CZ/SK verze

Reconstructing History: The Resurgence of the Legendary Slovenská Strela

Reconstructing History: The Resurgence of the Legendary Slovenská Strela
photo: Archiv RAILTARGET/Reconstructing History: The Resurgence of the Legendary Slovenská Strela
25 / 05 / 2023

The Slovenská strela (Slovak for 'Slovak Arrow'), intended rather for the upper social classes, experienced its golden days right after its first appearance on the rails in 1930. It was a train made primarily for passengers travelling between Bratislava and Prague, who mostly made only day trips. These were two historic freight cars, but they had different fates.

These legendary trains were made in pairs and alternated on the route between Bratislava and Prague. The war in 1939 put an end to their operation. The cars were parked in Prague and only ran during emergencies. After the war, the Slovenská strela transported, for example, government delegations to Germany.

The first of these two cars were reconstructed, while the second, unfortunately, did not meet such a favourable fate and remained dilapidated on the siding. During the operation of the second car, a traffic accident occurred when the Slovenská strela collided with a lorry. The train was subsequently transported to Kopřivnice, where it was repaired and taken out of service for several months. Since 1953, the car was decommissioned and served as a source of spare parts for the first set.

However, the reconstruction of at least one of these unique trains is a huge contribution to the history of Czechoslovak railway transport. The cars were created by the designer Hans Ledwinka and are also specific thanks to the extraordinary engine with patented electromechanical transmission developed by Josef Sousedík.

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