Known locally as Banana #1, 44001 leaves Klisura with 3621 Sofia-Burgas.

Only two of these type exist (44001 and 44002) and were refurbished in the 1990’s at Koncar works, being basically a modernised version of the traditional Skoda Bulgarian passenger engines. Initially numbered as 44301 and 44302 on release from works, they became ‘001 and ‘002 shortly after.

Note the full brake behind the loco; something that has died a death in the last couple of years we have been going to Bulgaria.

Tags:   Bulgaria Klisura 44001 BDZ 3621 Sofia Burgas

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With the influx of ex-Romanian Class 40 locos (commonly referred to as junk) earlier in the year, tracking down 87s which don’t have one shoved on the front is quite a challenge.

Today, however, on arrival at Sindel we were greeted with the phrase “Днес почитаме” from one of the BZK drivers which means “Today, we honour”. This, naturally, caused some excitement and the sun even made a slight reappearance from behind a bank of cloud for the occasion.

87029 and 87028 stand waiting for the single line working ticket for the line to Ruse with the daily trip working from Razdelna. 87029 is one of the two locos in the BZK 87 fleet which still features ETH equipment (87004 is the other). This was to be used on charters with a rake of exported mk2 stock - a plan that was binned relatively early on in the locos Bulgarian life.

Tags:   90680 BZK Sindel БЖК Синдел 87028 87029 Bulgaria

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Unusually worked by a pair of 87s with the 40junk dead on the rear (we assume added at Kazanlak), 30580 from Razdelna arrives into Pirdop with 87004 and 87003 in charge. The driver seemed happy (as were we!).

Tags:   30580 България Разделна Пирдоп Razdelna Pirdop 87003 87004 БЖК BZK Class 87 Bulgaria

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The driver looks back to check that the whole of his train is inside as 45163 arrives into the yard at Sindel with an empty box working off the line from Karnobat.

Tags:   Bulgaria 45163 Sindel BDZ Cargo

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07126 at Dimitrovgrad, working an (apparently rare) diesel turn on the line. Seen here before working BV1672 1635 Dimitrovgrad-Sofia which it worked to Plovdiv for an electric loco forward to the capital..

As part of the EU funded upgrade of the line from Turkey through Bulgaria into Serbia, upgrade of the line had taken place, but it had not yet reached Dimitrovgrad station itself. Five years later, it looks completely different!

Tags:   Bulgaria

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