Hellas-Express

in 1966 SEK acquired 400 Z3 Box cars from Bulgaria, built at the Cherveno Zname factory at Burgas.
the numbers they bear today are
21 73 154 3 000-299 Gbs, 300 units
21 73 154 3 300-399 Gbs-v with brakeman's post (Tim, is this how you call it?), 100 units

about older classification and numbers, I'm sure, Jason knows better

21 73 154 3 201-3 Gbs at Thiva




21 73 154 3 305-2 Gbs-v at Amphiklia

Right , these cars were built by ВАГОНЕИ ЗАВОД ЧЕРВЕНО ЗНАМЕ БУРГАС, БЪЛГАРИЯ (Vagoney Zavod Cheverno Zname Burgas, Bulgaria) and they didn't have any previous numbers. They were the very first boxcars to be named '' Z 3 '' and the only wooden ones.

They are also not so difficult to be found as soon as many of them still exist, withdrawn, at many stations. Some of them have been ''cut'' and later used as flatbeds...


EDIT: I 'm nearly sure that the ''brakeman's post'' is called brakeman's watchtower

Very nice photos.

I like the 3 handrails on the front on one side of the bodyshell.

Dimitris

Jason, thanks for the additional info and the... watchtower, when there is no "tower" how do we call it

Dimitris, as I can tell from your modeling interests you pay great attention to the detail, so you're gonna like this one too


Next maintenance/inspection 30/10/2001, obviously it never reached that date. One good thing about OSE is that it takes a loooong time till the withdrawn rolling stock is auctioned and scrapped, this way there is a lot of historic material around to view and shoot. Unfortunately many of them are striped by the looters.

Interesting wagons - it's usually known as a 'brake hut' here, the French would call it a 'vigie' or 'guèrite' and our German friends would say that it's a 'bremserbühne'. Anyway, I've only got one photo and here it is, taken at Athens Rentis in 2005, the same vehicle as Jason's shot at Amfiklia although in better condition than today!

Have these Z3 wooden wagons the same lenght between sides as the Z5 metalic ones?

Regards

BalkanExpress

BalkanExpress wrote:Have these Z3 wooden wagons the same lenght between sides as the Z5 metalic ones?

Regards

BalkanExpress

They look like they might be the same, perhaps someone can provide more information?

Tim

BalkanExpress wrote:Have these Z3 wooden wagons the same lenght between sides as the Z5 metalic ones?

Regards

BalkanExpress

The Z5 cars are renumbered Z3 (many different types by many differen builders at many different years) so I answer you about the Z3s.

The wooden Z3s WITHOUT the watchtower or whatever it is called (21 73 154 3 000-299) have a total length (buffers included) of 14020 mm which is simillar to:

--> Z 3 Romanian built (class 21 73 154 3 625-812) without watchtower built in 1974 by UZINA DE VAGOANE MEVA - TURNU SEVERIN, ROMANIA
--> Z 3 German built (class 21 73 156 9 100-198) without watchtower built in 1979 by VEREINIGTER SCHIENENFAHRZEUGBAU DER D.D.R. VEB WAGGONBAU DESSAU
--> Z 3 Romanian built (class 21 73 156 9 200-298) without watchtower built in 1979 by UZINA DE VAGOANE MEVA - TURNU SEVERIN, ROMANIA
--> Z 3 Greek - German built (class 21 73 156 9 300-429) without wathtower built in 1988-1989 at ELEUSIS SHIPYARDS S.A., GREECE with cooperation of VEB WAGGONBAU NIESKY - GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC VEB KOMBINAT SCHINENFAHRZEUGBAU G.D.R.
--> Z 3 Polish built (class 21 73 156 9 000-089) without watchtower built in 1989 by ZIELONA GORA ZASTAL, POLAND

The wooden Z3s WITH the watchtower (21 73 154 3 300-399) have a total length (buffers included) of 14520 mm which is simillar to :

--> Z 3 Romanian built (class 21 73 154 3 813-874) with watchtower built in 1974 by UZINA DE VAGOANE MEVA - TURNU SEVERIN, ROMANIA

Some random photos ....

21 73 154 3 008-2 at Lachanokipi



21 73 154 3 021-5 burned in the middle of Nowhere (outside Karia)



21 73 154 3 170-0 at Ipato



21 73 154 3 194-0 at Ligaria



21 73 154 3 232-9 '' cabriolet '' outside Volos works



21 73 154 3 242-7 at Lianokladi



21 73 154 3 304-5 '' cabriolet '' at S.K.A.



21 73 154 3 353-2 at Paleofarsalos

Jason,
Thanks very much for such a comprehensive reply! We'll have to get onto the Z1s and Z2s next......
Regards, Tim.