I.R.S. trip to Romania - June 1998

Updated 27 February 2002

At the beginning of June 1998 the Industrial Railway Society made a one week tour of Rumania, this time looking at some other industrial railways rather than the usual forestry lines. Most of these have been diesel for some time, but they are very scenic and well worth a visit.

Narrow gauge lines are 760mm gauge unless stated otherwise.

I have posted a number of photos of these lines to seperate files, to save download time on the main file. Click on the camera symbolto bring up these pictures.

I.M.Sotânga, Sotânga, near Tirgoviste - 7th June

The narrow gauge system runs from a power station at Sotânga to a coal mine at Margineanca, with a 5km branch to a coal stacking site. Our train went on the Margineanca line and, as there is no run-round loop at the mine, so trains have to be pushed up the line. We rode on the wagons, as their only passenger coaches have not been used for years and are now derelict. The line crosses the river by a 5-span concrete arch bridge to a small station, where the stocking site line branches off. The main line then climbs up a wooded valley to Margineanca (7km).

After returning to the power station we rode another line that runs down to the CFR connection at Doicesti (3km). This had not been used for some time and the loco had quite a job pushing through the long grass.

The power station has both narrow and standard gauge locos, but we were not allowed inside for a look.

Romcif S.A., Fieni, near Tirgoviste - 7th June

The manager told us that there are 2 standard gauge locos here, and 4 narrow gauge. Although we had an official visit here, we could not get into the loco sheds as the driver had the only key and he had gone home! His loco was L45H-055, which had just brought down a train from the stone quarry, which we were told was 7km away.

There are two loco sheds here; one for the narrow gauge and one with two roads, one narrow and the other standard.

S.C.Uz.Sodice Govora S.A., Govora, near Râmnicu Vâlcea - 8th June

They were not very friendly here and we could not get into the works or depot, although we did manage to follow their narrow gauge line up to the stone quarry at Bistria (44km). The line partly parallels the CFR line for a distance, then turns up at side valley at Stejerisi, and runs via Genuneni, Foloestii de Jos and Tomsani to the quarry. We managed to photograph a couple of trains on the line, and at the quarry.

A couple of Resita steam locos were seen dumped at the depot, which is just outside the works.

CFF, Tismana, near Târgu Jiu - 8th June

The forest line that used to be based here is now closed and all track outside Tismana yard has been lifted. Some track remains in the yard, along with dumped locos and rolling stock, which is slowly being scrapped. We were told that a couple of the locos will remain for preservation.

Exp.Minierâ Lonea, Lonea, near Petrosani - 9th June

The narrow gauge line runs from the mine down to another mine farther down the valley. On the way it passes the ruins of a third mine. There used to be an electric system at this closed mine, which crossed the present line on a bridge. There was also an electric system at the top mine and the manager told us that 'it had Siemens locos, but they finished 30 years ago'.

The loco depot is not at the end of the line, but about 2km down from the mine.

Intreprinderea "Ciocanul" Nâdrag, Gavojdia, near Lugoj - 9th June

This works had a narrow gauge line, which has now closed and been lifted. However most of the equipment still survives in a depot beside the CFR station. A CFR 0-10-0 loco (ex German G10) has been dumped in the sidings here.

Societatea Comercialâ "Extraceram" S.A., Sanovia, near Lugoj - 9th June

This 600mm gauge system used to have quite a long line down to the CFR, but this was lifted several years ago. The narrow gauge system at the works has now also gone and all but three of the locos went to Hunedoara for scrap a few days before our visit!

I.M.Teliuc, Hunedoara - 10th June

This standard gauge loco was on the high level at the rear of the steel works, next to the start of the narrow gauge quarry line. It was in quite good condition but apparently out of use.

S.C.Talc Dolomita S.A., Hunedoara - 10th June

This company provides limestone for the blast furnaces of the Hunedoara steel works. The narrow gauge starts on a ledge on the hillside behind the south end of the works. It runs round the corner to the shed and workshops, and the bunkers for the limestone. Then it crosses the valley by a very big bridge, before heading up the other side to Zlasa-Canton I (2.4km). Here is the company's main lime works. It then continues south, via Zlasa-Canton II and Govajdia (11km) to the big quarry at Craciuncasa (Finela) (13km). There are two tunnels on this section, including one at 6km which is 747m long and which takes the line through the divide between two valleys.

The line was originally built from the quarry to the old stone blast furnaces at Govajdia, and only later extended to the new steel works at Hunedoara. One of these old furnaces can still be seen at Govajdia, as well as some old, stone-built loading bins, now out of use. There were 11 steam locos here until 1977 and a passenger service until 1990.

S.C.Siderurgica S.A., Hunedoara - 10th June

We did not manage get inside this huge steel works complex but saw the loco depot at the north end from a road bridge. We could see a large number of Faur shunters dumped in rows in the depot yard, so business must be bad. 060 DA 01 (Bo-BoD) went past while we were there. Security then came out and chased us away.

Exploatarea Miniera Brad, Brad - 11th June

This line takes brown coal from the CFR at Brad to a power station at a works in Criscior (c10km). This power station supplies steam for area heating in Brad, and the pipes run beside the line. We were told that they run one train a day in summer and three in winter. They prefer to use the steam locos, as they can use their coal and this saves them having to buy diesel fuel. The coal is the most awful rubbish I have every seen - mostly dirt and stone with a bit of coal in it. How they manage to get the locos to steam on this muck is a mystery!

There used to be four steam locos here, but one was sold to enthusiasts in Austria, and there are a set of loco wheels dumped outside the shed.

CFF, Orasti - 11th June

This wood yard was at the connection of a narrow gauge forest railway with the CFR, but the forest line closed in 1982. Most of the track in the yard is three-rail mixed gauge, and all the shunting is now done by narrow gauge locos, fitted with an offset buffer beams to handle standard gauge wagons.

Resita 1193/51 was working, with 764-414 dismantled for repairs. It's boiler had been sent away to another works for attention. There were also three dumped narrow gauge locos, one of which also has the off-set standard gauge buffers, but the other two do not and must have been used on the forest line. There is also a standard gauge loco, dumped in a corner of the yard.

CFR, Sibiu narrow gauge Depot - 11th June

This depot is on the other side of the CFR main line line from the standard gauge depot. 764 205 was in very good condition and must be used for special trains. There were several more diesels inside the shed, which I didn’t see. 87.0011 came in with the 18.02 arrival. This is the last CFR narrow gauge train service still running.

During the trip visits were also made to the railway museums in Resita, Sibui and Bucarest; and also brief visits to a wood yard in Tirgoviste (n.g. steam loco as stationary boiler); Lafarge Romcim, Târgu Jui (several s.g. locos ); CFR Subcetate depot (preserved and dumped steam); CFR, Petrosani depot (preserved steam); the Village Museum, Bacurest (2 steam); the Military Museum, Bucarest (1 n.g. steam); CFR, Bucarest-Nord depot (1 n.g. steam preserved); and Busteni paper mill - closed (2x 600mm gauge electric locos).

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