Croatia & Slovenia 30/06 to 03/07 2009 "It's Bloody hot in Pazin"

A Single manned brief jaunt to cover the day train out of Split and more importantly the hauled train out of Pula which I had never previously done. (New locos again denoted by #) PS: all my Digital photo's around this period were lost when the Fotopic site closed down the same week that my own Computer crashed! also this trip HAS already been reported in ERG.

Tuesday 30/06/2009

I had to stay overnight in Bedford at the Travelodge as the Wizzair flight to Zagreb was departing at 07:55. We sat on the tarmac at Luton awaiting takeoff and on arrival at Zagreb the customs were very slow. Jumped on the 1230 bus which was soon wedged and standing. Wandered from the bus station through a very hot Zagreb to the Glavni station , picked up some provisions and beer from the supermarket under the station before trying my luck on table 12.
I'd only ever had 5 2044's before - but it didn't stop me starting with 3 dud ones in a row! The ubiquitous 2044002 making yet another appearance! Things then picked up somewhat with 3 winners in a row, including 2044016 which was actually sounding great, for this reason I stayed on through to Budscina . I'd previously leapt at Bedekovcina
where Erdinger Weissbier was available - the word "Pub" outside rather than "Café Bar" had inticed me to leap and didn't dissapoint on this trip either.
Picked up 995 back into Zagreb for a meal in the Tomislav pub - where food is only available inside but no problem now Croatia has joined the growing list of countries with a total smoking ban indoors. The chicken breasts with top-notch mash potatoes was the highlight - and of course the draught Tomislav.
The first overnight was only 20mins late away (rare!) and a real compo was found in the Prague portion. I was awake to see 2062110 ready to back on at Ogulin.

LV-WZA Luton Airport - Zagreb 0755 Luton - Zagreb
2044017 Zagreb - Vrapce 1413 Zagreb - Kotoriba
2044002 Vrapce - Zagreb 1110 Kotoriba - Zagreb
2044004 Zagreb - Konjscina 1515 Zagreb - Kotoriba
2044008# Konjscina - Bedekovcina 1542 Varazdin - Zagreb
2044016# Bedekovcina - Budinscina 1623 Zagreb - Varazdin
2044010# Budinscina - Zagreb 1656 Kotoriba - Koprivnica
1142001# Zagreb - Ogulin 2140 Zagreb - Split
2062110# Ogulin - Knin 2140 Zagreb - Split

Wednesday 01/07

Awake from Gracac - 1823 now 56" late so I caught some thrash over the hills with 110. Leapt at Knin (as planned) in case the 04:17 local was hauled vice unit. It was with 2062117 on load 1(dud).
2062008 (reqd) dropped onto the Zadar portion off 1823. However as seems to be the norm most passengers off the portion joined the 04:17 - which I flagged as it left before 008 which meant you couldn't take 008 thru to Zadar as you'd pass the local at Bibinje.
If the portion left 1st (as booked) you'd take that to Zadar for the local back to Knin for a 3 hour fester for the IC south. But Knin held the portion off 1823 for some passengers off 825 (which again seems to be the norm). 825 was 10mins early and I took it to Perkovic as I knew 2062116 had worked that Tuesday a.m. and was required.
116 duly produced and Sibenik is my favourite town on the Adriatic. Down the market for breakfast then to the café opposite the station to await the 0746 unit. 2062019 was on the local at Perkovic, another winner which was great - I was doing well on my Birthday!
On arrival at Split I noticed Colin Garner photing 019 - so we went to Bar MX where I had a large Kaltenberg Pivo to celebrate my birthday.
We took 019 to Unisec & back on the local , I got my head down on the way back as the overnight was catching up a bit. Colin took me to Pizzeri Bakra which was top notch,cool & smoke free also. We caned in the Ferry terminal supermarket for large bottles of Tomislav for the run on the 1600 Budapest, on returning to the station we found
the local had swopped (which always seems to happen when I'm in Split) with 114 on the 1529. 2062001 had come south on 1204 & we all hoped it would swop - & it had with 2062119 bringing in the empties for the day train. A pity as 2062038 in green had rolled up at Solin earlier - too much to hope for I suppose. 119 was a winner anyway!
The MAV stock was 1 seated coach (vice 2) & 1 couchette / 1 sleeper.
The day coach was Aircon and with no shore supply at Pregade it was like walking into a furnace.
We got the guard to put on the Aircon but it took about an hour to have any real effect. The MAV bert on the couchette & sleeper coaches wouldn't allow anyone to stand in the rather cooler couchette car - he soon locked them off from the day coach.
A good run up to Knin where the train was 10 early so good for phots, the train also had a freight van on the rear - so was a "mixed". Another pathing stop at Plavno produced some more photos. We nattered for a while with Paul Shaw a Hereford driver & his mate mainly berating the state of the railways back home.
Me and Colin went through to Zagreb as we were both going for the Rijeka overnight move.

2062108 Knin - Perkovic 2255 Zagreb - Split
2062116# Perkovic - Sibenik 0600 Perkovic - Sibenik
7122001 Sibenik - Perkovic 0746 Sibenik - Knin
2062019# Perkovic - Split 0824 Perkovic - Split
2062019 Split - Unisec 1003 Split - Unisec
2062019 Unisec - Split 1205 Unisec - Split
2062119# Split - Ogulin 1600 Split - Budapest
1141302# Ogulin - Zagreb 1600 Split - Budapest

Thursday 02/07

Onto the Rijeka 0110 ex Zagreb - only load 2 but we got a compo to ourselves throughout. At Rijeka we went our separate ways, Colin did 703 out to cover Table 12 moves. I got a few photos then had a coffee across the road - mainly to use clean toilets!
I did the 0605 to Sapjane with 1061016, there I walked into the village where I found a small shop & café with a small breakfast/dining room behind it. About 10mins walk but I had an 1 ½ hour fester for the IC from Ljubljana. Back at the station 2 freights had arrived,the 1061 off the HZ freight works the IC back to Rijeka.
Back at Rijeka engineering works are still on between Skrad & Skrejvo during the day, as my main objective was to get to Pula I did the 1015 HZ bus to Lupoglav, complete with ticket grip on bus with the gripper off my IC & Redcap giving the bus driver the tip!
At Lupoglav I did the next unit to Pazin for a 3 hour break - to try to find Pazins brewpub & have some lunch. After a fruitless 45 minute wander around the scorching streets of Pazin I tried Tourist information who informed me that the brewery is not in Pazin, but is in the next village down so a taxi would be required. I was hot & bothered by then so I flagged it for beer & a snack before retiring to a pub just outside the station (turn left on exiting station, 1 min walk down hill) where Hoegaarden & Leffe were advertised. Hoegaarden was unavailable but Leffe Brun was on so I relaxed until my train.

Another unit down to Pula on which I caught up on some sleep. I aquired some cans of Becks (as I couldn't find anything else pre-chilled) for the journey on the 1810 to Hrpelje-Kozina. 2062049 on load 4 compo stock - with only about 10 passengers I got the 2nd compo in the front coach (gripper in 1st) which was a declassified 1st class coach.

A great run with 049, the train seems tightly timed & the loco spent most of the run to Buzet wide open. At Buzet both 049 & 664103 the forward loco were the "right" way round for phots. 664103 didn't disappoint on the run forward to Hrpelje-Kozina - Beast ! An excellent journey with great scenery - just a pity it takes the best part of a day to cover the Pula, whichever way you do it. I'd booked a room in Sezana at the Hotel Tabor outside the station so I made my way there via Divaca. A MUCH needed shower then a quick beer on the platform outside the station bar before bed.

1141022# Zagreb - Moravice 1932 Osijek - Rijeka
1061011# Moravice - Rijeka 1932 Osijek - Rijeka
1061016# Rijeka - Sapjane 0605 Rijeka - Sapjane
1061012# Sapjane - Rijeka 0620 Ljubljana - Rijeka
HZ bus Rijeka - Lupoglav 1015 Rijeka - Lupoglav
7122026 Lupoglav - Pazin 1120 Buzet - Pula
7122008 Pazin - Pula 1507 Lupoglav - Pula
2062049 Pula - Buzet 1810 Pula - Hrpelje-Kozina
664103# Buzet - Hrpelje-Kozina 1810 Pual - Hrpelje-Kozina
342006# Hrpelje-Kozina - Divaca 2010 Koper - Maribor
Unit Divaca - Sezana 1940 Ljubljana - Sezana

Friday 03/07

I'd decided to stay in Sezana to cover the 0634 to Jesenice (which at one point this year was 664 UFN to Nova Gorica) and to pick up the Autovlak turn either way. No 664 today, although with school holidays on there were 2 spare units at Nova Gorica anyway.
A nice route, I took the unit to Podbrdo where 664105 was on the Autovlak. Took this to Most na Soci on the 0853, where an excellent breakfast of ham & eggs & a pivo were had at "Pri Stefano" , out the station turn left, 3 mins walk.
I then took 105 up to Bohiniska Bistrica on the 1027, as usual some thrash to be heard but not as good as 103 yesterday. No need to find anywhere to kill the 1 ½ fester here - the station shack now provides draught Paulaner Helles & bottled wheatbeer. 664116 went north on freight. A unit to Jesenice for EC211 to Kranj where I leapt rather than going to Ljubljana to find the Kratochwill brewpub closed !
A quick meal for less than the price of a sandwich on a plane then the 1540 bus to the airport (takes 15mins 1.80 Euro)

Unit Sezana - Podbrdo 0634 Sezana - Jesenice
664105# Podbrdo - Most na Soci 0835 Bohiniska Bistrica - Most na Soci
664105 Most n.S. - Bohiniska Bistrica 1027 Most na Soci - Bohiniska Bistrica
Unit Bohiniska Bistrica - Jesenice 1018 Sezana - Jesenice
541001# Jesenice - Kranj 1254 Villach - Beograd
Flight Ljubljana Airport - Stansted

No queue at Customs at all meant I made the 1921 to Peterborough & got home ok even though I had to go via Wakefield to get to Barnsley.

Overall an excellent trip, as usual the 2062's don't disappoint and the day train running from Split & the Pula being hauled both make for great runs behind these locos.

Cheers Poodle