The International Steam Pages


Romanian Forest Railways, 1996-8

This page has developed with a number of reports over the last few years. I have left it more or less as it was, you will need to take careful note of dates. Thanks to Roland Beier in particular for most of this information and also Hirome Masaki (Email: hiromi@w-ing.or.jp) from May 1997.  John Titlow has added some notes confirming earlier reports. See also my own very personalised report from October 1998.

General

Activity on Romanian forestry lines is still declining. Nevertheless it is nice to notice that apart from the Resita tanks and their Reghin built sister locos two old (75 and 80 years) Krauss built locos can still be seen in service.

CFF Tismana

This system was visited on a Saturday in 1997 and no trains were working. However 764.409R looked servicable and staff confirmed that trains were still running between Apa Neagra and Targu Jiu although the track looked very bad. In March 1997 Roland adds "This line has been out of use for three months and whether it will reopen is not known. This is probably the end of this line." In early 1998 it is confirmed completely out of use.

CFF Campul Cetatii

Hiromi Masaki reports: "Campul Cetatii was finished. It is not working now. One month ago, the chief enginer of locomotive got an accident of locomotive fall down, then he was dead." Roland reports: "Does not operate any longer and track is being lifted (by a steam train) at a rate of around 1 km per week. At the end of May 4 km of track were still there." In early 1998 Roland reported "4 km of the line are still in situ, lifting will restart in spring (and uses steam)". The previous report follows:

764.467 was out of use in October 1996. The railway had obtained another loco (staff said it came from Targu Mures sugar mill but this needs confirmation) and the idea was to produce one servicable loco from these two. This line continues into 1997 with a new arrival: 764.460 has been brought in from the abandoned CFF Finis and is now in working order whilst 764.467 is dumped.

CFF Moldovita

Hans Hufnagel was here in August 1998 with a tour group.  0-6-0T 763.193 was used on a special and a Resita 0-8-0T was servicable as well. The railway had been closed for quite some time but cutting trees had started again around Rososa and staff said that regular steam trains would operate again from the end of August. The line from Moldovita to Rososa is still viable but all the branches have meanwhile been closed.

In mid-August 1997 Roland Beier found: "there is still no wood being cut and so there were still no steam trains in mid-August, only the diesel railcar worked at random." In early 1998 it was reported "not working but still viable for tourist trains".

Hiromo Masaki reports that he did not visit here but "Moldovita is sometimes working." Roland reports (May 1997):" Not working due to the fact that no trees were being cut but may resume operations later in the year."

The lines to Rasca and to Rososa were still in operation whilst the other branches were unused. When travelling on the train to Rososa several repaired washouts were passed. Repairs looked rather provisional and heavy rain might cause damage again. CFF 764.449 was in service whilst 763.193 (Krauss/Linz 1219/1921) is used on occasional tourist trains. Staff expect steam trains to continue until 2000 but this remains to be seen. For those who want to avoid the big Hotel Cimbru at Cimpulung there is a basic hotel near the monastery.

CFF Viseu de Sus

This line was still working all the way throughout to Coman in August 1998  Three Resita tanks were there of which one was in steam and another looked quite servicable whilst the third one needed repairs. A fourth loco was said to be at Cluj for overhaul but if this will ever happen remains to be seen. The branch from Novat to Ripi has been cut back to around 2 km due to a weak bridge but wagons where still being loaded on the remaining section which remains in use for the time being.

Iin May 1998: "There were two locos in steam. The system looks quite rundown now and the junction at Novat is no longer staffed. The Ripi branch from Novat was said to be operable only for around 3 km. Between Novat and Coman all loading points were still being served."

A visit in mid-August 1997, saw no changes with 2 or 3 trains a week towards Coman. In early 1998 Roland reports " still working 3-4 times a week to Coman, but no trains on the Ripi branch".

Hiromi Masaki reports "Viseu de Sus is not working on every Wednesday. It is using one steam loco only." Roland reports on May 1997:" Only one loco in steam each day and working only to Faina whilst the section onwards to Coman was temporarily out of use (again no trees were being cut at the far end of the Viseu line)." The original report follows:

This line is still operating as far as Coman and the branch from Novat to Ripi was also in use as well as the branch to Stavioara. All three diesel locos were dumped oou and only one of the three railcars was servicable. On the steam front 764.436 worked to Coman and 764.484 to Ripi. 764.457 was used as shunting loco at Viseu and 764.452 looked servicable. 764.469 was away for repairs according to staff. The hotel is still closed but a new hotel is under construction near the petrol station at the eastern end of the town. In March 1997 the system was active and 764.452 was on a train towards Coman. The Ripi branch had not been used during the winter.

CFF Covasna - Comandâu

In early 1998 Roland Beier reported "still working, but the Benedec branch is now even closed for tourist trains due to a landslip." Back in August 1997, the repairs to the rope incline had been completed including a completely new building on the upper end following the disastrous fire during May 16th/17th which destroyed the top level of the incline at Siclau.

The landscape around Comandâu looked very strange after the blizzard of November 1995 had damaged many trees. Some of the trees were then removed but part of the line from Comandâu to Siclau (the upper end of the rope incline) just ran to heaps of logs. At that stage 763.247 (Krauss/Munchen 6968/1916) was the regular loco and was working regular returns from Comandau to Siclau. 764.455 and 764.379 were locked inside the shed. On the line to Benedec there were no regular steam trains, only a "dresina" took workers into the forest. A road was under construction from Comandâu to Benedec and further on. Down at Covasna 764.405R was the regular loco whilst 764.001 was stored, a situation which continued through to 1998.

Looking through an old box of photos I came across this superb study by Keith Chester of CFF Margina's 764.460 on 5th April 1985. This loco eventually found its way to CFF Campul Cetatii.

CFF Orastie

Hiromi Masaki reported in 1997 that this was working but in the saw mill only.


Rob Dickinson

Email: webmaster@internationalsteam.co.uk