The International Steam Pages


Romanian Forestry Railways 2003

Michael Schneeberger, Viseu de Sus sent me this report at the end of January 2003 - the delay in uploading is because I have been away from home for a month.

Viseu de Sus: 

End of January the company Viseuforest is in hibernation, hopefully just in winter season. Only a restricted service existed on the tracks. Once or twice a week they are operating their ‘automotor’. The steam locomotives 764.436 and 764.469 stand inactive in the shed. The locomotive ‘Gozia 1’ of the RG wood company Regin 764.408 is permanently under steam. It is used with the snowplough clearing the lines. On daily duty they operate with a diesel engine. The second diesel engine with minor defects is in the Remarul workshop in Cluj at the moment. After repair they will transport it to the forest railroads of Moldovita.

Moldovita:

The forest railway Moldovita will start to operate again. The sawmill and the narrow gauge line has been taken over by the company Vasile in Viseu de Sus. It is the same company which runs the forest line ‘Wassertalbahn’ in Viseu de Sus. Though planning is still in progress director Coman could issue concrete steps to the president of the society ‘Wassertalbahn’. Locomotive Resista 764.449, one of the two serviceable locomotives will be exchanged with the diesel engine mentioned above. In Viseul de Sus they use it for operation together with the locomotive ‘Cozia 1’. The second steam locomotive 763.193 built in 1918 by the company Krauss in Linz, is a 3 axle steam locomotive with inner frame. This splendid example is in a very good condition and will be used for special journeys, and also as a reserve should the diesel engine fail. From the former lines in Moldovita only the line between the Moldovita sawmill and Rososa still exists. Of this remaining line at the moment only the segment between Arge km12.5 and Rososa km26 can be used. The wood transport on this section will be taken up as soon as the diesel engine arrives from Cluj. The section between the sawmill and Arge is, at the moment, interrupted in several places and has to be repaired. The work should be finished by the beginning of May. After the construction wood can be again transported to the sawmill by train, instead by trucks. Information about future operation of the line as well as about special rides are available by Leopold Langtaler in Viseu de Sus e-mail rgholz@gmx.net. Further information at www.wassertalbahn.ch.


Rob Dickinson

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