Introduction

CD’s class 141 electrics date back to 1959 and have been in decline for several years. The class was a development of the earlier class 140 and was specifically designed for express passenger work on the expanding 3000V DC electrified network. The delivery of new class 162 and 163 locos in the 1980s and 1990s relegated them from top link duties and by 2006 the remaining locos were employed on empty stock workings around Praha and the odd local passenger train in the Praha and Usti nad Labem areas. It looked like they would just fade away quietly until a number of locos were transferred to Olomouc and put to work on the secondary line to Nezamyslice.

I spent three days in the Olomouc area from Monday 24 to Wednesday 26 September.

The Line

The countryside around Olomouc could never be described as scenic but it is quite pleasant with open farmland, sleepy villages and gently rolling hills in places. The line runs south from Olomouc to the town of Prostejov then on to Nezamyslice on the Brno - Prerov main line. It is single track and electrified at 3000V DC.

Passenger Services

The passenger service consists of fast trains between Brno and Olomouc, calling at Nezamyslice and Prostejov, and local passengers calling at all stations between Nezamyslice and Olomouc. The fast trains run at two-hourly intervals and are hauled by Brno based class 362 or 363 dual-system electrics as they cross the AC/DC boundary on the Brno line west of Nezamyslice. The locals run hourly between Olomouc and Prostejov with most continuing to Nezamyslice. The vast majority are hauled by class 141s with the main exceptions being the use of class 163s on weekdays on the two workings that turn round at Prostejov. Three locos are required to operate the service each day and 141 009/018/023/055 all took turns during my visit to the line. 141 009 wasn't in the best external condition but the other three locos were quite presentable.

Freight

There is a pick-up goods from Nezamyslice to Olomouc and back on weekdays, travelling north in the morning and returning in the early afternoon. The pick-up was worked by 110 024 each day during my visit.

Photography

There are no mega-locations on the line but pleasant spots are quite plentiful. I had no clear ideas about where to find photo locations in advance but noted several potential locations from the train and just waited until one looked right for the light, got off at the next station and walked back. In a day and a half of sunny weather I got a good selection of pictures but didn't exhaust the line's possibilities by a long way. When the following day dawned cloudy and wet, I felt that I'd got enough good shots and could go travelling with a clear conscience.

Accommodation

The Sigma Hotel in Olomouc was quite a contrast to the Plaza Alta in Praha. They have "standard" and "quality" rooms. I went for the cheaper "standard" and got a room decorated in the early communist style that probably hadn’t been touched since the Gottwald era. The plumbing was certainly a museum piece and the combined washbasin/shower unit had to be seen to be believed. On the other hand, it was clean, extremely convenient for the station and dirt cheap. The restaurant was pretty good as well.

Conclusions

As with the Posazavsky Pacifik, I was quite satisfied with my results from the Olomouc - Nezamyslice line. The prospect of spending a couple of days on an unattractive electrified line hadn't been particularly inspiring but it seemed to be the only way to get a reasonable number of class 141 shots. The reality turned out to be much better than expected and I really enjoyed my time there. The 141s may be old but they don't hang about and get up to an impressive speed between stations.

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Goggles and Grumpies to the Krkonose