Yugoslavia & Greece January 1991
A trip involving myself (Poodle) & Graham Belton (Peckham) we were keen on sampling the mainline MLW's & narrow gauge Alco's in Greece, due to the high cost of direct flights to Greece we booked on the first ever "Ski" flight to Nis in Yugoslavia. This was a bit desperate due to high tensions in the Balkans at the time!
Saturday 05/01/1991
73207 London Victoria - Gatwick 1330 Victoria - Gatwick
YU ANK Gatwick - Nis JR2641 1555 Gatwick - Nis
A VERY interesting introduction to flying! A huge thunderstorm erupted while we were taxiing out to the runway - all flights were held for 30 minutes until it moved away a little - this didn't stop our plane from suddenly dropping like a stone when it hit an air pocket while we were still climbing clear of the runway. Most of the women & kids on board were screaming & crying but me & Peckham were bellowing! Nis "airport" had never seen a commercial flight from the UK (I believe) and military planes & helicopters were everywhere.
The officials firstly tried to heard us onto the coaches waiting to take the skiers to their resort and couldn't understand why we didn't want to go with them! When we said we were walking to the railway station in Nis we were told "this is not possible - you must taxi" and Peckham reckoned were got chung about 10 times the going rate - however we passed 3 military barracks on the way to town probably why they wouldn't let us walk.
I would like to say Nis station was a delight. I cannot do so as about 3000 refugees were using the concourse as a place to live and all 3000 seemed to be chain smoking. The smoking theme continued on both our overnight trains...….
441 509 Nis - Stalac 2110 Nis - Pozega
661 121 Stalac - Kraljevo 2110 Nis - Pozega
The above train was as wedged as a Network Day overnight, you were lucky to get half a foot on the floor. The difference being that everyone was chain smoking - Peckham was NOT happy. Perhaps our forward train would be better - No it's rammed with more chain smokers. Oh well no sleep tonight......
Sunday 06/01/1991
645 032 Kosovo Polje - Lipljan 2145 Beograd - Skopje
661 125 Lipljan - Skopje 2145 Beograd - Skopje
That disaster over, time for the main aim today - a 661 up the notorious climb to Bitola for the
cross-border crossing into Northern Greece via Kreminica (which Peckham reckoned would be closing soon - he was right it didn't last much longer).
661 219 Skopje - Bitola (Hell!) 1056 Skopje - Bitola
Who needs sleep when you've got a Beast on the front, I even risked a photo on route
661 219 on the 1056 Skopje - Bitola
At Bitola our forward train (booked another 661) consisted of one coach & a Shunting loco!
734 027 Bitola - Kreminica 1450 Bitola - Kreminica 19km
Kreminica "station" was a halt with a triangle to turn the trains so they can go back from whence they come. It's on a mountain plateau with tundra like conditions & there is NOTHING there, not even a road. Our train toddled off leaving us with just the dead-straight line into Greece to look at. I had a thin coat & NO jumpers as I thought Greece was hot however there was snow on the ground.
An anxious 30 minutes wait then I spotted a dot in the far distance "looks like a Baby Alco to me Peckham". Fool - they don't work up here he said. A208 Baby Alco it is then!
A208 at Kreminica (Get us out of here!)
A208 Kreminica - Florina 1555 Kreminica - Florina 22km
AA73(Unit) Florina - Aminteo 1805 Florina - Thessaloniki 33km
A355 Aminteo - Thessaloniki 1800 Kozani - Thessaloniki 162km
I think we got a room at the Hotel Alexandria (where the Capsis hotel is now) straight to bed to catch up on our long trip with no sleep at all.
9419 at Sofades
Peckham looks on from the train as I make a BIG mistake & go back to Paleofarsalos!
A Craiova dumper truck heads north at Paleofarsalos
A rather dirty A255 at Lianokladi, the only time I personally saw one of the class working a service in Greece
A9108 waits to work the 0810 to Piraeus
A9108 departs from Kiparissia on the 0810 to Piraeus - Thrash & Clag!
A420 steams away merrily in the early morning sunshine at Arpini
A466 in the middle of nowhere (Bralos)
A453 at Paleofarsalos on the 0617 Pireaus Port to Larissa
A306 departs Thessaloniki with a late evening service for Alexandropulis
A309 struts its stuff en route to Kozani (you can just see Peckham's head out the front window)
My OSE FIP ticket
A309 probably at Aminteo attaching the unit portion from Florina
A303 shunts a few Ballast wagons at Strimon
A303 sits at Strimon forlornly waiting for the Kulata portion
A324 arrives at Strimon on a troop train heading for the Turkish border.
661 219 Skopje - Bitola (Hell!) 1056 Skopje - Bitola
Who needs sleep when you've got a Beast on the front, I even risked a photo on route
At Bitola our forward train (booked another 661) consisted of one coach & a Shunting loco!
734 027 Bitola - Kreminica 1450 Bitola - Kreminica 19km
Kreminica "station" was a halt with a triangle to turn the trains so they can go back from whence they come. It's on a mountain plateau with tundra like conditions & there is NOTHING there, not even a road. Our train toddled off leaving us with just the dead-straight line into Greece to look at. I had a thin coat & NO jumpers as I thought Greece was hot however there was snow on the ground.
An anxious 30 minutes wait then I spotted a dot in the far distance "looks like a Baby Alco to me Peckham". Fool - they don't work up here he said. A208 Baby Alco it is then!
A208 Kreminica - Florina 1555 Kreminica - Florina 22km
AA73(Unit) Florina - Aminteo 1805 Florina - Thessaloniki 33km
A355 Aminteo - Thessaloniki 1800 Kozani - Thessaloniki 162km
I think we got a room at the Hotel Alexandria (where the Capsis hotel is now) straight to bed to catch up on our long trip with no sleep at all.
Monday 07/01/1991
We had a late start I don't think we even made breakfast as we needed a good doss to prepare for an overnight on the Peloponnese.
A461 Thessaloniki - Paleofarsalos 1950 Dikea - Piraeus Port 217km
On arrival at Paleofarsalos we got a surprise - a Mitsibushi loco sat on coaches in the bay platform going to the world-famous Kalambaka. Peckham said the line had been units for years, no-one has done the line hauled let's go!
9419 Paleofarsalos - Sofades 1200 Paleofarsalos - Kalambaka 14km
I rather threw my rattle out of the pram. We had got off an ear-splitting steaming monster MLW to travel behind something that sounded like a sewing machine. Other than the unusual propelling move out of Palaeofarsalas to the narrow gauge junction, I didn't see the point of travelling for 2 hours or so behind this junk. I said if another Mitsi came the other way I'm off. One did so did I!
A decision that now ranks as one of my 2 worst ever in railway terms. Shot myself in the foot there it would be 11 & 1/2 years before I finally did this line loco hauled and that after the whole route had been converted to standard gauge track. Doh!
9416 Sofades - Paleofarsalos 1135 Kalambaka - Volos 14km
Back at Paleofarsalos and a beer in the station buffet. I wandered out for the train at booked time - no sign of it - an announcement came in Greek. Well it's all Greek to me but the other passengers were unmoved. Only 3 hours late!
I was glad it was going the other way until another Craiova finally arrived on my service. Not the way I wanted to experience the renowned Greek mountains for the first time.
A557 Paleofarsalas - Inoi 1100 Thessaloniki - Athens 232km
I'd had enough of the Romanian rubbish so got off at Inoi in the vain hope that the Chalkis train was hauled, it wasn't but I was still glad to get off the Craiova rubbish.(yes that's right Barney)
718 Inoi - Athens 1820 Chalkis - Athens 61km
Finally in Athens, time for some food & hope Peckham arrives in time for the ten-hour Peloponnese narrow gauge overnight behind an Alco. Mobiles hadn't even been thought of in those days all I could do was wait. I weighed up whether to do the overnight & possibly never see Peckham again but no, I watched the overnight leave the narrow gauge station. Peckham arrived behind an MLW (of course) and announced he wouldn't have waited for me! Cheers then.
A unit overnight beckoned via the Tripoli route to Kalamata. This was tedious to say the least - another night of little sleep.
There was one highlight on route - the train was like a mobile sauna and a young lady sat opposite, thinking everyone was asleep, resolved this by stripping to her Knickers & Bra! Of course me & Peckham got sneaky eyefuls for about an hour before she twigged & hastily redressed!
6462 Athens - Kalamata 2210 Pireaus - Kalamata 325km
Tuesday 08/01/1991
We arrived at Kalamata about 0530 so headed for the buffet for sludge like local coffee which the locals washed down with a glass of water. When in Rome etc so we did the same.
Now for that which dreams are made of a hellfire 1350hp Alco! Oh S**t it's an Alsthom...... (it would take me another 13 years to depart Kalamata behind an Alco, largely due to all loco's being banned over the route for many years due to a dodgy bridge!)
A9207 Kalamata - Kiparissia 0655 Kalamata - Kiparissia 65km
A9207 at Kalonero on the 0655 Kalamata - Kiparissia
Please let the Athens train be an Alco! We couldn't face the prospect of 8 1/2 hours behind an Alsthom. Still, time to stock up on provisions for the trip, a stroll to the main square in Kiparissia where it was market day. To say the pace of life was different to our own doesn't go close! A top town with friendly, (laid back to the point of sleeping) locals. It's long been a favourite of mine even though back then Amstel & Heineken (both brewed under licence in Greece) was all that was available. Back to the station to find - Yes!! A9108 what a Beast!
No overstatement, no joke, no kidding - this loco was a Monster! Over an 8 hour run through stunning scenery along the Peloponnese coastline with total thrash & 6 foot flames erupting from the exhaust port all the way!! I know neither of us sat down for more than 30mins all told - we were out the window all the way in the front coach!
A9108 Kiparissia - Piraeus 0810 Kiparissia - Piraeus 391km
Off to find a bar for a celebratory drink or three, we found a place on the docks where a full ships complement must have been drinking earlier - not a space on the bar due to all the empty glasses & bottles stacked up on it!
Of course as is his want Mr Belton, in mid-bellow about something, dislodged a large part of the empties which went in domino effect pouring off the bar to smash all over the floor below. He wasn't the most popular punter in there & there were only the two of us in the establishment!
Peckham's earlier quote of "this loco will never work again" was dashed when it then worked the 2105 overnight back out!
A9108 Piraeus - Athens 2105 Piraeus - Kalamata 10km
Off to find a seedy hotel (there didn't seem to be anything better back then) for the night. What a day.
Wednesday 09/01/1991
A full day on the Greek mainline today, with runs through the mountains a priority, hopefully while getting our ears bleeding behind some MLW's! Yes you've guessed it bowled, this time by a former German loco.
A420 Athens - Arpini 0530 Piraeus Port - Thessaloniki 202km
Rather bored by the lack of thrash Peckham noticed the Guard was on the ballast (no station here) obviously swopping over with a Guard off a southbound service. We would do the same!
A466 Arpini - Bralos 1142 Dortmund - Athens 18km
At last a Beast! Not content with one ballast move we leapt off A466 at Bralos with the traincrew for A453 back. Who needs stations!
A453 Bralos - Paleofarsalos 0617 Piraeus Port - Larissa 109km
A455 Paleofarsalos - Thessaloniki 0704 Piraeus Port - Dortmund 217km
A454 Thessaloniki - Carriage Sidings - Thessaloniki 1km
A361 Thessaloniki - Naoussa 1750 Thessaloniki - Kozani 80km
A309 Naoussa - Thessaloniki 1800 Kozani - Thessaloniki 80km
A cracking day, booked in the same hotel for another good nights sleep after some food & beer in a bar nearby.
Thursday 10/01/1991
We made breakfast today, I then did a bit of deck-chairing at the station looking for winners.
A457 at Thessy about to work out on a freight with a little former German company.
GB (Peckham) had other ideas leaping on a dud loco but having a winner back in. Then moves done together.
GB (Peckham) had other ideas leaping on a dud loco but having a winner back in. Then moves done together.
A428 Thessaloniki - Katerini 1100 Thessaloniki -Athens 86km
A556 Katerini - Plati 0530 Piraeus Port - Thessaloniki 48km
After suffering another Craiova (!) the highlight of our mainline bash - a DL500 series loco to Kozani!
A309 Plati - Kozani 1305 Thessaloniki - Kozani 184km
Fantastic run (although Peckham didn't seem too enamoured with the loco?) I thought it was Hell!
Then followed (what to any ERG readers will seem a familiar tale over the years) - Yes it's an FIP Free Pass Riot! It became apparent over the previous few days that most Guards etc on Greek railways had never seen FIP free passes before (on the Peloponnese all the traincrew huddled around for a nosey) and today we had the same Guard to & from Kozani. Before departure on the return train to Thessaloniki he came into our compo & insisted my passes were only valid in one direction each day IE I had travelled to Kozani but I couldn't travel back until tomorrow!
Oh dear what a fool, we told him where to go. When we pulled into Naoussa a TTI (Top Ticket Inspector) had travelled out from Thessaloniki (on the 1750) to arrest me or something. On entering our compo he took one look at my passes before an about turn then giving the Guard a clip round the ear that a certain Mr Basil Fawlty would have been proud of!!
A309 Kozani - Thessaloniki 1800 Kozani - Thessaloniki 221km
Quite simply an outrageous 2 runs behind a World Class loco! Another night in the same hotel (I don't think I've ever known Mr Belton do 2 nights accommodation in a row either before or after this trip!).
Friday 11/01/1991
Two aims today, one was to get a member of the A321 (DL543) Alco series. Normally common out of Thessaloniki on the Alexandropoulos line but this week tensions were high between Greece & Turkey (no change there then) & several members of the class had been observed on troop trains heading towards the border. Failing that todays main objective was to do the line from Strimon to Kulata (the border crossing into Bulgaria & normally a DL500 loco).
A309 Thessaloniki - Serre 0705 Thessaloniki - Alexandropoulos 161km
AA76(Unit) Alexandropoulos - Strimon 0735 Alexandropoulos - Thessaloniki 32km
Another run off our go-to Loco! At Strimon it was an hour until the international train was due - we soon knew our forward loco as A303 was shunting the sidings
A decent buffet here at Strimon, we had beers & food then prepared for the train to Kulata. It didn't arrive so more beer.
After a total of 4 hours drinking in the buffet we gave up. A324 pulled in on yet another troop train to the Turkish border. We both wanted to do it but only Mr Belton risked it, if he missed the next train back to Thessaloniki he would miss our overnight into Yugoslavia & the plane back to the UK.
He did, however, have a valid interrail so could travel back overland (work would have to wait) but I didn't have this luxury so couldn't risk it.
Of course he was ejected forcibly at the next station by an irate Sergeant-Major & made the booked train, he was leaning out of the window with a big smile when he got back to Strimon! Cheers Peckham you Git!
A208 Strimon - Thessaloniki 1155 Serre - Thessaloniki 130km
A367 Thessaloniki - Gevgellia 0751 Piraeus Port - Dortmund 78km
Saturday 12/01/1991
The border check at Gevgellia was, as befits a country (Yugoslavia) which is on the precipice of a Civil War, extremely thorough! Two dodgy lads who had earlier suggested that their rucksack would fare better if it was part of OUR luggage (no thanks Sod Off!) legged it into the fields with the army in hot pursuit...
441 755 Gevgellia - Skopje 0751 Piraeus Port - Dortmund
Oh dear things didn't go well on this train. We were looped outside Titov Veles & the wires were
de-energised. The reason - TANKS were out on the streets of Titov Veles!
We had a plus 30 minutes at Skopje for the booked connection to Nis, it was looking odds-on we wouldn't be making the plane home. How much would it cost for my tickets across Europe to get home? What will work make of it! In the event we sat in the loop for hours, when we eventually got into Skopje THE CONNECTION WAS WAITING! We were over 4 hours late!!
In theory at Nis we would originally have had about an 8 hour wait for our plane, now it was down to about 3 hours...… then the loco failed!
441 423 Skopje - Miladinovci 1543 Bitola - Zagreb
441 424 Miladinovci - Nis 1543 Bitola - Zagreb
441 423(multi)
Luckily the rescue loco was on & we were away within about 30 minutes, this gave us a brisk walk (past all the military bases) back to the Airfield at Nis & straight into check-in! Phew.
YU ANV Nis - Gatwick 1250 Nis - Gatwick
Looking back now (stuck indoors during the Covid19 Pandemic) this was an amazing trip. The locos were dirty, loud & hellfire!
The tensions in the Balkans flared into a series of wars & ethnic conflicts from May of 1991, the next time I entered the Balkans (shortly after the conflicts ended) I witnessed a war-torn Knin in Croatia & our delayed day train (due to a loco failure) arrived behind 2062 045 in it's full wartime camouflage & armoured plating. It had been used to haul an armoured train to ethnically cleanse villages on the route - it was soon removed from the train (we dare not take photo's!).
On a more positive note I returned to Greece many times, the majority of which was to bash Alco's on the Peloponnese (not just at Easter time!) though we always flew straight to Athens - NOT via Nis!
Cheers Poodle (& Graham "Peckham" Belton).
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