I continued following the line from Usti nad Labem Strekov to Lysa nad Labem. It was a nice road to follow, but photo opportunities were scarce. In Libochovany I found a spot to park the car though, and the view turned out to be quite interesting. The town on the top left of the photo is Dubice, and is located on the other side of … Continue reading Looking out over the valley
Strekov castle is a famous landmark in the Elbe river valley, dating from 1316. It is one of railay photographers’ favorite subjects in Usti Nad Labem. I had to go check it out of course, and in the course of an hour or so got quite a few cargo trains. Continue reading Strekov castle
After a refreshing night in Usti Nad Labem, in a hotel probably dating from the communist era, I checked out the immediate surroundings of the city’s main station. I didn’t have to wait a long time to see a cargo train cross the river. It is hauled by a Skoda 57E2 locomotive, dating from 1971, in the color scheme of Czech Railways’ cargo division. Vetruse … Continue reading Coal over the water
The Elbe also has a Czech name: Labem. On this photo, the train is running along the Labem river. Yes, I have finally arrived in the Czech republic. South of Decin, there are railway lines on both sides of the river. I had no idea where to see the trains, but I guessed cargo traffic woud run on the right bank of the river when … Continue reading Labem’s right bank
One recommendation when visiting the Elbe valley: try to avoid using a car. Roads that aren’t accessible and few parking spots give the car driver a hard time. And spots like this one are easily missed. It has been on my wishlist for a while, and I knew approximately where I needed to be… but had some difficulty locating it exactly. WIth a bicycle I … Continue reading Wish I had a bicycle
A Swiss engine on its way from the Czech Republic towards Dreseden, seems a bit odd. It turns out the loco is rented out to HSL, an operator that comes here more often. All of a sudden it makes more sense. The kettles are waking up the sleeping valley as I am catching my breath to get to this position right on time. Continue reading Waking up the sleeping valley
Siemens electrics have in the meanwhile taken over the traction of the Eurocity trains between Germany and the Czech republic – in september 2016 they were still all hauled by Skoda’s. These trains were part of the reason to go to the Czech Republic, apart from the fun of travelling to places I haven’t been to before. Continue reading Skoda rules
Today, Metrans is operating 30 Bombardier Traxx MS2e engines. This year, another 10 identical locomotives will be added to their fleet. On september 19th I could make my first photo of one of these engines – the line along the Elbe sees a lof of Metrans trains, no particular accomplishment there. Continue reading Metrans Traxx
On day 2 of the trip I followed the railway Line from Dresden to Usti Nad Labem, that follows the Elbe river. I’ll stay polite and not describe the weather… let’s see it as an opportunity to be able to shoot in 2 directions. I found a good shelter at the station of Obervogelgesang, only coming out to make a photo. I’ve alwyas been a … Continue reading No birds singing
The journey to Dresden went flawlessly. After checking into my hotel I took a train to Dresden Hbf, where I expected a couple of EuroNight trains. These trains change locos in Dresden, so it was a good opportunity to check out the Czech Skoda electrics, that would soon be replaced by modern Siemens Vectron locomotives. Continue reading Dresden, EuroNight Hbf
Railscapes 