The Branchline reprise...

Nová Bystřice 1974, J. Slavík photo.

"When I have to die one day I'll take the local train that runs from Jindřichův Hradec to Nová Bystřice. It will be early August after the St. Anne's Day, cold in the morning and dark at eight.
That means I can leave just after lunch and still arrive in daylight. If the timetable hasn't changed since the last time I travelled this way.

If it has it would be a shame and I wouldn't go.

From Jindřichův Hradec to Nová Bystřice it is thirty-three kilometres along the narrow gauge line. The train covers that distance in about two and a half hours. A car driver who values his own life too much can make it along the road in twenty-five minutes.

The train to Nová Bystřice is not boarded at the station in Jindřichův Hradec but behind the station. It stands there on a track that no one knows whether it ends or begins. It's as if they were ashamed of the train in Hradec. After all, it's not a train, it's a little train, the most adorable one left.

It would certainly be convenient to buy first class for such a journey but only second class carriages are included in the set. Never mind. Maybe on a wooden bench, just when I get there.

The track runs through countryside between ponds and reeds as sharp as desire, past villages with cottages walled in and barns enough to hold a hundred of your rich lives. The silence there is sweet and thick. Skylarks fly over it and sometimes you see a stork from the train. The stations have names like pebbles. Jindřiš, Blažejov, Malý Ratmírov, Střížovice, Kunžak, Kaproun, Senotín, Hůrky. The penultimate one is Albeř. Then comes Nová Bystřice.

The train is in no hurry and that will suit me. There is a thorough wait at every station, with railwaymen uncoupling or coupling freight wagons, shunting and waiting anyway when it's not needed. Summer afternoons are as golden as the Ornate. The minutes are as thin as the pages of The Holy Scripture. Stories kind. Songs without words. And the old men at the stations trim the bark from the logs with their shiny cuttings. I'm going to get off at Kunžak for a while and go for a last swim in the pond. I'll make it in time, my swimsuit will be dry.

Sometimes when I get tired of sitting for long periods I'll walk along the train and pick a bouquet of sticky catchflies for my grave. When my legs ache I'll hop back on while the train is moving.

We'll arrive in Nová Bystřice in the evening. The chickens will be asleep and Death will be waiting for me at the station. I'll shake her hand and say: "Hurry up, while you can still see it. I'm all broken up from the journey."

If I ever have to die I'll try not to have to put my life on the line for something and I'll take the train from Jindřichův Hradec to Nová Bystřice.

Just don't let them change the timetable before then."


Jan Skácel (1922 - 1989, Czech poet, journalist, radio editor) 
Czechoslovak literary review Host do domu (English: Houseguest), Brno, 1964

This wonderful prose was shared with me by a regular reader, translated from its Czech original, after reading Chris's original 'The Branchline' which appeared here and in print, in 'Compendium'. I have included a full reference and source - sadly the author and original magazine are no longer with us. I hope that you enjoy me sharing it with you all here and you can find within some of the saudade that fuels my own modelling. The photo at the top is from my friend in the Czech republic that accompanied this translation, below is one I have chosen from the many on Flickr kindly shared by the originator to allow embedding on blogs and other websites. This depicts the sort of train that would have been running in 1989, when Jan took his final journey


JHMD_TU 47.0021 (705.921-5)_South Bohemia_near Jindřichův Hradec_Czech Republic
Ferda Hejl photo: https://flic.kr/p/nzMGik

Until next time, more soon...

Comments

  1. In the Czech Republic, we have one more narrow-gauge line on which regular and museum traffic is carried out. The gauge is also 760 mm.
    The length of the railway line is just over 20 km. The track starts in Třemešná (former Röwersdorf) and ends in Osoblaha (former Hotzenplotz).
    I live nearby. About 20 minutes by car.

    https://www.osoblazsko.com/en/history

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    1. Thank you, it always amazes me how many people read the blog from overseas. I’m not familiar with the Czech narrow gauge systems, but I fell in love with Jan’s piece here - it is so hauntingly beautiful. I think you are very lucky to live so close, as you probably know I can walk to my local preserved railway but that is of course very unusual. Best, James

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    2. Hi James, we do read this... It's a big inspiration. And today, two your books landed at my desk. Can't wait to open them...
      The Jindřichův Hradec narrow-gauge has hard times now, but if everything goes well, it will run again. It has to!

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    3. That is so very kind, thank you. I’m excited you have picked up my books too, I do hope you enjoy their ‘offline’ qualities, I enjoy reading so much with out the distraction of a screen.

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  2. That’s a super piece of prose, very evocative.

    I’m rather entranced by Hungarian narrow gauge too, lots of logging, freight and similar passenger stock.

    Thanks

    John

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    1. Thanks John, I knew I just had to share it when it was sent in!
      I’ve a few books here - I think I’ve something Hungarian, but it’s in German so I’d need to check. I did almost build a logging layout many many years ago in 009 using a myriad of scratchbuilt narrow gauge Eastern European prototypes… the systems also informed my LGB based garden railway (Http://ejklr.blogspot.com). Thanks for the comment!

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    2. Lovely garden railway! I have one that’s also in danger of being lifted soon as we may be moving. It’s also ground level and a nightmare to keep clear, especially this year it would seem.
      Attila Moor is my inspiration for Hungarian railways (https://youtu.be/v4P7entsTg4?si=-PbySGxvFI0LScsW). There is a 3D print of this little green 4 wheel loco in 009, but there is so much else to finish and so little money to go around!

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  3. Building this Hungarian Class C-50, you can use the available 3D-print with the KATO motorised chassis 11-109, both in N and in 009. There are still working dozens of C-50s on Hungarian forestry, fish-farming and preserved railways.

    For a children's railway "train" with C-50 have a look here:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BhCMwDGw3M

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    Replies
    1. I have a C50 that I designed and released as a kit in the EuroNg range: https://www.lightrailwaystores.co.uk/collections/euronarrowgauge/products/eng-011

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    2. Aaah, sorry: Instead of "both in N and in 009" there should, of course, be "both in H0e and in 009".

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    3. No problem! If you flick through my Layout Design menu you'll see I have ideas about doing something based on Sroda in Poland using my Px48 and Lyd2.

      I've always fancied a Bemo Faur Lxd2 / L45H in HOe - maybe one day I'll try it in HO rather than OO9

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  4. Dear James, thank you for that very fine piece of writing, and to the translator. And especially also for the two photographs. Even though I have absolutely no connection with such a place or time, still these photographs are deeply evocative. Perhaps all branchlines have this characteristic, to make us curious and wistful for times past. I'm now off to read the piece by Chris. Regards, Jonathan

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    1. Thank you Jonathan! I’m really pleased you enjoyed it - I thought it might be a bit left field for the usual audience but it had a profound effect on me - I was stunned by some of the beauty in the words, the imagery they created and how they sounded as well… wonderful to see our love of trains and models entwined with such writing.

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  5. An entrancing piece of prose some phrases of which I'm rather envious of. Thank you for sharing.

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    1. My pleasure - thanks Colin. Sometimes these slightly left field blogs generate more interest than the norm! Indeed, prose and phrases I too envy.

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  6. Beautiful writing, and an excellent translation too. I think it's this kind of depth of feeling for a prototype that elevates a potential model into something that means so much more for the owner than the sum of the parts.

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    1. Quite right. When the modeller shares such prose it deepens our connection with them and their work.

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  7. Some good news from the line!

    https://uzkokolejky.cz/
    Basically the line is partially open again and being put back in running order.

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    Replies
    1. Yes I had seen this reported, good news indeed!

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James.