots (still under the wires) for the CC72100's exist at Val de Fontenay and the

stations either side of it. Take RER E from Magenta (closer to Gare du Nord than Est).

Gare de Lyon
Loco classes likely to be seen:

BB8000
BB7200
BB26000

BB36000

Not as many locos here as some other terminal stations but still worth a visit.
The main part is likely to be filled with TGV's as this is the main station for the busy TGV Sud-Est line. 

There is another part of the station on the left side which is where any loco hauled trains tend to be. These are mostly working Teoz services with BB26000 'Sybic's'.

BB36000's work into Gare de Lyon with their only passenger turns- the 'Thello' sleeper trains to and from Italy.

Of note here are the ECS locos which on my last visit (a few years ago) were some very elderly BB8000 locos, many in various incarnations of the SNCF grey/orange scheme. I understand these may now have been replaced by slightly less elderly locos, but still in a variety of liveries.

Other trains of note:

TGV

Suburban trains no longer leave Gare de Lyon as these trains now continue underneath Paris on the RER network.

Shortly south of the station can be found the terminal where the yellow 'La Poste' TGV sets are based.

Gare de Bercy

Loco classes likely to be seen:
BB7200
BB8000
BB22000
BB26000

The smallest of the Paris terminals, effectively an annexe to Gare de Lyon which is at capacity. 

It is not very pretty... but quite open.

Some loco hauled Teoz and Intercities trains leave from here. Though not a huge number.

Again the old locos can appear on ECS movements.
You can also see the shunting of the car terminal from here.

Gare d'Austerlitz

Loco classes likely to be seen:
BB26000
BB22000
BB7200

Just across the river from Gare de Lyon, a nice station if not particularly busy... it is possible to turn up at midday and find the whole station almost totally empty!

Most services from here are loco hauled. Intercities/TER to Orleans and Teoz to Tolouse.
Many Intercity Night trains leave from Austerlitz including the Elipsos Trenhotels to Barcelona and Madrid (though the Trenhotels may not last an awful lot longer!)

As with Gare de Lyon suburban services have now been absorbed into the RER network and do not serve this station.
Major re-building works have taken place on parts of this station since my last visit.

Gare Montparnasse

Loco classes likely to be seen:
BB7200
BB8000
BB7600
BB27300

Other trains to note:
Z 5300 (silver EMU's)
TGV

Imagine a cross between Euston and Birmingham New St... Montparnasse is not pretty and there is very little merit in taking photos here at all. 

This station in a previous guise was the Gare de l'Oest- the famous scene of the 'steam loco hanging out of station' photo.

Despite its appearances the traction on offer is good- so find a spot somewhere else to view it!

Since the refurbished BB7600's have virtually replaced the last of the Silver EMU's (Z 5300) almost all suburban trains from Montparnasse are now loco hauled! A few of the EMU's may still be working- and these are worth catching if you can... they are the last 'classic' SNCF units in France (some have been exported to Romania!). On my last visit we did not see any working though I have heard more recent reports of them being out, particularly during the peaks.

BB7600 and any EMU's tend to work trains to Ramboillet Other trains are in the hands of the modern 'Alsthom Prima' BB27300's.
All the loco hauled trains from Montparnasse work with VB2N double deck stock. Loco's are on the country end.

Intercities trains run to Chartres and Le Mans. Many of these are units (particularly to Chartres) but some are loco hauled with either BB7200 or BB8000. There are also additional loco hauled trains in the peaks.

Heading out to somewhere like Versailles Chantiers and then onto maybe Saint Cyr would not be a bad bet to see the Montparnasse trains- though I am sure there are other options on this route.

The TGV Atlantique runs out of Montparnasse, though this diverges from the classic line soon after leaving the station.

Gare Saint Lazare

Loco classes likely to be seen:
BB15000
BB17000
BB27300
BB26000

A lovely station (and painted by Monet should this be of interest!) and a haven for the elderly BB17000's on suburban passenger work.

BB15000 and BB26000 'Sybic' work fairly frequent Intercities trains to Cherbourg, Rouen, Caen and Le Harve.

Some of these are units, and many of these trains work push/pull- locos usuall at the country end. Those which do not work push/pull propell into the station without a pilot loco. These trains use the far R/H platforms- which are not easy to photograph at the country end for long trains.

Most inner suburban trains are units.
Outer/Middle distance suburban trains are all loco hauled.
BB27300 work most services on VB2N double deck stock.

BB17000 work some services, often interworking with the Alsthom locos and usually on RIO stock.
The are most prolific on the short inner suburban trains to Ermont-Eubonne (only about 25 minutes total journey). They therefore appear quite frequently... but before long you are seeing the same locos again!

BB17056, Asnieres sur Seine.

Some BB17000 out of St Lazare are in 'En Voyage' livery- elsewear they are all tend to be in Transillien white/blue. All push/pull suburban sets tend to have their locos at the Paris end.

If you walk to the very end of some of the long platforms you can get a good view of trains approaching the station.

Outside of Saint Lazare I recommend the station at Asnieres sur Seine which is busy and has some interesting angles.

Further out Villennes sur Seine has a car park south of the station which affords good angles in both directions (light good for southbound trains) There are less trains here- just the half hourly service to Mantes le Jolie which stops and the through Intercities. Do not expect to find any amenities (like somewhere to buy a sandwich) in this small town!

Freight

BB22331 passes Juvisy with a Teoz service.

I have never been very sucessful at photographing freight trans in France but they do exist!
I would advise that it is probably to pick a nice location where passenger will turn up regularly and just hope for the best!

The two large freight yards in Paris that I am aware of are at Le Bourget (North East) and Villeneuve Saint Geoges (south).
The RER B runs alongside the yard at Le Bourget, but I do not know of any good photo locations.

BB37001 hauls a cereal train through Saint Michael sur Orge.

I am not aware of anywhere to photograph freight at Villenuve- though a lot of it will go south through Juvisy. This is however a large sprawling station which is difficult to cover.

Metro

I like the Paris Metro.
It is an interesting and quite attractive system.
There are several nice elevated sections- Line 6 (I think) Around the Eiffel Tower springs to mind, as well as Line 2 just north of Gare du Nord (it crosses over the ends of the platforms).
Several lines also use trains which use rubber tires for traction in addition to the more conventional metal wheels.

'Western' back on the Western

After more than three years away from main line duties, D1015 'Western Champion' made a welcome return to the main line on September 7th 2013 hauling Pathfinder tours 'The Western Wessexman' trip from Leicester (D1015 attaching at Bescot) to Weymouth.

The train is pictured here at Cholsey on the GWR between Reading and Didcot. Hopefully there will be some more opportunities to photograph this classic locomotive at spots like this before the electrification renders such scenes impossible.

If all else has failed... bring out the 'Short Set'!

In the UK in 2013 the thought of a locomotive hauled train is rare enough- but the thought of a loco hauled train with just two passenger coaches is almost inconceivable!
Desperate times however call for desperate measures. Greater Anglia is in the grips of a severe shortage of DMU's with trains being short formed or even being replaced (or supplemented!) with buses. It has been a number of years now that Norwich Crown Point depot has had to juggle its small mixed fleet of DMU's to maintain a service and there never seems to be any spare floating around. Recently with a couple of extra DMU's out of service for maintenance or repair the situation has reached breaking point- there are simply not enough units to maintain the service. Time to call in the 'Short Set'.

The so called 'Short Set' is formed from part of a London-Norwich Mk3 intercity set with two TSO coaches and the Driving Van Trailer. Either end of this short formation sits a class 47 diesel loco hired in from DRS to provide the power. Many platforms on the Wherry lines are only long enough for 2 coaches which prevents the train carrying more passenger coaches, while the DVT is required for the guard. Two locos need to be used as the class 47's are not able to work in push/pull mode with the DVT and also to avoid time consuming run-rounds at each end of the journey.
At approximately 350 tonnes for the five vehicles (unloaded) the short set weighs in considerably heavier than the 70 ton approximate weight of a two car class 156 (a typical DMU used on the route) and really a very inefficient train to run! It is unsurprising therefore that Greater Anglia try to keep use of the set to a minimum. It will only go out if there really is no other option and as soon as another DMU is ready off maintenance the set will usually be swapped out of traffic.

While this may not be a great situation for the train operator it is great fun for the railway enthusiast!
The photographs accompanying this story show the 'Short Set' in operation on Saturday (a very unusual occurrence in itself) 31st August, a day of particularly good weather and poor DMU availability in the area which lead to the train covering four return trips from Norwich to Great Yarmouth throughout the day. 47828 and 47841 were providing the motive power.

Riding the Shinkansen

The Japanese Shinkansen or 'Bullet Train' is probably the most famous high speed train system in the world. When the Tokaido Shinkansen opened in 1964 between Japans two largest cities Tokyo and Osaka it was the first dedicated high speed railway in the world with trains running at speeds of up to 130mph.
The Shinkansen (translating as 'new trunk line') was built to standard gauge- a first for Japan which has traditionally used a 1067mm narrow gauge system due to its mountainous terrain. The original 'bullet trains' (all now withdrawn), nicknamed because of their iconic shape, ran two standards of service named 'Hikari' with limited stops or 'Kodoma' stopping at all stations between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka.

A 700 series Shinkansen roars through Odawara at high speed with a train towards Osaka

A list of forthcoming departures on the Joetsu and Tohoku
Shinkansens during the evening peak at Omiya. The displays
helpfully alternate between Japanese and English.

Today the network has been expanded to cover most major cities on the islands of Honshu and Kyushu. Service speed has been increased up to a maximum of 300mph which is possible on parts of the Tohuku Shinkansen. The Tokaido route, which is still by far the busiest carrying up to 13 trains in each direction per hour now reaches speeds of 168mph shortening the journey from Tokyo to Osaka to just 2 hours 25 minutes on the fastest 'Nozomi' trains.

Seating on the Shinkansen is in 3+2 formation with the
exception of the 'Green Car' (the Japanese equivalent of 1st
class) which has 2+2 seating. Seats can be rotated and
usually all face the direction of travel- though they can be
turned to accommodate groups.

Since privatisation of the JR network in 1997 the Shinkansen network is now run by several companies: The original Tokaido Shinkansen is owned by JR Central, the Sanyo extension from Shin-Osaka to Hakata is owned by JR West, The further continuation of this line onto Kyushu is owned by JR Kyushu while the various northern branches from Tokyo on the Tohuku and Joetsu Shinkansens fall under the banner of JR East.

A Tokyo bound 700 series set enters Odawara station.
The slower 'Kodoma' services are regularly looped in
stations to allow faster 'Hikari' and 'Nozomi's' to pass.

With the quest for speed and efficiency the private operators have now replaced all of the older Shinkansen sets delivered by JR before privatisation. There is now an interesting and varied fleet of high speed trains operating on the Shinkansen lines of Japan- though in the authors personal opinion none really come close to the aesthetics of the original 'Bullet' trains.

JR East has a fleet of double deck 'MAX' Shinkansen sets
which work commuter services to the north of Tokyo.
This train is seen at Omiya at the tail end of a thunder storm!

Several Further Shinkansen projects are still underway to expand the network. A link to the northern island of Hokkaido is under construction and there are also plans to extend running of some Shinkansen trains on to more traditional routes with several solutions to the issue of the change of gauge.

An E2 Shinkansen operated by JR East makes a call at
Omiya before its final approach to Tokyo.

The most exciting of all the future projects is perhaps the proposed new Chuo Shinkansen which will see Maglev technology used over a long distance for the first time. Construction of this new line is due to commence in 2014 with the first section from Tokyo to Nagoya scheduled to open in 2027. Trains will travel over the initial 177 mile route in just 40 minutes attaining speeds in access of 310mph.

The JR East E5 is the latest addition to the Shinkansen family.
These sets built by Hitachi/Kawasaki Heavy Industries entered
service in 2011 and are still being delivered as of 2013.
A Tokyo bound train is seen at Omiya.

Picture of the week- 31st July 2013

What a difference eight years make! Back in March 2005 4-VEP unit 3447 stands at London Blackfriars on a rather gloomy day ready to work the 18:00 service to Ashford.

A lot has changed since- For starters 2005 was the final year for the southern region slam door units. Since then the Thameslink franchise has been re-let resulting in the original Thameslink livery dissapearing on the class 319's as seen to the left. Network South East livery, just visible on a 'Networker' on the right has also finally been eliminated from the rails. 

Of course another major change has been the complete re-building of Blackfriars station itself- the station now spans the Thames and is covered for its entire length. The original station roof and buildings have been totally demolished.

It is fair to say that somebody standing in this spot today would find this scene almost totally unrecognisable! 

Picture of the week- 26th July 2013

Ah! Summer is here again, which seems to equate to increasingly little time to blog...
Todays picture is another one from the 'long gone' category- Hampshire DEMU 205028 leads a classmate towards London Bridge to form one of the evening peak Uckfield trains back on 9th September 2004. If the date stamp on the photo is to believe, it would form the 18:12 London Bridge- Uckfield
This would be the last year of 'Thumpers' in regular traffic.
Photos such as these from the windows of passing trains are also of course almost impossible now.

Trip Report- Hungary 18-23rd June 2013

M41 (418 313) arrives into Kelenfold with a train from
Tapolca to Budapest Deli

Tuesday 18th June:

Flew from Stanstead to Budapest on the 11:55 Ryanair flight- once again no issues with Ryanair what so ever. Landed to find that it was, as expected, hot. Took the bus to Kobanya Kispest to pick up the Metro to Budapest Nuygati the closest stop for the hotel for the next few days. We were not sure at the time if the 7 day transport ticket was valid on local MAV trains (it is), and anyway, it was nice to see the Soviet metro cars on line 2.

M61 006 is stabled at Kelenfold

Having dropped off bags it was time to head out for some trains! First was a brief stop at Nyugati, but as the sun was really in the wrong place we quickly headed instead by tram to Kelenfold in the hope of some freight action. We travelled out via Budapest Deli and a 'Flirt' unit. Freight at Kelenfold was somewhat lacking with only one Lotos Traxx loco appearing over the course of about two hours. The passenger activity was a little more pleasing with a V63 sighted on a train out of Deli (the only one we would see on passenger all week) as well as a couple of M41's on trains to/from Tapolca. A couple of MAV 480 class (Traxx) locos were also seen as well as a Railjet Taurus. The biggest surprise was to see M61 006 sitting stabled outside the station with a short rake of engineers wagons. The station is currently undergoing major construction work and this train appeared to be in connection with it. I had not expected to see a NoHAB that easily!

On another note- the current construction work seems to have added extra masts in the view of the freight lines and the station generally seemed less photogenic than in the pictures I had researched!

The first of many thosand- M62 001 pauses at Szolnok

432 293 on a push-pull set at Budapest Nyugati

Wednesday 19th June:

With some uncertainty about freight levels west of Budapest as we were not sure if the line between Gyor and Budapest had re-opened at Komarom from flood damage [it hadn't] we decided to do our long excursion out east towards Debrecen.

DB Schenker 0496 106-6 passes through Szolnok

After a few shots in the excellent morning light at Budapest Nuygati we made our reservation and boarded an IC to Szolnok behind a 431 219. We had hoped the air con stock would be a nice bit of relief from the heat, but while it was not unpleasantly hot, it was certainly not cool on board.
On arrival at Szolnok DB Schenker loco 0469 106-6 instantly appeared with a tank train.
Fortunately most of the interest here could be covered from under the canopy at the station- it was far too hot to be standing on the ends of platforms and running around. This was the hottest day of the trip with the mercury hitting 35 degrees!

Romanian 477 753 heads towards Budapest from Szolnok

A couple more freights appeared under Taurus locos or V63's to break up the procession of V43's on passenger. This seems to be the furthest reaches of the push-pull sets from Budapest with conventional trains continuing through.
Before moving on we sighted probably our star loco of the entire trip with M62 001 appearing light from the east. Despite the heat this was one thing worth running for- shots were achieved before the loco went off onto the depot.
431 138 was our power on to Debrecen- This was not an IC, therefore not requiring reservation and having the delights of opening windows. The train was hot, but not noticeably any more uncomfortable than the air conditioned IC.

418 303 with a short train at Puspokladany

En route to Debrecen we passed [M62] 628 127 at possibly Szajol and also saw 628 323 at Puspokladany. Also at Puspokladany was [M41] 418 303 running around its train to form the 14:10 to Biharkeresztes.

Original condition 418 133 at Debrecen

Debrecen appears to be a great place for M41's (particularly original condition machines), but sadly not so good for photography. Within a short time of arriving we were reprimanded and told 'no photo, no video' which rather scuppered plans. It was then decided it would be a good idea to walk down the line away from the station to find an alternative vantage point, but this also proved a bad idea. On the way we were stopped by the station police... a phone call was made and we were escorted back to the station office where somebody who spoke English confirmed that we needed a permit from MAV to take photos and video. Not a great start- but we did at least feel we had made a narrow escape from a thorough checking over in the police office. A local enthusiast later told us that photos should be no problem but the staff at Debrecen are 'Crazy' and you should be particularly careful. A few more photos were taken with great care!

Cab car 114 is pushed into Dombotstanya by 418 188

With photograph somewhat scuppered we headed out and filled in half an hour with some trams before heading back to pick up [M41] 418 153 (can anyone confirm if this is 'real' it has air con units...) on the 15:15 to Fehergyarmat as far as Dombotstanya where we had a short wait for 418 188 pushing back to Debrecen on the 14:25 Fehergyarmat- Fuzesabony. Interestingly this train did not depart again from Debrecen... maybe for some reason trains were not continuing to Fuzesabony? I did not really observe other movements to confirm or deny this.

A very clean looking M62 628 163 arrives into Debrecen

During our time at Debrecen we saw two freights, both with M62's. Firstly refurbished 628 324 and secondly a very clean looking 628 163 in original condition. That was enough to keep me happy.
431 219 powered us back to Budapest in warm air con stock. Excellent... my 3rd trip behind a V43 and I've already got a dud!!!

628 324 is a pleasing sight as it rolls into Debrecen with a freight train

MAV's 431 135 meets ZSSK 350 008 at Budapest Keleti

Thursday 20th June:

A reasonably early start to get over to Budapest Keleti in time to see the Romanian class 477 leave with the morning train to Bucharest- 477 742 doing the hours. Plenty of activity at Keleti (and more would have been covered had it not already been too hot to think about running around!) including ZSSK class 350's, OBB Taurus on Railjet as well as MAV V43's, Traxx and Taurus locos. Plenty of 448 and 460 on shunting duties.

Rare traction indeed- 460 053 works the 10:05 to Kelebia

We took the 10:05 train for Kelebia the short hop to Ferencvaros. Amazingly this train produced 460 054. I was not totally aware of how unusual this was at the time- but it definitely seemed odd! Apparently these locos do not work passenger at all... though the grapevine would have it that this was not the only surprise working to drop one this week.

M40 locomotive stabled at Ferencveros

Ferencvaros is the hub of freight activity in Budapest, and also home to a depot. Many passenger trains also pass through between Keleti and Kelenfold. There is a footbridge crossing the depot complex which naturally happened to have a police officer walk across and escort us away within about 10 minutes of turning up. Again... 'no photo no video'. We were told we must go back to Keleti to obtain a permit. With no train from Ferencveros to Keleti for over an hour we decided to tram in... witnessing a FLOYD 86 pass while waiting at the tram stop. Annoyance was not the word. Back at Keleti of course we could not obtain a permit. The ladies at the information did try their best for us and made some phone calls the result of which was 'you do not need a permit'. Excellent.

628 330 appears at Szekesfehervar with a dead V63 and train

418 333 detaches from a Tapolca - Budapest train

628 316 is put away into the depot at Szekesfehervar.

In the hope of a more successful afternoon we headed to Budapest Deli and took 418 324 on the 12:50 to Tapolca as far as Szekesfehervar. The idea was that freight was being diverted through here due to the flooding at Komarom. There was at least plenty of activity going on here with the depot easily visible from the station and numerous locos being taken on and off shed via the turntable. There was however little respite from the sun. In addition to the M41's on Tapolca trains (some if which were running through to Budapest with others having a loco change) there were a couple of freights. These featured Taurus locos from GYSEV and Rail Cargo Hungaria, Mettrans 'Hercules' 761-005. Most trains were heading in the 'wrong' direction until [M62] 628 330 came around the corner into view. Not the freight quantities we had perhaps hoped for... but another good M62 shot and I was a happy customer (despite being pickpocketed in the station toilets). Our train home was the 14:24 ex Tapolca- this arrived with 418 326 which was ripped for 431 195 forward to Budapest Deli. On the way we passed pretty much all the eastbound freights we had seen all day in loops. Also passed was a train with a ZSSK 240 'Laminatka' and another FLOYD 86 which was looped either towed by a V63 or light engine.
We bailed at Kelenfold as the light looked nice, and more importantly ANOTHER M61 had appeared in the shape of M61 019. We had seen this together with 006 earlier in the day when we passed- both on construction trains. While the light was still good we were treated to CFR 40 0017 leading a freight with 0609-003 tucked inside.

240-088-5 is passed as we head back to Budapest-
well it is almost a working 'Laminatka'.

While waiting for a train back into Keleti a red loco was spotted in the distance... to my great surprise this turned out to be M61 017 which headed through the station towards Budapest Keleti with one coach in fine style! Less than 5 minutes later M61 020 appeared heading light in the opposite direction. 3 NoHAB's (two moving) in a matter of minutes- lovely!!

M61 020 makes a surprise appearance at Kelenfold

40 0017 pulls a freight into Kelenfold

470 010 waits at Tatabanya- temporarily the end of the line

Friday 21st June:

418 197 departs Gyor Gyarvaros

Today was scheduled for a trip to Gyor though we were still not 100% certain the line was open through Komarom. A look on the Internet could not find any indication that the line was shut, so we boarded the Railjet at just after 9am with 1116 208. On board we bumped into three other British enthusiasts who we would see more of over the next two days (hello if you are reading this!). At Tatabanya it was apparent that the train was emptying significantly. We were then informed that the journey onwards to Gyor was indeed 'autobus'. That answers that then.

628 331 rounds the corner with a diverted freight

Into Gyor and we took a unit out to Gyor-Gyarvaros in the hope of seeing some freight- though with the line closed the levels were clearly going to be reduced. Much delight ensued when within minutes [M62] 628 311 rounded the corner off the line from Szekesfehervar with a freight. This was followed by DB Schenker 0469 107-4 dragging a Railpool Traxx and it's train. Due to the line being shut there was no freight or loco hauled passenger on the main line (only Flirt and Talent units were shuttling to Komarom) and the only loco hauled activity was therefore the M41's on the line to Celldomolk. We watched two more freights- 628 311 returning south and 628 331 heading towards Gyor before heading back to Gyor behind [M41] 418 310 on the 12:55 Celldomolk-Gyor.

418 305 pauses at Gyorszabadhegy

We then wasted an hour or so taking a unit up to Hegyeshalom in the hope of seeing the freight which had not produced at Gyor (in particular anything FLOYD). We passed no trains on the way and it was quickly apparent on arrival that we were wasting our time- so got another unit straight back!
Feeling slightly drained with that disaster so took 418 305 on the 16:40 Gyor- Celldomolk to Gyorszabadhegy to pick up what must have been a late running 15:56 Bakonyszentlaszlo- Gyor with 418 197 which put up a spirited performance. I was expecting the 16:08 Celldomolk- Gyor to turn up first with 418 318 + 202 which had gone south on Gysev stock earlier- I've no idea what happened to these.

Gysev 'Ludmilla' 92 530 651 004 departs Csorna

Back at Gyor we took Gysev 480 016 to Csorna to intercept the Gysev Ludmilla. This train was in theory an IC- but the station office would not sell me a reservation and the gripper seemed content with my interail.
Having spoken to the British crowd on the platform at Gyor we knew that the 92 530 651-004 was on the 'other' diagram which meant I couldn't have a ride. It was photographed leaving Csorna on the 18:07 to Szombathely. 430 321 was then taken back to Gyor where we re-met the other British group for the bus to Tatabanya. 1116 213 was the final winner for the day on the Railjet back to Budapest Keleti. The bus added a good hour to the journey so it wasn't an early night.

M61 017 waits to begin the tour from Budapest Nyugati

Saturday 22nd June:

Today was to be a little less hectic than those previously- a full day and night on board MAV Noztalgia's 'Midsummer Night Dream Express' railtour.

A pair of ex-british class 86's (now working for FLOYD
are passed in the yard at Hegyshalom

The train left Budapest Nyugati in delightful weather at 08:20 to head to Spitz an der Donau in Austria via Kelenfold, Szekesfehervar (we were diverted due to the closure of the railway near Komarom), Komarom, Gyor, Hegyshalom, Vienna and Krems an der Donau. The train lost time steadily before Gyor mainly due to the diversionary route being taken- some nice jointed track though and traditional semaphore signals. A pair of Floyd class 86's were passed at Hegyshalom and a class 56 at Komarom.
The accommodation we had chosen was 6 berth couchette- though in reality there were only 4 of us in the compartment which made things much more comfortable.

M61 017 has reached Durnstein in Austria

The tour ran with M61 007 throughout which performed impeccably. We arrived a little late into the picturesque town of Durnstein where passengers has a few hours to look around. During this time the local train hauled by 2043.24 passed along with another charter steam hauled by 109.13. As we rejoined the train for the short trip on to Spitz an der Donau the heavens opened and the entire valley got a heavy dumping of rain. Fortunately this had finished for our arrival where there were a couple of hours to spare before the fantastic fire display.

Steam loco 109.13 heads along the Danube valley

M61 017 departed from Spitz at 23:00 to return to Budapest- the party continuing in the Disco coach for many hours! We arrived back into Budapest Nuygati over an hour late, but that was no bad thing as it enabled at least a little extra sleep!
This was a fantastic tour with a top engine, good quality rolling stock and a run very competently by MAV Noztalgia- as an aside for many miles of NoHAB haulage the price was a bargain at approximately £55 in a couchette.

M61 017 waits to head back to Budapest from Spitz an der Donau

Mk45 2004 in action on the Budapest 'Children's Railway'

Sunday 23rd June:

The last day of the trip started early with our pre-7am arrival back into Nyugati. In the morning we headed to the Children's Railway where Mk45- 2003, 2004 and 2006 were in service. Following this I took some time out for a bit of sightseeing.
My final loco of the trip was to be 432 184 to Ferihegy (Budapest Airport) from Nyugati.
I spent about an hour here which included two freights (630 031 and class 1116 011 Taurus).
Flew home with BA to London Heathrow on the 18:55 flight.

630 031 leads a freight train through Ferihegy

Conclusions:

My first time in Hungary and as far as I am concerned a very successful trip. I managed to see virtually all that I had intended and the number of M62 hauled freights was certainly pleasing. There is plenty of M41 passenger action to be had across the country and these locomotives are fairly rateable- particularly those in original condition. The weather throughout the trip was hot and sunny- really quite a bit too hot making railway activities somewhat uncomfortable- the virtually unbroken sun did at least make up for this photographically. Levels of freight seen generally were disappointing- how much of this was due to the main route between Budapest and Gyor being closed I do not know but there was certainly a significant impact.
Travel for the week was with an Interrail pass with a 7 day Budapest transport ticket for local transport.
We did encounter problems with photography at several locations (though others were no problem at all!). Nobody was unfriendly but we were asked more than once to produce a photo permit which we did not have. It may be worth others considering a photography holiday to Hungary to obtaina permit before leaving home.