Steam Charters and Real Working Industrial Steam in Bosnia and Serbia
Linesiding with John
Bosnia Real Steam Tours 2016
All details have been discussed and agreed with local guides Majda and Dario but are subject to adjustment should this be necessary. I reserve the right to change the details on this page before the tour but will let all those signed up for the tour know of any changes and discuss the reasons and the implications.
Bosnia & Serbia Charter and Real Working Steam
September 2016
September 2016
Updated 6 November 2016
Bosnia Charters
and Real Working Steam 18 – 25 September
Introduction
With real, working steam now thin on the ground, I am organising this 'charter and real steam tour' which will be guided by Majda and Dario and led by John Parker.
Majda and Dario are a friendly, competent and entrepreneurial couple who have now run 3 successful tours Bosnia steam tours with me. John Parker is a seasoned veteran of over one hundred photo safaris covering 3 continents and 12 countries, over half as tour leader. He has photographed the remaining Bosnian working steam on two separate occasions (on Linesiding with John tours) and worked closely with Majda and Dario to find locations and lighting which suited both still and video photographers.
The tour planning is coming on and Banovici (sg and ng charters) and Mokra Gora (ng charters) now seem well under control. A charter is now likely on the Dubrave - Ljubace line of Kreka Mining but details need to be sorted out. With only 3 places remaining and the normal booking period due to end 31 July, please give this tour your urgent consideration if you want to see former Yugoslavian steam in action in Bosnia and Serbia.
The basic information is as follows.
What's on offer?
The tour will feature 7 charters. These are:
Banovici
Full line charter at Banovici x 2 with different locos and/or different train consists
Standard gauge shunt charter at Oskova
Narrow gauge afternoon and evening shunt charter at Oskova including night shots
Kreka Mining
Line charter at Dubrave between Dubrave and towards the junction at Ljubace with class 33 kriegslok. The exact details are still being worked out.
Mokra Gora
2 charters with class 83 (only one loco available) with one to Sargan Eight and the other likely to be towards Visegrad.
Being able to provide these charters depends on the good will of the managers and workers at the three locations. All charters are subject to change or cancellation should the situation on the day dictate this.
In addition to these 7 charters, you should see real steam shunting at Sikulje (sg), Dubrave (sg) and possibly Oskova (ng). In May the Oskova shunt was diesel but it is expected to revert to steam by September. Other 'real' loco moves may also possibly take place at Banovici (ng) and Bukinje (sg) workshops while you are there.
Dario and Majda have reported from their visit to Mokra Gora:
We arrived here this morning and had a really long tour and meeting with man in charge for chartering steam.
This place is really beautiful, and it looks like we are in an old movie.
Regarding our charters here is his proposal/agreement we made so far:
1. First charter , Visegrad - MokraGora , we will start from Mokra Gora in the morning. We will drive with the bus or on the train (tender first) from MG toward Visegrad and agree on photostops we will take on the way back (chimney first). This means we are going to re-enter Bosnia and drive back to Serbia.
We can have packed lunch or served lunch and drinks on the train. We will decide later.
Charter should last 5 hours with 6 - 10 photostops.
2. Charter from MokraGora toward Šargan Vitas. Very beautiful line and have beautiful places for photostops. We will send you some photos we took today. This line has a triangle for turning the train at Sargan. It allows chimney first photostops in both directions. This charter has few stops (one for lunch and one for turning locomotive around) and. 6 to 10 photostops, lasts 5 hours.
On the other end (sargan) we will be able to see train depot and fully functional work shop and take pictures there.
JR - I expect that we would have the Sargan Eight charter on Friday and the charter towards Visegrad on Saturday morning.
Composition for both charters is the same, about four passanger vagons, and maybe, if they get to fix it, one cargo closed one, like one in Banovici we had in May.
Tour itinerary 18 – 25 September
The final tour itinerary is still being worked on. However, the itinerary below is the latest version. I expect there will be further adjustments to balance the amount of activity to be seen each day.
Sunday - Arrive Sarajevo airport by 15:00, drive to Tuzla - Arrive Hotel Zlaca, dinner at hotel
(Lufthansa via Munich is the most convenient flight for those from the UK and the Sarajevo airport departure will be based around the arrival of this flight - LH 1730 current arrival time 12:47.)
Monday - Oskova Washery and Banovici Workshop visit, Banovici Charter 1 (Class 83 full line charter) - Dinner at Etno Restaurant near Hotel Zlaca
Tuesday - Sikulje sg shunting (class 33 kriegslok) - Banovici Charter 2 (Class 83 full line charter - we will ask for the second 83 and/or a different train consists)
Wednesday – Banovici Charter 3 = Class 19 standard gauge shunting, Banovici Charter 4 (Class 83 shunting at Oskova including night shots), dinner in Banovici
Thursday – Bukinje works, Dubrave sg shunting, Dubrave charter (Class 33 kriegslok) - Drive to Mokra Gora (4 hours) - Overnight Mokra Gora
Friday – Mokra Gora Charter 1 - Drive to see two sets of plinthed locos inside Serbia - Charter could be morning or afternoon – The two charters planned at Mokra Gora are on the Sargan 8 and westwards towards the Bosnian border.
Saturday – Mokra Gora Charter 2 - Drive to Sarajevo - Overnight Hotel Grand Sarajevo, dinner at the Sarajevo Brewery
Sunday - Tour ends after breakfast - Fly home or stay on longer in Sarajevo. (Lufthansa 1731 flies to Munich at 13:35.)
Price and other important details
The price of this tour for ground arrangements Sarajevo – Sarajevo with charters, transport, permissions, single rooms and 3 meals a day included – is €2250. A refundable deposit of €400 secures your place. The tour requires 8 people signed up to run as advertised which we have now achieved. The maximum number is the number that can be comfortably seated in the tour bus (12). If you wish to arrive in Sarajevo early or leave later, hotel arrangements can be made for you by Magda and Dario.
Important
Please book before the end of July so arrangements can be made with a firm, known number of participants.
How to find out more?
Email me with any questions. If you are ready to pay a refundable deposit, I will send you bank transfer details. john@rabylee.uk
My website has reports on all of my previous Bosnia tours and this page for this new tour has just been updated.
Previous tour reports:
http://rabylee.uk/BosniaMay2016report.html
http://rabylee.uk/bosnia15report.html
http://rabylee.uk/bosnia14.html
John Raby
19 July 2016
Introduction
With real, working steam now thin on the ground, I am organising this 'charter and real steam tour' which will be guided by Majda and Dario and led by John Parker.
Majda and Dario are a friendly, competent and entrepreneurial couple who have now run 3 successful tours Bosnia steam tours with me. John Parker is a seasoned veteran of over one hundred photo safaris covering 3 continents and 12 countries, over half as tour leader. He has photographed the remaining Bosnian working steam on two separate occasions (on Linesiding with John tours) and worked closely with Majda and Dario to find locations and lighting which suited both still and video photographers.
The tour planning is coming on and Banovici (sg and ng charters) and Mokra Gora (ng charters) now seem well under control. A charter is now likely on the Dubrave - Ljubace line of Kreka Mining but details need to be sorted out. With only 3 places remaining and the normal booking period due to end 31 July, please give this tour your urgent consideration if you want to see former Yugoslavian steam in action in Bosnia and Serbia.
The basic information is as follows.
What's on offer?
The tour will feature 7 charters. These are:
Banovici
Full line charter at Banovici x 2 with different locos and/or different train consists
Standard gauge shunt charter at Oskova
Narrow gauge afternoon and evening shunt charter at Oskova including night shots
Kreka Mining
Line charter at Dubrave between Dubrave and towards the junction at Ljubace with class 33 kriegslok. The exact details are still being worked out.
Mokra Gora
2 charters with class 83 (only one loco available) with one to Sargan Eight and the other likely to be towards Visegrad.
Being able to provide these charters depends on the good will of the managers and workers at the three locations. All charters are subject to change or cancellation should the situation on the day dictate this.
In addition to these 7 charters, you should see real steam shunting at Sikulje (sg), Dubrave (sg) and possibly Oskova (ng). In May the Oskova shunt was diesel but it is expected to revert to steam by September. Other 'real' loco moves may also possibly take place at Banovici (ng) and Bukinje (sg) workshops while you are there.
Dario and Majda have reported from their visit to Mokra Gora:
We arrived here this morning and had a really long tour and meeting with man in charge for chartering steam.
This place is really beautiful, and it looks like we are in an old movie.
Regarding our charters here is his proposal/agreement we made so far:
1. First charter , Visegrad - MokraGora , we will start from Mokra Gora in the morning. We will drive with the bus or on the train (tender first) from MG toward Visegrad and agree on photostops we will take on the way back (chimney first). This means we are going to re-enter Bosnia and drive back to Serbia.
We can have packed lunch or served lunch and drinks on the train. We will decide later.
Charter should last 5 hours with 6 - 10 photostops.
2. Charter from MokraGora toward Šargan Vitas. Very beautiful line and have beautiful places for photostops. We will send you some photos we took today. This line has a triangle for turning the train at Sargan. It allows chimney first photostops in both directions. This charter has few stops (one for lunch and one for turning locomotive around) and. 6 to 10 photostops, lasts 5 hours.
On the other end (sargan) we will be able to see train depot and fully functional work shop and take pictures there.
JR - I expect that we would have the Sargan Eight charter on Friday and the charter towards Visegrad on Saturday morning.
Composition for both charters is the same, about four passanger vagons, and maybe, if they get to fix it, one cargo closed one, like one in Banovici we had in May.
Tour itinerary 18 – 25 September
The final tour itinerary is still being worked on. However, the itinerary below is the latest version. I expect there will be further adjustments to balance the amount of activity to be seen each day.
Sunday - Arrive Sarajevo airport by 15:00, drive to Tuzla - Arrive Hotel Zlaca, dinner at hotel
(Lufthansa via Munich is the most convenient flight for those from the UK and the Sarajevo airport departure will be based around the arrival of this flight - LH 1730 current arrival time 12:47.)
Monday - Oskova Washery and Banovici Workshop visit, Banovici Charter 1 (Class 83 full line charter) - Dinner at Etno Restaurant near Hotel Zlaca
Tuesday - Sikulje sg shunting (class 33 kriegslok) - Banovici Charter 2 (Class 83 full line charter - we will ask for the second 83 and/or a different train consists)
Wednesday – Banovici Charter 3 = Class 19 standard gauge shunting, Banovici Charter 4 (Class 83 shunting at Oskova including night shots), dinner in Banovici
Thursday – Bukinje works, Dubrave sg shunting, Dubrave charter (Class 33 kriegslok) - Drive to Mokra Gora (4 hours) - Overnight Mokra Gora
Friday – Mokra Gora Charter 1 - Drive to see two sets of plinthed locos inside Serbia - Charter could be morning or afternoon – The two charters planned at Mokra Gora are on the Sargan 8 and westwards towards the Bosnian border.
Saturday – Mokra Gora Charter 2 - Drive to Sarajevo - Overnight Hotel Grand Sarajevo, dinner at the Sarajevo Brewery
Sunday - Tour ends after breakfast - Fly home or stay on longer in Sarajevo. (Lufthansa 1731 flies to Munich at 13:35.)
Price and other important details
The price of this tour for ground arrangements Sarajevo – Sarajevo with charters, transport, permissions, single rooms and 3 meals a day included – is €2250. A refundable deposit of €400 secures your place. The tour requires 8 people signed up to run as advertised which we have now achieved. The maximum number is the number that can be comfortably seated in the tour bus (12). If you wish to arrive in Sarajevo early or leave later, hotel arrangements can be made for you by Magda and Dario.
Important
Please book before the end of July so arrangements can be made with a firm, known number of participants.
How to find out more?
Email me with any questions. If you are ready to pay a refundable deposit, I will send you bank transfer details. john@rabylee.uk
My website has reports on all of my previous Bosnia tours and this page for this new tour has just been updated.
Previous tour reports:
http://rabylee.uk/BosniaMay2016report.html
http://rabylee.uk/bosnia15report.html
http://rabylee.uk/bosnia14.html
John Raby
19 July 2016