San Marino's 1930s Electric Railway, And How Britain Wrecked It

On 12th June 1932 San Marino proudly opened its brand new electric railway. It was modern, clean, quiet, and well-used - but 12 years later it was gone. So what went wrong? I went to explore the old tunnels... and discovered the awkward truth.
Many thanks to Roberto and Ferrovie Abbandonate. You can find more photos and info about the San Marino railway (and a whole load of other abandoned Italian railways) here: www.ferrovieabbandonate.it/li...
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IMAGE CREDITS:
Monument to those who died in the bombing of San Marino: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Former railway tunnel at Serravalle: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

A mountain, a legendary football team, and an electric railway. The most powerful trio in the world

[@agba5098]

Unbeaten in two matches in the Nations League! The English better watch their backs.

[@cabe_bedlam]

Yet more things San Marino has in common with Gibraltar :)

[@DoTheCaramelldansen]

Only one man could hope to see them all...

[@protahgonist]

I've never been to San Marino, but I'm pretty sure it's my absolute favorite nation on Earth.

[@gary3561]

Thr fact you're worse than Scotland in football deserves respect . 👏

[@LucaPasini]

Hi! I'm from Rimini and I know this railway very well. My grandparents used its tunnels as bomb shelters during WWII: Rimini was massively bombed because it lied right on the last nazi resistance line after 1943, the whole city was destroyed. There used to be another 950 mm railway line connecting Rimini to Novafeltria, in the beautiful Marecchia valley, where my grandmother's family used to work, which was closed during the sixties. Right now most of the tunnels in San Marino are accessible for cars, bikes or on foot except for one which is a nature reserve for bats. Unfortunately I haven't heard of the restored railway being used in recent times, even in Summer, which is a shame. I often read about proposals to re-open some kind of rapid transit line from Rimini to San Marino, and I think it would be really useful, as the current bus line is quite infrequent, unpractical and relatively expensive, as it's not integrated into the local ticketing system, and floods of tourists, especially Russians, "invade" the republic during the Summer.

[@LucaPasini]

By the way, if you happen to be back in the area I'd be glad to be your local guide, I'm quite a nerd myself about the things you show, and I've been exploring my region for years now!

[@nerfinator03]

One is also used to store snow removal equipment.

[@jonathanwilliams1065]

Well it is an International bus so it makes sense to not be integrated

[@LucaPasini]

@@jonathanwilliams1065 There is a local bus line from Rimini that crosses (or maybe used to cross until very recently) the border in Rovereta to serve a big industrial area: the fact that it's theoretically an international line isn't a problem as the border is totally open, so much so that you often cross it without noticing. From Rovereta you can take the local San Marino bus to the city centre and make the whole trip from Rimini for just a couple of euros. There are a few other places where you can transfer between the two networks, but public transport in San Marino is in general quite bad and infrequent, so it's difficult to make connections. The direct Rimini-San Marino line, on the other hand, is also used by local passengers not crossing the border. It's more expensive and not integrated mainly because the private company and government want to exploit tourists, as most locals use their private cars to move around, and students have access to discounted season tickets.

[@jonathanwilliams1065]

@@LucaPasini even with open borders I doubt you could get a ticket for a French line that would work on a line going to Germany

[@lsdzheeusi]

Who else feels like Tim is single-handedly keeping them sane during Lockdown?

[@thany3]

It's not that bad.

[@cakemartyr5794]

Lockdown hero

[@solracer66]

Definitely, him and Tom Scott...

[@dormouse64]

Tim and Jago Hazzard both do wonders for my sanity...

[@LovelyLaura1710]

I only found Tim during Lockdown/Covid and I've watched all the videos so far :D I need more now cuz I've ran out! :(

[@nephilimcrt]

4:25 'It's too late to apologize' playing in the background XD I love these little details.

[@hd_inmemoriam]

And that "nineteen fort.... nineteen sixty-one" makes it perfect. :D

[@dndragoi1]

man i am SO glad you brought my attention to that!!

[@CarlosEduardo-wy1fh]

And the Top Gear theme at 5:00

[@MercenaryPen]

the fourth part of the trilogy- somebody has been taking cues from Douglas Adams

[@TheTimTraveller]

😇

[@Hannah_Em]

@@TheTimTraveller Does that mean we can look forward to a fifth instalment of the trilogy, too? :D

[@Astfgl]

Part four in the trilogy of five. Yes please!

[@thany3]

@@Hannah_Em The word pentology (or indeed, quadrology) just doesn't roll off the tongue as easily 😀

[@seatedliberty]

So long and thanks for all the abandoned railways?

[@esbenandersen5706]

I know you've heard it before, but I'll just mention how sympathetic you come across when you fairly consistently mention accessibility. It's not the only reason I'm subscribed, but it does make you stand out and I hope it spreads.

[@dissonantdreams]

Yes! As a disabled person myself I really appreciate Tim’s efforts on this. I wish more KZbinrs were as considerate as him!

[@renerpho]

I'm not disabled myself, but I very much agree!

[@Panagiotis1977]

this is what i was going to write as well

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

6:07 Wow that is indeed an extremely dramatic horse!

[@WG55]

I like to think that it is deeply upset at the British bombing raid.

[@gordslater]

a fuuuul Equity meeember

[@billnickels6667]

Almost falling over backwards

[@XANDRE.]

As someone with a disabled friend, I greatly appreciate that you include “mobility reviews” as part of your videos.

[@andyjay729]

When(ever) the lockdown ends, you'll have to visit the Vatican City's little stub of a rail line. And you thought San Marino had a small national rail network...

[@InternationalFeds]

2:33: 🤣 "...and a track with more U-turns than a British politician..." 🤣

[@thomassherer5962]

Or US Sen Lindsey Graham

[@KuK137]

@@thomassherer5962 So, your typical far righter? We have these too...

[@thomassherer5962]

@@KuK137 Yep. There's something in their kool-aid that distorts their Reality & Honesty.

[@chriskrebill1842]

Trust me, American politicians are just as bad! XD

[@schusterlehrling]

In San Marino they actually elect two heads of state in very short terms, so you have even more u-turns in politics over there...

[@areamusicale]

1:05 "piazzale" not "piazza:. it means empty space, usually for parking.

[@TheTimTraveller]

Yeah I only realised it said "piazzale" and not "piazza" after I published the video and watched it back in full screen 🤦‍♂️. It is indeed a parking lot. Thanks for explaining the difference!

[@areamusicale]

@@TheTimTraveller Thanks for the ♡ (ツ)

[@crackwitz]

"piazzale della Stazione" sounds so meaningful, like it's "A Thing", but it literally means parking lot of the station? that's grand

[@everything777]

This truly is the channel where the pedants of KZbin hang out

[@xander1052]

I like how you used OMD - Electricity while talking about an Electric Railway

[@stephenpalmer9375]

oh thank god you named that tune.. it was driving me mad trying to work out what it was!

[@xander1052]

@@stephenpalmer9375 Helps when your sister was obsessed with OMD when they were younger :)

[@FeoragForsyth]

The Barcelona Metro uses it behind their announcements warning of the dangers of going on the track.

[@TheTimTraveller]

@@FeoragForsyth This is an EXCELLENT fact. I didn't know that. Thank you!

[@MrGreatplum]

Got to love Italian measurements “Italian metre gauge” - not 1m! Cracking video as ever!

[@josephturner4047]

Their electric sockets that look the same as the rest of the continent are a different size too. By about 1mm. You have to buy an adapter.

[@MrGreatplum]

@@josephturner4047 - sounds like Swiss ones as well!

[@thany3]

@@josephturner4047 If you need an earthed connection, you'd need an adapter even if the outer prongs were not differently spaced by 1mm. That's because it's the only general-use power connector that has 3 prongs in a straight line.

[@hclarke]

@@josephturner4047 do have any idea why?

[@XMarkxyz]

@@josephturner4047 Most modern sockets have two sets of outer holes so you can fit everything that you would use in the rest of the continent

[@enricomonti156]

And yet, if I may add, the SS72 road that replaced the railway on the Italian side is one of the most dangerous ones in terms of traffic accidents

[@robdavies82]

This wouldn’t have been released had it not been for Covid? What else are you hiding that hasn’t been published? 🤣

[@YeeSoest]

Tim paid a quick visit to the Ark of the Covenant in 2017 when he went to Atlantis via the MarioKart rainbow road without falling off once. Can't wait for that

[@tbates1987]

I think he had plans to re shoot it in the summer when it was running.

[@gordslater]

shooting it less destructive than bombing it I suppose

[@dannynrny473]

San Marino has erected in 2008 a Victoria Cross Memorial dedicated to 1/9 Gurkha Rifleman VC Sher Bahadur Thapa who died on the slopes of Hill 366 near Faetano. Wondering if Tim has seen it.

[@leopold7562]

I’m loving the music choices here, Tim. Investigating the train to the Antiques Roadshow theme, explaining the railway to Electricity and Too Late To Apologise at the apology. It’s these touches that keep me coming back.

[@gymnasiast90]

Yes, and Jessica (the theme to “Top Gear”) as well.

[@FharishAhmed]

"Extremely Dramatic Horse" lol lol

[@Astfgl]

That made me chuckle :D

[@Darwinek]

That sounds very British :)

[@vacuumdiagram]

I want that t-shirt! 🤣

[@dannynrny473]

Artwork by sculptor/painter Aligi Sassu. It's worth some good money

[@civishamburgum1234]

You're Videos never fail to make me happy in these trying times.

[@AB-on1on]

I'm the only one who wants to see Tim's face when he realized that San Marino had a railway.

[@wich1]

No you aren’t :p

[@ErulianADRaghath]

I'm *not* the only one who wants to see Tim's face when he realized that San Marino had a railway.

[@hairyairey]

Technically, it still does. Which surprised me. What next, a hidden railway in Andorra? Seems the only one of the mini-countries to not have one!

[@tonyjones9442]

@@hairyairey the Falkland Islands also had a small railway. Surprisingly.

[@hairyairey]

@@tonyjones9442 That is surprising, although I could see it as being useful if it ran from the airport to the town

[@captainufo4587]

Not only the railway has been converted into a cycle path in San Marino, also in Rimini it has been converted in roads, and the final bit arriving to the Rimini railroad station is now part of a BRT system called Metromare

[@russvhill2]

I definitely want to see the fourth of this trilogy Tim. This one was far too short, so I'll have to binge watch your other stuff again

[@bastiaan4129]

Lets get ready for another week of "Let's go to San Marino" playing in my head.

[@dissonantdreams]

Not gonna lie, I’m kinda gutted that he didn’t sing it this time!

[@kabochaVA]

4:59 Jessica (a.k.a "the Top Gear theme") had me laughing! 😄

[@Urlocallordandsavior]

Surprised that you actually were able to hear that out.

[@kabochaVA]

@@Urlocallordandsavior I know, it's very subtle and doesn't last very long (about 5s only).

[@mrbillhilly343]

Would be great if it could be restored to its full capacity, from the top of San Marino to the international airport at Rimini. Yes, it's only a narrow gauge & most of the old track bed is a highway, but that can easily be solved. Railway overhead viaducts can be installed & dual-gauge track fitted, so Italian trains can run into the bottom of San Marino & the trains from San Marino can run to Rimini. That would get the line useful again.

[@gary3561]

I love the way you play the "wish you were here" theme tune everytime you promote coming to these locations.

[@GeographyWorld]

2018. Remember the days when we all could travel?

[@dontspikemydrink9382]

18?

[@GeographyWorld]

@@dontspikemydrink9382 That's when this video was recorded

[@docvideo93]

Travel? What's that?

[@GeographyWorld]

@@docvideo93 Going to work/school/shop or exercise within a 5km radius of your house.

[@dontspikemydrink9382]

@@GeographyWorld i see, where did it say this

[@kevwang0712]

6:04 A five-part trilogy please please please!

[@zacharyyarost5804]

Your videos are a fantastic escape for me whenever you post them. Thanks! Another great mini documentary!

[@wyttyger567]

Love the videos. Educational, goofy/funny, and always a great way to escape to new areas. Keep up the good work Tim.

[@ColinH1973]

Your cheery demeanour is enough to brighten up anybody's day! Please keep these coming 👍

[@AsplundhFamily]

Your videos are so wonderful, Tim! You explain things in such an easy to understand and entertaining way, and that's not to mention your superb sense of humour. I quite like how you always include accessibility info for the places you mention, it's a really kindhearted thing to do. You're definitely the KZbinr I'd most like to grab a drink with.

[@pwhitewick]

Excellent stuff Tim. Looking forward to Part 4!

[@lorcanmcnamara2985]

Another great one Tim. well done!!

[@SuperCarNation.]

Always look forward when a new video of yours pops up on my Phone! Keep up the amazing work Tim 👌

[@Ojassonnisify]

I learn so much from you. You have a dry humor around your videos and the places that you explore inspire me to look out for similar places in my travels. You really are a unique, refreshing and extremely creative traveller. Kudos!

[@cra83]

Not the main focus of a great video but is that a piano cover of “electricity” by OMD at 3:19?! Brilliant choice, if so!!

[@brookeg5979]

I really appreciate your continued attention to wheelchair and differently abled access to the places you visit. It's sorely missing in most videos of this nature, so it's quite refreshing to hear you address it every time. Thank you so much!

[@MrElbarto75]

You are always finding hidden gems, this is excellent !

[@piecaruso97]

Nice to see you inside the Italian peninsula again, i hope you come visit Naples my city, we got plenty of wired and abbandoned railways and good food

[@guidoboreani1312]

If you wish to learn more about this railway, there is a book: "Rimini - San Marino in treno", by Gian Guido Turchi (a Riminese), published 1982 by Editrice Trasporti su Rotaie. Obviously now it is out of print, but a copy can be found for sale in the internet. The railway was the price Mussolini paid to San Marino for not allowing foreigners to install in San Marino a powerful radio station that could reach a great part of Italy and broadcast news not liked by the régime. The destruction, nearly complete, of the railway was not only due to allied bombing but also to sabotage by retreating german troops.

[@sschmidtevalue]

Entertaining as always! Keep up the good work.

[@john-r-edge]

Who else actually remembers The Flowerpot Men's 1968 hit "Let's Go To San Francisco" which Tim plays at start of this video. A rare British "flower-power, summer of love" hit.

[@AlleghenyMTNRails]

Another awesome video. I loved it. Keep up the great work boss.

[@minustaco42zero24]

I'm glad I found your channel randomly today and subscribed due to me enjoying your videos

[@kylew.franken7810]

If you ever find yourself hankering to jump across the pond when you're able to again, you should definitely cover the Pike's Peak Cog Railway.

[@patriciabracken7546]

I visited San Marino many years ago. Loved it.💖💟

[@davidphilpott6606]

Way cool! Thank you for sharing this, Tim!

[@FrauWNiemand]

I came for interesting videos about crazy borders, I saw interesting videos about mediocre mountain climbs and I stayed for interesting videos about abandoned railways. Thank you, Tim, for over one year of great entertainment and an unexpected friendship and congrats on nearly 90.000 subscribers which find their way to your channnel within this one year.

[@MarbyGaming]

I love the use of a piano version of omd's electricity. Amazing video as always!

[@stelios709]

The most underrated KZbin channel! Hope there's part 4

[@beckobrien4802]

Just found your channel and am thoroughly enjoying it! I’m a big train fan. Looking forward to to checking out more of your train related videos.

[@TheTimTraveller]

Ah welcome aboard! If you like trains you will enjoy approximately one third of my videos :D

[@bitjules]

Have you ever heard of the Costa dei trabocchi in Abruzzo, Italy? It is a beautiful stretch of rocky coast with fishing machines on piles, (Trabocchi) that look like organic contraptions laying on top of the sea. They can host restaurants now days. There's a decommissioned railway line with many tunnels, on the works to be turned into a cycle path. Very picturesque sights and small towns immersed in a Mediterranean climate.

[@maestrozilla]

I walked the leftover path in 1989 super cool ... occasional electric poles still there that held the electric line overhead...

[@logoseven3365]

Thanks for the extra effort to get us more videos.

[@SecretSquirrelFun]

A VERY dramatic horse INdeed. Thanks again for sharing your adventures with me, much appreciated 🙂🐿.

[@flmbprt]

Just Loved it! I've been in S. Marino in january 1986. By bus, of course! Have not seen a trace of the railway... I love trains since my childhood, when we used to travel by night 450km to visit my grandparents in Brazil's 'interland'. There is only the old station left of that railway. So sad railways desapear like that.

[@althejazzman]

5:00 Well done for finding a piano piece relevant to a road. That's the intro to Jessica by The Allman Brothers that was used as the Top Gear theme in the 90's.

[@WegrennerX]

Love your content so much.

[@christianfreedom-seeker934]

Lots of old "ghost lines" in Europe. There was one outside of what is now SHAPE Belgium, it used to connect several communities back before WW2. Abandoned and ripped. Quite a few Belgian towns had branch lines to them but, WW2 changed that drastically and the postwar transportation plan pretty much had railways running between cities only. There is a remarkable perserved "local line" along the Lisse River that runs summer tourist trains. (Yes, still talking about Belgium) You can sometimes still see the old "right of ways" or pick out enough clues to guess where the line used to run. 😁

[@asdsdjfasdjxajiosdqw8791]

I absolutely love this channel.

[@seanolaocha940]

These videos are so calming

[@P-B-G_YT]

The Narrow Gauge railway, White Pass and Yukon Route which ran from Skagway, Alaska, to Whitehorse, Yukon, used a 914mm gauge. I had to look that up when you mentioned the 95cm gauge of the San Marino tracks. I live in Whitehorse, and grew up playing around the tracks since my father worked for the railway.

[@FriedlichChiller]

1:02 I believe this is what's called a "Geoff Marshall shot".

[@rosiefay7283]

I doubt Geoff Marshall invented it.

[@FriedlichChiller]

So do I.

[@domtweed7323]

Do you know what the tune playing in the background was?

[@FriedlichChiller]

@@domtweed7323 It definitely rings a bell, but I don't know either. As far as I know, Tim records the piano parts himself.

[@jamesrobinson9194]

@@domtweed7323 the theme tune to Antiques Roadshow

[@vion3426]

Keep up the great content!

[@Happymali10]

2:36 If you think that's a lot, check out Switzerland's RhB narrow gauge railway (Just look up "Glacier Express"). It has way more loops and turnaround-tunnels.

[@CaptHollister]

Wow. Your Italian pronunciation of Piazza Della Stazione is perfect, complimenti. Immediately followed by giggles when you entered the tunnel to the theme music from the Antiques Road Show, but when you mentioned an upcoming fourth installment of what will become an increasingly inaccurately named trilogy, giggles were no longer sufficient and I had no recourse but to resort to guffaws. Thanks for the entertaining style, Mr. TT.

[@jasongarufi8187]

Thank you for the trilogy of videos from San Marino

[@McRocket]

What a lovely then sad and finally, semi-lovely story. Thank you. ☮

[@philb2820]

The little things that I learn watching your videos. Must say that I am jealous of your travels.

[@ianoliver3879]

Brilliant stuff. Thank you very much.

[@DetroitMicroSound]

Brilliant work! 🚊

[@michaelgallo3943]

Tim, you do such a good job. I love to travel and I would watch anything you do on different destinations. Once COVID is over, I would encourage you do start doing videos that are in the 20 - 30 min length on all of the wonderful destinations around, Europe, UK, Ireland, etc. I am a fan for life.

[@TheTimTraveller]

Ah thank you!

[@colofabrix]

I didn't know it's open to visit! I'm going there next weekend! Lucky I'm a local :D Greatham videos and channel

[@fabiodoublebroad5389]

I’m so jealous now you’re in San Marino and welcome to my country !

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

Wow look at the views from up there! So cool

[@Alby_Torino]

In very windy bright days you can even see Pyongyang

[@Happymali10]

Check out the "Golden Pass Railway" in Switzerland. They have train cars that change from narrow- to regular gauge while in operation.

[@Sim0nTrains]

Didn't even knew that San Marino even had a Railway, Brilliant and interesting video.

[@don_kiki]

Fantastic video again!!!

[@MatthewChenault]

“You can find it next to this extremely dramatic horse.” Why, yes, that is an extremely dramatic horse.

[@automotivetales]

Who doesn’t love a surprise vintage railway! You should come see the great central heritage line near Loughborough some time! 😁

[@patrickmoody9367]

Appreciated Electricity by OMD just when you said electricity Love your work! Also have loved your acsessability notes in videos

[@richardcochrane1966]

3:19 Nice touch - the music is a version of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's "Electricity"....LOL!

[@DonnieX6]

0:46 love your piano cover of "Let's go to San -Francisco- Marino"! :D

[@garryhammond7616]

Great video. Love the fact the train has no graffiti even though it totally open to the public.

[@nick1106]

Loving the Antiques Roadshow cover

[@greenhat5137]

Thank you! I couldn't place what it was from and it was annoying me!

[@lorenzo_contini_7]

Big plus for the perfect Italian pronunciation :D

[@dontspikemydrink9382]

almost

[@mathissevanhaverbeke3952]

The San Marino introsong! That's what I needed in my life today

[@vorebiz]

San Marino, Andorra, and other tiny countries fascinate me. Really want to visit them sometime.

[@AnTyx]

Posting this from next to the train in summer of 2023! Looks like they ran it twice a day at the end of April and 1st of May, no other times posted on the closed ticket booth, but the train is right there and the tunnel is accessible and even well-lit!

[@zanelindsay1267]

Obscure railway remnants in a mountainous European enclave makes for a really fascinating story for us esoteric enthusiasts. And even more so if there is a possibility for additional restoration efforts. There is a curious story behind "Italian metre gauge", the result of a political decree. Thanks again for revealing yet another hidden gem!

[@lillehavn90]

looking forward to part 4 :)

[@getyerspn]

indeed it Sounds like a very good idea for he 4th part ... really like you're videos .. very likely parts of the world most of us would never have seen otherwise.

[@daytoy]

I think San Marino owes Tim a debt of gratitude for singlehandedly boosting this tiny republic’s presence on KZbin.

[@Ryanizor]

welcome back tim

[@AndyHawkeye007]

6:02 "... the next instalment in Douglas Ad- no, Tim Traveller's increasingly mistlited Hitch- no, San Marino Trilogy"

[@JostSchwider]

Great find! 👍 BTW: I like your sense of humor! 🤣

[@martymcfly256]

Reminds me a bit of Flett tunnel, close to where I live. That's a disused old railway tunnel from the 1880s.

[@TylerSkylionChilders]

I love your jaunty composition of OMD....

[@jacklong1844]

Love the timing of the filming disclaimer

[@digaishere_5458]

At 5:25 he said "locomotive" to describe the train but since it's an electric powered multiple carriage set, wouldn't it be more accurate if he had called it an "EMU (Electric Multiple Unit)"?

[@TheTimTraveller]

Yeah I did wonder about this but as far as I can tell the sets were never attached to each other in the way that a fixed multiple unit is. And if you look at the historic photo at 3:20 you can see that there's one powered vehicle at the front and the others are just carriages. I can't be 100% sure but I think it's accurate to call it a loco.

[@Noorderned]

@@TheTimTraveller ; I would call it a motorized carriage or motor-car for short. See also second alinea of this Wikipedia article (which seems to display a bit of a mix-up of both American and British-English terminology) en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railcar