The BeerTrain

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...

A non-Easter trip to the Peloponnese narrow gauge, joining up with Shovel, Flossie & Howie plus at least 1 other perhaps Dan Cross? Apologies to whoever but I know we could all fit into a taxi. The downside of the current Alco diagrams were they started & finished at Pirghos (a bit of a dump) so a hotel in nearby Olympia was used for the duration. No winning locos or new track on this trip - just a meeting of the "Pelly Alco's Appreciation Society". Thursday 06/03/03 A day travelling down to Luton Airport, via a couple of beer stops, for the overnight flight to Athens 144008   Doncaster - Sheffield  1310 Bridlington - Sheffield 18m 43082)    Sheffield - Derby  1527 Sheffield - St Pancras 36m 43064) Beers in Derby, almost certainly in the Alex. 170111   Derby - Leicester  1820 Derby - St.Pancras 30m A couple more in the Barley Mow, an Everards pub 5 minutes from the station. 170007   Leicester - Luton 1920 Derby - St.Pancras ...

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 ...