A whirlwind visit to the Gorillas in the Tatras

Prologue

A trip to the Tatras had been on the agenda for several years. Unfortunately, however, stable high-pressure systems tend to favour the Mediterranean region rather than the Carpathian Mountains. As a result, the weather had so far prevented us from making the journey.

Janic and Kevin had two weeks’ holiday in the autumn of 2024 and were able to take advantage of a so-called ‘Omega situation’. A stable high-pressure system over Central Europe brought above-average temperatures from the end of October onwards and kept unwanted clouds at bay. The two gentlemen decided on the spur of the moment to take a trip to Slovakia and set off on 20 October.

That evening, I discussed our colleagues’ plans with Justin. We could hardly believe our luck with the weather and started looking for suitable flights. Unfortunately, both the flights and the car hire prices were extremely expensive. In a moment of madness, Justin finally came up with the idea of driving to Feldkirch and loading the car onto the NightJet there. To our amazement, transporting the car cost just under 70 euros. We quickly booked two more mini-cabins on the NightJet. Meanwhile, we didn’t tell our colleagues anything about it – our arrival was to be a surprise.

Tuesday, 22 October 2024

I could have become a big fan of the mini-cabins, but at a modest 1.90 metres tall, I was taller than the cabin itself. Still half asleep, we left the night train at the car-carrying facility at Vienna Central Station and got into the BMW.

The journey through Slovakia went relatively smoothly. As construction of the D1 motorway wasn’t yet complete, we had to drive through small villages time and again. The police were on the hunt for speeders, and Justin, who wasn’t quite so strict about the speed limit in built-up areas, fell into their trap. A police car was already chasing him with its blue lights flashing and siren blaring when, as if out of nowhere, a Slovakian Audi SQ7 overtook the police car at well over 100 km/h. Suddenly, we were no longer of sufficient interest to the police and were able to continue our journey unhindered.

Shortly before midday, we reached Štrba and headed for the first photo spot. With a view of the Tatra Mountains, the Ex 606 ‘Tatran’ was photographed on its journey to Bratislava.

After that, it was time to surprise our colleagues. We drove straight to the classic car spot near Štrba. But the surprise went awry when Janic spotted a BMW with a black kidney grille but a silver roof rack as we approached the access road. It could only be us.

We joined them and waited for the next train. Due to track works, the line towards Lučivná was operating as a single track. Although there was constantly something moving on the closed track, it was mostly just an excavator or a rather odd-looking construction vehicle. We were finally able to photograph diesel locomotive 740 841 at the Tatra Classic alongside a photogenic ballast train.

To make it easier to negotiate the gradient between Poprad and Štrba, freight trains are often pushed from behind. ZSSK class 131 locomotives are usually used for this purpose. A quarter of an hour after the construction train passed, the double-headed locomotive 131 035 + 036 was photographed whilst pushing a coal train towards Štrba.

As the shadows grew longer and more pronounced, I changed my vantage point. With an excavator and a crew vehicle in tow, 740 841 was pulling a loaded ballast train from Štrba station towards the construction site.

Regional trains run every two hours between Liptovský Mikuláš and Poprad-Tatry. No multiple units are used; instead, Škoda Class 71E locomotives with two carriages are consistently deployed. On this beautiful autumn day, 361 003 was photographed with train Os 7849 just beyond Štrba station.

IC 523 from Bratislava to Košice was running with a significant delay. Unfortunately, the shadows at the classic spot were getting longer and longer, forcing us to change location at the last minute. With a lovely view of the Tatra Mountains, we were able to photograph the Gorilla 350 008 together with the short InterCity train.

As is easy to see, the headlight was already barely visible. We then drove on to Poprad and kept an eye out for one last photo spot. The spot we’d originally planned was no longer viable because the mountain shadow had already advanced too far. Just a few hundred metres away, we managed to take a photo of the Os 7827 shortly before sunset.

We then drove to the Kalix Boutique Hotel, where we were staying for the next few days. For dinner, we went into town to the Restart Burger restaurant. There, I made the unforgivable mistake of ordering a burger, whilst my three colleagues each treated themselves to a whole rack of ribs.

Back at the hotel, we drew up a plan for the following day. Due to the poor weather forecast, we decided to take a short trip by train.

Wednesday, 23 October 2024

As we were in for a boozy day, we booked a taxi via Bolt. Shortly afterwards, a driver pulled up outside the hotel in an ancient Škoda saloon. We were relieved when we finally reached the station. After buying a ticket, we waited at 10.35 am for the express train that was to take us to Žilina. The three colleagues, all renowned model railway collectors, wanted to stock up on model trains in the industrial town in north-western Slovakia. I was, of course, just along for the fun of it …

We took our seats in the dining car, where I ordered the Slovak national dish: Brimsennocken. The meal was accompanied by a Pilsner from Košice and a glass of Tatratea, a high-proof tea liqueur from the Tatra Mountains.

After a delightful lunch came the disappointment of the day. The selection in the model railway shop was so poor that we left after just a few minutes. We strolled through the town and watched the goings-on at the station for a while before setting off on our return journey to Poprad.

At the station, we found a taxi driver with a large family saloon car. The interior, however, left a lot to be desired: Janic had to sit on a metal pipe. The driver also presented himself as a connoisseur of the local red-light district and, unsolicited, provided us with numerous tips for a good night’s fun.

Back in our room, we finished off half a bottle of Tatratea and started planning for the next day.

Thursday, 24 October 2024

We arrived in Štrba just as the first rays of sunshine appeared. It would be a good hour and a half before the Gorilla reached the spot on the InterCity from Bratislava. In the meantime, we were also able to photograph this RockTainer block train in the low morning sun. The ZSSK Cargo double-unit locomotive was pulling the freight train towards Košice.

Together with just under two dozen other photographers, we waited for the IC 521 from Bratislava. After several freight trains had already passed the spot, we were finally able to photograph the Gorilla 350 007 hauling the short InterCity train near Štrba.

We then moved on to another spot and drove to Važec. 193 749 from CargoMotion was travelling towards Košice with a train consisting of coal-laden electric wagons.

Next, we visited the spot near Letanovce. There, I only managed to get a mediocre shot of a pair of 131-series locomotives in push-pull service.

I had more success, however, at the next spot on the outskirts of Poprad. Regional trains run between Poprad and Košice every two hours. Classic locomotive-and-carriage formations are also used on this route. Near Gánovce, I was able to photograph 162 003 hauling a four-carriage regional train as service Os 7815.

It was already time to move on to the next spot. As well as the classic spot near Štrba, there is a spot on the other side of the station for trains heading west. After a brief stop at Štrba station, ZSSK 383 102 accelerated back up to line speed. The Ex 606 still had just under four hours’ journey ahead of it before the express train from Košice would reach its terminus at Bratislava hl. st.

Less than half an hour later, the InterCity followed. The IC 522 marked the return to the Slovak capital of the Gorilla, locomotive 350 007, which we had already managed to photograph earlier that morning.

For the Ex 605 ‘Tatran’, we headed back to the classic spot. There, we were able to photograph ZSSK Vectron 383 101. Behind the locomotive, two empty sleeper carriages were being hauled to Košice.

Next on the itinerary was a spot near Markušovce. A few familiar faces had already gathered there. First up was the Os 7820, hauled by 126 003. We’d already photographed this locomotive that morning on its journey to Košice.

For several years, a ČD Class 680 Pendolino marketed as the ‘SuperCity’, operated between Prague and Košice. This changed temporarily in autumn 2024, when it was replaced by a brand-new ComfortJet. Near Markušovce, the ČD 193 566 was photographed hauling the EC 240 ‘Košičan’ on its journey from Košice to Prague.

By the time the next train with a Gorilla came along, the shadows were already too long for my liking. Afterwards, we tried to find a spot near Smižany, but we struggled with the shadows there too.

With a good haul of photos under our belts, we drove back to the hotel. Afterwards, we were able to enjoy a traditional local dinner.

Friday, 25 October 2024

Just in time for sunrise, we set off for the morning spot near Važec. On the way there, Janic impressed us with his skill at the handbrake – the icy road was just begging for a few ‘handbrake turns’.

Before the spot was fully lit, we managed to take two test shots of freight trains. However, our main focus was on a different train. ZSSK ZSSK 350 008 was on its way to Košice as part of the IC 521 from Bratislava. In the autumn-coloured forest, we were able to photograph the Gorilla pulling the six-carriage InterCity.

Afterwards, it was time not only to change location but also to switch lines. We drove to the non-electrified railway line between Banská Bystrica and Dolná Štubňa. As well as locomotive-hauled passenger trains, there is also some freight traffic there. First, we drove to the bridge near Horná Štubňa, looking forward to a Taucherbrille. Instead, however, a ZSSK Class 861 railcar, known as the ‘Regiomover’, came along. The disappointment was clearly written all over my face.

A freight train was scheduled to pass before the next express train. On the Na Vode v Hornej Štubni viaduct, we were able to photograph the two ZSSK Cargo Taucherbrillen alongside the Pn 63510.

Before we made a beeline for the exit, we waited for the next express train. This one was indeed hauled by a Taucherbrille. Near Čremošné, I managed to photograph Rýchlik 936 with the freshly repainted Taucherbrille.

A visit to the ‘Swan Pond’ in Ratkovo was also on the agenda for the afternoon. Under considerable time pressure, we drove there and walked briskly through the woods to the photography spot. Fortunately, the InterCity had built up quite a delay, so we reached the spot before the train arrived. With a beautiful reflection and some truly magnificent autumn colours, we managed to photograph the Gorilla 350 008 on its journey from Košice to Bratislava.

We decided to stay at the spot until sunset. In the meantime, a few ZSSK Class 661 multiple units passed over the embankment, but there were no freight trains to be seen at first. An hour after the InterCity, just as the first shadows were already stretching across the tracks behind us, a freight train finally came into view in the distance. To our great delight, we were able to photograph the vintage-painted double-unit locomotive 131 085 + 086 hauling a RockTainer block train on its journey towards Žilina. Just a few minutes later, the entire embankment was in shadow.

That was not only the last photo of the day, but also our last photo from Slovakia. The weather forecasts had all predicted bad weather for Friday. Meanwhile, Janic and Kevin set off for Hungary, whilst Justin and I headed back to Switzerland with a stop-off at the Giselabahn.