The Flickr Balgarskidarzhavnizheleznitsi Image Generatr

October 28, 2022 - Right after sunrise, the 2-10-0 #16.27 climbs the grade above Kyustendil on the terminal and scenic section Kyustendil – Gyueshevo of the Line #6 Sofia - Voluyak - Pernik - Gyueshevo. When built, in 1910, this section continued to what was then Turkey, today’s North Macedonia. Today, it does not go any further than Gyueshevo, however the track still seems to remain in place beyond Gyueshevo.

This was a FarRail charter freight photo-train from Kyudenstil to Gyueshevo, that kept me and the other group members busy and happy from 8 am to 4:30 pm.

Photo © JM Frybourg – 221028-0875

Photo © JM Frybourg – 221027-0120

24 October 2022 – Septemvri, Bulgaria

Parked in front of her healthcare facility – the Septemvri locomotive depot - this old and tired lady is awaiting care that might never come.

Loaded on a standard gauge car, this 600 mm-gauge steamer carrying the 460-70 number has been waiting there for years. But there is little hope it will be rebuilt in operating condition given that it is not compatible with the 760 mm gauge on the Rhodope railway.

Bernd Seiler, who has an encyclopaedic knowledge of steam locomotives, tells us that this engine is a “Brigade locomotive” built by Henschel in 1917 with the builder’s number 15065.

Henschel 15065/1917 was delivered as "HF 1052" - where HF means Heeresfeldbahn = Army field railway - to the Eisenbahn-Ersatzpark in Berlin. After the end of WW1, the locomotive was transferred to the Bulgarian State Railways in 1920, which classified it as BDZ 470-60. There is evidence of the locomotive being used on the 57-kilometer Kaspican - Todor - Ikonomovo line between 1946 and 1965. – Thank you Bernd.

It was probably sent to Septemvri for preservation because this is where the national Bulgarian railway BDZ has workshops able to take care and maintaining the narrow-gauge steam engines of the Rhodope railway. In fact, today, there are lots of such “precious ruins” in Septemvri, and only one operational steamer, the 2-10-2-Tank 609-76.

I hope that you like how I processed the picture: comments are more than welcome!

© Jean-Marc Frybourg – 221024-6115

The locomotive #609-76, a 2-10-2-Tank, climbs the grade north of Tsepina (at Km 13.6) on the 760 mm gauge Rhodope railway in southern Bulgaria.

© Jean-Marc Frybourg – 221024-6702

On the Rhodope Narrow Gauge Railway, the sun was already too high for a perfect backlit picture, however a local shepherd made for a nice foreground while waving at the train.

Photo © JM Frybourg 221026-2967

Early morning departure from Dobrinishte (Добринище), Bulgaria, on the Rhodope Narrow Gauge Railway.

Photo © JM Frybourg 221026-2866

The 07-106 is resting at the tiny Levski depot.

Photo © JM Frybourg 221018-9297

In the Levski yard, a lonely Ludmilla #07-001 moves away from its train.

Photo © JM Frybourg 221018-0485

In Letnitsa (Летница), Bulgaria, a Russian Lada 1500 peacefully welcomes the arrival of a Ukrainian Ludmilla hauling the local train 24222 Trojan-Levski.

The Lada 1500 was manufactured in the Soviet Union by AvtoVAZ, initially as a “Zhiguli” (Жигули), a designation of cars based on the Italian Fiat 124. It was introduced in 1972 and produced until 1984.

Nicknamed “Ludmilla” the diesel-electric locomotive #07-111 was built in 1972 in Ukraine by Luhanskteplovoz (Ukrainian: Луганськтепловоз), the Luhansk Locomotive Works.

Photo © JM Frybourg 221018-9112

In the cab of the second unit of this Bulmarket train stopped in Levski - see flic.kr/p/2q1gq7C -, a 2-men crew waits for the departure.

There is no MU (Multiple Unit) command between these ex-Danish and ex-British locomotives. The engines are too different and would have been either impossible or too costly to equip with MU. Thus each engine has its own crew.

Photo © JM Frybourg 221018-0124

On arriving in Levski in the evening of October 17, 2022, we had a surprising welcome. Right when we were about to reach the station, we could have a quick glimpse at a unit tank train leaving the yard, led by Danish and English electric locomotives. So, the next day, we went to the yard at about the same hour, hoping to see a similar train. Without information, we were not sure what these trains schedules were. Fortunately, we saw it and had enough time to take pictures. So, here is this train that intrigued us the day before.

The train is operated by Bulmarket DM OOD (Bulgarian: Булмаркет ДМ ЕООД) a private rail freight company, registered in 1996, based in the Bulgarian city of Ruse.

The lead engine is an ex-Danish locomotive, a DSB Class EA built in 1985. It was formerly the EA 3006, renumbered in Bulgaria as 86-004. The next engine is an ex British Rail Class 87, number 87 017 “Iron Duke” (built in 1974). It still carries its name plates and original British number although with a Bulgarian registration number (91 52 00 87 017 – 7). The third engine, running light, is an ex British Rail Class 86, ex-86-234 (built in 1966), now 85-006 (91 52 00 85 006 – 2).

Photo © JM Frybourg 221018-0094

On the east side of the Levski station (in Northern Bulgaria) at sunrise, a short local train is approaching the station. The track to the left is the single-track line to Svishtov, the double track is the Sofia – Varna main line.

Photo © JM Frybourg - 221018-0774

The eastern end of the Levski yard (Northern Bulgaria) at sunrise. The track to the left is the single-track line to Svishtov, the double track is the Sofia – Varna main line.

Photo © JM Frybourg - 221018-0758

Aleksandrovo is a village of about 1500 inhabitants in the Lovech Municipality, Lovech Province, northern Bulgaria. It has a station on the Trojan – Lovech – Levski single-track branch line. On October 17, 2022, at 18:59, the train КПВ 24226 Trojan – Levski made its usual stop and was welcomed by the stationmaster.

The train was overpowered. The 3000 HP of the 07-111 “Ludmilla” were a bit too much for the single passenger car. In fact it is a replacement of a smaller diesel, which is already the replacement of modern railcars that are missing costly spare parts for their maintenance.

Photo © JM Frybourg 221017-8466

Photo © JM Frybourg – 221023-4295

Photo © JM Frybourg – 221023-5665

On Oct. 23, 2022, the elegant 03.12 Mountain steam locomotive leads a fast passenger train along the Kardzhali Reservoir at Sedlovina (Седловина) near the city of Kardjali (Кърджали) in southern Bulgaria.

This is a steam charter organized by FarRail Tours (i.e. the World-famous Bernd Seiler).

Photo JM Frybourg 221023-5149

On Oct. 23, 2022, the elegant 03.12 Mountain steam locomotive leads a fast passenger train above the Kardzhali Reservoir at Sedlovina (Седловина) near the city of Kardjali (Кърджали) in southern Bulgaria.

This is a steam charter organized by FarRail Tours (i.e. the World-famous Bernd Seiler).

Photo JM Frybourg 221023-5083

October 28,2022, 08:32, Km 57.1 north of Kyustendil (Кюстендил), Bulgaria. A freight charter with the engine #16.27, a German "Kriegslok" (war locomotive) displays a nice glint thanks to a beautiful rising sun.

Photo JM Frybourg 221028-1016

On Oct. 23, 2022, the beautiful Bulgarian 03.12 with a fast passenger train runs near Glukhar (Глухар). This is a steam charter organized by FarRail Tours (i.e. the World-famous Bernd Seiler).

Photo JM Frybourg 221023-4998