Czech Railways

[Hobby]

That's good, David will be pleased!

[EddieB]

The line from Tabor to Bechyne is the last surviving stretch of 1500V dc electrification on the Czech network (Rybnik-Lipno having been converted a few years ago).  Most services are worked by steeple cab electrics of class 113 (former E426.0, which themselves are pretty good), but during the Summer heritage locomotives and rolling stock can be found on occasions.  Most commonly, these are class 100 (E422.0) locomotives (or "van locomotives" as they have space for goods), but I have also seen the preserved E436.004 of 1927 and the original Ringhoffer electric railcar M400.001 of 1903 in operation during a previous visit.  Unfortunately, I think the 2016 heritage season has finished, but it's always worth czeching (sorry!) on-line for news.  There's an interesting road/rail bridge on the approach to Bechyne (where it seems the Sun is never in the right direction).

 

Serious plug time.  The new Platform 5 book on Czech and Slovak Railways by Robert Pritchard is excellent - comprehensive, well-researched and still pretty much up to date.  I'd recommend it to anyone contemplating a visit to either or both countries (or even armchair travellers).  Usual disclaimers apply.

[NHY 581]

David and I are going out so see the JHMD tomorrow but he's also found out that there may be a SG line at Tabor with some unusual stock. The info he has is a few years old, does anyone know if it's still the case?

I was there in July this year. The line was operated with diesel rail cars. Previously I have travelled in rail car trailers behind an electric locomotive. Whatever the make up of the train, its well worth travelling the line from Tabor, which is a lovely town.

 

I would also recommend travelling the Sedlcany branch line.

[dagrizz]

EddieB,

 

Thanks for the 'plug' about the book. I was going to ask for recommendations on books about Czech railways as my knowledge is zilch - witness my ignorance about Bardotka, above. 

 

That book is now ordered, cheers

 

Graham

[roundhouse]

Yes it's a very good book. I picked one up recently.

 

The road and rail bridge just before Bechyne station is also interesting.

[NHY 581]

See here......

 

Not mine by the way.

[roundhouse]

The photo on the left is the formation that we had a few years ago.

[dagrizz]

Hi all,

 

We are hoping to do a tour around the Czech Republic in July using the "Ticket for Summer" (Jizdenka na leto) which in 2016 gave 14 days unlimited travel for 1190 Czk (about £40). However the Ceske Drahy website does not give details of a similar offer for 2017. I've a suspicion that CD don't release details of the offer till later this spring. Does anyone have any further information/advice about these tickets?

 

We're in a bit of a Catch 22 in that we'd like to book flights sooner rather than later before they become more expensive, but if we cannot then get the train ticket..........

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

Graham 

[roundhouse]

I hadn't seen the 14 day ticket last year but may have not been looking in the right place.
However you can get a day ticket for around £20 which you can buy online on the CD website. At weekends you can get a two people day rover for around the same price but I think that these are only available from ticket offices. Unfortunately we dont speak Czech so we have had to rely on helpful ticket office staff who can speak some English.

Edited January 29, 2017 by roundhouse

[roundhouse]

Just over a week ago we stayed in Usti Nad Labem which is just over an hour to the North of Prague. Its the first itme that we have been out of the station into town but as we were on the 2nd day of a 2 day railtour originating and finishing here, it gave us a good chance to stay in town.

 

The tour was a long day but well worth doing as it travelled over two branches that are now closed to regular passenger services.

 

This is the junction at Vilemov U Kadane where the loco ran round our 4 coaches before heading up the branch.

 

Once at the end of the branch at Kadensky Rohoze we were allowed off the train into the fairly deep snow. I had very wet shoes and bottoms of my trousers waitnig in this spot to photo the loco running round but they decieded to push the trian back to the junction to save time so this was the best shot that I managed at this location.

 

The next freight only branch was the one to Bochov. Despite still being around a half hour behind the planned timings, we still managed to arrive there in daylight.

 

After that branch is was on to Karlovy Vary then back along the main line via Chumotov and Most to Usti Nad Labem in the dark around 21.25. A very good day with a final beer in the hotel just before the bar closed. The next day we headed back to prague for an afternoon and evening on the Czech beers.

[EddieB]

Once at the end of the branch at Kadensky Rohoze we were allowed off the train into the fairly deep snow. I had very wet shoes and bottoms of my trousers waitnig in this spot to photo the loco running round but they decieded to push the trian back to the junction to save time so this was the best shot that I managed at this location.

 

I think the last time I was there the river had burst its banks and the entrance to the main station at UNL was under water!

[Stefan88]

This is quite an interesting thread, came across this after winning my first Czech loco on ebay the other day - a very nice H0 Bardotka from MTB for a bargain £60! Just need some nice ACME or Tillig coaches to go with it now and a sound decoder.

 

One 'must see' that I've not seen mentioned here for anyone that ends up in Prague is a trip up the 'small Semmering' - esko line S65 from Smichov station in a class 810 railbus. Took a lot of messing around to actually find the correct station (found on my second attempt, missus was not impressed!), this line begins from a small platform surrounded by abandoned goods sheds and wasteland down the road from the actual Smichov station (follow the tram line in the out of town direction and turn right at the T-junction where the tram lines split). Lots of excellent views of the city as it climbs around 300m and crosses a couple of viaducts before heading in to the forest. One interesting feature at the top in one of the stations is a loading ramp for unloading trams from railway vehicles straight on to the tram network.

 

 

 

Another must is the tram museum and the museum tram line 91 which runs from the museum down past the castle and through the old town - costs a whopping £1 (30CZK) per ride as does entry to the museum.

 

 

En route we passed a film set, my guess is something about Heydrichs assassination (wasn't there a film about this released last year?)

 

 

The technical museum is also worth a visit, quite a few Habsburg-era steam locomotives, classic triple headlight Tatra cars and aircraft from the 20's and 30's.

 

Train tickets are generally pretty cheap, a trip to Karlstejn to visit the castle (towards the end of the S6 line) cost the equivalent of around £2 for a return ticket. Taking the Railjet to Vienna was a bit more pricey though at around £40 for a single, but in the grand scheme of things not too bad considering it was a journey of some 400km and international.

[Hobby]

The yellow line on the platform is a bit OTT I feel!

[dagrizz]

We recently returned from a tour around the Czech Republic, mainly using trains as transport. This was encouraged by the availability of cheap rover tickets called 'Jizdenka na Leto' (Ticket for summer). These are available during July and August and give unlimited travel for 7 days on CD trains for 790czk (about £27) or 14 days for 1190 czk (£43). We were there for just over a week so bought individual tickets for the first couple of days and then bought rovers. Although this was a train tour, it was also a sightseeing holiday so I didn't get much spare time for trainspotting.

 

We flew into Brno and because of engineering work affecting trains on our route, we took a bus to Jihlava and then walked to the town station (Jihlava mesto) rather than the main station which is further from the town.

 

 

After a short trip to Kostelec u Jihlava and changing trains, we arrived at Telc, a very pretty little town.

 

 

 

Next day we returned to Kostelec;

 

 

and changed for the short trip to Horni Cerekev

 

 

 

and another change for the train to Tabor. This train passed through Obratan which is one of the connecting stations for the narrow gauge JHMD line. I'd originally hoped to include a ride on this line but our schedule wouldn't comfortably fit it in. I only managed one shot of a JHMD train from our carriage.

 

 

Tabor;

 

 

 

 

more later

 

Graham

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NHY 581]

Great photos, Graham.

 

I know Tabor and Obratan very well as I have family in Tabor and stay there two or three times a year.

 

The JHMD is great fun. Deffo do it it you get time in the future.

 

 

I would also recommend a run to Bechyne from Tabor. Lovely line.

 

 

Here's a couple of my photos.

 

Rob.

[dagrizz]

Thanks Rob, Bechyne was the next part of the trip............................

 

Tabor has a decent station with a good information office – one of the staff spoke English which made buying the rover tickets much easier. The town is also worth a day for sightseeing. The next day was a Saturday and our trip to Bechyne coincided with one of the special event days scheduled for this summer where the trains are formed with classic traction. Some trains were a single car 'Elinka' – special tickets had to be bought in advance due to limited capacity.

 

 

The other services were a 'Bobinka' loco with two coaches – ordinary tickets could be used on these.

 

 

The Bechyne line was the first in the Czech Republic to be electrified, in the early twentieth century. After a river bridge crossing in Tabor, it reaches Bechyne without using tunnels, cuttings or bridges but some interesting gradients are easily coped with by the electric traction.

 

 

On the approach to Bechyne though, a deep river gorge had to be crossed and a rather nice bridge was built here – this is the view of it from Bechyne town,

 

 

The bridge is different in that it serves rail, road and pedestrians without segregation. When trains are due, traffic in one direction is held by lights to allow the train to pass, the traffic then follows the train across the bridge.

 

 

 

 

This is the view down to the bridge from Bechyne station.

 

 

 

Bechyne station is the end of the line;

 

 

Though there is a disused (?) freight branch leading off from the station.

 

 

After returning to Tabor, we headed south to Lake Lipno, near the Austrian border. A few photos as we passed through Vesily nad Luznici.

 

 

 

 

more tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[EddieB]

The Tabor - Bechyne line remains the only line electrified at the early 1.5kV dc system (the other remnant, Rybnik - Lipno was converted a few years ago) and, as you saw, is used for operation as a heritage line in summer.

 

The red railcar M400.001 was built by Ringhoffer in 1903 and dates right back to the beginning of the electrification.  When not out and about, it seems to be based nearby at Ceske Velenice works.

 

The E422.0 (later 100) class were a cross between locomotives and luggage vans (a bit like the ÖBB class 1046) having storage compartments within their bodies.

 

I may have posted these before, but here's a couple of photos of another heritage train from a few years ago, worked by E436.004 - crossing the bridge mentioned above and out on the line.

 

 

[dagrizz]

more...

 

We changed trains at Ceske Budejovice and travelled as far as Horni Plana; trains on this line were hauled by 'Goggles' class 754 locos.

I initially assumed the use of double decker coaches was just getting extra use from old stock but as the area is popular with cyclists I wonder if the DD coaches are purposefully used for their bike capacity.

 

 

 

 

 

Next day, we returned north, stopping off at Cesky Krumlov, very attractive town but also very busy with coachloads of tourists.

The yard at Ceske Budejovice was seen from our train, with lots of stored locos.

 

 

 

 

And so to Prague – Hlavni Nadrazi, the main station.

 

 

 

 

 

We didn't use Masarykovo station but I snatched this shot as we passed the front of it.

 

 

A Prague tram.

 

 

Originally, we were going to visit the Railway Museum at Luzna u Rakovnika but engineering works (doubling and electrifying the airport line I think) meant the journey was somewhat more complicated and time consuming than usual so we abandoned that idea. Instead we caught a train to Karlstejn to see the famous castle; City Elefant DD trains run every half-hour from the main station in Prague.

 

 

 

 

Normally the trains run through to Beroun but more engineering works (!) meant they terminated at Karlstejn. Other through trains were still running though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[roundhouse]

Th double deck coaches ar often used weekends where lines ar busy with walkers cyclists etc. On Sundays ewe can be seen on a number of trans out of Praha Hlavni going the single track route to Cercany and retuning in the afternoons. Other items it's normally one of the rebuilt 2 or 3 railcars although we did see a clas 714 with two trailers last week durng an afternoon working from Prague.

 

The longer distance trains Betwen Plzen and Prague were running through Beroun last week when we returned from Plzen. CD carry out a lot of maintenance during warmer months and this affected us between Brno and Ceske Budejovice with. Two hour bus replacement so we decided to go via Prague so avoid the bus trip.

[dagrizz]

Olomouc was the next destination – we caught a Prague-Krakow train hauled by a Polish loco, seen here at Olomouc.

 

 

 

 

 

We were due to visit friends near Breclav the next evening so we took the opportunity (I'm not sure SWMBO was particularly impressed by this) of taking a circuitous route so I could bag a little branch line. First a train from Olomouc to Hodonin (on the main line to Breclav),

 

 

 

changing here for the line to Mutenice and Cejc

 

 

finishing at Zajeci, on the Breclav-Brno main line.

 

 

Then another change for Podivin, one stop down the line.

 

 

 

From here a bus took us to the village we were staying in. The final day raised more SWMBO eyebrows with another bus to Hustopece.

 

 

This small town is served by a 3 mile branch from the main line at Sakvice. The trains were patronised and apparently the line is due to be electrified in 2022.

 

 

 

And then back to Brno for the flight home.

 

 

 

 

 

Graham

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Supaned]

Interesting , I didn't realise there was still freight traffic on the Bechyne branch

[roundhouse]

Whilst we didn't get off the train at Savile, did manage this shot from the coach doors of a Laminatka pulling into the loop.

 

We were on our way to Breclav to travel on the Summer weekends only service to Lednice, one of the few Czech branch lines left to do for us. A very nice day for it aswell.

Just a shame that the Brewery at Breclav was shut at weekends.

[dagrizz]

This years trip to CZ didn't involve any train rides and I could only manage some time at Breclav station to take photos. I took quite a few shots but I'll just post these two.

 

There was an old railcar on the Lednice service 

 

 

And these three Bardotkas were among the stored locos

 

 

Graham

 

[EddieB]

Coincidence - I've just been logging some of my own shots from Breclav taken last month. 

 

As ever, Breclav sees a wide variety of workings, to the extent you can't predict what will turn up next (even worse, which track might take the next through freight).  However long you spend there is never enough!  The "Grumpy"* is 751 149-6, which like the red/blue one on its left (751 119-9) and the red/grey one on its right (751 141-3) have been stored there for several years.

 

Must have been good to see the preserved railcar working an ordinary local service - CSD livery, red stars and all.

 

* = "Zamracena" - I think "Bardotka" only applied to the prototypes/first series (i.e. first seven) 

[dagrizz]

Yes, I usually managed to be on the wrong platform to photo the next freight train. Breclav sort of reminds me of trainspotting days in the UK back in the 70's when all sorts of trains could turn up and you didn't know quite what to expect next.

 

On the day (last Saturday) that I had four hours there, I was intending to go for a walk to what I think is a yard a mile or so to the north of the station. Has anyone been there - is it worth going?

In the event, the weather put me off walking anywhere so I stayed dry under the platform canopies. 

 

Graham