Fri 01 Apr 2011

After several days of excellent weather and rewarding photography, a dull day provided the opportunity to do some travelling, specifically to try to find more photo positions in good scenery.

I left Roznava on R930, just after 07:00, and travelled to Zvolen. Once again, the stock was in appalling condition with windows so dirty it was difficult to see out. The next leg of the journey took me via Banska Bystrica, Brezno, Cervena Skala and Margecany to Kosice over one of Slovakia’s most scenic lines, seen from the luxury of a clean, comfortable, first class coach. The train was composed almost entirely of CD stock, including the coach I was in, and the first leg of the journey, to Banska, was behind a CD loco. The red beast was on the front from Banska to Margecany where a ZSSK 163 took over.

Two surprises en-route concerned pick-up freights. The first surprise was seeing a 742 on one at Cervena Skala - I didn’t think the pick-up from Brezno worked beyond Helpa these days. The second surprise was seeing the pick-up that works the east end of the line out of Margecany, hauled by a 721. This train has been booked 731 for years. Photographically the line has tremendous potential but more than 90% of the prospective shots are ruined by a line of telegraph poles that runs along the south side most of the way from Banska to Margecany.

From Kosice I travelled back to Roznava on a railbus rather than jostle with the crowds fighting to get on every long distance train. By the time we arrived at Roznava, the sun was coming out and, after a quick dash down the road, the cameras came out for the first time all day to record 751.118 leaving Slavec Jaskyne with the pick-up to Plesivec. I hung around in case something else turned up but the cloud filled in again before anything of interest came.

Roznava

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
751.126   NB Freight 06:55
754.035 R930 06:06 Kosice - Zvolen os.st. 07:04

Plesivec

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
721.028
736.004
736.006
  Stabled 07:17

Filakovo

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
742.311
742.352
  Stabled 08:20

Zvolen os.st.

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
240.121 R830 08:48 Banska Bystrica - Bratislava hl.st. 09:30
242.274 (CD) R811 06:37 Bratislava hl.st. - Kosice 09:39

Sliac

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
240.103 Os7321 09:28 Banska Bystrica - Zvolen os.st. 09:50

Vlkanova

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
736.020
736.023
  SB Freight 09:55

Banska Bystrica

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
240.081
240.096
736.002
736.010
742.634
  Stabled 10:15
754.054 R811 06:37 Bratislava hl.st. - Kosice 10:15

Brezno

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
742.267   Stabled 11:02

Cervena Skala

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
742.021   WB Pick-Up Freight 11:51

Nalepkovo

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
721.099   EB Pick-Up Freight 12:46

Margecany

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
731.035   Stabled 13:25
163.055 R811 06:37 Bratislava hl.st. - Kosice 13:28
363.145 R603 07:57 Bratislava hl.st. - Kosice 13:31

Kysak

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
131.058
131.057
  Light Engine 13:51

Kostolany nad Hornadom

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
131.031
131.032
  NB Freight 13:57

Kosice

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
110.023
721.049
  Station Pilots 14:14
121.004 (SZDZ)
131.039
131.040
150.215 (CD)
163.049
163.059
163.104
163.105
460.042
460.043
460.057
754.082
  Various 14:14

Haniska pre Kosiciach

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
131.069
131.070
  EB Freight 15:11

Turna nad Bodvou

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
754.082 R934 15:27 Kosice - Zvolen os.st. 16:03

Lipovnik

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
751.076
751.173
  EB Freight 16:32

Slavec Jaskyna

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
751.118 Mn81160 11:10 Velka Ida - Plesivec Pick-Up Freight 16:57