The BeerTrain

Another (non-Easter) trip for the narrow gauge Alco's on the Peloponnese, south of Athens. A Roadshow of 31 Bashers including Flossie & Shovel accompanying me for most of the trip.  The really good news was that the main daytime hauled turn, although still terminating at Pirghos, then formed a service to Kiparissia. No more taxi's required to the hotels in Olympia, the Ionian hotel outside Kippy station very much back in use! Thursday 4th March 2004 91107       Doncaster – Kings Cross   0746 Newcastle – Kings Cross   156m 319429     Kings X TL – Luton Airport Parkway   1004 Brighton – Bedford   30m G-EZJB   Luton Airport – Athens   1340 Luton – Athens With a full evening here in Athens I expect we had a night in the Posh Brewpub in the City Centre, hellfire range of German style beers, including a great Schwarz (Black) beer & food like Schweinhaxe's to eat. A home-from-home! Friday 5th March 2004 A9106 is attac...

This was definitely NOT a single manned trip! Forewarned that the Swiss Railway society were running their special around Greece at the same time as Greek Easter meant a large contingent of 31 bashers / Crompton bashers & a few Peak bashers were all keen to attend. You could pay by the day on the Swiss trip so ideal. Me & Howey had booked our flights while staying in Sibenik on 27th December, the night the flights first came available, thanks to Howey's mate in the UK who did a sterling job for us other the phone. (# = new loco)    Thursday 02/05/02 A positioning move to get us in place for the following days Swiss tour with A206 & A302 . A day of unbelievable hay-fever, especially when we reached Stylis. Not sure who was worse me or Shovel! A483# Athens - Lianokladi 1320 Athens - Stylis 212km A206 at Llianokladi waits to work the Swiss tour of 03/05/02. A302 is in the background. A223 Lianokladi - Stylis 1320 Athens - Stylis 22km A223 at Stylis on the 17...

My first trip back to Greece since 1994, this time for Greek Easter, when hordes of Greeks all return to their home towns and villages to celebrate - leading to strengthened & additional trains on the Peloponnese narrow gauge requiring pairs of Alco's. A collection of Crompton & 31 Bashers were all making their way over. We went over a few days early to do some mainline moves, albeit behind the Adtranz locos that were now the norm - no hellfire MLW's this time! Monday 24/04/2000 G-EZYC  Luton Airport - Athens 1305 Luton Airport - Athens Me, Betty & Trog (Dave Jackson) had decided a little mainline action was required, another run through the mountains and visiting old haunts in the North of the country. There is only 1 real place to start - an evening in the Athens Brewery complete with a range of German style beers & a Schweinhaxe for dinner. It's quite a posh place but we've never been turned away (although some of us may have been thrown out ...