European Railroad Discussion > Sarajevo to Zagreb

Next to last train ride of this 31 day endurance contest. 22 countries and breakaway republics in one month. This is Sarajevo capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As you might remember it was the host city for the 1984 Winter Olympics. From 1992 to 1995 it was subject to the longest urban siege in modern history, 1425 days. Damage is still visible in almost every building.

1. Apartment on the front line.

2. Main Railway Station.

3. Waiting hall. Repaired shell hole in roof.

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4. Our train. Only three cars all I suppose are second hand German 1'st class corridor cars. All in all a perfect train.

5. Bosnian countryside

6. The train

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7. Open windows the best way to enjoy the ride.
8 bosnian shunter

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To be continued

Posted from iPhone

You can smoke on the trains

Yes smoke anywhere here

Posted from iPhone

Interesting interpretation of Swedish technology here, or is this just a coincidence?

GettingShort Wrote:
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4. Our train. Only three cars all I suppose are second hand German 1'st class corridor cars. All in all a perfect train.

You too didn't miss Sarajevo.

McKey Wrote:
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> Interesting interpretation of Swedish technology
> here, or is this just a coincidence?
>
No it's not a coincidence! The locos were built by the "50Hz group" (led by ASEA of Sweden but also including I believe Alsthom of France) in about 1966 for the new standard gauge line from Sarajevo to the coast at Ploce (which is now in Croatia). This line replaced a 760mm gauge route built by the Austrians, the final 75 mile stub of which remained in operation at least into the late 1970s. I rode this route a couple of times in the early 70s when on one trip we travelled in s diesel railcar that felt and looked like a South American DC3! On the other occasion we had real loco-hauled train with bogie coaches which looked like miniature mainline vehicles, with compartments and side corridors. Sadly we had a diesel loco - I was hoping to get one of the 0-8-2 steamers that were still in operation.

I'll try and dig out some slides from these trips.

It looks like the electric route is back in some kind of operation, but I know it was badly smashed up in the 1990s war.

Thanks very much for the pictures.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/06/14 14:00 by spflow.

1. I believe all of the JZ 441 class were built in Yugoslavia [ with some Romanian parts ] under license from ASEA.
2. The diesel in photo 8 was built in France by B&L; it is an export version of the SNCF 63000 class.

Best regards, SZ

Steinzeit Wrote:
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> 1. I believe all of the JZ 441 class were built
> in Yugoslavia [ with some Romanian parts ] under
> license from ASEA.

>
> Best regards, SZ


I am sure you are right - I didn't identify the class in the photo or the vintage. I note the trip referred to was Sarajevo to Zagreb, that was not even electrified at 25kV in 1966. I presume the experience with the original locos led to further domestic construction.

Thank you for the backgrounder!

The ASEA-Alstom electric loco taken another look appears very much like Swedish class Rb, none of which were for some reason preserved. Unlike Rc, Rb had this kind of rounded nose. The rest of the construction looks very much like the Rb pictures I've seen.

Interesting to find these in for Yugoslavia too! (Co'Co' cousins are still in use in Romania)

Thanks for the information on the locos and line!