Sat 26 Mar 2011
Sat 26 Mar 2011
31/07/12 17:09
These notes follow on from a short visit to the Czech Republic (Czech notes here).
After crossing the border north of Trencin, I headed for Chynorany, the closest point on the diesel worked Nove Zamky to Prievidza line. Although I’d photographed in Slovakia before, this was my first visit to this line and I didn’t really know what to expect. Ominously, there were very few pictures on the usual Czech and Slovak websites, which came as a surprise given that most passenger trains are loco hauled. If there were any good locations, I’d have expected to see evidence of them on the web.
My worst fears were confirmed during the drive to Prievidza. The line runs along a very broad, very flat valley through decaying industrial towns and run down villages. Hardly inspirational stuff.
After checking into the Hotel Preuge, close to Prievidza station and booked through Booking.com, I visited the shed where nobody seemed at all interested as I wandered round. Nice to find no less than 5 Hectors (Class 721) on shed. All looked to be in working order, complete with plates, and several even had the full UIC numbers. 721.116 was definitely in traffic and took fuel before being stabled.
The rest of the afternoon was spent attempting a trip to Jelsovce and back to check out the line. This was my first Slovak train journey and got off to a less than excellent start with dirty graffiti spattered coaches and some sort of problem with the brakes that meant we were almost 20 minutes late getting underway. In the event I didn’t risk the connection at Jelsovce and got off at the previous hovel, Vycapy-Opatovice. There would have been a 3 hour wait if I’d missed the train back.
I was pleasantly surprised to find a number of potential photspots worthy of further investigation and decided to stay a second night in Prievidza in order to check them out properly. Another surprise was to see 754.083, complete with Humenne allocation on the cabside, working local passengers vice a Nove Zamky 750.
After crossing the border north of Trencin, I headed for Chynorany, the closest point on the diesel worked Nove Zamky to Prievidza line. Although I’d photographed in Slovakia before, this was my first visit to this line and I didn’t really know what to expect. Ominously, there were very few pictures on the usual Czech and Slovak websites, which came as a surprise given that most passenger trains are loco hauled. If there were any good locations, I’d have expected to see evidence of them on the web.
My worst fears were confirmed during the drive to Prievidza. The line runs along a very broad, very flat valley through decaying industrial towns and run down villages. Hardly inspirational stuff.
After checking into the Hotel Preuge, close to Prievidza station and booked through Booking.com, I visited the shed where nobody seemed at all interested as I wandered round. Nice to find no less than 5 Hectors (Class 721) on shed. All looked to be in working order, complete with plates, and several even had the full UIC numbers. 721.116 was definitely in traffic and took fuel before being stabled.
Prievidza Depot
Loco |
---|
721.053, 721.079, 721.083, 721.116, 721.126 736.102 750.238 751.128, 751.200, 751.208 preserved: T444.0055, 464.001 |
The rest of the afternoon was spent attempting a trip to Jelsovce and back to check out the line. This was my first Slovak train journey and got off to a less than excellent start with dirty graffiti spattered coaches and some sort of problem with the brakes that meant we were almost 20 minutes late getting underway. In the event I didn’t risk the connection at Jelsovce and got off at the previous hovel, Vycapy-Opatovice. There would have been a 3 hour wait if I’d missed the train back.
I was pleasantly surprised to find a number of potential photspots worthy of further investigation and decided to stay a second night in Prievidza in order to check them out properly. Another surprise was to see 754.083, complete with Humenne allocation on the cabside, working local passengers vice a Nove Zamky 750.
Prievidza
Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
750.110 | Stabled | 13:50 | |
736.103 | Os5006 | 14:27 Prievidza - Nove Zamky | 13:50 |
Novaky
Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
742.223 | Stabled | 14:51 | |
754.083 | Os5029 | 13:49 Topolcany - Prievidza | 14:54 |
Zemianske Kostolany
Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
742.040 | Shunting | 15:00 |
Velke Bielice
Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
813.008 | Os5079 | 14:49 Topolcany - Prievidza | 15:22 |
Chynorany
Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
811.011 | Os5409 | 15:18 Chynorany - Trencin | 15:29 |
Topolcany
Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
751.043 | Stabled | 15:43 |
Vycapy-Opatovice
Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
736.101 | Os5005 | 14:48 Nove Zamky - Prievidza | 16:18 |
Topolcany
Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
754.083 | Os5008 | 15:45 Prievidza - Nove Zamky | 16:59 |
Chynorany
Loco | Train No. |
Train Details | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
750.110 | R720 | 16:36 Prievidza - Bratislava hl.st. | 17:20 |