Dear all,

(apolgies for recent lack of correspondence to those I know, IT
problems and no time recently)

Have been in Slovenia a few times of late, and had some interesting
rail experiences en route.

The 17.25 ex Ljubljana to Maribor - electric all the way - carries a
portion for Murska Sobota, way off in the north east.

The train splits at Pragersko, where the Maribor portion zooms off,
leaving four coaches to be picked up by one of the old Yugoslav GM
Co-Co diesels.

cos there are no facing points on the main line at this point to get
you onto the Ptuj/Murska line, the diesel propels the train backwards,
across the Maribor to Ljubljana line (not sure which direction is up or
down), whereupon it stops, and proceeds forwards onto the branch.

Could this be allowed in the UK today (propelling passengers over
facing points, and across a double track main line too boot !)

Anyway, for those that love diesel thrash, the train then romps over
the flat and mainly straight line to Ormoz at about 120 kmph, by my
guesswork - hooting at the numerous crossings on the way.

Equally as good, after Ormoz, it turns northwards, and there is quite a
climb on the way to Ljutomer - OK, it may not be a Deltic or 45 - but
the sound of the GM engine is fantastic rattling off the cuttings.

The other attraction of this area is the wine, which is enough to make
you forget troubles with Virgin XC, or MML, or SWT, indeed more or less
everything. 

Kester

Kesterj@mail.interware.hu wrote:


> the sound of the GM engine is


EMD.

Extremely Monotonous Din.

--
Nick

Kesterj@mail.interware.hu wrote:


>The other attraction of this area is the wine, which is enough to make
>you forget troubles with Virgin XC, or MML, or SWT, indeed more or less
>everything. 



I can also recommend the plum brandy!

.... vague, boozy memories of it being called "slivovitch" ...

;-)

On 25 Jun 2005 10:13:06 -0700, Kesterj@mail.interware.hu wrote:


>The other attraction of this area is the wine, which is enough to make
>you forget troubles with Virgin XC, or MML, or SWT, indeed more or less
>everything. 


Less of an attraction are the Desiros. Not as quite bad as the
similar-seeming DB Generic European Red Pointy Multiple Unit which I
went from Goerlitz to Dresden on, but still less than ideal for Koper
- Ljubljana.

-- 
Arthur Figgis                Surrey, UK

On Sat, 25 Jun 2005 23:56:37 +0100, Arthur Figgis wrote in
, seen in uk.railway:

> On 25 Jun 2005 10:13:06 -0700, Kesterj@mail.interware.hu wrote:
> 
> >The other attraction of this area is the wine, which is enough to make
> >you forget troubles with Virgin XC, or MML, or SWT, indeed more or less
> >everything. 
> 
> Less of an attraction are the Desiros. Not as quite bad as the
> similar-seeming DB Generic European Red Pointy Multiple Unit which I
> went from Goerlitz to Dresden on, but still less than ideal for Koper
> - Ljubljana.


That's why you make the most of the wine. ;-)
-- 
Ross, a.k.a.
Prof. E. Scrooge, CT, 153 & bar, Doctor of Cynicism (U. Life)
Hon. Pres., National Soc. for the Encouragement for Cruelty to Dogboxes

On Sun, 26 Jun 2005 04:38:08 +0100, Ross 
wrote:


>On Sat, 25 Jun 2005 23:56:37 +0100, Arthur Figgis wrote in
>, seen in uk.railway:
>> On 25 Jun 2005 10:13:06 -0700, Kesterj@mail.interware.hu wrote:
>> 
>> >The other attraction of this area is the wine, which is enough to make
>> >you forget troubles with Virgin XC, or MML, or SWT, indeed more or less
>> >everything. 
>> 
>> Less of an attraction are the Desiros. Not as quite bad as the
>> similar-seeming DB Generic European Red Pointy Multiple Unit which I
>> went from Goerlitz to Dresden on, but still less than ideal for Koper
>> - Ljubljana.
>
>That's why you make the most of the wine. ;-)


Ideally in the old 2'6" gauge carriage converted into a pub in Kamnik,
or on the kettle which runs south from Bled towards Italy. 

We stuck to the beers. There seems to be two widely available, quite
dramatically different - one has a red label, one a green label. No
doubt detailed spectroscopy of the contents could tell them apart.
-- 
Arthur Figgis                Surrey, UK

Ross wrote:

> On Sat, 25 Jun 2005 23:56:37 +0100, Arthur Figgis wrote in
> , seen in uk.railway:
> > On 25 Jun 2005 10:13:06 -0700, Kesterj@mail.interware.hu wrote:
> >
> > >The other attraction of this area is the wine, which is enough to make
> > >you forget troubles with Virgin XC, or MML, or SWT, indeed more or less
> > >everything.
> > .....
> That's why you make the most of the wine. ;-)
> --
> Ross, a.k.a.


Ah, Ross.

CT, hmmm, maybe even the Ljutomer-Ormoz wine would not make CT troubles
go away :)

Kester

Arthur Figgis wrote:
......
.........

> >
> >That's why you make the most of the wine. ;-)
>
> Ideally in the old 2'6" gauge carriage converted into a pub in Kamnik,
> or on the kettle which runs south from Bled towards Italy.
>
> We stuck to the beers. There seems to be two widely available, quite
> dramatically different - one has a red label, one a green label. No
> doubt detailed spectroscopy of the contents could tell them apart.
> --


The green is Pivo Lasko, from the small town of Lasko, between
(Maribor) - Celje and Zidani Most. (pleasant ride that is too)

The red is Pivo Union, which is a brewery next to the railway sort of
south/ west of Ljubljana station. I tend to ask for Lasko, in some
vague and totally unscientific belief that the water will be purer.

Lasko owns both breweries now, actually, after the Slovenes mounted a
typical defence against foreign corporate invaders (Inter-Brew, I
think) a few years ago. I think the two beers are different in taste,
but to me they are sort of generic central European ales, nothing
special to write home about. The dark beers are better, IMO, but
annoyingly only come in 0.33 l bottles, meaning they cost you more.

The wines are something else. I stayed in a tourist farm near Ljutomer,
and the ordinary house wine was wonderful stuff.

Kester

On 26 Jun 2005 04:40:18 -0700, Kesterj@mail.interware.hu wrote in
, seen in
uk.railway:

> Ross wrote:
> > On Sat, 25 Jun 2005 23:56:37 +0100, Arthur Figgis wrote in
> > , seen in uk.railway:
> > > On 25 Jun 2005 10:13:06 -0700, Kesterj@mail.interware.hu wrote:
> > >
> > > >The other attraction of this area is the wine, which is enough to make
> > > >you forget troubles with Virgin XC, or MML, or SWT, indeed more or less
> > > >everything.
> > .....
> > That's why you make the most of the wine. ;-)
> > --
> > Ross, a.k.a.
> 
> Ah, Ross.
> CT, hmmm, maybe even the Ljutomer-Ormoz wine would not make CT troubles
> go away :)


I don't worry about such things, I'm still off work. ;-)

No, the problem with Slovenian wines is that I'm not a wine drinker. 
I suppose the beer would do at a pinch, tho'.

-- 
Ross, a.k.a.
Prof. E. Scrooge, CT, 153 & bar, Doctor of Cynicism (U. Life)
Hon. Pres., National Soc. for the Encouragement for Cruelty to Dogboxes

>> > .....
>> > That's why you make the most of the wine. ;-)
>> > --
>> > Ross, a.k.a.
>>
>> Ah, Ross.
>> CT, hmmm, maybe even the Ljutomer-Ormoz wine would not make CT troubles
>> go away :)
>
>I don't worry about such things, I'm still off work. ;-)
>
>No, the problem with Slovenian wines is that I'm not a wine drinker.
>I suppose the beer would do at a pinch, tho'.
>

Ross, you need to come away with us more often, you'd soon learn to 
drink a "little" more!! :-)

Cheers.
-- 
Denzil Morgan

On Wed, 29 Jun 2005 16:08:54 +0100, Denzil Morgan wrote in
, seen in uk.railway:

[...]
Ross wrote:


> >No, the problem with Slovenian wines is that I'm not a wine drinker.
> >I suppose the beer would do at a pinch, tho'.
> >
> Ross, you need to come away with us more often, you'd soon learn to 
> drink a "little" more!! :-)


Nah, I'll just do my normal trick of watching you lot drinking too
much and then gently taking the piss later.

And finding blondes you hadn't noticed. Or is that only in Belgian
hotels? ;o)
-- 
Ross, a.k.a.
Prof. E. Scrooge, CT, 153 & bar, Doctor of Cynicism (U. Life)
Hon. Pres., National Soc. for the Encouragement for Cruelty to Dogboxes