Short formation loco haulage 2021

[peteb]

Looking for examples of short loco hauled trains, i.e. no more than 5 carriages, running in 2021 in Europe.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Feb 2021 ==

To start the ball rolling, Brive to Rodez portion of the night sleeper. Usually loco plus 3 or 4.

 

[superalbs]

There's a few 1, 2, or 3 carriage hauled trains in Georgia.

Cool thing is the locos are two-part articulated VLs, so often longer than the train they are hauling, no doubt a thread of its own!

 

[peteb]

There's a few 1, 2, or 3 carriage hauled trains in Georgia.

Cool thing is the locos are two-part articulated VLs, so often longer than the train they are hauling, no doubt a thread of its own!

Interesting!

 

[superalbs]

Example of this, two-part VL11-264 and three seated carriages at Gori.

 

[Gostav]

In Czechia, many short trains are hauled by locomotive.
like this

vagonWEB » Řazení vlaků » 2021 » ÖBB EC » EC 100 / 100/44000/44001

www.vagonweb.cz

and many of intercity services such as IC 516

vagonWEB » Řazení vlaků » 2021 » ČD IC » IC 516 Ostravan

www.vagonweb.cz

or locals

vagonWEB » Řazení vlaků » 2021 » ČD Sp » Sp 1971

www.vagonweb.cz

This website shows the latest passenger train fleets in 2020-21 with very detailed information, many of those services are by less than 5 carriages and haulage by locomotive but don't forget we now under a special timetable in these hard days.

 

[Gloster]

The loco-worked local services east of the Great Belt in Denmark are four or five coaches, occasionally only three. However, these are double-deck push-pull coaches, rather than traditional stock.

 

[superalbs]

Recently there has been a EuroNight in Slovakia, formed of just two seated carriages behind various locos. Here's a picture of it at Humenné:


Italy operates 2+5 formations on a sleeper train on Sicily. These are E.464 locos, top and tailing the formations:


Dresden S-Bahn often features two double-deck carriages with a loco, such as a DB 143, shown here:


This Slovakian ZSSK 163 would have its normal load of four carriages, if it weren't for a ZSSK 460 unit trailing on the rear. Though curiously, the unit did seem to be powering as well, with radio control between the two cabs instructing the driver what to do:


I've also had two hauled carriages in Croatia, here's a 1141 with such a train on a local service:


Also, I've had a three carriage rake in Poland, with this TLK hauled by an EP08, which of course are similar to the UK Class 83. There are sometimes two carriage rakes:


Returning to Georgia, here is a two-part loco in Tbilisi, hauling unit ES-003. This unit is fire damaged, had its length reduced to four carriages, and as such has to be hauled everywhere. I hope that counts, here it is hauled by VL10-137:


And in a similar location look to the left too see these three red carriages, which form the international sleeper train to Gyumri and Yerevan in Armenia. In the summer season it is longer, eight carriages are possible. Also visible is a pair of units:


I hope that's not too many. I'll have another look tonight if anyone wants more.

 

[Alfonso]

The Belgrade to Sofia train is normally only 2 carriages. Vagonweb is your friend for searching, though as others have said there's an awful lot of odd things going on at the moment, hopefully by the time we can travel safely and legally they will be getting back to normal

 

[YorkshireBear]

Plenty of German loco hauled regional services using double deck stock are 3 to 5 carriages around the whole country.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

The ultimate (?) has run between Rotenburg/Wumme and Verden in Germany: one double-decker driving trailer + one electric loco
One time no driving trailer was available, so it was a loco behind, a loco before, with one double-decker coach in the middle

 

[peteb]

Recently there has been a EuroNight in Slovakia, formed of just two seated carriages behind various locos. Here's a picture of it at Humenné:
View attachment 90255

Italy operates 2+5 formations on a sleeper train on Sicily. These are E.464 locos, top and tailing the formations:
View attachment 90257

Dresden S-Bahn often features two double-deck carriages with a loco, such as a DB 143, shown here:
View attachment 90258

This Slovakian ZSSK 163 would have its normal load of four carriages, if it weren't for a ZSSK 460 unit trailing on the rear. Though curiously, the unit did seem to be powering as well, with radio control between the two cabs instructing the driver what to do:
View attachment 90259

I've also had two hauled carriages in Croatia, here's a 1141 with such a train on a local service:
View attachment 90260

Also, I've had a three carriage rake in Poland, with this TLK hauled by an EP08, which of course are similar to the UK Class 83. There are sometimes two carriage rakes:
View attachment 90261

Returning to Georgia, here is a two-part loco in Tbilisi, hauling unit ES-003. This unit is fire damaged, had its length reduced to four carriages, and as such has to be hauled everywhere. I hope that counts, here it is hauled by VL10-137:
View attachment 90262

And in a similar location look to the left too see these three red carriages, which form the international sleeper train to Gyumri and Yerevan in Armenia. In the summer season it is longer, eight carriages are possible. Also visible is a pair of units:
View attachment 90263

I hope that's not too many. I'll have another look tonight if anyone wants more.

Great photos

 

[route101]

Not sure if its still the case, but few years back I travelled between Budapest and Belgrade. After the border to Novi Sad it was a single carriage. Made for very bouncy ride. From Novi Sad one coach was attached but was out of use!

 

[eastwestdivide]

The Liège-Luxembourg trains were Luxembourg loco + 4 Belgian coaches until only a couple of years ago, but they've gone over to AM08 EMUs now.
(See http://www.beluxtrains.net/indexen.php?page=searchbelstations and select Gouvy station for a listing)

 

[Journeyman]

Vienna to Bratislava is usually about 4 or 5 cars behind a loco.

 

[duesselmartin]

All IC2 sets in Germany are loco plus 5 coaches

 

[raetiamann]

Last time i was in SW Bavaria, the ALEX Munich-Oberstdorf/Lindau trains ran with 5 or 6 coaches to Immenstadt, where the train split. Typically it would then have 3 coaches to Oberstdorf and 2 or 3 to Lindau.

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

The Belgrade to Sofia train is normally only 2 carriages.

As seen in this video.

Here's a single carriage train from Iași in Romania to Ungheni in Moldova in 2016:

 

[30907]

Loco plus 2 or 3 is not uncommon on local trains in CZ and SK (though units are encroaching rapidly).

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

There are lots of short trains where the loco stays coupled and pushes or pulls as required. Are there still many services where locos run round?

 

[30907]

There are lots of short trains where the loco stays coupled and pushes or pulls as required. Are there still many services where locos run round?

Certainly in SK, CZ is more mixed - rare on DB.
The RhB in Switzerland still runs some short hauled or push-pull workings, but the hauled sets are going soon IIRC.

 

[Richard Scott]

There are lots of short trains where the loco stays coupled and pushes or pulls as required. Are there still many services where locos run round?

Bulgaria running out of Levski. Often one coach and loco runs round.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Loving reading this thread guys. I want to do some travelling round CZ and Slovakia and this is great stuff. Hopefully be able to get there next year!

 

[superalbs]

Switzerland has these 1+3 formations, but they can work in multiple (much like Railjet), here's a pair of sets in Zuerich:


The international services from Wien to Bratislava are formed of what are normally four or five car rakes, but my first ride seemed to have just three carriages, seen here in Wien Hbf:


Now to Czechia, where an 'Alex' train can be seen in Plzen, formed of just three carriages. Believe this train runs to Muenchen in Germany:


Still in Czechia, here's a local train hauled by a Skoda, with a load of four carriages, at Brno dolní nadrazi.


Now over to Hungary, here's a GySEV 431 with a load of three carriages, two of which are former Austrian/Swiss I believe:


And a similar sight with a Vectron in Budapest-Keleti, with regular carriages this time:


In Germany, there used to be many short rakes, though many are on their way out. I don't know if this four car example in Stuttgart still runs:


Another example of a short rake of Polish fresh-air 'TLK' carriages behind one of their UK Class 83-alikes, this time an EP07 in Gdynia:


And another example of this from Wroclaw, but with four air-conditioned carriages behind an EP08 loco, as this is a higher-class 'InterCity' train:


And finally, in Brest, Belarus here is a domestic train to Mogilev. It was just four carriages, but I presume more were collected en-route, such as maybe at Minsk, the capital:

 

[jamesontheroad]

Vy (NSB) run a daily roundtrip from Luleå in north-eastern Sweden, via Boden and Kiruna, to Narvik in Norway. Even pre-COVID, when it was operated by SJ, the off-season service was a single Rc6 locomotive pulling two carriages, one open second class and one hybrid open second class with a bistro counter.

I can’t embed the images here, but I took these photographs of it during the scheduled stop in Gällivare in September 2019:

https://twitter.com/jbenedictbrown/status/1177541188213194755

https://twitter.com/jbenedictbrown/status/1177543387479719941

https://twitter.com/jbenedictbrown/status/1177544973568348160

 

[Austriantrain]

Vienna to Bratislava is usually about 4 or 5 cars behind a loco.

Several 5 car „long-distance“ (i.e. what long-distance passes for in a small country) trains in Austria. At the moment, due to most NightJet services not running, NJ 233-235, which normally runs to Rome, has only three cars to/from Villach (NJ seating cars).

 

[Spoorslag '70]

The Bavarian Alex "proper trains" down to Lindau/Oberstdorf where replaced by 612 in last timetable change. The norther route (to Hof and Prague) still runs, north of Schwandorf the trains are indeed quite short (as they split and join there).

In Austria, most of the Graz-Selzthal-Salzburg/Linz ICs are quite short indeed, but run coupled between Selzthal and Graz (e.g. IC 610 Mirabell https://www.vagonweb.cz/razeni/vlak.php?zeme=OeBB&kategorie=IC&cislo=610&nazev=Mirabell&rok=2021 with IC 600 Bosruck). There still many REX trains with ~ 4 "City-Shuttle" coaches, e.g. REX 1511 https://www.vagonweb.cz/razeni/vlak.php?zeme=OeBB&cislo=1511&nazev=REX3&rok=2021 (which takes the scenic route from Wörgl to Salzburg).
The best example I know about is how ever this one: https://www.vagonweb.cz/razeni/vlak.php?zeme=OeBB&kategorie=D&cislo=852&nazev=&rok=2021 D852 is booked for two coaches only (but does tend to be used for stock transfers from Graz to Vienna).

 

[jopsuk]

Switzerland has these 1+3 formations, but they can work in multiple (much like Railjet), here's a pair of sets in Zuerich:
View attachment 90281

Yeah, those are more a pseudo-EMU, semi permanent formations with a single-ended power car

 

[superjohn]

In Germany, the recently (2018) introduced Intercity services to/from Gera are booked as five, single deck, carriages only. I think this may be down to platform lengths along the route. It certainly only just fits in the platform at Gotha where the loco change takes place.

The whole service is a bit of an odd outpost of diesel haulage. The class 245 diesel hauled section has a single diagram with the loco out-based from Leipzig, which has no other work for the class. It has a driving trailer (the Bimz type) in the set but that isn’t used for push/pull on the diesel section and the loco runs round at Gera.

It is also available to local ticket holders between Erfurt and Gera as it takes the path of a Regional Express service.

I believe the long term plan is electrification of the remainder of the line which will allow it to become part of the revived InterRegio network operated by double deck InterCity 2 sets. I wonder if some kind of political pressure led to the service being restarted in its current form. It must be a very expensive operation for only three trains a day in a region that otherwise entirely DMU served.

 

[43096]

The international services from Wien to Bratislava are formed of what are normally four or five car rakes, but my first ride seemed to have just three carriages, seen here in Wien Hbf:

Normally the Bratislava sets have some Slovakian stock included. That looks like one of the Wien-Marchegg commuter sets.

Now over to Hungary, here's a GySEV 431 with a load of three carriages, two of which are former Austrian/Swiss I believe:

And a similar sight with a Vectron in Budapest-Keleti, with regular carriages this time:

A Vectron on 3 coaches is ridiculously over-powered, though I did once have a pair of GySEV 470s ("Taurus") on 4 coaches on one of those workings. The power:weight ratio was something like 48hp/tonne.

In Germany, there used to be many short rakes, though many are on their way out. I don't know if this four car example in Stuttgart still runs:

Stuttgart is now almost 100% EMUs on this sort of (former) train. There was a period of shortage where various hired locos and stock were in use last year, but think that has reduced substantially.

 

[superalbs]

Normally the Bratislava sets have some Slovakian stock included. That looks like one of the Wien-Marchegg commuter sets.

It must have been a set swap, as it was actually my train to Bratislava.

A Vectron on 3 coaches is ridiculously over-powered, though I did once have a pair of GySEV 470s ("Taurus") on 4 coaches on one of those workings. The power:weight ratio was something like 48hp/tonne.

Yeah, it was quite a surprise, as I was expecting something older (or even a Taurus tbf), didn't know they had Vectrons!

Stuttgart is now almost 100% EMUs on this sort of (former) train. There was a period of shortage where various hired locos and stock were in use last year, but think that has reduced substantially.

Expected so!