The Flickr Acelectriclocomotive Image Generatr

... well to be fair they stopped smoking quite a while ago.

Electric centre-cabbed 'Badger' 210 060, clearly in ex.works condition, marks a sharp contrast with it's fellow rolling stock depot mates, two of which display signs of electrical fire (quite significant in 240 093's case - other side).

The Jazvec (Badger) or Žehlička (Flatiron) emerged from Škoda Works in the mid 1970s but this smart refurbishment belies it's 50 plus years.

'Brock' is an old-English term for Badger, the term essentially meaning Grey. The European Badger, as the name suggests, is widespread across Europe, although generally nocturnal in nature it is common in the UK to see Badgers sleeping beside (or on) main roads and country lanes in rural areas.

The 1998 hit British black comedy crime caper "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" was written and directed by mockney madge-romancer Guy Ritchie and introduced us to two future titans of Stage and Screen, follicly challenged former diver turned actor Jason Statham and former footballer turned err.. former footballer Vinnie Jones. The performance of Jones in particular was heralded by critics as his character 'Big Chris' ran the full range of emotions from A to B.

The expression "Lock, Stock and Barrel" is a commonly used English language phrase which means 'take everything, completely' and originally referred to all the components of a (19th century) gun.

The run-down of class 240 'Laminatka' locomotives in the state carrier's ranks has been gathering pace for the last couple of years with the remaining locomotives having had a working life of over 50 years and no heavy repairs being undertaken, some being parked up on the basis of sheer accumulation of kms. However over the last few years these and the related 230 locomotives have proved quite popular with private european rail operators so they may be around one way for another on Slovak rails for a while yet.

A visit to the loco depot near Vajnory recently yielded 14 examples of the venerable machine, as the site appears part working ZSSK Cargo depot and part locomotive graveyard it was hard to tell precisely what was there to stay and what was around for another reason but I was able to establish that 6 laminátky have been there since at least 2022 and some of those possibly a lot longer.

To the right of the staring contest, missing the portal-like window, is long-term resident 240 090 and on the left is May 2022 arrival 240 067.

A rather fine book issued by LAMA - the Locomotive & Allied Manufacturers' Association of Great Britain - and designed and published by the Fanfare Press of London. No date is shown but the text dates this substantial book of over 80 pages to c.1960. As well as looking at the history of locomotive construction in the UK various chapters also look at modern and contemporary matters, such as the British Railways 1955 Modernisation Plan that ushered in an age of new diesel and electric locomotives (as well as DMU and EMU fleets) as well as discussing export opportunities for UK manufacturers. For overseas sales the availability of traditional steam locomotives is still covered.

At the time of publication there are 24 manufacturers listed and this was one of many UK heavy industries that have long since been whittled down to the point where I cannot think of any UK based manufacturer of locomotives.

The opening pages include this fine double colour plate of two of British Railways new age locomotives, AC electric in blue and Diesel in green. The artwork is by A.N. Wolstenholme, an established transport artist whose usual output was in scraperboard/Windsor Board and so it is good to see an example of his work in colour. Electric locomotive E3001 was the first example of the new 25kvAC locomotives that were constructed to operate under the newly completed sections of the Manchester/Liverpool - London electrification that was one of the major schemes of the Modernisation Plan. Built by AEI (although ordered from their subsidiary BTH) the first of the Class AL1 fleet was delivered in 1959 and became Class 81 in the later TOPS scheme. Sadly the "number" of the diesel locomotive is blurred out; the history of the various types of diesels ordered by British Railways is more complex!

DB's Class 102 electric locomotive No. 102 006, receiving a quick clean of her windscreen. Built by Škoda in Czech Republic, styled by Porsche and have the official class nickname of Emil Zátopek, that being the name of a famed Czech long-distance runner of the post war years.

Photo - Munich Hauptbahnhof.

PKP Cargo Newag Dragon 2 ET43-007 smoothly restarts it's trainload of steel in sliding-roof wagons after a signal check through Bratislava Hlavna Stanica.

The locomotive bodyside proudly bears the image of former President Lech Kaczyński and the declaration 'Warto byc Polakiem' which I am told translates as 'Proud to be Polish'*

President Kaczyński was tragically killed along with his wife Maria and 94 others when the Polish Air Force Tupolev TU-154 they were travelling on crashed in thick fog on approach to Smolensk North Airport near Smolensk in western Russia on 10th April 2010.

*my apologies if the translation is less than accurate.

Caledonian Blue Livery 86401 "Mons Meg" passing Colwich North Junction on the back of 1Z84 - Manchester Piccadilly to Wembley Central Footex special - Colwich Junction - 25-05-24

Electric Blue Livery 86259 / E3137 "Les Ross" passing Colwich North Junction on the 1Z84 - Manchester Piccadilly to Wembley Central Footex special - Colwich Junction - 25-05-24

Speaking of previous Freightliner liveries, 90041 seen gliding through Stafford with the 4L90 Crewe Basford Hall to Felixstowe service.

Laminátka 240.034 tries but sadly fails to brighten the scene at a rainy Bratislava Hl. St. with a lengthy petrochemical working.

ZSSR's Národný Dopravca - 'National Carrier' Vectron 383.109 stands at Bratislava Hl. St. ready to.... well, carry people across the nation!

Of note in this image is the building in the top right behind the station, the Hotel Galeria which, as the name suggests (Gallery) is outwardly styled in a colourful and eclectic manner and is apparently the same on the inside too. Reading their very revealing Tripadvisor page I think it is fair to say that the Hotel divides opinion among it's previous guests but there's no denying it's handy proximately next to BHS for those passing through with an early morning train departure.

A regular performer through Bratislava hl.st., Škoda Transportation-built Class 380 380. 013 strolls into the Slovak capital working EC277 Eurocity en route from Prague to Budapest.

This is only my second visit to Bratislava's main station and sadly it was overcast and rained later, maybe I was spoilt with bright sunshine the first time.

With both pantographs raised, ZSSK's 381.001 sits at Bratislava Nové Mesto a full 30 minutes before it's departure working Os 3763 14.18 departure to Senec. The loco is coupled to 951 003 push-pull driving car double-deck set and will, as the phrase suggests, pull the train to Senec and once arrived at it's destination will push the combination back on a return service - ZSSK has this locomotive and a sister (381.002) as well as 10 Škoda-built ES499.2 (Class 263) locos which perform passenger services in this way.

The locomotive was designed and built as the Škoda 109E, it is known as class 381 in Slovakia, class 380 in the Czech Republic and class 102 in Germany where they are operated by DB Regio. The design does not appear to have a great record for reliability and was beset with production and delivery problems and delays in both CZ and with DB.

CD (Czech Railways) Skoda 109E 380 020 threads it's way into Bratislava Hlavna Stanica with EC276 Metropolitan service from Budapest to Prague - 15/06/2023. This service passes through such interesting sounding places as Sturovo (SK), Brno (CZ) and Pardubice (CZ) and the route is also known as the Eurocity route (for obvious reasons I guess). Interestingly the stock for this Hungary to Czech Republic enterprise was made up today entirely of ZSSK (Slovak Railways) coaching stock.

Apparently the very striking looking Skoda-built tri-voltage 380 class locomotives prevalent on this route are considered unreliable and are known by some in these parts as 'Vaňa' (Bath tub), I guess because their side profiles look a bit like an upturned alternative to a shower! This example is the last of an order of 20, all completed by 2011 but not put into service until 2013 due to a protracted dispute between manufacturer and customer.

An unidentified Class 87 speeds through Crewe on the 27th April, 1987. Fab locos.

FreightLiner Genesee & Wyoming Orange Livery 90007 and 90012 passing Barby Nortoft on the 4M63 - Ipswich S.S. to Crewe Bas Hall S.S.N. working - 16-01-23

FreightLiner Genesee & Wyoming Orange Livery 90047 passing Cathiron light engine - 04-11-22

FreightLiner Genesee & Wyoming Orange Livery 90008 and PowerHaul Livery 90045 passing Barby Nortoft on the 4M65 - Felixstowe North F.L.T. to Trafford Park F.L.T. working - 26-10-22

FreightLiner Genesee & Wyoming Orange Livery 90048 and PowerHaul Livery 90043 passing Barby Nortoft on the 4L90 - Trafford Park F.L.T. to Felixstowe North F.L.T. working - 26-10-22

FreightLiner Genesee & Wyoming Orange Livery 90003 and PowerHaul Livery 90049 passing Barby Nortoft on the 4M87 - Felixstowe North F.L.T. to Trafford Park F.L.T. working - 26-10-22

FreightLiner Genesee & Wyoming Orange Livery 90015 and 90012 weren't hanging around as they passed Barby Nortoft on the 4M83 Trafford Park F.L.T. to Felixstowe North F.L.T. working - 04-07-22