Fast and fiery

Our second day of steam photo-charter action in the Eastern Rhodopes took us in the opposite direction, heading away from Podkova. We boarded part-way into the journey having abandoned a shot where the location would have been impossible to reach in time with a regular passenger service following close behind.

After departing Kardzhali at 9.17 our express continued to the bridge across the river at Sedlovina which offered a treacherous narrow ridge to perch on. Having nearly come a cropper there six years ago I decided not to compete for space there and headed down to the lakeside, joining some local photographers who have been chasing the train by car.

03.12 crosses the bridge across the river at Sedlovina

Three runpasts (09:30-10:15) provided plenty of scope to try something different, particularly as the riverbed had dried up and was mostly walkable (though one of our small group of explorers found the one spot giving way to thick mud!). This was followed by another three runpasts at an industrial complex just beyond (10:20-11:00).

An assortment of locations provided plenty of variety over the next couple of hours, including one from a rocky hilltop overlooking Zvezdelina. The view improved significantly the higher up you went, but it’s always tricky working out how far you feel comfortable going, knowing that getting up is the easy bit. Far fewer among us tried the high viewpoint at the next location, which involved a rock ladder. It was an easy one for me to pass up on!

The afternoon continued with a couple of runpasts at Sredna Arda (12:50-13:15) followed by another couple photographed from a hillside (13:30-14:30) with a view of the old railway viaduct (from the old alignment of the railway before the valley was flooded in the early 1960s to create a reservoir) and the current railway viaduct. I’m glad this was such a picturesque shot as the walk to get there was a little tricky, involving a slippery slope, a haphazard stumble through a dump of plastic bottles and up a steep hillside!

03.12 hauls our express train over the viaduct between Sredna Arda and Kaloyantsi

The next two runpasts from a hillside viewpoint (14:30-14:45) should have been quite unremarkable but the neighbouring field caught light after a stray spark on the second runpast and a strong wind that had rather suddenly sprung up. The speed with which the fire spread was astonishing. Thankfully, the path formed a natural break and the crew used hoses and their shovels to quickly beat out the fire.

Our photographic day ended with some false arrival/departure shots after we reached Perperek (15:10). Another incredible day of photography in the most perfect conditions.

Gallery

The tortoise and his new friends

After a morning playing with express trains it was time for 46.03 to make a re-appearance, but rather than hanging around for over an hour at Most we headed on to the village of Perperek. A short distance beyond the station a relatively tight shot was possible from both sides of the line with a mosque in the background.

46.03 in the midday sun at Most

It was under these circumstances that I found myself perched on a ridge 300m down the line with a tortoise (probably Testudo hermanni) and a few friends for company. The tortoise was less than thrilled with his new found companions, despite my efforts in the newly established role of protector of the tortoise. The tortoise decided his strategy of retreating into his shell was not working and eventually opted to swap his quiet sunbathing spot for a marginally less precarious hideaway at the feet of a British gricer.

The tortoise was probably as relieved as we were when 46.03 appeared at 1.45pm, over an hour since we left Most by bus. We were lucky enough to get the shot in sun too, though it was a close run thing. The clouds were certainly beginning to roll in, steadily filling the clear blue skies of the morning.

46.03 passes through Perperek

And so the tortoise survived to live happily ever after – at least until the next tour group strolls up to Perperek!