The Eye of the Beholder

Day 3 : 17th September 2003

Train Reporting Codes:
13662 : Debrecen - Nagykereki
13667 : Nagykereki - Sáránd
13664 : Sáránd - Létavértes
13665 : Létavértes - Debrecen
????? : special tram
????? : Debrecen Amusement Park Railway
????? : special tram
13604 : Debrecen - Nyíregyháza
????? : Nyíregyháza - Nyíregyháza depot
????? Nyíregyháza depot - Nyíregyháza
13630 : Nyíregyháza - Hortobágy
[13671 : Hortobágy - Debrecen] (1)

Notes :
(1) Train cancelled, bus used to transfer tour participants back to Debrecen. Train ran as ECS back to Debrecen, timings unknown.
(2) M44 409 on rear.
(3) M44 412 on rear.
(4) Full circuit of line including round the rarely used circle.

Tour Review
(by Trevor Cockram)

A more relaxed start from the pension, which gave the proprietors of the various establishments, we were staying a little more time to provide more varied fare. The first objective of the day was to travel over the two branches to the south west of Debrecen which are normally operated by units. Although initially the motive power was booked to be a single type M44/4 in fact two were provided in top and tail mode as the run-round loops at the branch termini were in a poor state. The M44/4 have been re-engined with Caterpillar engines replacing the original Ganz 442KW engines. M44 412 (ex M44 117) was the leading engine out of Debrecen with M44 409 (ex M44 082) bringing up the rear. Just to remind us of home the tour was delayed leaving due to a late running Inter-City train had arrived. All the tour movements were made to and from platform 1 at Debrecen, as this is not normally used, but it does have the disadvantage of needing to cross most of the main lines when leaving to the west. Running almost quarter of an hour late we left, the branch veers away from the main line shortly after the motive power depot and runs alongside the city sewage works lagoons before reaching the former military airport with associate sidings and storage silos. Having lost our path, we had to wait for the unit we were due to cross at Sáránd to pass. The branches fork at Sáránd where the longer of the two branches was taken. (An excess of wine the previous evening resulted in not being awake for the outward journey. At Nagykereki, Mdmot 3031 and its train had been recessed into the head shunt with the Romanian boarder only a few KMs further on. It was also very clear why top and tail operation was required.  It was not the turn of M44 409 to lead back to the junction. Crossing the river Berettyd the branch runs through a sparsely populated natural park area mostly on an embankment clear of the flood plain. A quick reversal at Sáránd made up a little time to each the second terminus of the day at Létavértes where the necessary photographs were taken. A short photo stop was made on the return to Debrecen. Arriving a few minutes late.

The next part of the tour unutilised two ex-Budapest single car trams re-numbered to reflect the centenary of trams in Debrecen, i.e. 1884 and 1984. The tram staff playing the part appearing in period uniform. A young lady city guide had been provided who described the history of the buildings as we passed the now familiar route past the pensions where we were staying. The trams stopped at Gyórgyfürdö adjacent to the hotel where we had dinner on Monday evening.

A short walk along an avenue past the Zoo lead to the Children's Assessment Park, where one of the more esoteric items of the tour took place. The locomotive was a C50 type GV 4505, with four coaches painted with dinosaurs. As a special concession the tour operated over the rare inner circle by the Deer Park, before returning to the station near the park gates. The ride was similar to several of the wildlife parks in the UK, but was clearly not the usual Mercia Charters Railtour!

Returning to the station via the loop from Gyórgyfürdö past the University with the trams, the journey was extended to the tram and trolley bus depot. This was particularly rare track as this is only used for ECS movements. Immediately inside the depot was a steeple locomotive No 25 and working in the shed area a wooden bodied loco No 20, (one for the next visit to Debrecen?).

Back to the main line with M32 2006 based at Nyíregyháza taking us to its home depot. Not so fast having got into the habit we were again held at Apafa to allow V63 021 on an Inter-City to pass. A rather derelict looking narrow gauge depot was passed before arriving at the rebuilt Nyíregyháza. Here the M32 was removed and replaced by M28 1010. I think this was a surprise to some on the train! The stock was placed near the turntable for photography and the depot visit began. Most notable for V43 1145 which is the only V43 in the original colour scheme, and given the rust on the bogies has not moved recently. A good mix of diesel and electric locos together with Bzmots was on shed.

Another re-engined loco M43 1202 (ex M43 1104) was the final loco of the day taking the tour from the depot back through Nyíregyháza along line 113 as far as Nagykálló, where the threatened line 112 was taken. This line appeared to have been recently relayed with second hand track and re-ballasted. A number of photostops were made along the branch before reaching line 110 at Nyíradony. After running round and a lengthy stop to wait for the IP train from Debrecen, we continued back to platform 1 at Debrecen for a brief service stop before heading out on line 108 to Hortobágy. Two carts (fitted with flashing LED tail lamps!) and horses in tandem were provided to take us to the Csárda for dinner. One pair SPAD'ed on arrival. The first course was goulash soup served in individual mess tins, followed by meat pancakes. The train staff disappeared partway through the meal to ride in the empty stock back to Debrecen, leaving the rest of us to a bus back to the pensions.

Trevor Cockram

Route, Distances and Timing's (Booked & Actual)
(by Gary Thornton)

Key;
a : arrival time
d : departure time
L : loco change
r : reversal of direction
/ : passing time
A time in brackets is approximate.

All distances between locations, in kilometres, are taken from the official timing sheet given out on the train. No attempt has been made to verify the distances given.

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