Europe
For lists which includes many European Museum sites see European Federation of Museum & Tourist Railways http://www.fedecrail.org/en/index_en.html
and http://www.innvista.com/culture/travel/rail/museuro.htm
(various languages). If you are prepared to spend some time browsing then the
pictures on this site will take you to many preservation sites - http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix_frameset.html.
Austria (updated
23rd November 2009)
For an English language summary of extant lines please check out http://www.austrian-railways.org/argng.htm
(link is dead, hijacked 26th March 2012). These
are direct links to most of the operating railway's websites which are largely
German language although the major ones have parts in English. The amount of
steam activity varies from daily in the tourist season to occasional.
There is a list of 14 narrow gauge railways (some closed, some non-steam) on Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Narrow_gauge_railways_in_Austria
amazingly at the time of writing it does not include some of those in the list below...
Bosnia
(updated 2nd March 2012)
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The coal mine at Banovici has working steam, although I believe its status is
now spare to diesels. For the reports check the Europe page
on this site. Click here for James Waite's photo report of a double headed
charter in February 2012 (2nd March 2012)
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Bulgaria
(updated 4th October 2007)
Czech Republic (updated
24th November 2011)
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The narrow gauge lines from Jindřichův to Hradec and Obrataň operate a
diesel service with steam on summer weekends and special days, for their own
website see http://www.jhmd.cz/.
In addition to the U47 here originally, Heinrich Hubbert adds (1st September 2008)
that in August 2008 there were two further steam locomotives working - a Resita
and a PX 48.
James Waite has sent a
report of his visit (2nd September 2008).
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Heinrich Hibbert adds (1st September 2008) a Resita 0-8-0T is now available for
special workings on the last CD narrow gauge line between Osoblaha and Třemešná
in the North East of the country - see http://www.orchestrion.cz/narrow.htm
for basic information on this railway and http://ftp.czechtourism.com/133premier/en/cd/en/news/news133.htm
(link is dead) for information on steam operation (at least in 2006). James Waite has now been
there to see a repatriated (from Bosnia) Skoda
0-10-0 at work (updated with historical notes, 28th February 2011).
Thomas Nugent (via Chris Allen and Chris Hodrien) reports (14th August 2008):
"I went to a restored narrow gauge railway in a large industrial town called Kolin
, a pleasant 50 mile round trip along the Labe by bike (the old paddle steamer is still there by the way, untouched). I was at Kolin last year when restoration work was still under way, but it is now open to the public and runs a weekend
service. I had a look at
http://www.mapy.cz and it appears that all of the buildings have been erected in the past couple of years. Money came from the EU as well as local companies such as Toyota. They have a web site with some English content -
http://www.zeleznicka.bloudil.cz/?lang=cz.
It was built in the 1840s to carry sugar beet from the fields to the processing plant."
The Zbýšov museum of industrial railways, and its associated 600mm gauge line between Zastávka u Brna and Zbýšov
are close to Brno. The operating line runs on the trackbed of an old standard gauge line originally built to connect coal mines at Zbýšov with the main line at Zastávka. They have a 1951-built CKD 0-4-0T which runs on some dates and operate some of their extensive collection of historic diesel and electric locos on others. Details of their 2012 schedule are at
http://www.reuz.cz/uvod/ (Czech language - the steam dates are the ones in the list starting "Jízdy s parní
lokomotivou"). Note that there's a connecting main line steam special from Brno scheduled for 22nd September 2012. There are briefer details of the line at
http://www.mpz.cz which has an English-language page.
(All this paragraph revised thanks to James Waite, 24th November 2011)
Up in the north east of the country there's the Mladejov 760mm gauge line, now a heritage steam railway but formerly an industrial line. Two of its distinctive Krauss Linz locos survive and have both been in operation in 2011. Its website, Czech language only, is at
http://www.mladejov.cz/uvodni-stranka.
For
some excellent pictures of the railway when it was still real, see http://spz.logout.cz/uzke/cz_mladejov/mladejov.html
(Czech language, added 18th November 2009).
Denmark
(updated 1st June
2008)
Estonia
(updated 18th November 2009)
Finland
(updated 29th August 2009)
France
(updated 6th May 2012 with the CF Vivarais news)
The key website is that of UNECTO (Union des Exploitats de Chemins de Fer
Touristique)
and in particular two lists and a map - http://www.lafrancevuedurail.fr/unecto/.
For detailed regional list see http://www.lafrancevuedurail.fr/unecto/_annu/cftliste.htm.
The magazine Voie Etroite has a list of tourist railways, many of which of
course will not be narrow and maybe not even steam!
http://www.voieetroite.com/annu_cft.htm.
Perhaps the most famous of the French preserved railways has risen from its
death bed. Robert Brown has pointed out than Euros 13,000,000 has been invested
in the CF Vivarais with the result that 'Velorail' services were available in
2011, railcars will run in 2012 and steam will return in 2013 (6th May 2012).
The main website is http://www.mastrou.com/
and a summary of proposals is available on http://www.mastrou.com/le-mastrou-dernieres-nouvelles/le-point-sur-la-situation-du-mastrou/.
The restoration has been recorded in a series of pages from May 2011 http://www.forum-train.fr/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=5972&start=0.
The only real downside is the loss of the connection to the main line at Tournon
with its mixed gauge running.
Putting it all together and using recent Continental Railway Journals for
non-member organisations, it seems that roughly from north to south the
following are steam operated and less than standard gauge (not included are some
museums which offer short steam rides). I doubt it is a complete list:
There's precious little steam (and none of it active in James Waite's report
on the narrow gauge railways of Mont Blanc, but
plenty of interest to the ng enthusiast in general (25th August 2011)
Germany
(updated 25th April 2011)
For a summary of extant lines please check out http://www.schmalspurbahn.de/
(German language site). A further internet search should identify English
language sites where they exist. I have not been able to identify an English
language site covering the German narrow gauge (steam) railways adequately.
Not strictly an operating railway, although it
has a lengthy demonstration line some 2km long is the Frankfurter Feldbahn Museum,
you can read about James
Waite's June 2009 visit (added 21st June 2009).
The following are, perhaps, among the better known of those operating steam services,
being mainly in the former East Germany and having maintained 'real steam' into
reunification, but now they are all effectively 'preserved' operations. But
there is a lot more than these if you dig around in the site above and I shall
be happy to add specific recommendations to the list below.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern:
Niedersachsen
Sachsen:
There are reports of visits to these lines elsewhere on the site:
Sachsen-Anhalt
- Harzer Schmalspurbahnen GmbH - 1000mm - http://www.hsb-wr.de/
- If you search Google using "site:www.hsb-wr.de Harzquer Railway"
then there are several English language pages with information but I have
yet to find any page linking them! Trevor Heath has uploaded some pictures
from his September 2008 visit (added 14th October 2008).
The following are historical notes which were originally hosted on the main
Europe page but are more appropriately now placed here.
David Thornhill (19th March 2003) has gently chastised me for not promoting the steam on
the various narrow gauge systems of the former East Germany, some of which could
then fairly be
regarded as very real. Read
his review of the services (updated 14th December 2003).
Louis Cerny has visited the well known Harz lines and has sent a short report (10th November
2003). Louis also reports on an unusual gauge narrowing on this railway with
consequential new steam service (9th April 2006):
"The Harzer Schmalspur Bahnen will formally open its new line from Quedlinburg to Gernrode (converted from 1435mm to 1000mm gauge) on April 8th with a special 5 hr 33 min trip from Quedlinburg to Brocken using three steam locomotives. My understanding is that a regular service of three steam round trips per day (plus additional railcar trips) between Quedlinburg and Gernrode will start June 26, and that test steam trains have operated since March
4th." Louis also tells me the welcome news (1st
December 2008) that at long last the Freital-Hainsberg - Dippoldiswalde - Kipsdorf "Weißeritztalbahn"
will have re-opened as far as Dippoldiswalde on 14th December 2008.
Roland Beier points out that when the long trumpeted transfer of the Radebeul
Ost-Radeburg line occurs (expected in December 2003, again in April 2004 and now most
likely in May 2004) then this will finally bring to an end scheduled steam on DB. (7th April 2004).
Andreas Illert adds (8th September 2004) - the transfer of the Radebeul-Radeburg line from DB to
BVO Bahn GmbH (the operator of the Cranzahl-Oberwiesental line) happened on June 21, so scheduled steam on DB is over (once again after 1977).
Greece (updated
15th March 2010)
Many metre gauge steam locomotives survive, but I have not seen any
suggestions that any are serviceable. The 600mm line to Milies has been part
restored as a tourist operation but owing to fire risk, their steam locomotives
see limited operation. Local railfans charter steam trains here from time to
time. For more pictures visit http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix/gr/narrow_gauge/steam/pix.html
which also includes static preserved items elsewhere in the country.
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James Waite went to Volos and rode one of the rare specials on 6th March 2010
- read his
report which includes pictures of other preserved narrow and metre gauge
items (15th March 2010).
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The 750mm line between Diakofto and Kalavryta is a (part) rack system which
in theory could see steam charters but no reports of such seem to have been made
in recent years. The line is reported open and working normally with new diesel
railcars after repairs in November 2009 - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diakofto_Kalavrita_Railway.
Holland
(updated 25th September 2007)
See this site for an English language list of Dutch railway museums - http://www.railmusea.nl/en_index.php.
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Recommended (by James Waite) narrow gauge destinations are below - you can read
his report on them (added 25th September 2007):
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This park also has an operational narrow gauge steam locomotive - First
Drenthe Association of Steam Aficionados (EDS), Barger Compascuum - http://veenpark.vlmg.nl/park.html.
Hungary
(updated 24th September 2010)
This
page has lots of information but I suspect it is very out of date http://narrowrail.net/hungary/index.html
(added 17th November 2009).
Particular mention should be made of the Gysev operation, the 3.6km museum
railway "Széchenyi" in Nagycenk with regular scheduled steam - see https://www.gysev.hu/portal/page/portal/INTERNET/GYSEV_ONLINE?p_h_menu=2&p_v_menu=3.
There appears to be a 14km preserved forestry railway at Lillafüred with
some steam operation
- read James
Waite's report (added 24th September 2010), James also visited Szilvasvarad
nearby which has one steam locomotive which may be serviceable.
The Királyrét Forest Railway connects Kismaros and
Szokolya, located near the Duna-Ipoly National Park and the Slovak border. Ex
Romanian 490.2004 operates here from time to time but you'll have to negotiate
this website to find out exactly when - http://www.kisvasut-kiralyret.fw.hu/
(17th November 2009).
Peter Nettleship recommends the Budapest Children's Railway (formerly the
Young Pioneers' Railway until 1990), in the Buda Hills and easily combined with
rides on the rack tram and funicular - see http://www.gyermekvasut.com/english.html
(moved from the museums page, 21st November 2009), according to their website
steam is used at the weekends.
Ireland
(updated 24th February 2012)
The vast majority of Ireland's wonderful 3ft gauge railways were swept away
many years ago. The Irish Steam Preservation Society have a small operational
railway of relatively recent origin - http://irishsteam.ie/.
James has made further visits to the West Clare Railway
(updated 4th November 2010). See their own
website - http://www.westclarerailway.ie
Not strictly for this section as it is non-operational, but as I don't list
Irish museums... James Waite has sent a report of the
Ulster Transport and Folk Museum which has many narrow gauge exhibits (24th
February 2012).
Italy (updated
24th February 2010)
Italian steam was always 'different' and so were their narrow gauge railways,
being built to 950mm gauge (they built the Eritrean railway
too).
See also on this site Italian Railway Heritage and Preservation
- with links to areas with narrow gauge steam.
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The best known of such railways are those on Sardinia, several of which have
steam locomotives which are nominally serviceable but they seem only to be used
for well-heeled tour groups and even then, not entirely in accordance with the
advertised schedule... For Italian language sites see http://www.treninoverde.com/
and http://www.ferroviesardegna.it/. James
Waite was in Sardinia in May 2009 and provided an illustrated report (17th June
2009).
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Also on the mainland in Calabria there are two 950mm gauge sections run by the Ferrovie della
Calabria, both of them very much working railways. James Waite has produced an article on
the Ferrovie
Calabro-Lucane including a map (updated 24th February 2010, based on a previous
article, 26th November 2009).
One is based on Cosenza and consists of two lines up into the mountains, one of which finishes at Catanzaro Lido on the south coast and includes a short rack section down an escarpment from Catanzaro city. In theory three steam locos are available for tourist trains out of
Cosenza. RTC had, optimistically as ever, promised to run all three of them, no's. 353, 403 and (rack) 504 in action on three days in September 2008. In practice it was fortunate that 353's boiler certificate had been temporarily extended which allowed it to operate on one of the days as 403's repairs were never going to be completed in time (the loco was recently described as 'a kit of parts') and 504 is currently in Cosenza works with front end problems... It was probably a good job that the local vino is very palatable!
The second section is based on Gioia Tauro. There's been no active steam here for many years but
Breda-built 2-6-0T 188 has been kept in semi-open storage at Gioia Tauro depot and there's a long-term plan to restore it to working order.
These pictures are courtesy of James Waite:
Latvia (updated
18th November 2009)
Norway
(updated 15th December 2010)
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For an excellent summary see "A VISITORS' GUIDE
TO NORDIC (SCANDINAVIAN) NARROW GAUGE RAILWAYS" by Philip Pacey. On
this site, you can read James Waite's accounts:
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”Tertitten” - the Urskog-Hølandsbanen Railway.
James was back for spectacular steam with sun and snow in December 2010 - see
his report! The show will be repeated on December 19th (God permitting
for the sun) and again on New Year's Eve when a certain gentleman called Roar Stenersen will be driving
the latter news added, 15th December 2010).
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The Setesdalsbanen
(updated 16th October 2008). The latter will not be operating in 2010, check
the website in the report before making a visit (17th May 2010).
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Poland
(updated 15th May 2012)
For a general introduction, see http://members.lycos.co.uk/polishnarrowtracks/index.html,
http://www.cleeve.com/poland/ and http://www.schmalspurbahn-in-polen.de/
(German language). It seems that the children's railway in Poznan has at
least one serviceable steam locomotive, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Railway_Maltanka.
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James Waite visited Cisna - a former forestry railway in the Carpathians
now a tourist railway - for one of their fairly
rare steam days (updated 13th June 2010).
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James Waite visited Żnin Distirct Railway (and the Wenecja
narrow gauge railway museum) in April 2012 for a
charter with their steam locomotive (15th May 2012)
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Portugal (updated 4th
October 2007)
Metre gauge Mallet E214 has been serviceable in recent
years but a combination of fire bans, gauge conversions and sundry other
problems have severely limited operation. The last report of it I have was
that it had been "moved from Regua to Guifoes works for inspection"
in April 2007, by September 2007 it was back in Regua where there were 5
other Mallets in fair condition (report by Trevor Heath - click
here for pictures - added 4th October 2007).
No active steam but I have a report from James Waite of his visit to the south of the
country for some
interesting industrial steam survivors at Lousal and Aljustrel (24th
December 2008). James returned in January 2009 to visit a couple of the country's
railway museums near Lisbon (6th March 2009).
James had a rapid return and reported on a
day out in the Porto area (14th March 2009).
Romania (updated 4th
October 2008)
The railway at Viseus de Sus remains operational on a
reduced scale - click
here for the reports. As of mid-2008, the service was suspended owing to
severe flood damage, but the line has since re-opened.
Russia (updated
6th May 2012)
For an entry point into the world of Russian (and former
Russian Empire) narrow gauge start here - http://narrow.parovoz.com/indexe.php.
Unfortunately the rest of the site is in Russian...
James Waite tells me that the narrow gauge museum at Pereslavl (email
contact: "office at kukushka.ru") is planning a steaming week
which will see Ft4 0-6-2T on Monday-Tuesday (two days, June 18th/19th 2012) and the Kp4 0-8-0 on Thursday-Friday (two
days, June 21st/22nd 2012). The Ft4 loco is 0-6-2T Ft4-028 (Фт4-028 in Cyrillic script), one of a series built for the USSR as WW2 reparations by the Finns and the only survivor of its class. The KP4 loco is Kp4-469 (Кп4-469), one of the Polish-built PT-4 locos (=Chinese C2's).
As with all such events should you be interested in attending, it would be
sensible to check nearer the time for late changes (all this 6th
May 2012).
There is a narrow gauge railway and museum at
Pereslavl,
see http://narrow.parovoz.com/pereslavl/main-e.html
and the official site (in Russian) http://kukushka.ru
(added 31st May 2008) but there is now (24th November 2009) an English
version http://www.kukushka.ru/english/
which should be expanded as time allows. James Waite was here in August 2009
(added 11th August 2009).
Wikipedia states there
were 52 children's railways in the former Soviet Union at the time of
its break up and lists some of them and those in satellite countries. For a
Russian site dedicated to them see http://www.dzd-ussr.ru/.
Serbia
(updated 9th March 2011)
There is working steam at Kostolac Open Cast Mine, several 900mm Davenport 0-8-0's like UNRRA locomotives
are here. For the reports check the Europe page on
this site.
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There is a narrow gauge railway and museum at Mokra Gora.
James Waite has a little belatedly supplied an illustrated
report of his visit to Mokra Gora in June
2008 (9th March 2011).
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Slovakia
(updated 4th August 2011)
See Paul Steane's excellent enthusiast's guide to travel
in Europe http://egtre.info/wiki/Main_Page.
There is a metre gauge children's railway in the Cermel Valley near Kosice
- which uses U36.003 'Sam' / 'Katka'.
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Čiernohronská Železnica Čierny Balog is a 760mm gauge former
forestry railway. It operates over 17km of track from Hronec zlieváreň (some 2km from Chvatimech
ŽSR)
station to Vydrovobetween. See (links revised 18th November 2009):
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Part of the former Kysuce-Orava railway is a 7km 760mm gauge line starting
from Skanzen Station, about 20km east of Čadca, it includes a reverse. As
far as I can gather it is part of the Kysuce Village Museum. See (all added 18th
November 2009):
http://www.expea.sk/EN/sluzby_nazelanie.html (link is dead but it was a good source on Slovak railways in general, added 18th November 2009) states
that "The Kysuce-Orava Forest Railway (KOLZ) came into existence by joining the Kysuce Forest Railway and the Orava Forest Railway - both railways are 760 mm gauge. At the peak of its fame, it had 110km. It had exclusively served for transporting wood. Its exceptionality lies in its well-preserved system of switch tracks. At present, the railway is divided into two parts: the part in the region of Kysuce as the Historical Forest Zig Zag Railway(HLÚŽ) and the part in the region of Orava as the Forest Zig Zag Railway Tanečník - Beskyd (LÚŽ). In future, the two railways shall be reconnected."
It will be the former which is described above, the latter appears to be diesel
powered.
As of June 2011, the latter has an operational steam locomotive "Gontkulak"
which operates every Saturday and Sunday until October over 3.3 km of track, 5 times
a day. See http://www.oravamuzeum.sk/index.php/oravska-lesna-zeleznica/o-zeleznici.
(Thanks to James Waite for this, 4th August 2011.)
Spain
(updated 16th February 2012)
Steam trains, mainly for school parties, run between Martorell Enllac and Monistrol de
Montserrat on the metre gauge FGC between November and May. You can read James
Waite's account of his visit in November 2010, James has also sent an items
on (static) preserved steam locomotives around Girona
(8th February 2012) and preserved narrow gauge
steam and more in Aragon (16th February 2012).
Sweden
(updated 27th August 2011)
For an excellent summary see "A VISITORS' GUIDE
TO NORDIC (SCANDINAVIAN) NARROW GAUGE RAILWAYS" by Philip Pacey. For
Swedish language pages on the history of narrow gauge railways here see http://www.historiskt.nu/smalsp/smal_main.html
and http://www.jarnvagshistoria.se/index1.htm (27th
August 2011).
Switzerland
(updated 25th August 2011)
The following excellent links provide a good guide:
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Click here for James
Waite's report on his visit to the Dampfbahn Furka Bergstrecke in September 2009,
a spectacular (part) rack metre gauge railway with some pretty well travelled
steam locomotives (11th November 2009).
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James Waite was has been a regular visitor to Switzerland through
2009/2010, the lines are metre gauge unless otherwise indicated:
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There's precious little steam (and none of it active) in James Waite's report
on the narrow
gauge railways of Mont Blanc, but plenty of interest to the ng enthusiast in
general (25th August 2011)
Turkey
(added 28th January 2010)
James Waite sent a report on the Rahmi
M Koç museum, Istanbul (2nd October 2007) indicating that two narrow
gauge steam locomotives were 'missing'. Richard Foster has added
an update (29th January 2010) which indicates
that narrow gauge steam will soon be running in the heart of Istanbul.
Ukraine
(updated 11th October 2010)
There has been a preserved narrow gauge railway for some time between Irshava and Vynohradiv
- see http://spz.logout.cz/uzke/ua_borzava/borzava.html
(needs translating from Czech) which continued to operate into 2010, albeit with
diesels. Gr 6
286 was at Irshava but has now been relocated to Kolochava, reports Jonathan
Sutton (8th September 2010) who has
sent some pictures.
United Kingdom (added
3rd September 2007)
This page offers links to most operational UK narrow gauge railways - http://www.narrow-gauge.co.uk/links/.
This page professes to list of all known UK narrow gauge railways http://www.uklocos.com/ngrs/downloads/ngrs-guide-2012.doc.
See also UK Heritage Railways Site
but there is no specific narrow gauge list.
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