5th September 2013 - The Great Hungarian PlainThursday 5th September 2013 Last full day in Hungary and time to go on a minor class 418 diesel hunting expedition and finish off line 135 between Békéscsaba and Orosháza, which was partly closed due to engineering works on our last visit. EC73 to Buchurest was the train chosen to get us to Békéscsaba and started off well enough but degenerated into a total stagger in the latter stages of the journey, we knew that the train was retimed as there was a reissued timetable for the line but the amount of slow running was slightly surprising. We were also surprised passing Murony station which was undergoing a substantial rebuild including some major excavations taking place complete with a giant crane, more than enough to close the entire line in some countries. Murony5th September 2013. Station rebuilding at Murony on line 120 with single line working round it. Though we arrived at Békéscsaba with only three minutes to spare there was no panic and we made ourselves comfortable to enjoy a ride behind 418 171, which was required for haulage, reasonably safe in the knowledge that the loco back would also be new as the only one that we had previously had in this area was perched on some jacks outside the depot. 418 128 at Békéscsaba5th September 2013. 418 128 is lowered back onto its bogies outside the shed. Of course we could have been “bowled out” by a DMU again (see two days previously) but there was no need to worry as 418 103 appeared for the return journey thus meaning we had completed line 135. As we passed the depot on the return journey some 80 minutes after first doing so, 418 128 was safely back on terra firma and some bogies but that would be the last progress report as we were now heading in a different direction for more new track. 418 128 at Békéscsaba5th September 2013. 418 128 is now re-united with its bogies, V43 1088 stands behind looking rather disused. There was also new (well, slightly different) class of unit to sample next; an “InterPici” Bzmot which was merely an ordinary 4 wheel Bzmot railcar and trailer rebuilt with new seats and air conditioning – the phrase mutton dressed as lamb springs to mind! This unit was fairly busy until the important town of Gyula where most of the passengers alighted leaving the virtually empty unit to carry onwards Vésztö with a reversal at Kötegyán on the Romanian border after which there was a noticeable deterioration in the quality of track as we rumbled across the Great Hungarian Plain. Bzmot 407 at Kötegyán5th September 2013. Reversing at the Romanian border with 37614 11:48 Békéscsaba to Vésztő. The timetable line number changed at Vésztö as did the train number, leading us to think that a change of train would be required but the helpful guard indicated that we should stay on this unit and change at the junction station of Szeghalom where an ordinary Bzmot and trailer were waiting. We hopped into the rear of the trailer for a view back down the track despite the warm sun accentuating the vehicles greenhouse tendencies but there appeared to be an issue when both the guard and red cap signalled the departure but nothing happened. The driver jumped out and fiddled with the coupling between unit and trailer which appeared to do the trick, only for the train to come to a grinding halt about one kilometre down the line with the engine shut down. More fiddling about ensued, the Bzmot restarted and we were soon off again still trundling across the Great Plain of Hungary passing endless fields of sweetcorn and sunflowers with the odd compound for extracting oil / gas and even a farmer ploughing with two horses. Hosszúhát5th September 2013. View from a Bzmot trailer on 37724 13:45 Szeghalom to Püspökladány. Püspökladány was very busy with lots of students milling around and quite a few trains as well; plenty to keep us occupied, including buying a ticket for the IC back to Budapest, in the half hour or so we had there. The IC took us back to Nyugati station and, by way of a change, we caught the no. 73 trolleybus which deposited us a short distance from Keleti station rather than mess about with the tram and underground. A number of friends had arrived the previous night for a PTG tour and we arranged a table for about 10 people at the Rosenstein. The 10 people ended up growing to at least double that amount but the restaurant rose to the occasion and managed to fit in a few more, an excellent conclusion to our week in Hungary. 480 010 at Püspökladány5th September 2013. Arriving with IC1655 11:30 Budapest-Keleti to Budapest-Nyugati via Miskolc and Nyíregyháza.
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