Jon Searles' photos with the keyword: Ceskoslovenske Drahy

While I was waiting at the crossing for the train to come, I noticed #751004-3 deadheading 451004 on one of the main tracks, although it was stopped. There was also so MOW equipment on the consist further back. I couldn't tell if the 451 was headed for scrapping, repair, or simply another assignment, but I expect that many 451's will be scrapped soon with the arrival of new "City Elefant" EMU's. The 751 diesels are just as old, though, also dating back to the 1960's. #751004-3 still carries its CSD number on side, this being #T4781004. I don't know if this is for historic purposes (maybe it's is slated for preservation), or if it's simple laziness, but it's interesting anyway.

Here's an exterior view, but to properly find this place, since it's in the pasaz, you'll need to find Vodickova 34.

In spite of being a Czech rail-themed cafe, the Vagon Kafe features American steam locomotives on the cover of the menu. I don't know what the lower one is exactly, but the top one is clearly a UP 3900-Class Challenger.

This was another preserved numberplate from a CSD Class E458 (now CD Classes 110-111) electric switcher, which I stupidly chopped off. I guess you'll have to visit the cafe if you really want to know the number. The real unit may actually still be in service, since this class is alive and well, and this numberplate would now be obsolete due to reclassification.

This numberplate, off of an old CSD E669 Class electric locomotive (now CD and ZSSK classes 180-183), #E669.1129, can be found embedded in the floor of the Vagon Kafe in the little-known Pasaz EGAP, between the famous Pasaz Lucerna, and er...KFC. The whole cafe is decorated in a rail theme, which means that, along with the decent coffee and food, it's an excellent stopover for railfans. I was actually introduced to it by a train driver, who's standing on the left.

This was actually the second shot that I actually took, getting more of the train behind the locomotive.

This is a zoom and crop of Picture 1, giving some more detail, although still not enough to read the number. Cameraphones are pretty pathetic in this regard.

This shot was pure luck. I was sitting in the beer garden at Nadrazi Dejvice with some friends when suddenly I heared a decellerating steam locomotive. I jumped up and started my camcorder, but my cameraphone responded sooner, and so I got this shot. This locomotive was ex-CSD #354.195, built in 1925 by CMK.

Here's some of the signage. Note that the sign on the left is still marked for Ceskoslovenske Drahy.

I originally had no idea what this locomotive was because the photo was so blurred, but eventually I found the info that I needed. This is Ex-CSD 475.179, which is an operable 475 Class 4-8-2 based at Decin, as seen here. I don't have the exact build date, but it would have been sometime between 1947 and 1950. The power rating is 1480kW (1985 horsepower), and the maximum speed is officially 100Km/h, although obviously a locomotive this powerful with medium-size drivers could probably do more.

Just randomly, I also discovered this old CSD-era cargo container being used, I'm assuming, as a shed, still painted for CSD.

One thing that's fairly easy to find on Ceske Drahy passenger coaches are these little reporting marks plates on the steps. Since the vast majority of CD stock is still left over from the Communist, and therefore CSD, days, most of these are actually CSD plates, altered in one way or another to read "CD." The purpose of these escapes me, though, as they aren't particularly visible when the doors are shut, they're not a good quick reference for passengers today since even passenger equipment in Europe is interchanged, and in any case there are far clearer markings on the sides of the cars, albeit often obscured by grafitti, at least in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

I'm not aware of how long this old passenger coach has been sitting here, up against the wall of the Dlouha Brana, and not too far from Hlavni Nadrazi. The nightclub who currently appear to be using it, Club Semafor, were celebrating their 40th anniversary, however.

Even Ceske Budejovice has rail attractions, the primary ones being the old Autro-Hungarian train station, Hlavni Nadrazi, behind this locomotive, and of course this locomotive itself, ex-CSD #310.076.