The Carpathian Forest Steam Train, Maramures, Transylvania, Romania

#nature #countrylife #steamtrain
Sometimes known as the ''Vaser Valley Railway'' the forestry railway of Viseu de Sus, located in the far north of Romania ,close to the border with the Ukraine, is a unique example of technical cultural heritage. Travelling over a network of some 60 kilometres of narrow-gauge track, you can still find wood-burning steam locomotives running alongside several diesels and railcars. The steam train is probably the last real forestry railway still operating with steam locos in Europe.
The narrow gauge railway (760mm gauge) twists and turns over bridges and through tunnels, with many curves, alongside the Vaser river in a wild, romantic valley of the Romanian Carpathian Mountains. The railway opens up a great forest area, devoid of roads and villages, but where bears and wolves still live in nature. The economic use of the Vaser Valley forests started late, at the beginning of the 18th century, when the area belonged to the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. German-speaking settlers opened up the primeval forest and rafted the timber logs down to the saw mills in Viseu de Sus.
The construction of the forest railway started in 1932, the railway being an enormous technical improvement over the log rafting. Forest railways were widespread all over Europe, especially in the Carpathian area. The operating principles were very simple: closely following the river, often with sharp curves (hence the use of narrow gauge), and constructed to enable the small locomotives to pull the empty logging cars up to the mountains with gravity helping to bring the heavy loaded trains down to the saw mills.
Due to the increased use of road transport in the 1950's and 60's the European forest railways disappeared one by one.
But not in economically backward Romania: even in 1970 there were still approximately 3000 km of forest railway lines in use and as late as 1986,...new steam locomotives were being built. At the end of the 1980's there were still 15 CFFs operating with a combined track distance of 1000km.
Today the CFF Viseu de Sus is the last forest railway in Europe still operating, all other lines have been abandoned. To maintain the steam locos in good condition as long as possible for tourist traffic, most of the production trains are operated by diesel engines.
Tourist trains will run from spring until autumn several times a week.
The main railway station is easy to find in the Viseu de Sus town, the amenities are great and the staff is friendly and always happy to help, at minute 2:50 in the train a Lady comes and serves people with a glass of traditional drink called ''Horinca'' for who would like to try 😁,be careful it's quite strong 🤭.
The views are spectacular, the air is pure and fresh and the wildlife is plenty.
It's perfect for an adventure at any time of the year 🥰
#travel #countrylife #steamtrain #touristattraction #transylvania #maramures #beautiful #winter #coutryside #nature