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Czech Railways


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  • RMweb Gold

Hi guys. I am thinking of starting a modest branch line based on Czech railways practice.

I have been back and fore to the Czech Republic on a regular basis for a couple if years now and am quite taken with the variety of the railways there.

 

So, how to go about it? Not a clue...

 

I am looking for ideas/suggestions re suitable stock, publications references etc.

I am not looking to model overhead electrics so diesel only. Prefer loco hauled but the rail cars are brill.

 

 

I know we have some very experienced modellers producing excellent models on the forum.

Your time and advice would be greatly appreciated...

 

This is world away from my main interest of 1950s S&D steam so any input is welcome.

 

Rob

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  • RMweb Gold

Try the following for info on the real railways over ther:

 

www.zelpage.cz.

 

It has an English option but it doesnt always convert well nor does using Google translate but you will get the basics.

 

On the modelling front there are quite a few options these days both in TT scale and HO.

It isnt that cheap though but there are some very nice recently released ready to run Czech locos from the likes of Roco and small manufacturers such as CS Trains, MTB and Kuen.

 

There are quite a few model shops in Prague and other major Czech cities but unitl recently they either only took cash or didn't speak much English.

 

A long time favourite is:

www.Pragomodels.cz - They have a very small bookstall in Praha Masarykovo station and a small model shop a few minutes walk away. They dont speak much English but do take credit card.

 

Another recent online retailer with quite a swish store inside (through a basic entrance) is www.ben-zerba.cz - I have been to the shop near Praha Smickov station and also ordered online at very reasonable prices.

 

 

A recent small online trader is:

 

http://pojezdy.eu/eshop/ - who does not only ready to run but various kit items and detail parts. I have my first order on the way to me and he speaks good English. Can also pay via Paypal. he also does attend a number of 'swapmeets' in Prague so I may well have come across him a few years ago when we did a visit afew of these. The dates of such meets are on the Zelpage website. They start early and finish early though.

 

Another thing to be aware of is that many shops in the Czech Republic have limited opening hours and will often shut by mid day Saturday.

 

Regarding books, some do have captions or paragraphs in Czech German and English but many dont.

 

Of course not forgetting that Roco HO ready to run Czech locos can be obtained in this country from the likes of Gaugemaster, Ardacia Models, Mount Tabor but it is much more limited.

 

There are plenty more shops and info out there but hopefully these will be a start if you don't already know some of them.

 

regards

Ian

 

Edit - Thanks Bill - I had typed this out a while ago and then lost it so had to start again!!

Edited by roundhouse
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  • RMweb Gold

Thanks Ian. Much appreciated. Czech/ English is not a problem.

 

What locos would be the most suitable for a small branch line. Are some types more suitable than others?

 

Rob

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  • RMweb Gold

Rob

 

The Goggles (752 / 754) and Boardotkas (class 749 / 751)could be seen on the main line and branches until recently. The Goggles have generally been re engined and still genrally all over the non electrified parts of the network but the Bardotkas are almost gone although they are fantastic sounding locos.

 

The class 742's can be seen just about averywhere and MTB have just released an HO model of this. They could also be seen hauling 4 wheel railcar trailers on some branch lines and cross country routes.

 

Ian

 

PS - you need to look for CD liveries rather than the older CSD (Czechoslovakia ones)

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  • RMweb Gold

Thanks again Ian. Possibly in Czech Republic in January so looking to take some photos and get to Prague.

Will be staying in Tabor so plenty o's scope there.

 

Rob.

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I've had a long interest in Czech railways going back well into the days of Czechoslovakia, but when it comes to branch lines it was those worked by steam or vintage (1.5kV) electrics that tended to take my fancy.

 

As you say, most branch lines are worked by railcars.  There are some that are locomotive-worked, one advantage (for the modeller) being that they tend to run with no more carriages than absolutely necessary.  A single locomotive and carriage are often sufficient.

 

In a number of towns the main railway station is located on the outskirts and a shuttle service provided to a station in the town centre ("mesto") - not dissimilar to the arrangement between Stourbridge Junction and Stourbridge Town.  Nymburk and Mlada Boleslav are two that spring to mind (from my days of following steam), but there are many others.  Unfortunately the shuttle services tend to be worked by railcars.

 

As to diesel locomotive-worked branches, one line that might be of interest is Tanvald - Harrachov.  I haven't been there in over a decade, but it used to be the preserve of the 743 (T466.3) class, equipped with electrodynamic braking for the heavily graded line, along with 731 (T457.1).  Casting more widely, the other forms of the former T466 types, i.e. classes 735  (now withdrawn), 742 and the 714 rebuilds are the main players, though I'm sure that an excuse can be found to run a through working with a 749.

 

There is a Czech & Slovak Railway Society, which publishes a quarterly journal, runs a lending library and can be a useful exchange of information for those with modelling interests.  I don't know its current status or have contact details, unfortunately.

 

Google Streetview can assist with getting the feel of places and occasionally turns up gems like this: http://goo.gl/maps/wAlg4.  (Gutzold used to make a model of one of these 701/T211.0 class locos).

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  • RMweb Gold

The Tanvald to Harrachov line is now worked by railcars, some are new German types and many run from Tanvald to Liberec (via Smrzovka which we have modelled in TT). up until a few years ago a class 743 could often be seen on some Saturday services hauling a string of railcar class 010 trailers. Some of the Harrachov services now extend into Poland on tracks relaid in recent years.

 

The older but rebuilt class 854 railcars with trailers tend to work the Praha Hlvani to Tanvald services with the odd loco hauled working on a Saturday. This used to be a class 749 but nowadays I suspect it will be a re engined Goggles.

 

Many branch lines are still worked by the 4 wheel class 810 railcars but many are now operated by the Yellow and green Regionova units whicc are rebuilds from the class 810 and 010 trailers to form two and three car units with one low floor car in the formation. I have seen these in HO in some shops but as they are hand built they tend to be expensive.

 

Many branch lines still have freight services but I susoect that will dissappear in the near future.

 

Ian

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  • RMweb Gold

Thanks Ian/Eddie.

The 854 railcars are something else. Very nice. I will have a look when we go back over. I am sure there are a few minor routes from Tabor. There are also what appear to be small industrial lines in the area which I will try to get a look at in between family stuff.

 

Looking forward to it.

 

Is there sufficient interest here to generate a separate forum for Czech railways you think of are we a minority....?

 

Rob

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  • RMweb Gold

Rob

One of the lines out of Tabor is electrified to a different voltage to the main line and is normally an electric shunter plus a couple of coaches leaving from a separate part of the station. near the end of the line it shares a bridge with a road into town.

Not sure if there is enough interest but would be nice to have a separate forum though.

Ian

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  • RMweb Gold

This is the 1500DC line I think. Shall have a look when we are there. I have been looking at the various links you have referred to in your previous posts, Ian.

 

The other half is really getting into this.She has been quietly going through the websites you flagged up. We are thinking about a small layout set about 1990/ 1993 or just before. Very simple layout with basic station and goods facilities along with a small line side industry( brewery !!!!!!). This was a period of massive change in Czech, so thinking of CSD rather than CD. I think that would be era IV.( Era system again new to me, as is whole European thing)

 

This is all new to me so finding it lot of fun but doing a lot of research. We want to avoid any faux pas in terms of stock etc.

I think a couple of locos, few carriages and a smattering of wagons.

 

 

Be nice to group like threads onto a proper forum.

 

Rob

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Interesting to see the comments relating to Czech Railways. I visited and stayed with a friend in Louny (NW of Prague) between 1995-2005 and we still keep in contact, he visited me last year. As he works for CD he would take me to many depots and interesting locations. As a result I have amassed a huge selection of mainly locomotive prints from that period. I was particularly interested in rural backwaters of which there were plenty and we travelled the length and breadth of that country. Somewhere lurking in my shed I have resin and plastic locomotive bodies of 810 DMU and Bridgets. They are fairly crude but could be made into a reasonable HO model. This was before the advent of Roco models.  A fascinating country regarding railways and unlike Britain, lines although closed, would not be lifted, the infrastructure seemed to be left in place.   

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Tabor to Bechyne has been retained as a 1.5kV DC line (as also was Rybnik to Lipno, though I think that may have been converted), corresponding to early CSD electrification.  It is normally worked by 113 class (former E426.0) steeple cabs.  The 100 class (formerly E422.0, now withdrawn) were 1.5kV locomotives/luggage vans (a bit like the ÖBB 1046), mainly associated with Rybnik to Lipno.

 

The Bechyne branch sees regular special workings by historic CSD vehicles.  Those that I've seen there include the first Czech electric unit M400.001 (a railcar built by Ringhoffer in 1903 and normally based  at Ceske Velenice works - I think), E436.004 and 100 001-7.  Bechyne itself is quite interesting, the railway sharing a bridge with the road into town.

 

Louny holds disappointing memories for me, having driven there in 1991 to catch a steam special, only to discover that it had been cancelled.

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Roundhouse mentioned services to Harrachov a litlle earlier.

 

Back in 2012 Mrs SM42 and myself made an interesting (I use the term in the tiring sense)  excursion to this town from Karpacz in Poland. The station has a cheek to call itself Harrachov as it is at least a 45 minute walk from town.

 

Whilst there and between beers on the 3 hour wait for a train back to Poland, I did take a couple of photos of the units in use. Here they are. I hope they are of interest.

 

post-14887-0-15250200-1387394444.jpg

 

This train is from Liberec I believe. Note the umbrella from the convenient bar

 

post-14887-0-40773600-1387395046.jpg

 

The single car train to Jelenia Gora (Poland)

 

post-14887-0-30909900-1387394581.jpg

 

The two trains face to face

 

Harrachov station a funny little place clinging to a hillside  and extremely modelable. Traffic  is a bit limited though being railcars as far as I could tell, but the arrival of two trains from opposite directions in quick succession was a surprise.

 

Andy

Edited by SM42
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  • RMweb Gold

Nice photos.

 

I haven't been there since the service into Poland restarted so nice to see how they do it.

 

The modern German railcar is available in HO from Roco. They are meant to be doing a TT version whihc will be very handy for Smrzovka as this unit will pass through there on its way to / from Liberec.

 

I havent walked inot Harrachov but I knew it was a l ng walk. We do want to visit the brewery in Harrochov one day but it needs to be good weather!

 

I ma guessing that the umbrella had ' Konrad' on it. This brwery is along the interurban narrow gauge line from Liberec to Jablonec whihc is also along the route from Liberec to Tanvald and Harrachov.

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Ian

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Supposedly, last weekend was the last scheduled use of class 749 diesels on passenger work , with their duties being taken over by class 754 "goggles".

 

Although there are more RTR Czech models being produced these days , there were resin bodies available for a lot of other locos - there is a regular swapmeet near Masarykovo station where these could be found.

 

Also Piko have just released a 771 diesel in HO scale.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

This photo I think sums up why Czech Railways are so appealing.

Photo taken at Praha Masarykovo last week.

 

Rob

post-14122-0-02651500-1389478895_thumb.jpg

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  • RMweb Gold

Great shot at Masarykovo

 

It's our favourite station in Prague.

Have taken many hundreds of photos here for a possible new TT scale layout although I doubt that we will get round to building it as just too many other projects planned.

 

A different livery for a class 810 railcar. Do you know what it was doing there?

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  • RMweb Gold

Not sure Ian. We popped in on the way to Prago model and found it sat there.

It was very clean looking like a recent repaint.

There are rumours that Masarykovo is to be redeveloped which would be a shame. Great contrast in architecture. I particularly liked the area where the Prago bookstall is. Good communist building !!!

 

Robpost-14122-0-95882200-1389481724_thumb.jpg

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Ian , the 810 is owned by KZC (who are a preservation group , hence the older livery and number) . it's used on one of the new "s-bahn" services around Prague. Also to been seen at Masarykovo these days is  an ex DB 628 unit in full Arriva livery , which is used on a new open access service to Kralupy nad Vltavou.

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  • RMweb Gold

Kind of sad that the 810's that were so common when Ian and I first visited are getting thin enough on the ground that one needs to be preserved. Way cooler than the Regio rebuilds.

 

But a least one will be safe

Thats was back in 2004.

 

There were still quite a few 810s around last Easter.

 

Ian

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  • RMweb Gold

Kind of sad that the 810's that were so common when Ian and I first visited are getting thin enough on the ground that one needs to be preserved. Way cooler than the Regio rebuilds.

But a least one will be safe

Dan, coming back from Prague, we passed through Olbramovice and the branch to Sedlcany is being run by 810 railcars. They are also in use on services from Tabor.

So there is hope.

 

Re the 810 at Masarykovo, my other half noticed that it was lettered in Slovak so not surprised that it is owned by a preservation group, which also explains the condition.

 

 

Rob

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