The International Steam Pages


Steam in Bosnia, 2008

Click here for Stephan Thierfelder's October 2008 report.

Click here for Tim Murray's October 2009 report.


Tim Murray reports:

Brief trip report of visit to Bosnia

Sat 11th Oct flew out from LSTD to Zadar in Croatia on Ryanair. Hired car and stayed night at Zadar

Sun 12th Oct Drove from Zadar to Bosnian border – took two hours, mostly motorway. Then three hours onto Katanj. Told loco would be working from 6am next morning. Drove on to spend night at Banovici in the Hotal Zlaca in the forest (we had four nights here)

Mon 13th Oct Went to Lukavac and saw soda 62 come and collect a some coking wagons at about midday. The 33 came light engine to collect some empties at about 12.30. The 62 then came to collect some container wagons at about 13.00. The 33 brought fulls in TF at about 14.00 and returned light.
Moved to Dubrave. The 33 took fulls down to the exchange at about 18.00 and return with empties TF almost immediately. Saw 62 and 83 shunting at Oskova in late evening

Tues 14th Oct Went to Lukavac. 33 brought in fulls and returned with empties at about 12.30. Then went to the exchange loop for Dubrave. The 33 had come down from the mine with fulls and a different 33 appeared from Tuzla direction (from the depot at Bukinge) and then this ‘new’ 33 took the empties back to the mine whilst the other 33 went to Bukinge light. This was the means of swopping over the 33s. Called in at Oskova 62 and 83 shunting..

Wed 15th Oct Went to Bukinge. The 62 took fulls down to the power station at about 08.45 and returned light in thick fog! Went to Lukavac 62 collected some cokeing wagons at about 11.30. It then pulled some containers out and exchanged them for a train of different containers which it took back to the soda factory. 33 came in on fulls and returned with empties at about 13.00. Drove to Durdovac. Loco not working as yet this winter but stood at mine in the open. Visited Oskova for 62 and 83 shunting then back to Dubrave for 33 departing on fulls at about 17.20 returned from exchange sidings with empties straightaway.

Thurs 16th Oct Drove to Breze but mine being worked by Bo-Bo diesel. Then on to Katanj where the 62 went down to the station and returned with fulls at about 13.00. No further movements predicted that day. Saw the narrow gauge diesel train in afternoon. Stayed at the Hotel Premium in Katanj which was a good hotel.

Frid 17th Oct After 5 days of clear skies and sun (apart from fog in the morning) the weather changed and it rained. Saw the 62 go down and collect its fulls at about 13.00 and then drove to stay the night on the Croatian coast near Split

Sat 18th Oct Leisurely drive back to Zadar and on Ryanair flight back to LSTD.

Excellent trip which was reasonable by using the Ryanair flight rather than to Belgrade or Sarayevo. Border crossing took 5 minutes each way and the roads in Croatia were excellent. 


Rob Dickinson

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