Shred's Europe and Asia trips.

[shredder1]

Bulgaria, (Day 1). Saturday 3rd June 2017.

An 8 day break riding the rails in Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece and Romania.

I`d booked the Friday off work and found a flight from Liverpool to Sofia, which got me in Bulgaria just after midnight and my ever reliable mate Rob, who’s been travelling around Europe for 2 years now, was there to meet me at the airport. We took a taxi back to a hotel he`d booked just across the road from Sofia Central railway station, it was perfect, a couple of beers to celebrate my arrival and we managed a few hours’ sleep before next day.

Saturday morning and I was up before Rob, down to the station and around the locomotive depot, I asked security and he was fine and told me to ask again in the depot, they said alright and I had a great shed visit, thank you so much guys. I returned to the railway station and later the hotel by 08.00, Rob was still in bed so after waking him, we both went down to breakfast, it was good, a typical continental. We returned to the railway station and planned our day.

It was really hot in Bulgaria and we planned to track down the ex-patriot BR Class 87`s, which we believed to be operating around the region of Pirdop, so we took the first train out, an hour and a half`s journey and we were pleasantly surprised to find no less than 6 class 87`s in three different liveries, parked up on the station platforms and 3 Class 92`s in the yard along with a mixture of Bulgarian, ex German and ex Romanian locomotives, it was an amazing find. We later had a walk down to the town for some refreshment and on returning noticed that one of the Class 87`s had been moved, it’s a shame we missed this movement as it was in the middle of a line up, we saw it at the head of the train on the way out though, 87010.

We returned as far as Vassil Markov, a depot just outside Sofia that we`d passed on the outward journey, we alighted there and found a large footbridge that crossed the vast yards and went into the depot. It appeared to be a public walkway, so we followed it and saw just about everything on the sheds before finding a security chap in a cabin to ask, but he said we couldn’t take any photographs, he was pleasant enough, but we had all the photographs we wanted by that stage anyway so returned to the station.

We took a bus and tram back into the city Sofia and Rob went for his depot visit, but was unlucky and didn’t get permission, I guess its hit and miss on who you ask on these depots. We spent the rest of the afternoon on Sofia Central station, plenty of movements taking place, before catching a first class sleeper service to Turkey. It had been a fantastic first day for me, with 3 depots in the bag and catching up with all the ex-pat locomotives at Pirdop. It must be over 30 years since I last visited Bulgaria and its hardly changed in that time, the locos still carried the same liveries, nice to be back though.

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melli....1073742775.100001125840218&type=1&feed=false

 

[Cowley]

What a trip! I just looked through the photos, an impressive variety of locos to be seen. I bet it's been brilliant.

 

[AnthonyRail]

Brilliant I must get to Europe before life expires

 

[shredder1]

What a trip! I just looked through the photos, an impressive variety of locos to be seen. I bet it's been brilliant.

Thank you very much Cowley, yes an amazing trip, love it in Europe usually try to get out ever 3 months or so.

 

[shredder1]

Brilliant I must get to Europe before life expires

Thank you Anthony, yes you must get out there, things are changing so quickly

 

[shredder1]

Turkey, (Day 2). Sunday 4th June 2017.

An 8 day break riding the rails in Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece and Romania.

Our first class sleeper in Turkish coaches from Sofia was excellent and we arrived at Halkali, Istanbul in the bright morning sunshine, behind a pair of TCDD, TÜLOMSAŞ E68 electric locomotives which had been put on our train at the border. However the border guards made everyone get up, get dressed, off the train and hang around for an hour until the border police arrived, with people also selling visa`s and stamping our passports, this was at 02.00 in the small hours, we were then allowed to get back on the train and get back into bed, crazy. The main line into Istanbul Sirkeci Gari Terminal is still being rebuilt, so a minibus took us into the City proper from Halkali.

Istanbul is an amazing city, with a constant flow of boat traffic crossing the Bosphorus between Europe and Asia, a meeting place for the two continents. We first visited Sirkeci Gari Terminal, the original terminus for the Orient Express. The main buildings are well preserved, with many photographs and painting hung in the main foyer telling of the stations glorious history. The station is not used for passenger traffic now, but electric trains were stabled in the platforms and a small depot at the end of the platforms houses electric units also.

We took a traditional Turkish breakfast in one of the street café`s before exploring the City and later crossing the Bosphorus to the Asian side at Kadıköy, and then on a diverted route, (we got lost), we eventually found Haydarpaşa station and yards, it literally blew me away. The closed and mothballed Haydarpasa railway station, Istanbul. Trains had just been left in the platforms to rot, but a book fair was taking place on our visit, so it had lots of stalls and visitors on the platforms. The magnificent main building was being renovated. Surreal and really strange. The depot opposite was just the same, an amazing place, plenty of old electric units, shunters and diesel locos rusting away, just left and abandoned, you could even walk inside the depot, tools still lying around as if some alien force had invaded and taken everyone, it had a strange and eerie feel about it.

We next wanted to travel into Greece, overnight so we took a ferry back across the Bosphorus to the European side of Istanbul and walked through the City, had tea in a local café and returned to Sirkeci Gari Terminal, but trains we`re not running to Greece, so we took the underground, (Metro), with one change to take us too Istanbul's mammoth Main Bus Terminal and Coach Station, at Büyük Otogar. We had found a 10 hour coach journey which took us directly into Thessalonika, the alternative would have been a train back to Sofia overnight and then a day train to Greece, the coach option was much faster and more direct. It was a very modern coach with individual film screens and headphones behind each seat, WiFi, free drinks and food were provided and I soon fell asleep watching a film.

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melli...82102819305.1073742781.100001125840218&type=3

 

[Techniquest]

Ooh now I really am wanting to go to Hungary myself, it sounds well worth visiting. It would be nice to see an 87 working again, it's been more than a few years now. 2006 I think I last saw one working, so about 11 years. Way too long ago!

EDIT: The Turkish bit went up during the typing of my reply, I have to be honest that's not a country that appeals to me. The abandoned railway sounds crazy though!

 

[shredder1]

Ooh now I really am wanting to go to Hungary myself, it sounds well worth visiting. It would be nice to see an 87 working again, it's been more than a few years now. 2006 I think I last saw one working, so about 11 years. Way too long ago!

EDIT: The Turkish bit went up during the typing of my reply, I have to be honest that's not a country that appeals to me. The abandoned railway sounds crazy though!

Many thanks for the comment Tech, the 87`s are in Bulgaria of course, we have however seen 86`s in Hungary last year. Turkey is a strange one, but they still have lots of ex BR steam locos scattered around the Asian side, so I must revisit.

 

[shredder1]

Greece, (Day 3). Monday 5th June 2017.

An 8 day break riding the rails in Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece and Romania.

The all night coach journey from Istanbul was fine and I slept well considering. We arrived at the railway station at Thessaloniki to bright morning sunshine, took breakfast in a station café and after taking a few photographs around the station, we followed what we thought was a public footpath towards the depot. We found a few abandoned steam locomotives with vegetation growing all over them, these included a USAF S160, a find I was very pleased with. We eventually reached the depot and located someone to ask permission, they were pleasant enough, but told us we would have to ask at the station and kindly allowed us to take one of two shots before escorting us off the depot. We also found a level crossing on the main public highway, but got very suspicious looks from the crossing keeping as we took a few photographs of the electric depot from there. On returning to the railway station we went to ask for permission as directed, but were told that the person we needed to speak to wasn’t in at that time, so we left it at that, we had been fortunate in getting a few photographs of the depot`s anyway.

We caught a local train down to Larissa and were pleasantly surprised to find a pair of electric 120 locomotives parked in the yard, from Larissa we next caught a direct train to Athens, first by electric power, and then a pair of double-headed 220 diesels took us into Athens, a lovely line which skirts Mount Olympus. I had tea in the dining coach, a traditional Greek Moussaka; it was lovely and served with two side plates and a pint of local ale.

Our arrival in to Athens was just before the sun went down, I jumped off the train to get a photograph of our double-headed loco`s when whistles started blowing by the platform security, two guys approached me and told me “no photographs”, so I went up on the footbridge and took some from there. We later asked at the station about photography and we were told this was not a problem, and that the security think they are police at times, so to ignore them.

After sampling Athens excellent underground system and travelling on a few lines, we later found a street café and had a few local beers, before catching the night train back up to Thessaloniki. The Thessaloniki train was a long and very busy one and I`m glad we managed to book seats on this service because there was bodies everywhere, and although we had been travelling for most of the day, we both slept well sat up on this overnight train.

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melli...1073742786.100001125840218&type=3&pnref=story

 

[shredder1]

Greece and Bulgaria (Day 4). Tuesday 6th June 2017

An 8 day break riding the rails in Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece and Romania.

We arrived back at Thessaloniki again to another bright and very warm morning and we had a short time to make a connection, a diesel class 220 locomotive took us north to Stroman, Greece, we were heading back into Bulgaria, but the line was closed, so a bus replacement service took us to the border station at Kynata to continue our journey into Sofia. The bus replacement from to Stroman was not waiting for us though and we all had a good hour or so to wait for it to arrive, with another delay crossing the Bulgarian border. After reaching the railhead at Kynata it was a pleasant journey back into Bulgaria`s capital Sofia.

We next took a train out to Gorna Oryahovista as we wanted to visit the locomotive depot there and we had also managed to book the best hotel in town for the night. Although we asked two different people on the depot, who we thought were in charge, for permission to have a look around, half way round the depot we bumped into a security chap who couldn’t speak English, we followed him thinking he was taking us to see someone else for permission, but he actually held us in an office while the police arrived to arrest us, we were then taken back to the police station and held in total for 2 hours before being released without charge. We were also made to delete our photographs, or we would go to jail, fortunately I shoot with two cards and managed to remove my compact flash card and hide it in my wallet. They did suggest that we go on an organised rail tour, so they did know we were just enthusiasts and tourists, so it did seem little over the top.

The police and security were very good though to be fair and just doing their jobs I suppose, it is however unfortunate that Bulgaria is still a little ignorant towards photography and rail tourism, we certainly spend enough money on our visits, indeed after our release we were told by the police that we were allowed to take photographs on the railway station, we stayed in an hotel in the town and but the following morning the police stopped us taking photographs on the station, so we took a few more discretely before leaving.

The hotel was a short taxi ride from the railway station, we took a meal in a local café and after a few beers in the hotel retired to our luxury rooms. Of interest, we spoke to our waitress, a young student girl of 18, who wished to become a teacher, she told us there was nothing in the town and that we were the first English men she had ever seen, so we were off the beaten track a little. However, it had been a very eventful day but another great one.

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melli...81969105985.1073742788.100001125840218&type=1

 

[shredder1]

Bulgaria and Romania, (Day 5). Wednesday 7th June 2017.

An 8 day break riding the rails in Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece and Romania.

A taxi from the hotel at Gorna Oryahovista took us to the railway station and after being stopped taking photographs by the police, despite being told the night before that we could take photographs on the railway station. We caught a train to the Romanian border at Ruse and for haulage we had an old Russian built EMU, which rode quite well considering its age.

On arrival into Ruse, the first stop was the railway museum down by the River Danube, not the largest museum I`d visited, but interesting all the same. Our plan was to try to find the Bulmarket depot in the dock area but after walking a few miles into the docks, and trying to follow a few lines, we eventually gave up and luckily found a bus to take us back into the City. A rail service operates from Ruse to Bucharest, but only one a day and we sort of missed it, the crazy thing was, it was running late and still in the platforms when we arrived at the station, but they wouldn’t sell us a ticket, in retrospect we should have jumped the train anyway. We however had to take the other option, a bus into Bucharest, which was much faster than the train and we arrived into the City just before the last light left the skies. Bucharest is an amazing city, very large and spread out and Nord Station was very busy when we arrived, so we took a number of photographs as evening fell.

We had booked an apartment for the last 3 nights, which was just a five minute walk from the station, the plan being to take a number of day trips out from Bucharest to various rail centres. After a meal in the station and some provisions from the supermarket for the apartment, a few ales finished the day off nicely, we had arrived in Romania.

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melli...1073742789.100001125840218&type=3&pnref=story

 

[Techniquest]

A lot of ups and downs there, but aside from getting arrested, it sounds like it was a good time!

 

[shredder1]

A lot of ups and downs there, but aside from getting arrested, it sounds like it was a good time!

Trouble with the authorities seems part of the territory in some of those countries, we always try to ask permission, but don`t pay it much attention these days, they are usually alright once they understand what you are doing.

 

[shredder1]

Romania, (Day 6). Thursday 8th June 2017.

An 8 day break riding the rails in Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece and Romania.

After a good night`s sleep and early shower at the apartment in Bucharest, we had planned to take a train East to the Black Sea coast at Constanta, in the first instance to travel the line and secondary to see if we could locate the locomotive sheds. It was a good run out to the coast and took a few hours to get out there, after photographing the locomotives stabled around the station at Constanta, we set off to check out the dock area.

After quite a bit of walking around in the hot sun, we eventually located a bridge which went over a large triage of lines and into the docks proper, but it was guarded with gun toting security, so we gave it a missed and just managed a few photographs from the surrounding hills, as we have identified a small stabling point, the main shed was apparently further round the hillside, but we didn’t locate it.

After taking tea in a local restaurant, we return to Bucharest by rail, arriving just back in the City before dark, the usual obligatory few ales and back to the apartment to regroup. It had been a good day in Romania.

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melli...44818929700.1073742792.100001125840218&type=3

 

[Cowley]

What an amazing trip you've had Shred. Loads culture too. I'll have a look at the rest of the photos tonight.
I'm interested in seeing the one of the S160 because I knew a couple of guys that rescued the one that used to be at the Mid Hants from over there.

 

[shredder1]

What an amazing trip you've had Shred. Loads culture too. I'll have a look at the rest of the photos tonight.
I'm interested in seeing the one of the S160 because I knew a couple of guys that rescued the one that used to be at the Mid Hants from over there.

Thanks very much Cowley, my mate found another S160 just outside Budapest Hungry yesterday, still a lot littered around in Europe and a few museums, like Poland and the Asian side of Turkey.

 

[shredder1]

Reposted with the addition of Fetesi and Basarab

Romania, (Day 6). Thursday 8th June 2017.

An 8 day break riding the rails in Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece and Romania.

After a good night`s sleep and early shower at the apartment in Bucharest, we had planned to take a train East to the Black Sea coast at Constanta, in the first instance to travel the line and secondary to see if we could locate the locomotive sheds. It was a good run out to the coast and took a few hours to get out there, after photographing the locomotives stabled around the station at Constanta, we set off to check out the dock area.

After quite a bit of walking around in the hot sun, we eventually located a bridge which went over a large triage of lines and into the docks proper, but it was guarded with gun toting security, so we gave it a missed and just managed a few photographs from the surrounding hills, as we have identified a small stabling point, the main shed was apparently further round the hillside, but we didn’t locate it.

After taking tea in a local restaurant in Constanta, we took a train down to Fetesi, lots of freight in the yards and a few locomotives on the stabling point, the old roundhouse was in decay and a few rusting steam locomotives were littered around the yards. We later returned to Bucharest by rail, arriving back in the City just before dark, a visit to the stabling point at Basarab followed by the usual obligatory few ales and back to the apartment to regroup. It had been a good day in Romania.

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melli...44818929700.1073742792.100001125840218&type=3

 

[shredder1]

Romania, (Day 7). Friday 9th June 2017.

An 8 day break riding the rails in Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece and Romania.

The original plan was to go chasing freight around Ploiesti, so we took a local train from Bucharest Nord out to Ploiesti Sud, (South station), passing the depot on the way in, but it was a wet morning and the depot seemed some way out, so we spent over an hour at Ploiesti Sud, but no freight showed up, so we next took a train out to Ploiesti Vest, (West station), for the other side of the triangle. This was also very slow, so we went for something to eat and right on queue a pair of locos went through double-headed on coal and we couldn’t get the camera`s out in time.

We made the discussion to take a train to Brasov, a lovely line which took us up through the Romanian mountains, the scenery was stunning. When we arrived at Brasov, three Romanian cranks were photting on the station, so I approached them and asked if they knew how we could get out to the depot.

The lads could speak some English and one of them very kindly took us out to the depot. There is no way we would have found this by ourselves. It was over a mile walk through the Triage and across a number of lines before we arrived at the back of the depot. Our new found friend appeared to know everyone as we walked through the depot happily snapping away until we reached security on the way out who basically said we were not allowed to take photographs, but we had all we wanted by that stage anyway. Rob left his email address with the lad who very took us around, but we still await him to contact us.

We returned to Brasov station by bus and had a lovely meal in a local restaurant opposite; I enjoyed an authentic Russian beef stroganoff, washed down with some locally brewed ale, before we returned to the railway station and took a train back to Bucharest.

It was nearly dark by the time we arrived back in the city, purchasing a few more beers and provisions for the apartment before retiring for the night, and thus another excellent day in Romania was had.

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melli...34004837448.1073742802.100001125840218&type=3

 

[Techniquest]

That was very generous of that lad to escort you to the depot!

Quite a productive time, bar the festering for freights that followed Sod's Law and produced just at the wrong time!

 

[shredder1]

That was very generous of that lad to escort you to the depot!

Quite a productive time, bar the festering for freights that followed Sod's Law and produced just at the wrong time!

Lovely lad Tech, they could only just speak English too, sorry they didnt keep in touch

 

[shredder1]

Romania, (Day 8). Saturday 10th June 2017.

An 8 day break riding the rails in Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece and Romania.

The last time in the apartment at Bucharest, as I was due to fly back to the UK on Sunday morning, so we were both up early, breakfasted and packed and headed off to Bucharest`s subway and took a Metro under the city to Titan Sud station, one of Bucharest`s other terminus stations, although very much smaller that Nord, which is the largest railway station in Romania. On Bucharest`s subway we were followed by security because I`d taken a few photographs, but they didn’t actually stop us, once they saw we were leaving the network, such paranoia.

We were line bashing and caught a train down the branch to Oltenita, on the left bank of the Argeş River where its waters flows into the Danube. Oltenița stands across the Danube from the Bulgarian city of Tutrakan, and we could see into Bulgaria from the station. After a brief rest bite at Oltenița, we returned on the same train back to Titan Sud and we next took the subway to Basarab where the main Bucharest TMD, loco sheds were, a lovely roundhouse by the side of the main road, with a glimpse through the fencing at the large roundhouse, but all I could managed was a few quick photographs by pushing the camera lens through the gaps between the steel fencing, the police station was on the opposite side of the road and this sort of thing is frowned upon apparently in Romania, they might have thought I was James Bond or someone.

Fortunately a very long foot bridge spanning all the lines and yards stands next to the depot, but the depot was just out of sight once up there, the yards however had plenty going on, shunting backwards and forwards, plenty of loco movements, plus the main line passed by along with Halta Buc Basarab station, which was ideal for main line photography.

Returning to Basarab main terminus station and walking through to Bucharest Nord for my final photographs in Romania, I was very sad that the holiday was nearly over, only 8 days this time, but we crammed a lot in, I am however in love with Eastern Europe.

We took a cab out to a hotel near Bucharest Airport with a free connection service for my early morning flight. It was a lovely hotel for the last night and I sat out on the veranda with Rob, drinking some local ales. I suddenly noticed the largest beetle I`ve ever seen in my life and it had horns on its head too and red bulging eyes, a really ferocious looking thing, so I place an upside down ashtray on its head, so it didn’t stalk us while we were having a drink, before we retired however, I removed the ashtray, but the dam thing had escaped, goodness knows how, but I slept with one eye open that night.

I`d found a cheap flight from Bucharest, but only flying into Birmingham, so it cost me an extra £20 to get back to Manchester from there on the train, I said my goodbyes to Rob the night before, he was staying and heading towards Hungary and Czech after I left him, and not returning to the UK until July. It had however been a great break and I really can`t wait to get back out there.

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melli...1073742809.100001125840218&type=3&pnref=story

 

[shredder1]

Birmingham and Manchester, Return to the UK, (Day 9). Sunday 11th June 2017.

After an early flight from Bucharest, I was two hours in front by the time I landed in Birmingham, so by UK time it was just after 09.00 on Sunday morning, giving me plenty of time to return to Manchester. After leaving the plane I took the AirRail link into the main terminal, this was the first time I`ve ever travelled on a Maglev.

The AirRail Link is a people mover linking Birmingham Airport with Birmingham International railway station and the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), in the United Kingdom. The current system, originally known as SkyRail, replaced the earlier Birmingham Maglev system in 2003.
The Birmingham Maglev was opened in 1984 and was the first commercial Maglev transport system in the world. The system was fully automated and used an elevated concrete guideway, much of which has been reused for the current AirRail Link system.

The current system is a fully automated cable-hauled system that takes passengers from the high-level railway station concourse, over a dual carriageway and into the terminal buildings. It has a length of 585 metres (1,919 ft), is free to use, and handles three million passengers per year. During the day, the trains run every few minutes each way. At off-peak times, trains operate on demand, and to facilitate this, a button labelled "DEMAND" must be pressed by the prospective passenger, (Source Wikipedia 2017).

I took breakfast in the railway station, Birmingham International and was pleasantly surprised to find a pristine DRS 66428 on the Tesco`s to welcome me back in to the UK, in fact it followed me into Birmingham New Street and Cross Country HST 43378 and 43301 respectively was also at New Street to welcome me back to the UK.

I caught a Cross Country Voyager direct to Manchester Piccadilly and after walking through the City was again welcomed back by a huge police turn out and EDL demo, welcome back to the UK, great trip though.

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melli...1073742811.100001125840218&type=3&uploaded=45

 

[Techniquest]

That insect sounds horrid to look at, let alone worrying about during sleeping!

The way things are these days I can understand the security/police being paranoid in Romania. It's not like it's a tourist hotspot, norm or enthusiast wise, so it would look a bit "Hold on, what's going on there?" so I can see why they followed you. At least they had the sense not to arrest you this time!

Overall it sounds like it was a bit of a time. I'm heading into Eastern Europe for the first time ever next month, only to Prague for a few days, so it's going to be an interesting experience. If you happen to have any useful tips for a trip to Prague I'd love to hear them. I'm mostly doing tourist-y stuff (check out the castle, the famous bridge and have a bloody good explore in general) on at least one of the days. I've seen they have a lot of locos over there which need investigating of course.

 

[shredder1]

That insect sounds horrid to look at, let alone worrying about during sleeping!

The way things are these days I can understand the security/police being paranoid in Romania. It's not like it's a tourist hotspot, norm or enthusiast wise, so it would look a bit "Hold on, what's going on there?" so I can see why they followed you. At least they had the sense not to arrest you this time!

Overall it sounds like it was a bit of a time. I'm heading into Eastern Europe for the first time ever next month, only to Prague for a few days, so it's going to be an interesting experience. If you happen to have any useful tips for a trip to Prague I'd love to hear them. I'm mostly doing tourist-y stuff (check out the castle, the famous bridge and have a bloody good explore in general) on at least one of the days. I've seen they have a lot of locos over there which need investigating of course.

Good luck with the trip Tech, Prague is an amazing city, very Westernised of course, it was the Czechs that helped bring the wall down through the velvet Revolution. Cech Railways are very poud of their network and will allow you round the depots if you ask, the main station in Prague is amazing, Hlavni Nadrazi, and will literally blow you away, a short walk across the gardens will take you to Masarykovo station, also worth a visit, please ask for any more info Tech, an £18 rover ticket takes you all over the Czech republic for 1 day 24 hours. Ostravas worth a visit time permitting, freight all day and night, plus a large depot. Bruno too, amazing

 

[Techniquest]

Many thanks for that helpful information, especially with the rover. £18 for a whole day's travel is just insanely cheap!

The stations you mention sound especially worth seeing, I wonder if either of them will be a contender for taking Paddington's spot of favourite station anywhere in the world!

 

[shredder1]

Yes very cheap travel, we use a lot of Interrails for getting around Western and Central, Europe, they work out around £30 a day and take you on all nighters, but countries like Slovak and Czech are a lot cheaper, the former Yugoslav countries, bosnia, kosovo, montenegro, macedonia, serbia, croatia, slovienia, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Turkey, etc are cheaper still, even though you can buy a Balkan Railpass, its cheaper usually to pay as you go.

 

[Cowley]

I've enjoyed reading about it all Shred and I've looked at most of the photos now.
It's amazing how different the cultures are between our railway network and that of other countries. It must have been a fantastic trip.

 

[30907]

I'm heading into Eastern Europe for the first time ever next month, only to Prague for a few days, so it's going to be an interesting experience. If you happen to have any useful tips for a trip to Prague I'd love to hear them. I'm mostly doing tourist-y stuff (check out the castle, the famous bridge and have a bloody good explore in general) on at least one of the days. I've seen they have a lot of locos over there which need investigating of course.

Central Europe (I wouldn't call CZ eastern!) Is well worth it. Depends how much time yiu have forvtravel outside Prague...

Prague - trams in vast quantity.
The "Prague Semmering" line 122 with a class 810 "breadbin" railbus - think it no longer runs from a platform in Smichov Goods but most of it is in the City Zone for ticketing.
At weekends there are big 749/754 diesels and double deckers on the scenic line 210 to Cercany via the Sazava valley.

 

[Techniquest]

Sadly I won't be there at a weekend, shame with the big stuff I'll miss!

Not a lot of time for heading outside Prague, but I'll be examining my options this coming week.

 

[shredder1]

I've enjoyed reading about it all Shred and I've looked at most of the photos now.
It's amazing how different the cultures are between our railway network and that of other countries. It must have been a fantastic trip.

Thank you very much Cowley, yes its amazing over there, we have lost so much in the UK now, so its nice to find loco hauled stock still operating and a variety of locos in the various countries and a lot of them are very friendly and allow you around the depots, like it was in the UK before all the health and safety stuff came in.