Slovakia, (Day 3). Tuesday 27th March 2018.
I was essentially concentrating on Slovakia this trip, shed bashing mainly and also travelling on a few new lines, I travelled the length and breadth of the country over an 8 day period using my free Slovakian rail pass, Although I`ve previously visited most of the locomotive depots in the past, Zvolen was new to me with its twin half-round houses traverse and workshops, I was given permission for all my depot visits which included Bratislava Hlavna, Zilina, Nove Zamky, Kosice, Trencianska Tepla, Zvolen, Spisska Nova Ves, Cierna nad Tisou and Leopoldov. How long this situation will last I`m not sure as I`ve noticed changes in the last few years and feel depot visits may be more restricted in the years to come.
An early start to catch an early train from Bratislava Hlavna Stanica and I was treated to a Class 240 Goldfish Bowl which gave a good account for itself to Zvolen. I had previously travelled on an overnighter with my mate Rob last year from Bratislava via Zvolen to Kosice, but slept right through, so I had never seen Zvolen, which was said to be a mini Crewe, and it lived up to all expectations.
I arrived by around 10.00 am and the weather was good, bright with sunshine at times, Zvolen is host to the main workshops in Slovakia, I wasn’t sure where it actually was though. I arrived into Zvolen`s largest station Osobna Stanica and could see no sign of the works, after passing through a small park which had a military train plinthed and on display, one loco and two tanks, I climbed up the castle walls and from that advantage point, could see the location of the locomotive depot and workshops and worked out how to get round to them.
I entered the complex through some waste ground and climbed up on to a railway embankment into a line of locos, I followed these across the top sheds and traverse and walked into the shed foreman’s office, he very kindly gave me permission without question. I next spent a good hour photographing everything and going inside all the building and both roundhouses; it was an amazing place and certainly had plenty of locos on shed.
I even found an old steam loco at the back of the yard, and in the process of being renovated, a former Czechoslovakian 2-10-0, or 1'E. Number 556 039. It was built in Škoda Plzeň (in that age it was ZVIL - Závody Vladimíra Iljíče Lenina), a twin cylinder loco.
I left the depot by the front entranced, and immediately walked over a footbridge crossing all the main lines which dropped down to the platforms of Zvolen`s second largest station Nakladna Stanica. From there I walked up the road to find a local pizza house and had a large Hawaiian as I`d missed breakfast that morning. I next walked to the town centre and located Zvolen`s third railway station, a single platform on a single line, on a crossing and right in the middle of the town centre Zvolen Mesto.
After a walk through the town I returned to Zvolen Osobna Stanica and caught a train up to Banska Bystrica for a change onto a train to Zilina, a town I`ve visited a number of times. My first stop at Zilina was a visit to the locomotive depot; I was given permission and went around the depot and into the yard as a couple of 131 twins were parked up and a 2016 OBB diesel loco.
While walking up the line, this kid came running up to me, his English was poor but he seemed to want me to go with him and said no photos? I stood my ground and basically said I wasn’t going anywhere, he then strangely went to grab my arm, so I swung round and pushed him away, he stepped backwards and made a phone call, so I hung around to see what the score was. Within a few minutes another guy in a suit came along and shook my hand and said he was security and asked what I was photographing, I told him the trains and he said fine and apologised and they both walked off and I just carried on, very strange.
I was staying in Zilina for two nights and had booked a single room on the far side of town, the Hostel Mala Praha, I had a small private room with a telly and electric fire for £6 a night, a real bargain and a lovely Slovakian chap running it, in fact I had a few ales at the bar with him that night and after retiring to my I room slept well.
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