European Railroad Discussion > My Favorite Locomotive: The Goggle-class: Czech Finale

I have saved the best for last. I absolutely love these vintage diesels that have come to be known as the Goggle-class for obvious reasons. I would argue they could also be called the Minion-class since they look like a locomotive designed by the Minions of Pixar fame. Originally built as the 753 and 754 classes by ČKD from 1968-1980, several have been modernized to the 750 and 755 classes. I saw six of them in six different paint schemes and captured five of them in pixels. My first opportunity was at the Prague main train station where a ČD 750-class was tacked onto a Slovak coach.

1-3. ČD Goggle-class 750 706-4 that might be named Spencer under which it says "sockets remote control." As this was my first Goggle-class in the wild, I took several shots.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/25 10:28 by NMlurker.

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The next four were all seen at Praha-Libeň, one light, one passenger, and two on a freight. The one that I was not able to photograph (viewed from a passing train) was another private owner, freshly painted in a wine red or maroon and not yet lettered.

4. A light engine move of a 753-class of the Polish PKP Cargo International (PCI) but with Czech registration. This paint scheme would be quite at home on the Milwaukee Road.

5. This one completely snuck up on me, a well-maintained 750-class with quite the paint scheme. KDS stands for Kladno Transport and Machine Works, Kladno being a town west of Prague. The lettering on the side says Your Journeys, Our Goals. The black blob outlined in orange is a map of the Czech Republic with the location of KDS marked on it in green. Evidently some kind of private passenger operation.

6. The freight train of the day was a unit tank train led by two beautiful private owner Goggle-class diesels. Both units are 753-class of Orlen Unipetrol Transport (UNIDO) but the second one actually says Unipetrol Orlen Group on the nose. Both in clean and interesting paint schemes. How can you not love them?

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Those are marvelous engines. Made my day and thanks.

Your a ways from home.

Very nice series from the Czech Republic. 
Thank you for posting them.

Yes, the Goggles are quite striking and I really like the variety of schemes they come in now.  The other classic diesel on both the Czech and Slovak Railways are the Class 749/751/752s, otherwise known as "Bardotkas".   They were named after Brigitte Bardot supposedly for the resemblance in profile.  Takes some imagination, I think, but I like the name!   Here's a pair leaving Plešivec, Slovakia on a tank train in 2019.   

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dwatry Wrote:
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> Yes, the Goggles are quite striking and I really
> like the variety of schemes they come in now. 
> The other classic diesel on both the Czech and
> Slovak Railways are the Class 749/751/752s,
> otherwise known as "Bardotkas".   They were
> named after Brigitte Bardot supposedly for the
> resemblance in profile.  Takes some imagination,
> I think, but I like the name!   Here's a pair
> leaving Plešivec, Slovakia on a tank train in
> 2019.   

Euro Cranks Nickname them Grumpies, for obvious reasons.

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NMlurker Wrote:
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> I have saved the best for last. I absolutely love
> these vintage diesels that have come to be known
> as the Goggle-class for obvious reasons. I would
> argue they could also be called the Minion-class
> since they look like a locomotive designed by the
> Minions of Pixar fame.

My first thought was HEY MINIONs.