Greece 04/03 to 10/03 2004 "It's a long, long way to Kalamata"

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 attached to the stock for the 0939 Pireaus - Patras

Always a pleasure to escape the dust, car exhausts & frenzy of Central Athens, especially by way of the Peloponnese narrow gauge as you headed out via Elefsis before hugging the coast & cliff's then crossing via the Corinth Canal bridge onto the Peloponnese peninsular itself.

A9106      Piraeus – Akrata 0939 Pireaus – Patras 162.7km

A9106 at Akrata on the 0939 Pireaus - Patras

Even better my machine produced for the run back to Kiato.

A9108      Akrata – Kiato 0956 Pirghos – Piraeus 42.5km

A9108 at Kiato on the 0956 Pirghos - Pireaus

A9111      Kiato – Pirghos 1202 Piraeus – Pirghos 209.7km

A9111      Pirghos – Kiparissia 1920 Pirghos – Kiparissia 63km

Daily Total  =  477.9  KM

Time to check in to the tried & tested Hotel Ionion (more usually referred to as the "1 Onion" by the Roadshow). Although now late evening at about 21:00hrs, in Mediterranean towns like Kippy with scorching weather, the locals tended to eat late, so no problem getting a proper meal as long as we didn't take too long getting our gear stashed in our rooms.

We headed to the main town square, previously all you could get to drink in Kippy being Greek-brewed Heineken or Amstel (urrgh) however we now found that the Germans had landed - Beer wise!

So a much needed meal washed down with German Wheat beer, Erdinger most likely. We returned to the same Taverna the rest of the trip on any evenings that we didn't opt for fast food instead.

 

Saturday 6th March 2004

The Ionian, movements in the station Yard could be observed from many of the Balcony's. Good for Ouzo parties too!

For many years the route between Kiparissia & Kalamata had been Banned to Loco Hauled trains due to Two dodgy bridges, no longer fit for the passage of trains. However these structural faults had recently been rectified, this potentially gave us a new destination for Alco-hauled travel but ONLY if the Ganz Unit on the 0618 Patras - Kalamata had failed & was hauled by the Patras Standby loco.

So this gave us a new focus, 45km's into the journey each day at Krestena. We were booked to arrive first so get your gear together in case an Alco rolls around the corner & we need to leap!

All heads were out, I bet the Ganz unit which arrived unassisted into Krestena was well-chuffed with all the attention! Oh well, there's always tomorrow...

A9111      Kiparissia – Pirghos 0807 Kiparissia – Pirghos 63km

A9111      Pirghos – Diakopto 0956 Pirghos – Piraeus 153.1km

A9111 pauses at Lechena on the 0956 Pirghos - Piraeus 

The pattern of workings gave a good run up to Diakopto, with it's Gen-friendly Redcap (Shovel was always keen to look through the Allocation sheets...) then a "fill-in" trip to Patras and then back to as far as we could get for the day train (1202 ex Pireaus) depending on time-keeping.

A9109      Diakopto – Patras 0939 Piraeus – Patras 53.4km

A9109      Patras – Eghio 1535 Patras – Piraeus 39.7km

Eghio was today's leaping point. Flossie was no-doubt hoping his machine A9107 "Pelvis" would produce, I was hoping for A9108 for the same reason. No joy either way but A9106 was a Beast anyway!

A9106      Eghio – Pirghos 1202 Piraeus – Pirghos 139.7km

A9106      Pirghos – Kiparissia 1920 Pighos – Kiparissia 63km

Daily Total  = 511.6    KM

Sunday 7th March 2004

No problems being a Sunday as the same service ran 7 days a week.

A timeless scene at Kiparissia waiting for the stock for the 0807 to Pirghos to shunt across.

A9106 at Kiparissia about to form the 0807 to Pirghos

High excitement at Krestena to view the Kalamata until the Ganz rolled in, unassisted again. Oh well, there's always tomorrow...

A9106      Kiparissia – Pirghos 0807 Kiparissia – Pirghos 63km

A9106 at Pirghos

A9106      Pirghos – Diakopto 0956 Pirghos – Piraeus 153.1km

Some very dubious methods of work being employed at Diakopto Rack Railway depot - but then it is in Greece!

A9103 on the Patras crosses A9106 on the Piraeus service at Diakopto

A9103      Diakopto – Patras 0939 Piraeus – Patras 53.4km

A9103 at Patras off the 0939 from Piraeus

A9103      Patras – Eghio 1535 Patras – Piraeus 39.7km

Now then what is on the day train - Machine! A9108 my fave, however they were all beast's but one does have one's favourites!

A9108      Eghio – Pirghos 1202 Piraeus – Pirghos 139.7km

A9108      Pirghos – Kiparissia 1920 Pirghos – Kiparissia 63km

Daily Total  =  511.6   KM

Monday 8th March 2004

A9108      Kiparissia – Pirghos 0807 Kiparissia – Pirghos 63km

Little or no excitement at Krestena when the Ganz rolled in unassisted again, only me & Shovel being keen enough to lean out to view it coming in. Oh well, there's always tomorrow...

A9108      Pirghos – Patras 0956 Pirghos – Piraeus 99.7km

It was the 31 Roadshow's last full day, so rather than accumulate the mileage up to Diakopto & back, about 4 1/2 hours to see the sights of Patras, most of us never having been far from the station here.

I previously had explored the town, having stayed overnight there once or twice, so was probably in the designated Taverna for lunch & drinks a bit before the others.

A9109      Patras – Rion 1535 Patras – Piraeus 7.3km

There was obviously some late running today (I think this service was a connection out of some cross-Mediterranean ferry services) so we only got as far as Rion for the day train.

A9106      Rion – Pirghos 1202 Piraeus – Pirghos 107km

A9106      Pirghos – Kiparissia 1920 Pirghos – Kiparissia 63km

Daily Total  = 333.0   KM

Tuesday 9th March 2004

The main talking point on leaving Kippy was that the Patras - Kalamata MUST NOT be hauled by an Alco today as the rest of the Roadshow were doing the day train all the way to Athens for the flight home tonight. I, however, had another day so threats of Death, being Ostracized and never talked to again etc were thrown my way should this occur!

A9106      Kiparissia – Krestena 0807 Kiparissia – Pirghos 45.1km

There was high excitement for ONE person today as A9112 dragged a demic Ganz unit into Krestena!

Poor Shovel was having a fit, he really wanted to do it but would have gotten into all sorts of problems with work etc if he did, the others were just resigned to "Jammy Poodle" having it on his own.

DREADFUL, dropping onto this MASSIVE working of course seemed all the better as the others were withered and couldn't do it!

During the 45km journey to Kiparissia I worked out that the best vantage point for the Thrash was the middle coach, you could actually see the loco working best from here - the only disadvantage of hauling a Unit vice hauled stock. 

A9112 at Kiparissia after hauling the dead Ganz unit in from Patras

Fingers crossed at Kippy that the loco ran round & we didn't get bustituted forward as this would give me a VERY long day with nothing to do. No sign of any other through passengers de-training, but also no sign of running round. What's going on? Simple - to avoid having to drive the Alco long-nose first up to Kalonero we PROPELLED the Dead Ganz the near 8km's to Kalonero!!

Hellfire, new track looming from here to Kalamata, me & Peckham had previously (in January 1991) done the track from Kalamata to here but were bowled by an Alsthom. I was beside myself for the rest of the journey.

A9112      Krestena – Kalamata (Ganz DIT) 0618 Patras – Kalamata 112.1km

                 (Including Kiparissia – Kalonero shoving!)

A9112 hauling the failed Ganz unit between Kalonero & Kalamata

A9112 at journeys end of Kalamata. New track for Alco, over 13 years since 1st doing the route behind an Alsthom! 

A9112 after arrival at Kalamata off the 0618 from Patras (hauling the Ganz in picture DIT)

I had many hours to kill before the 1519 return (fingers crossed). I didn't visit the Railway Park with it's many withdrawn Kettles on display as we had done so in 2002 off a Swiss arranged tour with a Mitsubushi loco (due to the previous bridge restrictions). 

I then set off into town, surely the beer scene had improved here, like it had done in Kiparissia. However, after a long & fruitless wander around town there was NO imported or decent beer to be found, in the many modern Bars that had popped up - many under new beach-side apartment buildings, so I gave up & returned to the café we'd used (off the Swiss Tour in 2002) opposite the station for Tzatziki, bread & chips, washed down with quite a few bottles of Mythos (nothing wrong with that) before the 1519 return to Patras.

A9112 is recoupled to the failed Ganz DMU at Kalamata prior to working the 1519 to Patras

A9112 at Kalamata in untypical weather waits to haul a Ganz unit DIT on the 1519 to Patras

The Alco had been turned, to avoid having to run long-nose first, normal practise with these Locos.

A9112      Kalamata – Pirghos (Ganz DIT) 1519 Kalamata – Patras 130km

                 (Including Kalonero – Kiparissia shoving!)

Once again we propelled the 8km's from Kalonero into Kippy!

A9112 at Kiparissia after propelling the Ganz in from Kalonero on the 1519 Kalamata - Patras

A couple of celebratory beers to toast my success while I waited for the Alco on the 1920 

A9111      Pirghos – Kiparissia 1920 Pirghos – Kiparissia 63km

Daily Total  = 350.2   KM

Wednesday 10th March 2004

A9111 at Kiparissia on the 0807 to Pirghos

Single manned for the long, 8 & a half hour run to Athens this morning, easier to get the best window for the Thrash!

A9111      Kiparissia – Pirghos 0807 Kiparissia – Pirghos 63km

A9111      Pirghos – Piraeus 0956 Pirghos – Piraeus 329.9km

I was lucky enough at Elefsis to catch a photo of an MLW on the Dual-Gauge tracks, between trips to the Docks to collect it's next freight consist.

A467 at Elefsis station, note the dual gauge tracks of both the Peloponnese Metre gauge & the standard gauge freight routes

G-EZxx   Athens Aiport – Luton 2000 Athens – Luton

319422    Luton Airport Parkway – Kings X TL 2155 Bedford – Brighton 30m

HST         Kings Cross – Doncaster 2330 Kings Cross – Leeds 156m

Daily Total  =  392.2   KM

Total KM = 2577.2  KM                Total Moves = 27

Daily Average = 429.5  KM           Average Per Move = 95.5  KM

Well getting the track for Alco to Kalamata was a long time coming - 13 years & 2 months to be exact.

I was saddened when my good friends, the rest of the Alco bashing roadshow, were unable to do the move (of course)! I believe that Shovel may well have also had a Unit drag to Kalamata before the railway closed down due to the Greek national finance crisis (or it may have been Flossie?).

Great days, I still miss finding out each day who would have the worst Hayfever, me or Shovel. Bellowing on the Peloponnese, with it's heat and dust, was not good for the Allergy - the sweet smell of ripe oranges and lemons mixed in with the sea air, coupled with the sheer Hellfireness of the locos & scenery more than made up for this though!

Cheers Poodle