Ljubace

In the afternoon we returned to Ljubace where we once again saw the delivery of loaded wagons and collection of empty wagons by a class 33 locomotive (33-236).

Kriegsloks!

A quick glance out of the window in the morning told me all I needed to know… this was no day to be outside taking photographs. The rain was absolutely pissing down and it was suddenly all too obvious how the forest could be so lush and green!

We drove to Bukinje depot on the outskirts of Tuzla where the yard was almost underwater, such was the deluge. A few shunting movements were arranged with their class 62 locomotive and you can see how wet the conditions were from the rapidly growing swamp…

Bukinje underwater!

It was lucky that there so much to see and keep us inside the shed, where a class 33 locomotive (the German class 52) was undergoing a heavy overhaul. A quite remarkable sight for 2010 in a world where the steam locomotive is now almost extinct outside of preservation. The staff in the shed were incredibly friendly and rightly proud of their kriegsloks (war locomotives) which had been re-patriated from the Russian front.

Kriegslok from Dubrave

In the afternoon the rain eased off and we got our first real taste of a kriegslok in action at a level crossing outside Dubrave. The sight and sound was truly superb. Later, we got a second helping at Ljubace where a diesel from the state railway had delivered some wagons which were then collected by a kriegslok.

At the end of the day we headed to the Hotel Senad od Bosne located on the shores of an artificial lake at Lukavac. It was a superb base for the final four days of our tour with great food and plentiful draughts of Tuzlanska.