Awesome stuff Alan. Keep them coming. It's a good a good educational experience. Where's the picture of you drinking a beer? Charlie
Great stuff Alan! I really like the Austrian OBB, especially the slick, modern Taurus electrics. Thanks for the pictures! -Cody
From a North American perspective, it's odd to see so much equipment from different countries in the same place. The RENFE rolling stock is surprising, since I know Spain is 5'5.66" gauge. Is this equipment specifically assigned for international use, or...?
That is just what I like about railfanning in europe, almost any rolling stock can turn up, including locomotives, as many of the new ones are multi-voltage and with various signalling systems fitted. Not sure about the Spanish cars, but these may be just used to cross a short distance into the country then the containers transferrred to broad gauge cars. Lots of stock in adjoining countries can be re-gauged at thr borders, just by jacking up and sliding the wheels along the axles! (A bit more complex than that, but that is the idea.) This can even be done with passenger cars with the passengers still inside, and very quickly.
In the station master's office is this wonderful mechanical signalling gear to communicate with the signalman. ....and how about this phone!
The freight duly arrived headed by SZ 664-119. These American locomotives are known as "Reagans". Our friend approaching the driver to find out what shunting moves he will make.
These locomotives have a builders plate showing they are GM built (actually built in Croatia under licence). They look like a tunnel motor at the rear, but a bit GE looking at the front. I really like these 645 powered locomotives. I will be posting some video of this one shunting later so it can also be heard. Information being gathered.
Today the train has quite a string of wagons carrying coiled steel wire. Apparently this is unusual. The air intakes. A Slovinian version of a tunnel motor? There are many tunnels on the routes which these locos operate over.
Awaiting the road. (This line is single track all the way, with passing places at all stations). There are two cement hoppers on the rear of the train. 66-119 will pick up some open wagons then head for the next stop to shunt. So we go for some lunch at a nearby restaurant and await it's return.
The train was supposed to shunt some wagons at the next station a short distance away, then come back and place some wagons into the industry siding on which we are standing. So whilst waiting I photographed this unusual rail fixing. Then looked up and caught Misko photographing Irene and myself!
The train did not return, so our friend phoned the station master or dispatcher to find out why. It seems the wagons were not ready for delivery. Misko seems to have the phone number of about everyone in the operating departments of SZ! So we head back to our 'local' station, Bled Jesero, where the train would be waiting for passenger trains to clear before shunting there.
spanish gauge I rode trains from Italy through France into Spain, around Spain, and then back out of Spain to Paris. The train that I took to Spain was an Italian train that was pretty much all second class, bathroom barely working, barely swept. It was a lot of fun, don't get me wrong, and I had a great time blowing across southern France at night with fireworks popping over Nice and the whole bit. When we reached Spain, we all offloaded at a station in Catalonia, I believe, and hopped aboard a passenger train that was headed for Barcelona on the Spanish gauge. When I left, I wanted a couchette so I spent a little extra on top of my Eurail pass and ended up on a much more modern Talgo. When we reached the border, they rolled each set of wheels up to a particular section of track while we were all still aboard, and a hydraulic mechanism adjusted our wheels to the gauge in France. Being from North America, it was quite a different railfanning experience for me. I can't speak for the cars you mention specifically, but I suppose that sort of thing is possible. Then again, maybe they do like the Russian trains crossing into China on the Trans-Siberian, and just lift the whole thing up and change the wheels. Adam
It cannot depart until another train has arrived and cleared the single track, so we position ouselves to catch it emerging from the tunnel.
