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Railways of Spain PHOTOS


Pete 75C
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It occurred to me the other day that RMWeb is awash with prototype photos... "Class 37 Photos", "Prototype for Everything", etc etc, not forgetting some excellent European images in Dave F's thread and the topics of other RMWeb members.

Now, the "Railways of Spain" sub-forum is a relative newcomer to RMWeb, but as Spain is a popular holiday destination for us Brits at least, I can't help thinking there must be a wealth of Spanish railway imagery waiting to be tapped.

It's fairly well knowN that I have a love for Spain, but only recently have I actually taken any photos and then only in one specific area. However, to get the ball rolling, here goes.

 

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The metre-gauge FGV stretches from Alicante up to Denia on the northern Costa Blanca. Seen above is one of the rebuilt diesel units entering Altea from the Calpe direction. October 2016.

 

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The line is electrified only between Alicante and Benidorm. Seen above is a tram/train shortly after arrival at Benidorm. Once free of street running in Alicante, these units can reach a decent speed, hence the term "tram/train". October 2016.

 

More please. Anywhere in Spain, historic or modern.

Edited by Pete 75C
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Sticking with regional operators, you have FGC in Catalunya which operates a metre gauge network based on Barcelona, including two mountain rack lines. This is unit A7 in Feb 2011 at the Nuria terminus 1964m above sea level. There's no road access to the place, which is both a small ski resort and a place of pilgrimage, so all the supplies have to come up in wagons attached to the passenger trains. The line also uses Swiss built Stadler GTW units similar to those on FGC's other mountain line to Montserrat, which is also a place of pilgrimage.post-992-0-37612100-1493042226_thumb.jpg

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Swiss-built units, rack railways and snow? In Spain? Wow. You learn something new every day. Never heard of this line, so many thanks for the info. Fascinating.

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It is a bit special. If you stay at the one hotel at the top of the line you get free travel on the line, or you did in 2011.

 

It's not connected to the rest of the FGC system, but there is a RENFE Iberian gauge line out from Barcelona that connects with the Vall de Nuria at Ribes de Freser. It's on line R3 of the Barcelona suburban network. It's just that Ribes de Freser is 900m up in the Pyrenees and it takes the train 2hrs 25 from central Barcelona on a single track climbing hard all the way. To be fair, only half a dozen or so trains on line R3 get that far each day, but it's not even the end of the line. That's another 55 minutes further on at La Tour de Carol. In France. Only just in France, mind.

 

Here's a RENFE class 447 unit at Ribes de Freser on the 160km international "suburban" service, February 2011.post-992-0-39863700-1493071872_thumb.jpg

Edited by Frutigen
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It feels a bit sad to be updating the thread with photos taken by someone else, but I'm just trying to kickstart some imagery! Off the top of my head, I can think of about 5 RMWeb members interested in the railways of Spain. If there's no-one else, we're doomed...!

 

Different generations...

 

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This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

 

Taken in the days when there were two trains per day between Lisbon and Madrid. The daytime train was once a 2-car TER express railcar set owned by RENFE. This then switched over to Talgo stock operated by one of the matching locos throughout and were given the EuroCity (EC) branding.

Various builds of Talgo diesel locos operated many with distinctive sounding Maybach engines such as the class seen here. Taken on 12 November 1993, 352.003 is seen working train EC31, 11:55 Lisboa Santa Apolónia to Madrid Chamartín, ready to depart Abrantes.
The daytime service has been withdrawn and nowadays the two cities are connected on the once per day overnight service formed of Talgo stock but hauled by "regular" RENFE and CP locos.

 

Moving forwards almost exactly 17 years...

 

post-17811-0-80618400-1493278514_thumb.jpg

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

 

Alstom 333-407-5 after arrival at Madrid Chamartin from Lisbon with the TrenHotel "Lusitania" Talgo stock, 6 November 2010

 

Edit: It strikes me that the first image could have been taken much earlier than 1993, and shows how much has changed in a relatively short period of time.

Edited by Pete 75C
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I can help you out with some images of the south eastern corner of Spain, Pete.

 

I dare say these images could have gone in the "Trains in the landscape" thread.

Taken near the town of Blanca, Murcia with the Sierra de la Pila in the background that rises to 1264m, the last Talgo of the day from Cartagena to Madrid heads through the campo, unusually double headed by a pair of class 334 diesels.

 

28719264740_3424c05c6d_b.jpg2 x 334 en el Campo de Blanca #2 by McGomez441, on Flickr

 

28900291282_911b89dc32_b.jpg2 x 334 en el Campo de Blanca #1 by McGomez441, on Flickr

 

28719316110_d2080220c6_b.jpgDonde está el Talgo? by McGomez441, on Flickr

 

You can see planes on their final approach to Alicante Airport at night passing just beyond the highest peak.

The Airport is some 70Km as the bird flies from where the photo is taken.

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Just discovered this thread.Great stuff indeed.Little is published on the railways of Spain and indeed my own knowledge and experience is sparse.Once spent a week at a hotel adjacent to the line from Ronda to Algeciras and had a short trip down the line on a DMU to the next station and walked back along the river ...and that's about it apart from a return trip from Soller to Palma on the line that all the tourists use. So yes please I am very interested to see more,thanks.

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Thanks for the images, guys. Hopefully in the not-too-distant future, I can head off in the car for the day and scout out some locations myself.

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I've also just discovered this thread and hope to get some pictures uploaded in due course. There is interest in Iberian Railways. Two of us at our Model Railway Club recently pooled our photo collections and managed to do a circular tour of the whole peninsula from Irun, anticlockwise to Barcelona. The photos actually meshed well with very little duplication and the talk was well received.

 

Jamie

Edited by jamie92208
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Down on the Catalan coast there's a nice shoreline walk between the stations at Sitges and Vilanova i la Geltru.

 

The first mile or so is along the prom at Sitges, then the main line slews over to hug the shoreline. The next couple of miles make for a pretty spectacular train ride and the path is just as special for anyone photographing the trains. Sometimes you look down on the track from the top of a tunnel, other times you can walk out on a headland and take photos "from the sea", and for a lot of the way the path is right next to the track with no barrier between them. Walkers beware!

 

The last half mile is through the streets of Vilanova, which is home to part of Spain's national railway museum if you still have any time left.

 

These pictures from November 2014 show some of the main varieties of passenger train to be found along the coast: class 450/451 double deck units and class 465 "Civia" units, both on stopping services south from Barcelona; a class 448 medium distance unit on a regional express service from Barcelona to Tortosa; and class 130 high speed Talgo units on the Alicante - Valencia - Barcelona service.

 

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Edited by Frutigen
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Down on the Catalan coast there's a nice shoreline walk between the stations at Sitges and Vilanova i la Geltru.

 

Excellent photos. The museum at Vilanova has long been on my "to-do" list, although I'm led to believe access/opening times is a little hit and miss. There are a couple of locos on the roundhouse that I would particularly like to see. The coastal walk up to Sitges looks to be well worthwhile. The only thing I know about Sitges is that it is supposed to have some of the highest average property prices in the whole of Spain. I guess being a stone's throw from Barcelona probably has something to do with it...

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Perhaps I should add that, if your main aim is photography, then Vilanova station is closer to the coastal stretch of the line, so a walk out and back from there would be more productive.

 

EDIT

Here's a link to an online map. Zoom in far enough and you get a lot of detail for planning walks in Catalunya.

 

https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/maps/topographic/catalonia.shtml

Edited by Frutigen
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Here's a few from Barcelona taken when we stopped there on a cruise in 2010.   I didn't have time or skill for the stunning scenery shots that have already been uploaded but they might be of interest.

 

I started with a ride on the Tibidado tramway which is steep and winding and operated by some lovely old trams.

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This is a better shot taken at the upper terminus.

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From there a funicular takes you to the top of the mountain but I didn't have time to ride it.

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Another shot coming down the steep curving hill.

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A sample of the lovely detail in the interior.  At the time I was in the process of restoring an 1898 tram and took this as a reference shot.

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I then took the standard gauge FGC line out to where the map showed it connected with the western bypass line. This is taken at a junction station where I got off.

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The map showed a connected station but it was a half mile walk including crossing a busy dual carriageway and scrambling down an embankment but I got to the main line station and one track was dual gauged which allows standard gauge freight to access the docks. Here's a coupe of light locos heading through.

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I then got an EMU and the drive invited me into the cab.  the next shot shows where the standard gauge line heads off for the docks.

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Not the best of shots through a darkened windscreen but hopefully of interest.

 

Jamie

 

 

 

 

Edited by jamie92208
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Here's a few from Barcelona taken when we stopped there on a cruise in 2010...

 

Great shots Jamie. Is the funicular supposed to look like a VW split-screen camper, because that's what it reminds me of! The dual gauge is interesting too.

 

A few more from me, but this almost exhausts the photos I took of the Benidorm-Denia "Line 9" section of the FGV back in October last year. We're back out to the northern Costa Blanca soon, so I shall try and get a little further afield with the camera.

 

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The recently laid slab track through Altea's Garganes station.

 

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I know absolutely nothing about this, apart from the fact that it's in remarkably good condition. Altea.

 

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Just beyond where the crane sits, the old turntable and two-road shed, again at Altea.

 

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Probably a good idea to include a shot that actually has a train in it. One of the metre-gauge diesel units just arrived at Benidorm.

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Just a few more from my one day tour of Barcelona. Thanks for the comments and yes I agree about the funicular's design heritage.

The EMU that went along the mixed gauge line went as far a Martorell (Apparently to get students to a University.

Here I caught up with the two light engines which were now attached t a freight ready to head south,

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I then carried on down a meter gauge line that comes down from the hills.  This not only has a good passenger service but has freight bringing some sort of mierals down to the docks though I didn't manage to see any of the freight traffic that day.  I then did another change and got onto the main line that runs across the city.

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This then goes right through the city centre underground via Sants before turning south and east through 180 degrees to finish at the Stacione de Franca.

Seen here with one of the various AGV's in it.

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I did like the details which included a model of the station.

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with what I think may be a Hornby Acho loco though I would be happy to be corrected.

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and all good things must come to an end as I didn't want to miss the ship. And show myself up as a true old buffer.

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As we've now got a dedicated forum for Spain, perhaps it might be worth splitting this thread into more specific subject matter?

 

I don't know whether I'm numbered among of the five referred to earlier in the thread.  My recent visits to Spain have tended towards finding preserved steam locos (particularly those built in the UK), but also photographing any current operations that I've come across en route.  Up to a few years ago, it was useful - sometimes necessary - to have a permit for photography at stations, which tended to prevent hassles from security personnel and sometimes afforded greater access.  Unfortunately, I don't think permits are issued nowadays and it may be useful to share any experiences - good or bad - as a result.

 

From the previous couple of posts, the 269 series represented the largest class of electric locomotives on RENFE.  They probably deserve a thread in their own right, as they were constructed as several distinct sub-classes, which were then modified, renumbered into further sub-classes.  Some have also been sold to EFE (Chile).  In short, their history is quite complex.

 

Here's an example of the 269.9 series - locos that were modified for higher-speed running on passenger trains - as seen here in 2003 on a train of Talgo stock at Bilbao (Abando).

 

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Vilanova i La Geltrú Railway Museum has been mentioned earlier.  It certainly has a fine collection and is well worth a visit when in the area.  As far as I know, the opening times are fairly regular (http://www.museudelferrocarril.org/).  However the problem is with how its collection of locomotives are arranged.  Many of the older locomotives are arranged "half in, half out" of the roundhouse section (see photo) - which makes for attractive group shots of smokeboxes poking out of the roundhouse doors, but not for good views or photographs of the locomotives themselves.  Part of the reason for this is that the roundhouse is considered unsafe and visitors kept out from entering.

 

The newer, larger steam locomotives are also placed closely together, making good photography a challenge.

 

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On one occasion, I was fortunate to visit while the museum was hosting a motorcycle fair - officially the railway display was closed and the locomotives fully pushed back inside the roundhouse.  I'd better not say any more!

 

 

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Hi there

I've recently moved from Johannesburg to Ondara near Denia and am getting going on a small layout - BR(S) late 50's early 60's plus some industrial track as well.

I was involved in the private rail sector in South Africa, particularly Rovos Rail, and am hoping to investigate the possibility of restarting the old Lemon Express once the line to Denia is reopened. Currently all the track in the statiopn area has been lifted and about half a km onwards from there.

 

Regards

Geoff Pethick

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I've recently moved from Johannesburg to Ondara near Denia and am getting going on a small layout - BR(S) late 50's early 60's plus some industrial track as well.

I was involved in the private rail sector in South Africa, particularly Rovos Rail, and am hoping to investigate the possibility of restarting the old Lemon Express once the line to Denia is reopened. Currently all the track in the statiopn area has been lifted and about half a km onwards from there.

 

I won't be too far away from you. We've settled on the area around Altea and will be buying a property within the next 3-6 months, hopefully.

I do wish you the best of luck with this. I fear you may need deep pockets and the iron will to overcome bureaucracy. I've long been fascinated by the old Limon Express. Didn't it used to be run with private money? The FGV/local government didn't seem to be too interested in funding its continued running. I do think they missed a trick - the area is a tourist hotspot with rugged and beautiful coastal views and I can imagine just one trip a day being fully booked. The possibility of a seasonal evening dining train might even make sense.

The rolling stock for the Limon Express was stored at El Campello out in the open last time I heard. I wonder what the condition is now, as I think it last ran about 10 years ago?

 

Edit: Not my photo, but the Limon Express pictured in the carriage sidings at Benidorm, 2007.

 

post-17811-0-45167700-1493707775_thumb.jpg

By V44020001 (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Edited by Pete 75C
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Down on the Catalan coast there's a nice shoreline walk between the stations at Sitges and Vilanova i la Geltru.

 

Nice photos Frutigen as they bring back memories of 1992-94 when I lived in the same street as the station in Vilanova.

This was the view from our apartment.

14043225136_65e9455ece_b.jpgVilanova desde mi balcon by McGomez441, on Flickr

 

Unfortunately I didn´t take many railway photos at the time.

 

I used to ride along the section you talk about between Vilanova and Sitges and commuted to Barcelona daily on one of these double decker trains with a class 269 at one end and a driving trailer at the other. I believe the 269s were a stop gap measure due to late delivery of the powered driving trailer.

13109459053_83d7989b74_b.jpgVilanova 1993 by McGomez441, on Flickr

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Forgot I'd got these, Port Soller and tramway and the Soller railway in 2013.

One day I am determined to take some heavy rail photo's here in Spain!

 

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Mike.

Edited by Enterprisingwestern
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