Locomotive 43 309.4 (home depot Plovdiv) in front of the white cars of the Plovdiv express train that runs from Sofia to Plovdiv (surprise, surprise). 43 309.4 is a very strange locomotive sporting parts from all classes of Skoda locomotives - one-arm pantographs, windscreen wipers, springs and hydraulic absorbers from classes 44/45 and a body that has no vents for rheostatic brakes from class 43. On the side of the machine the Skoda badge is missing, instead there is a big plate that reads "Locomotive depot Burgas". Nevertheless, this seems to be a reliable machine, regularly hauling this express train and the Diana express train (Sofia - Yambol - Sofia). On that specific day (22 December 2004) the locomotive had arrived in Sofia with the Diana express in the morning and in the afternoon was about to leave with the Plovdiv express.

Photo and scan by Miroslav Georgiev (Miroslav_SG@all.bg)