2011

This was my train, pulled by #T47.018.

This is the village centre of Nova Bystrice, which is far smaller than Jindrichuv Hradec. I tried to get better photos than this with both my Nikon and my cameraphone, but it was getting dark and I was running out of film anyway. Given the darkness, I've had to edit even this photo, as the darkness at dusk was actually worse than at night, as the streetlights hadn't been switched on yet.

This was my first glimpse of one of the new Ceske Drahy Class 380 electrics. This photo is too blurred to read the number, but it wouldn't surprise me if this is #380001-8, as full production isn't slated to start until 2013, although I understand that #380002-8 is also already built and in testing. This prototype (if I'm right about it being the prototype), was built in 2008, but from then until 2011 it was used mostly around Ostrava on freights, and this was the first time I spotted it in Prague, as well as the first time I know if it operating in passenger service (That doesn't mean, of course, that it wasn't used for this in Ostrava). These four-axle, multi-voltage units are planned to have 8,583 horsepower (6,400Kw) and a maximum speed of 200Km/h. Total published weight per unit is 86.7 metric tonnes. The planned voltages are 3000v DC, 25,000v 50Hz AC, and 15,000v 16.7Hz AC, which will allow their operation throughout most of the Czech Republic, as well as Austria, Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. It's also expected that ZSSK will eventually have some of them, as the orders have already been submitted to Skoda, but the ZSSK units will have slower gearing for 160Km/h, and be designated Class 381. What is perhaps most notable about these units is that they are first first all-new electric locomotives ordered by CD, as the rest of the CD fleet is inherited from CSD, and the newest units from CSD date to 1991, making the 380 the first new class introduced to Czech mainlines (not including leased units and units for small operators) in 17 years.

Here's an alternate shot of the 380 Class.

I only have a handful of shots of Vysocany, and anything in my collection that I still have is much older than this shot. It's technically a Prague station, but it's out of the way and heavily vandalised. I've actually edited this photo quite a bit to omit a lot of the damage and make it look nicer than it really is. With all of the corridor reconstruction that's going on, however, some attempt may eventually be made to clean it up and police it better.

I can't remember exactly where I took this shot, whether in Prague, Podebrady, or someplace in between, but mostly it was just an attempt at getting an arty shot of a CD mainline in the fog.

Here's a shot of Podebrady from the station. The pink building is the operahouse.

It was my understanding until recently that most of the Class 730 fleet had been retired, but lately I've seen a lot of them still running. This units was sitting in one of the sidings at Podebrady with some autoracks.

Jaromer is a bit of a tourist town in its own right, if you like the out-of-the-way ones, but this is the first photo that I have ever taken of the station. I was just passing through on my way to Nachod, another relatively unknown town that is home to the Primator brewery.

This is Nadrazi Ceske Skalice, that with its unrestored looks and black and white signs, looks like something from the steam era. The only modern thing in this photo, really, is that white portacabin. I've often wondered since taking this whether Ceska Skalice would be an interesting place to visit.

This is the station at Nachod, which is surprisingly large for the town. In the background on the hill you can see the zamek.

The current Zamek Nachod dates to 1544, although its built on an earlier castle from the 13th Century, so it can be considered a rebuild. The tower was rebuilt in 1721 in response to storm damage. I'm not aware of the current owners, but the castle is open to the public for tours. It was closed for the winter when I was there, though, so I had to settle for photographs of the exterior.

This factory has signs on it saying "Tepla," which suggests that it was a heating plant of some kind, which seems odd for a town as small as Nachod. I've been looking for further information, and haven't had much luck. One thing I was wondering is whether the factory produced heaters, but the buildings are basically ruins now, so it's hard to tell.

Here's a few of the front entrance and sign on "Tepla."

This bay was interesting. It looks like it was meant for a rail vehicle, yet there isn't any rail connection on the street or across the street, nor any room to turn a typical rail vehicle. Can anybody explain this? Also, there doesn't seem to be any provision for unloading, or any room for a rail vehicle of practical size.

Here's another attempt at getting an interior shot into Tepla. I was using my cameraphone because my film speed that day wasn't fast enough, but still I'm not more enlightened. It just looks like ruins, puddles, and a general mess. Only the shell of the building, and some windows and signage, seem to have survived.

This is the church in the old town square in Nachod. I'm still looking for info on it, but it looks like it could have medieval origins.

Here's an alternate shot of the church. Again, if someone has more information on it, please let me know. I found a list of Nachod landmarks on Wikipedia... cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Náchod ....but the links to the churches are dead, so I can't determine which one this is.