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• Zonguldak line

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Zonguldak line

56380 leaving Çankiri. 30 March 1974.

56380 near Germece. The same train heading south towards Irmak. 30 March 1974.

56380 between Tüney and Dümbelek 30 March 1974. Clearly having trouble with his mechanical stoker

Vulcan 2-10-0 plus another banking near Korgan 30 March 1974. This time to the north of Çankiri an unidentified skyliner struggles northward.

45165 at Çankiri 30 March 1974. The right hand side of the loco with fewer modifications visible.

45165 at Çankiri 30 March 1974. Same loco viewed from the traditional front three quarter angle. Notice the engine has been cleaned but not the tender.

45165 at Çankiri 30 March 1974. Front end detail

45165 at Çankiri 30 March 1974.

45165 at Çankiri 30 March 1974. British built 2-8-0 locally called "Churchill" resting between shunting operations at Çankiri

56341 on Çankiri shed 30 March 1974. A Skyliner preparing to leave shed about the same time as we were being ejected.

Derelict 2-6-0 on Çankiri shed 30 March 1974. Dumped among the trees at the back of Çankiri shed. This engine is from the 34000 - 34018 series, it has lost the sand dome and its casing.

56380 leaving Çankiri, 30 March 1974

56325 leaving Irmak 30 March 1974

Skyliner near Dümbelek 30 March 1974.

Skyliner at dusk near Dümbelek 30 March 1974

Skyliner near Korgan banked by a fellow class member. 4 April 1974.

56374 near Korgan 4 April 1974. We found this northbound skyliner on a high embankment north of Çankiri.

56374 near Korgan 4 April 1974. We struggled to find a position, which would show the banking loco in the picture.

56374 near Korgan 4 April 1974. Near the summit of the climb we can just about get the whole train in the picture.

56374 near Korgan 4 April 1974. Closer view from the same spot.

Back to Çankiri to find a British built 45158 shunting. 4 April 1974. 

45158 shunting at Çankiri 4 April 1974.

45158 shunting at Çankiri 4 April 1974.
Final shot of the shunting before a departing 2-10-0 drags us away southward

56347 leaving Çankiri 4 April 1974.
A vigorous departure showed the crew were keen to get under way

56347 leaving Çankiri 4 April 1974.
Just time for a head on shot before rushing back to the car to give chase

56347 near Germece 4 April 1974
The train in the landscape gives some idea of the size of the country and also the distance we have to cover to catch it up

56347 panned near Germece 4 April 1974.
A panned picture of the Skyliner at speed

56347 near Germece 4 April 1974.
By now the crew realize what we want and turn on the smoke in fine style

56347 near Germece 4 April 1974.
I think the train crew enjoyed themselves as much as we did that afternoon

56347 near Tüney 4 April 1974.
Side on crossing a dried up river bed

56347 near Tüney 4 April 1974.

56347 near Tüney 4 April 1974.

56347 near Tüney 4th April 1974.
The same train heads for Irmak

56355 near Germece 4 April 1974. Heading back to Çankiri, we come across another southbound freight, a quick about turn and another chase ensues

56355 near Tüney 4 April 1974. Having just chased down this road, we have some idea where the next positions are

56355 near Tüney 4 April 1974.
Just another grab shot near Tüney looking up from the road side

56347 between Kalecik and Irmak 4 April 1974.
For some unknown reason we caught up the first train near Kalecik.

56347 between Kalecik and Irmak 4 April 1974.
With the sun getting lower, we start to get a bit of reflected light off the front

56347 arriving at Irmak 4 April 1974.
And finally rolls into Irmak

56337 heads north near Irmak 4 April 1974.
As soon as one arrived at Irmak, a northbound train departed

56337 heads north near Kalecik 4 April 1974. Last shot of the trip before a high speed drive to Ankara Airport for our flight back to the UK and start planning our 1975 trip

56317 north of Tuney 8 April 1975. After the success of the first trip in 1974 another was planned for a week in April in 1975.The first train we found was a southbound Skyliner between Çankiri and Irmak.

56317 south of Tuney 8 April 1975. Another view of the same train with slightly less harsh lighting

56317 north of Dumbelek 8 April 1975. The first of a sequence of three pictures on the climb just north of Dumbelek

56317 north of Dumbelek 8 April 1975. This became a favourite spot since it was easily accessible and guaranteed to be working hard southbound

56317 north of Dumbelek 8 April 1975. With the benefit of hindsight we should have gone to a different section of the Zonguldak line but we weren't to know what the scenery was like beyond the hills to the north of Çankiri

56317 entering Irmak 8 April 1975. And the same train on the approaches to the junction at Irmak. I was surprised to see such exhaust since the northbound trains at this point also work very hard.

56300 + 56300 leaving Irmak 8 April 1975. From the same spot as the last picture a double headed Skyliner departs from Irmak. I guess the line on the left of the picture is the main line to Kayseri

56300 + 56300 leaving Irmak 8 April 1975. A closer view of the departure with a local shepherd boy watching the camera

56300 + 56300 leaving Irmak 8 April 1975. And the rear three quarters view, one of the occasions when a cine camera would have been ideal (no videos in those days)

56300+56300 south of Dumbelek 8 April 1975. Even with two locos it was easy to catch the train

56300+56300 south of Dumbelek 8 April 1975. The side on picture had to be taken slightly early because the exhaust obscured the hill on later pictures

The later shot shows the different outline to the tender top

56300+56300 north of Dumbelek 8 April 1975. In an attempt to get a bit of variety we explored various farm tracks and this one came up trumps

56300+56300 north of Dumbelek 8 April 1975. But nowhere to hide the car on the going away shot

56300 south of Tuney 8 April 1975. Another southbound train heads for Irmak

56300 south of Tuney 8 April 1975. If my memory serves me right I believe this was taken from the main road

56317 south of Dumbelek 8 April 1975. Shortly after we came across 56317 returning back from Irmak

56317 south of Dumbelek 8 April 1975. Passing the distinctive hill and nearly obscuring it

56317 south of Dumbelek 8 April 1975.

56317 at Dumbelek 8 April 1975. A meeting of Skyliners at Dumbelek

56317 south of Dumbelek 8 April 1975. The loco left its train in the station at Dumbelek and returned southwards and eventually reappeared with this short train just before the sun went down. Very strange operation.

56317 south of Dümbelek 8 April 1975.

45151 at Irmak 28 March 1976. The following day at Irmak a British built LMS designed 2-8-0 shunts a very quiet yard. This was the last railway picture on the trip before catching a plane to Istanbul

56300 at Atkaracalar 16 March 1977. The weather was dreadful and the following pictures prove the point

56388 at Atkaracalar 16 March 1977. On the Zonguldak line between Cankiri and Karabuk

56388 at Atkaracalar 16 March 1977. Had we stayed any longer we could have been like the skull in the foreground

56388 at Atkaracalar 16 March 1977. A bit of blue in the sky appearing too late to make any difference

34008 at Karabuk 17 March 1977. This picture shows where the additional axle was positioned between the rear two driving wheels, the plate work on the frames is just visible.

34008 at Karabuk 17 March 1977. Not a bad return on investment for a 65 years old loco!

34008 shunting at Karabuk 17 March 1977. Getting towards the end of our 1977. trip so we are back on the Zonguldak line in poor weather at Karabuk

General view of Karabuk 17 March 1977. The general view of the station area shows loads of steam activity

Industrial loco at Karabuk steelworks 17 March 1977. Unidentified industrial shunter in the steelworks

56345 passing Karabuk steelworks 17 March 1977. Southbound train passing the steelworks

56345 between Karabuk and Eskipazar 17 March 1977. The penultimate day of the 1977. trip was spent between Karabuk and Ismetpaşa, a stretch of line that I only visited the once, sadly in poor weather

56345 between Karabuk and Eskipazar 17 March 1977. Some lovely scenery, unfortunately not seen at its best

56345 between Karabuk and Eskipazar 17 March 1977. More of the same heading south near Eskipazar

56345 between Eskipazar and Ismetpaşa 17 March 1977. The same train heading further south

56345 between Eskipazar & Ismetpaşa 17 March 1977. A poor picture but an excellent location which I sadly never returned to.

56380 between Karabuk and Eskipazar 17 March 1977. Back to the Karabuk area for another southbound freight

Banker between Karabuk and Eskipazar 17 March 1977. The same freight was banked by a very clean Skyliner

56300 near Eskipazar 17 March 1977. The last action picture on the 1977. trip which turned out to be my last trip to Turkey chasing steam