Travels 2021 – Part I

Covid is still with us so there have been almost no trips this year. The closure (for regauging) of the scenic interurban between Liberec and Jablonec (CZ) in July allowed a long weekend and also was the testing ground for my new camera (the old one broke down early last year but I still managed some pics then with the help of older equipment, my iphone 12 and a camera lent to me in Gothenburg). I’m rather satisfied with the new camera (Sony Alpha 7 III). It takes great pics even in dull and dark light (and the first day in Liberec was extremely wet – the second day was almost too hot). If there is the time I’m now putting some of the images through Luminar AI to optimize the light & colour and sometimes I even replace very dull skies with something more fitting.

• Łódź (PL) – Another visit to Poland: amongst other images there is Brus museum (inkl. more night shots), Telefoniczna depot and two charters (first one using a rare three-car 805Na-set and later a night charter with an ex-Bochum car)

• Thuin (FR) – August (our road trip coincided with the big 2021 Festival du tram – we could only attend on the Saturday so missed the Sunday only operation on the original line to the harbour)

• Valenciennes (FR) – August (line T2 running north is the most interesting: lots of single track running mostly in the middle of the road through various communities, reminiscent of the old Vicinal in nearby Belgium but there they mostly ran along the side of the road)

• Lille (FR) – August (the two remaining old interurban tram lines will receive new rolling stock soon – during our visit the outer end of the Roubaix line was out of action / the two VAL metro lines use different rolling stock / only one tram operated on the nice Tramway Touristique de la Vallée de la Deule which is near Lille – quite a number of passengers on this weekday)