Steam in Serbia, November 1998

Keith Chester was in Serbia again in November 1998 and reports:

6 Nov 1998

Novi Sad : 51-007 - plinthed
Ruma : 62-074 - plinthed

"Viskoza", Loznica (1435mm)

This factory produces man-made fibres and has two La Meuse built 0-6-0Fs to transfer wagons on a two km connection with the JZ; as with many other factories in ex Yugoslavia, production and traffic levels are well below pre-war levels and only one loco is required.
53-46 0-6-0F LaMe 5346/1956 working
53-47 0-6-0F LaMe 5347/1956 OOU

Visjinecevo Forestry Railway (600mm)

This forestry railway was abandoned in the late 1980s, leaving two four diesels and one Duro Dakovic 0-6-0T dumped.
0-6-0T DD 88/1947 OOU

7 Nov 1998

Cuprija Sugar Factory

Has only processed 3000 t of beet this year; such a small quantity has been transported by road and the railway not used at all.

Aleksinac Coal Mine (600mm)

Also abandoned after a major explosion in the late 1980s and everything left where it was standing. A surreal picture of desolation. Apart from 3 Siemens Schukert and 4 Metropolitan Vickers Bo overhead electrics, there are two steam locos here:
2 0-6-0T Krenau 914/1940
0-6-0T DD 208/1948(?)

Zajecar MPD

83-052 - plinthed
01-019 - dumped as a source of spares for active 01-088

Popavac Cement Factory (760mm)

226-26 0-4-0T Hens 22626/1935 dumped

9 Nov 1998

"Sartid", Smederevo (600mm)

At the "Old Ironworks" in Smederevo, a 4wD shunts about a kilometre of track and two Porter saddle tanks are dumped.
U-8 0-4-0ST HKP 8245/1950
U-11 0-4-0ST HKP 8248/1950

"Zelvoz", Smederevo (1435mm)

The active loco at the carriage works is now (a rather leaky) 62-088, stored at Beograd MPD for about ten years. Also here are 62-073, 62-107, 62-365 & 62-369, dumped or in store.

Kostolac (900mm)

No change to previous reports. No. 12 working and the return of no. 10 from Zrenjanin still awaited. NB the steam locos do not work in June, July & August.