M61 Farewell Trip France/Switzerland/Austria/Slovenia/Croatia/Hungary & Germany 25/09 to 01/10 1996

 A two pronged attack of various Countries, with a main aim of M61 madness followed by another visit to the Oktoberfest in Munich.Me (Poodle) & Betty (David Icke - no not THAT David Icke - the other one!). # again denotes New Loco.

Wednesday 25/09/96

90009  Crewe - Euston 1245 Liverpool Lime Street - Euston 158miles  

Eurostar set 3005 at Waterloo International on the 0953 to Paris 07/09/1994. This was an invite only trial run, one of a series to ready the operators & onboard staff before the start of the passenger services in November 1994. 3006 was on the rear, we had a very nice free breakfast enroute.                                

3206#) Waterloo International - Paris Nord 1715 Waterloo Int. - Paris Nord 494km

3205#)

No Tunnel riots today so able to make our booked overnight

72048# Paris Est - Belfort 2237 Paris Est - Buchs 443km

A Compo to ourselves that'll do nicely as the class 72 booms away into the night....

Daily Total = 937km

Thursday 26/09/96

72038# Belfort - Mulhouse 2237 Paris Est - Buchs 49km

21694# Mulhouse - Basel 2237 Paris Est - Buchs 34km

11106# Basel SBB - Zurich 2237 Paris Est - Buchs 102km

460 100# Zurich - Buchs 0733 Zurich - Feldkirch 106km

1044 106 Buchs - Feldkirch 0733 Zurich - Feldkirch 19km

1044 034# Feldkirch - Schwarzach St.Veit 0837 Bregenz - Graz 345km

1044 045# Schwarzach St.Veit - Klagenfurt 0626 Saarbrucken - Klagenfurt 158km

Well that was a long way to leap to cover the Klagenfurt evening Peak! A couple of beers downstairs in the Brewpub then:

2043 011# Klagenfurt - St.Michael ob Bleiburg 1707 Klagenfurt - Zeltweg 36km

A good place to leap as I knew there is a pub next to the level crossing.

2043 056# St.Michael ob Bleiburg - Klagenfurt 1705 Wolfsburg - Klagenfurt 36km

1044 045   Klagenfurt - Villach 1627 Bruck a d Mur - Villach 38km

 The next move crosses 3 countries Borders so not a lot of sleep due to all the Customs grips!

1110 020# Villach - Jesenice 2010 Villach - Zagreb 38km

342 039#   Jesenice - Dobova 2010 Villach - Zagreb 179km

1142 008# Dobova - Zagreb 2010 Villach - Zagreb 28km

Daily Total = 1108km

Friday 27/09/96

Tonight's overnight continued:

1141 104# Zagreb - Gyekenes 0050 Rijeka - Budapest 103km

M62 286# Gyekenes - Balatonszentgyorgy 0050 Rijeka - Budapest 40km

V63 xxx    Balatonszentgyorgy - Balatonfonyves 0050 Rijeka - Budapest 16km

I seem to remember we were right at the other end of the rake so couldn't get the loco number. 

M62 171# Balatonfonyves - Balatonmariafurdo 0515 Fonyod - Balatonszentgyorgy 9km

My Lords time for some ear-bleeding thrash - it's an M40!

M40 227# Balatonmariafurdo - Fonyod 0500 Tapolca - Fonyod 16km

M40 227# Fonyod - Tapolca 0639 Fonyod - Tapolca 58km

Betty's first time for M61's, my 2nd let the fun begin. Always more workings on a Friday bringing people down from Budapest & beyond for weekend trips to Lake Balaton.

M61002    Tapolca - Aszofo 0825 Tapolca - Budapest 47km 

M61006#  Aszofo - Badacsonytomaj 0725 Budapest - Tapolca 31km

M61004    Badacsonytomaj - Balatonfured 1030 Tapolca - Balatonfured 36km

The strangest things sometimes happen, we were sat in a platform on route when a class M62 "Tiger Drum" (or Dull as Dishwater as I call them) arrived heading towards Tapolca. I saw a gang of 31 Bashers in the front coach so jumped up & asked them their moves - they were going thru to Tapolca to drop off their bags at the Hotel. I told them we would be doing the Celldomolk M61 turn forward. Sounds like a plan they'll meet us on that!

M61004    Balatonfured - Balatonkenese 1215 Balatonfured - Budapest 57km

M61002    Balatonkenese - Balatonfured 1025 Budapest - Balatonfured 57km

A spot of lunch almost certainly washed down with a German beer or two. The Germans were big on holidays around the Lake.

Two reasons for doing the Celldomolk, other than the winner track: a) one of a very small number of "Fast" trains along the lake so guaranteed speeds you couldn't otherwise do behind an M61 b) my old work colleague & Euro Crank Tim Reiner (the Reinersauros) was meeting us on this.

M61010    Balatonfured - Celldomolk 1215 Budapest - Celldomolk 108km

We had a bit of a break before M61010 returned towards Tapolca, as normal we all headed to the station Buffet for beer. We had imbibed a few on the train and whilst enjoying the banter I announced "I can drink the whole 31 roadshow under the Table!" so a challenge was set for this evening!

M61010    Celldomolk - Tapolca 1740 Celldomolk - Budapest 56km

Tim bailed here to check-in to the Hotel Gabriella, he was getting a taxi so took our bags to reception with him. He promised to meet us back at the station later for Beers.

M61020    Tapolca - Balatonfured 1740 Celldomolk - Budapest 52km

M61013    Balatonfured - Tapolca1725 Budapest - Tapolca 52km

Tim was good to his word, he'd checked in then got a taxi back to Tapolca station when he noticed the taxi rank outside had a bar in their reception office. We had a few drinks in there including Borok the local wine at about 8 pence a glass, served by ladle straight out of a vat in the office desk! 

Tim was especially keen on the view as the blonde barmaid had substantial attributes. We dragged ourselves away as we needed food and the Gabriella hotel restaurant would be closing soon. Ten British cranks & an Hungarian only menu - only Tim had stayed here before so we lent on his experience - they do a Hellfire Pork Goulash main course he said - so Ten of those please!

Sorry we are sold out of that but about 6 more varieties of Goulash to choose from, we let Tim choose for us.

When the main meals arrived I took one look and gave up, so did a few others. Tim said it'll be alright - he took a mouthful then I said I think it's Tripe Goulash & the colour literally drained out of his face  while he contemplated swallowing his food.......

I thought my drinking challenge was complete as normally by this time everywhere in Tapolca would be shut but no - one of the 31 lot found a newly-opened nightclub/bar so off we went. You guessed it, I was the one on the floor under the table before we retired to our hotel about 0130.....

I was sharing a room with Betty and unfortunately for him in a vain attempt to set my alarm clock for breakfast I inadvertently set it on hourly repeat. So every hour the alarm went off, I dashed to the bathroom to throw up - & repeat! Not one of Betty's best nights for sleep.

Daily Total = 738km

Saturday 28/09/96

Hotel Gabriella, Tapolca. Cracking setting & cheap as chips!

I clearly remember breakfast in the Hotel in the morning, I was nearly always unable to eat mine and today was no exception - I think I managed an orange juice & a coffee, the bigger turn up for the books was Tim who was still trying to get over his "Goulash Surprise"!

Back to the bash and Flossie, Howey, Shovel & the rest of the 31 brigade were heading off to Zagreb intent on getting the Zadar branch in the book on the overnight tonight - a bit keen as not long after the Balkan War had died down. Me & Betty were far too sensible we thought - but no we decided to do a move to meet them at Knin for the daytime train on Sunday! Our first visit to Croatia other than the overnight move Thursday night.

M61001    Tapolca - Aszofo 0825 Tapolca - Budapest 47km 

M61020    Aszofo - Revfulop 0725 Budapest - Tapolca 20km

M61014    Revfulop - Aszofo 1030 Tapolca - Balatonfured 20km

Time to leap, we were looking to cover the booked M61 working to Kaposvar, south of the Lake.

M62215#  Aszofo - Tapolca 0925 Budapest - Tapolca 47km

Depot scene at Tapolca

Bzmot (126) Tapolca - Kezthely 1317 Tapolca - Kezthely 25km

V63019#   Kezthely - Fonyod 1415 Kezthely - Budapest 33km

A good move for Betty, 3 more required M61's today for him:

M61019    Fonyod - Kaposvar 1508 Fonyod - Kaposvar 53km

M61019    Kaposvar - Gyenesdias 1650 Fonyod - Tapolca 90km

M40215#  Gyenesdias - Balatonszentgyorgy1840Tapolca - Balatonszentgyorgy 14km

M62266#  Balatonszentgyorgy - Savoly 1832 Fonyod - Nagykanizsa 11km

M62171    Savoly - Balatonszentgyorgy -  1930 Nagykanizsa - Balatonszentgyorgy 11km

M62261#  Balatonszentgyorgy - Gyekenese 1900 Budapest - Rijeka 40km

1141 004# Gyekenese - Ogulin 1900 Budapest - Rijeka 212km

Daily Total = 623km

Sunday 29/09/96

You may well ask what we were doing at Ogulin at 0400 on a Sunday morning? We were here for the 0420 All-Shacks Stopper to Knin of course! A 2062 on a rake of ex East German 4 wheel "Biscuit Tins" this will be nice! It was really no more than a timetabled Staff Train, dropping Redcaps off at remote shacks for the day and getting Ogulin Guards & Drivers to Knin for return workings. We were the centre of attention about a dozen staff keen to peer at our FIP boxes. As soon as daylight started to break I marvelled at the diverse landscapes and scenery on this mountainous route.

2062 007# Ogulin - Knin 0420 Ogulin - Knin 224km

We arrived into Knin where we'd have a fester of over an hour, waiting for the others to arrive from Zadar, before doing the day train south & leaping onto the day train from Split to return north .

Machine gun fire was evident on a few of the buildings outside the station, we didn't dare venture outside just had a brew in the station buffet. The others arrived from Zadar suitably chuffed with their move (I never did get to Zadar!) but then disaster struck - the Northbound from Split had failed so our southbound service was held in Knin therefore robbing us of a new 2062.

Worse was to follow as the rescue loco was 2062 038 (I believe) in Camouflage livery! We did not dare get our cameras out to phot this! so both that and the failure were ripped off and 2062 007 off our train replaced them. So 1 x 2062 for the day vice 3 different ones - Betty was far from impressed!

To say the run up the climb out of Knin was thrash would be an understatement, we had no idea 007 was such a monster from our earlier toddle down from Ogulin! The saving grace on this train was it being booked around the curve outside Ogulin so the diesel was booked through to Zagreb.

2062 007 Knin - Zagreb 0825 Split - Zagreb 321km

If I told you me & Betty next visited HZ land on Xmas Eve 2001 & leapt to Ogulin for the local only to be greeted by 2062 007 AGAIN (!) would you believe me?

We said our farewells to the others, we were doing the overnight to Munich to attend the Oktoberfest.

To try to get a bit more out of our day a quick Turbo-piffle leap to Zapresic & back.

2044011# Zagreb - Zapresic 1902 Zagreb - Kotoriba 20km

2044002# Zapresic - Zagreb 1753 Cakovec - Zagreb 20km

1142 003)# Zagreb - Dobova 2100 Zagreb - Munchen 28km

1142 012)#

??? ???       Dobova - Jesenice 2100 Zagreb - Munchen 179km

I leapt onto the platform here to get the forward loco but was shouted at & ushered back on board by the Customs officers - cheers then.

1044 263# Jesenice - Munchen 2100 Zagreb - Munchen 379km

 Daily Total = 1171km

Monday 30/09/96

Two overnights in a row then a daytime session at the Oktoberfest - what could go wrong?

218 241# Munchen Hbf - Harras 0650 Munchen - Schliersee 6km

218 345   Harras - Munchen Hbf 0608 Lenngries - Munchen 6km

218 393   Munchen Ost- Horlkofen 0822 Munchen Ost - Muhldorf 29km

218 312   Horlkofen - Munchen Hbf 0833 Muhldorf - Munchen 39km

Being two Englishmen we were ready at the "Foreigners" tent for the 1100 opening for our first large Stein of FestBier - the first of many! We got chatting with a couple of Aussies & later a couple of Yanks who were sharing our table. I paused briefly to eat half a rotisserie chicken.

We had planned to make our way south about 1800 and for a change we made it, although somewhat the worse for wear. Front compo in an IR coach behind the pair of Rabbits.

218 467) Munchen Hbf - Immenstadt 0952 Dresden - Oberstdorf 152km

218 439)

I had my head out bellowing from Buchloe, hellfire Bavarian mountain scenery. About ten minutes before changing trains at Immenstadt I realised Betty was missing - he'd fell asleep in the toilet and it took quite a lot of thumping on the door and shouting to get him out of there!

218 398 Immenstadt - Lindau 1800 Ulm - Lindau 68km

I think we both struggled out of the train at Lindau, couldn't wait to get our heads down again.

11200#  Lindau - Zurich 1815 Munchen - Zurich 138km

11296#  Zurich - Basel 2300 Zurich - Paris Est 88km

Daily Total = 426km

Tuesday 01/10/96

15052#  Zurich - Belfort 2300 Zurich - Paris Est 83km

Bugger - same class 72 diesel as we had down last week:

72048    Belfort - Paris Est 2300 Zurich - Paris Est 443km

With time to kill I'd worked out a move to cover a couple of locos including some new track

72026#  Paris Est - Vernuil-L'Etang 0703 Paris Est - Chaumont 70km

67516#  Vernuil-L'Etang - Nangis xxxx Vernuil-L'Etang - Nangis 15km

67516    Nangis - Paris Est xxxx Nangis - Paris Est 85km

3004)#   Paris Nord - Waterloo Int. 1143 Paris Nord - Waterloo Int. 494km

3003)#  

HST       Paddington - Reading 1535 Paddington - Penzance 35m 62ch

47831     Reading - Stafford 1420 Brighton - Manchester 151m 60ch

A couple of pints in the Titanic pub near the station, I think it was Tuesday's that Medhurst played for the Darts team here so he may well have been in attendance.

87011    Stafford - Crewe 1805 Euston - Liverpool 24m 40ch

Daily Total = 1190km

Total KM = 6193 Total Moves = 64

Daily Average = 884 Average Per Move = 96.7km

A great trip, bashing the M61 Nohab's along Lake Balaton was always fantastic. Add to that the riot of bumping into the Class 31 drinking team created a memorable couple of days. I've been back to Tapolca a few times since with my Wife, once on a OBB 2143-hauled tour from Vienna (we flagged the return & stayed at the Gabriella) and also on a preserved Nohab tour from Budapest where we enjoyed a very pleasant alfresco 3 course meal sat next to the Hotels millpond - no chance of flagging the return with the M61!