Sat 26 Mar 2011

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.

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