Some stuff from 2023 which should be in chronological order…. Unlikely to be regular updates in 2024 either but you never know

Started off in Switzerland, RhB 618 sits in the bus station at Chur prior to working up the hill to Arosa which only has sporadic spells of hauled trains in the ski season. Given RhB had been butchered by EMUs by the end of the year, Arosa probably goes on the list of places I will only ever reach once.

Over on the MGB, a Disentis bound trains arrives into Oberalp (it was a bit chilly, had to find the pub) hauled by I think 103, but they dont have numbers on the front and obviously i didn’t make a note

JZ GM goodness in 644021 on the Autovlak seen here departing Bohinjska Bistrica

Quick trip to Romania, complete failure to find any Sulzers on passenger trains, at least managed to scoop a diesel in GM 64-1363 on an afternoon Cluj-Ordrea. This route closed at the end of the year for electrification works, not that we knew it at the time as there was zero sign of intent or progress!

Last year of CD passenger 742s as the remaining locos were bent by CZ Loko into 743/2s, 742113 was very welcome at the start of the season on the Decin bike train having avoided me for many years by never appearing on vice off Pardubice anytime i was in the country

PKP EP05-23 had been on the to do list for a good while and fell on a Turkol tour, seen here running round at Lukow. Due to the SU42 failing a scratch set of PKP bangers was provided for Day 1

Another thing off the long term to-do list was ex CFR 87-0029 at Zittua Narrow gauge

CD 150/2s were not expected to last much longer, but seem to be hanging on, 150224 at Decin (vice 371) on the 1725 Praha. 193687 is running round a Berlin bound EC that had been caped on arrival at Decin (Germans say no)

751148 at Liberic on another excellent grumpy tour

With Vrsovice rebuilding complete, a number of EC services have been extended round – 151006 has just terminated with the 0719 from Navsi which contains a presumably stolen PKP FC coach

The great PKP Cargo Gala 2023 (to be continued for 2024 seemingly) commenced in July, EU07-1512 departs Poznan on the Krakow portion of the 0833 Kolobrzeg-Krakow/Lublin which it had worked from Pila.

MAV continue to be keen on retro events which obviously must contain Nohabs, M61 020 departs Badascony for Tapolca with an evening stopper from Balatonfured

EU07-1514 enters Kalwaria Lanckorona with the lunchtime return Zakopane portion on a nice one-for-one off EU07-1516.

POZOR – Got lost! Metra F40 159 at Winfield with an outbound Geneva line service. This is one of the original F40PH-2 locos which are slowly being withdrawn so very nice of it to park so compliantly and the crew to decide to radio each other to agree additional photo time!

A pair of the ‘winnebago’ F40’s on an inbound Aurora service at Hinsdale. Didn’t have too many of these, but this pair stuck together for our entire trip and kept turning up

Ex-Amtrak F59PHI 87 departs Mount Prospect heading for Chicago OTC

138 on another inbound service from Crystal Lake departs Barrington

The trip was planned around the diesel weekend at the Illionois Railway Museum which is quite frankly a ridiculous place. Three rakes of stock run services on the ex-interurban demonstration line for about five miles each way – we had 18 diesels, missed one and flagged a couple more by not doing Friday. 5383, a GE U30, was very green, very big and very loud, seen at the intermediate shack moving into the loop

Looking absolutely hanging, SD7 1518 (Southern Pacific) is in the loop on the set of bangers. There was a GP7 also numbered 1518 (CNW) thankfully the Americans seem good at keeping a log of this kind of thing around previous numbers/locos, unlike CD and their 743/2s ex 742s which are yet to be known!

This absolute lash up was the power for the last train, led by Metra giant Nohab 308 and all sorts of other EMD567 goodness, which amazingly all worked in multi!

Metra have a small fleet of ex Amtrak (and some ex GO in Canada) things, which are sadly EMD710 whereas the F40s (and strangely the ‘snoopies’) have the far superior 645 power unit. Anyway 94 & 96 were parked in Elgin Yard on Sunday evening where we stayed so were duly sampled the next morning on the way into Chicago on the last day of an excellent (Weds-Mon) Metra bash, much easier and enjoyable than i was expecting – I shall hopefully go back at some point!

751335 on the September tour, seen at Jemnice, was absolutely superb (and a big winner to boot)

A 111 on an EC is quite silly! Due to engineering work the stock of the 1228 Praha-Berlin was the wrong way round so 111011 would dragback to just before Liben to release the vectron forward to Holesovice and beyond

CD Nostalgie put on a very good grumpy show at Luzna with 751236(L) and 749146 two of nine locos which worked over the weekend, albeit the timings hadn’t been worked around leapability

ZSSK 362008 arrives at the first field east of Miskolc a morning stopper to Hidasnemeti

1436, Pocinho ready to head back to Porto on the 1308 Campanha

Currently really struggling to be motivated to upload anything at the moment despite sitting around the entire time, but two colourful locos from Poland are presented here from earlier when we were briefly allowed to go out

In express orange livery, EP08-001 stands at Poznan working one of PKP’s top link services, EIC1800 the 1734 Warsaw Wsch-Szczecin, vice EP09. A fine way to spend the evening in the bar car as we stormed west, September 2020.

In its retro colours, SM42 462 waits departure time at Leba with the afternoon TLK to Warsaw. This steeply graded, heavily forested branch from Lebork to the seaside sees trains for only a short summer season and both diagrams were being worked by unrebuilt SM42s on this day in Aug 2020.

Its been a long six months! Just a weekend trip this but fingers crossed the next six months will be something of a recovery to normal standards…

754012 drags 242221 wrong road into Tisnov on the 0538 Ostrov n O-Breclav service, due an earlier derailment and resultant OHL damage they were dragging between Rikonin and Kurim

363050 is spending August on hire to CD due to a reported shortage of passenger traincrew around Ceske Bud. It is working the 0921 Brno – Plzen away from Protivin. 362s are making inroads onto 242 turns on these interregional services, but I won’t complain too much when it was Cargo on in big letters

Back to basics – 242201 and 242244 cross at Protivin working locals between Bud, Pisek and Razince. There is a significant uplift in hauled stoppers out of Bud now, and the micropanther reliability is as dicey as ever for 4/4 diagrams resulting in regular vice aswell.

751219, sadly silenced, has an annual outing from Ostrava to Mala Moravka for the blueberry festival. This years festival was cancelled due to CV19 however then reinstated on an “unofficial” basis and the tour was back on.

751219 at Svetla Hora half way down the branch pausing to cross the service train, which this summer is being worked by Junior Markets 710466

Which is seen arriving on the 1134 Bruntal – Mala Moravka. The “booked” micro has presumably been deemed underpowered for the branch which is the steepest non-cog standard gauge in CZ.

The booked “pair” of Gorillas on Saturdays 1427 Zilina – Praha (from Bohumin) produced 151027 and 151023 unsurprisingly dead inside.

Dire photo that i wouldn’t usually have bothered with, but six months since some of this sees 749253 at Melnik on the Mseno. Good run too, the assault on Satalice bank out of Vysocany certainly something for sore ears!

All action at Morgues with (wikipedia reckons) the entire BAM loco fleet involved in one freight. It had arrived off the narrow gauge with the ridiculous looking (standard gauge buffers above the headlight!) 21/22, shunters 147/152 involved in the gauge changer and just visible ex-BLS 420506 ready to take the train out on the mainline. Typically all passenger trains are some cart rubbish.

11199 and a rake of bangers with 11197 powering on the rear make the station call at Montreux working a Geneve-Brig IR vice the usual 460 and IC set.

“Jellymould” 460058 is the booked form for Geneve-Brig services and seen here propelling out of Montreux.

Being a total amateur in Switzerland and a far too high number of dud 460s appearing when “MOB” 6003 dropped out on the narrow gauge out of Montreaux I leapt on for a run up the hill to Chernex. I think its a loco…

End of November, so doom bashing of some high order on SOB, a private Luzern-St Gallen route which was going over on totality to some flirt deathtraps the following weekend. Three of six sets were hauled including lurid 446018 seen here.

BLS 420504 arrives at Erlanbach with a Zweisimmen to Interlaken service last week. Given BLS are supposed to have six of these available for two diagrams, i was unimpressed with the swines providing a cart to come here instead of the other diagrammed 4/4 hauled set…

Baden is the spin shack for Re 4/4 moves on the xx36 Zurich-Basel services, which are now the most concentrated work for the class. 11139 is seen here at dusk.

And an hour later 11153 and 11146 paired for a bigger load on the 1736 Zurich – Basle commuter. Double decker doom carts have now made significant inroads into passenger work for these locos on SBB mainline passenger.

First to admit the hypocrisy as never usually one for kettles or tourist orientated narrow gauge, but the Harz lines in East Germany are a worthy exception. Phots from a few trips, have only done Wernigerode to Brocken with the main fleet of 99.23 which are massive 2-10-2 tank engines of a “modern” DR design, built 1954-1956 by VEB Lokomotivbau “Karl Marx” Babelsberg.

199861 has a spin on the turntable which leads to the depot at Wernigerode. At this point I was no doubt expressing a hope that it was coming out vice kettle for our booked charter connection up the hill, but this would have meant a serious reduction in the noise stakes with hindsight!

99-7247 at Brocken. On this occasion you could see for absolutely miles well into what would have been West Germany, little wonder it was a Russian military installation for much of the cold war, which is what saw the railway extended to the top, way beyond the highest village.

This time, couldn’t see a thing! 99-7235 at a bloody freezing Brocken. The line was closed the following day due to the weather.

As that was too far cold we dropped back to Schierke , where 99-7240 is watched arriving with the 1339 ex Drei Annen Hohne. It will take water here for the final assault on the mountain whilst we had the more relaxing task of a few black beers in the station cafe.

2019 saw a summer diesel diagram inserted, unfortunately due to trouble with both steam loco and crew availbility, using one of the ex DR 110s usually only used for shunting and PW duties. 199861 was the regular locos and seen here desciending into Drei Annen Hohne from Brocken.

After a quick run round, ‘Harzkamel’ 199861 heads back to Brocken. My rating of the kettles is confirmed by flagging this for a phot and doing the kettle behind up to Schierke

99-7241 arrives at Drei Annen Hohne from Wernigerode. This 16km will have been almost flat out and the loco will take on water here.

99-7241 departing Schierke for its assault up to the top of the Brocken.

99-7232 and 199872 prepare to stable up for the night at Wernigerode. The signal box (and standard DR colour light signalling) underlines that this is still very much more of an operating railway than preservation setup.

August 2019 Event, only four 210s in action due to a crew shortage meaning a bus from Rybnik to Vyssi Brod. All from the Saturday, had planned to return Sunday, however after spreadsheet hawking some diesels occurred instead which are thrown in here for good measure.

210039, Vyssi Brod Klaster

210058, Certova Stena – Vyssi Brod

210058, Certova Stena – Vyssi Brod

210039, Certova Stena. Canoes waiting for the return upstream service.

210057 (L), 210023 (R), Canoes (R), Loucovice

210057, Loucovice – Loucovice Zast

210057, Loucovice – Loucovice Zast. Let me off for it being in to the sun, its got canoes on FFS!

210039, Loucovice Zast – Loucovice

210052 (L), Canoes (R), Lipno n V

210057, 210058, Loucovice

210052, Vyssi Brod Klaster

210057, Vyssi Brod Klaster

742377, Nymburk Mesto, 0840 Praha Vrsovice – Turnov. Positioning move to get the Cargo 742 back after it had worked in on the Saturday after the booked goggle expired.

After a 150/362/242/814 transfer via Plzen, a long overdue catch up with 749107 which was having a very quiet 2019 season. Seen here at Blatna deputising for 749121 with the afternoon Cyklo Brdy back to Praha. Regular readers will notice the bodged half brake which has been refurbished, shame about the two hoppers behind it.

And just to prove it made it, 107 at Praha! Unfortunately it retreated back to Vrsovice shed for the rest of the year rather than a hoped for regular outing as this showed it worked…

A balmy summers day in August 2019 sees 242208 arrive at Jindřichův Hradec with the 0920 Brno – Plzen. These trains between Jihlava and Ceske Bud can be traced on zelpage as being all but solidly worked by these locos back to 1981, with the same DR built compo stock too.

From the December 2019 timetable change, R8 services between Brno and Bohumin were put out on a tendered basis as the Czechs sadly move away from CD into a Balkanised mess of a system. On the upside, this did leave a Vectron harvest available with RJ using Lokotrain as provider who in turn generally hire disploks from ELL. The use of an EP Cargo branded – part of lokotrain – Czech registered 383 was a bonus. These are all phots from January 2020 hence the general greyness! Stock is a combination of ex-SNCB compos for FC, gyppo coaches off the RJ commerical routes and former CNL couchettes which vary from tarted up to absolutely hanging, the latter generally used on Fridays and Sundays to strengthen otherwise standard 5-coach rakes of stock.

193221 arrives into Ostrava

193757 leans into the curve approaching Studenka

Some late and early services terminate at Brno Hl rather than continuing to Kralove Pole, 193222 is seen after an unexpected arrival in the bay platforms with a goggle off the Jihlava line alongside.

193762 hammers into Suchdol. Some of the drivers seem more than entertained by the power on hand for the loads.

383062 at Brno Kralove Pole. Most trains run here for turnaround out the way of other traffic.

After running round, 383061 arrives back into Brno heading for Bohumin

And a reminder of the old order with 362046 and 362163 crossing at Nezamyslice in October 2018

Post-tour trip down to Tabor to cover the Bechyne route 113s, with recently reinstated 113001 a massive winner and two diagrammed out in the afternoon. However with Hurricane Sabina (a developed UK Storm Ciara) blowing through our chances of getting them before the place degenerated into a farce were low. We did, but the weather soon caught up saw a six hour trundle back to Prague…

We had missed our plus at Tabor by miles, so lunch and a beer then out to view 113002 working the all day turn, seen here bringing the 1201 Bechyne – Tabor in. Yes the light really was this strange at this point!

The first section out of Tabor runs alongside local streets, 113002 is just crossing ulica Husova as it drops down to the river bridge

There we go, the gold at the end of the rainbow! After years dumped out of use, 113001 had been put through Prerov emerging in late 2019. Seen with two refreshed shiny coroprate 010 trailers before backing into Tabor. Lovely.

113001 departs Slapy where we leapt for ‘002 back. This was wise as the branch was closed not long after with both sets stuck at Bechyne end due to trees coming down.

Despite the investment in locos and stock recently, this is to be the last few years of these locos – likely any locos – on this unique, lightweight branch which is to be re-electrified at standard 25kV by 2023, doing away with this 1.5kV DC outpost. This will also mean the end of the heritage 100 and EMU use which are much celebrated due to this being Czech’s first electrified railway (as opposed to tramway, despite it being very much a tramway feel!)

Another weekend trip of January escapism

EP07-1029, Gdansk with a TLK.

EP07-338 in a fresh coat of retro two-tone-green is working IC85107 from Szczecin to Olsztyn, just a pathetic load 3

A small number of heavily rebuilt EU07A locos can be found on Gdynia to Wroclaw ICs, EU07A-001 is seen at Gdansk.

With large numbers of locos stopped awaiting funds for overhaul, PKP have resorted to hiring in from Cargo, EU07-336 one such welcome loco at Gydnia on the 0531 Bialystok – Szczecin. It will have worked from Olsztyn most likely taking over from a CD Goggle which PKP have a handful of on long-term loan.

Not just locos, PKP also don’t have enough stock of their own that works so ZSSK have provided some fine Zilina B 249s seen here at Gdansk Wrz with EP07-1003.

Another green’un is EP07-174 seen at Gydnia next to a “real as fuck” EN57 to complete the scene. ‘174 is about to remove itself and dead inside classmate EP07-435 from a very late TLK81105 which was two and a half hours down after locomotive failure.

The Poznan – Wroxlaw line is the latest to be being rehabilitated and upgraded. We had gone down early to do the Poznan – Woltzyn kettle turn…to be greeted with a cart! Oh well, EU07-302 entered the book to Koscian.

EP07-345 at Gdansk with the 1735 Gdynia – Poznan

EU07-220 was another appearance from the Gydnia whirlpool, despite plenty of passenger locos hanging around but not for us to question. It had replaced the inward EP07 at Gydnia on the 1023 Szczecin – Bialystok and is seen here leaving Sopot where we just had time for a celebratory beer before heading back home.