20130907 15 ROUMANIE 4/6 COMANDAU COVASNA

/!\ photos du plan incliné (c) Rob Dickinson www.internation...
/!\ Pictures of the Incline (c) Rob Dickinson www.internation...
Covasna - Comandău, Roumanie. Extrait du trip report de B.Seiler www.farrail.net
Il y a cent ans, une entreprise hongroise, "Erdely Erd ö Ipar" (Transylvanian des Industries Forestière) a commencé à construire un vaste réseau de lignes forestière pour exploiter les forêts du Munti Vrancei. Partant de Covasna, la section initiale a été achevée en 1890 ; c'était alors le premier chemin de fer forestier avec locomotives à vapeur.
Après la Première Guerre Mondiale, la Transylvanie est intégrée à la Roumanie et Kovaszna devenu Covasna. Les lignes du "Erdely Erd ö Ipar" ont été reprises par une entreprise privée roumaine.
Sur la plupart des chemins de fer forestiers, les bâtiments administratifs, la scierie, le dépôt sont situés dans la vallée. Au contraire à Covasna / Commandau le centre est situé à Commandau à 1000 mètres d'altitudes. Une centaine de personnes vivaient dans des conditions difficiles, tous employés par l'industrie forestière.
Le plan Incliné :
Du lundi au vendredi, un ou deux trains partait de Commandau pour parcourir les dix kilomètres jusqu'au plan incliné (planul inclinat) à Siclau. Les ingénieurs des chemins de fer forestiers ont usés d'ingéniosités pour construire les lignes à fortes adhérences, mais parfois ils étaient battus pas les Carpates, et devaient trouver d'autres solutions. Les solutions étaient diverses mais les funiculaires ou plans inclinés étaient les préférés. Il y a eût beaucoup de plans inclinés, seul celui entre Covasna et Commandau (à Siclau) est resté en fonction jusqu'en 1999. Il est toujours en place mais noyé dans la végétation.
Données techniques :
Longueur : 1,236 m
Écartement : 1,445 mm
Le terminus supérieur (planul inclinat sus) : 1,013 m
Boucle au milieu de la ligne : 853 m
Le terminus inférieur (planifie Jos inclinat) : 686 m
Rampe section supérieure : 26,8 %
Rampe section inférieure : 28,0 %
Le plan incliné fonctionnait par gravité. En effet les wagons chargés venaient du haut de la ligne, reliés par un câble aux wagons vide du bas, le poids du wagon chargé dans la descente entraînait la montée du wagon vide. La machinerie en haut du plan hébergeait un frein.
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Covasna - Comandău, Roumania. Extract of the trip report of B. Seiler www.farrail.net
Hundred years ago, a Hungarian company, "Erdely Erdöipar" (Transylvanian Forestry Industries) began to build an extensive network of forestry lines to exploit the richly wooded slopes of the western flank of the Munţii Vrancei. Starting from Kovaszna, the initial section was completed in 1890 and was the first forestry railway in Romania using iron rails and steam locomotives.
After World War I, Transylvania became part of the new kingdom of Romania, and Kovaszna became Covasna. The lines of the "Erdely Erdöipar" were taken over by a private Romanian company.
On most forestry railways, the administrative buildings, sawmill, loco depot etc., are located in a valley. In contrast, at Covasna/Comandău the centre of the system is in Comandău, 1,000 metres above sea-level. About 100 people used to live in a wild, primitive settlement, all employed by the forestry industry.
The incline
Monday to Friday one or two trains a day left Comandău for the ten kilometres journey to the incline at Siclău. The engineers of the Romanian forestry railways used great ingenuity to build adhesion lines, but sometimes even they were defeated by the Carpathians. Their solutions were various, with ropeways (funicular) and inclined planes (planul inclinat) being popular choices. Of the many of the latter that were built, only that one between Covasna and Comandău (at Siclău) remained in operation until 1999 and is partly still in place.
Technical data:
Lenght: 1,236 m
Gauge: 1,445 mm
Altitude upper terminus (planul inclinat sus): 1,013 m
Loop in the middle of the line: 853 m
Altitude lower terminus (planul inclinat jos): 686 m
Gradient upper section: 26,8 %
Gradient lower section: 28,0 %
The incline benefits from the fact that the load was always carried down into the valley. Therefore gravity was sufficient to provide the power for the two platforms connected with a wire rope. The platform with the loaded car pulled the second platform with an empty car during its downhill journey over a roller guide fitted with a brake based on the same principle as on mountain railways. The machine house at the upper terminal contained a brake mechanism beside the guide roller, by means of which a controlled operational sequence was managed. The communication between the stations was a voice pipe and bell signals.

[@TrainsInRomania]

Incredible images... Never though about these could happen in Romania! Thanks a lot for your video!

[@FrancevuedutrainEu]

Thank you very much! Good viewing on our channel

[@trainsmachineryldegmtrains3509]

Lovely video with Steam Loco (Mocanita) in action! Good work! Thumbs Up Greetings from Romania Andrew

[@FrancevuedutrainEu]

Thank you very much! Good viewing on our channel

[@funklover24]

Wow, I have been there in 1980, this video brings memories back. Thanks a lot.

[@FrancevuedutrainEu]

+funklover24 Thank you very much! Good viewing on our channel :-)

[@curiosirail]

Merci pour cette magnifique vidéo que je viens juste de découvrir. Cela me rappelle de bons souvenirs puisque j'avais eu la chance de parcourir la section Covasna-Commando en septembre 1990.

[@ChinaAl]

Excellent Video. Sharp clear pictures. Cute little trains.

[@FrancevuedutrainEu]

+ChinaAl Thank you very much! Good viewing on our channel

[@LOrang_Outan]

superbe merci.

[@FrancevuedutrainEu]

Merci beaucoup ! Bon visionnage sur notre chaîne

[@aloisius1950]

Sempre ottimo. Ciao!

[@FrancevuedutrainEu]

Grazie

[@LDEGM]

Fantastic!

[@FrancevuedutrainEu]

Thank you very much! Good viewing on our channel

[@Fred-by9em]

Très belle vidéo !

[@FrancevuedutrainEu]

+Fred15 Merci beaucoup ! Bon visionnage sur notre chaîne

[@cristianoltean7201]

Nice video. I'm living there, in Covasna. Unfortunately, I have some bad news for you, come again and see in what conditions are nowadays, the trains, forestry railway and Siclau

[@FrancevuedutrainEu]

Hello, thank you for your comment. I'm sorry to hear that the railway is not maintained. I hope that things will improve.