Narrow gauge in Romania

[John Liebson]

Change the spelling of "guage" to "gauge" in the links; they will then be valid.

[nokia3310]

In some areas of Romania, due to certain conditions (they where biuled in mountian areas), we had narrow guage railraoads. The majority of them where built in Transylvania (whic until 1918 was part of the Austro-Hungaryan Empire). After WW2 a part of them where converted into normal gauge (1,435 mm) or partially/totally closed. After the falling of the Communism in Romania (1989), the railroads entered into big crise, so the majority of the narrow gauge railroads where closed. The bus and mini-bus owners thought they will have bigger incomes, but it wasn't so. Some of the people where tyed to the mocăniţă (the name given in Romanina language to these trains, from mocan = inhabator of the mountains). Luckly, the steam locomotives escaped (from 1990 to 1997 "only" 1,100 - yes one thousand one hundred steam locomotives where massacred in Romania).

The foundation of Prince Charles of U.K. will help to rebuilt the Sibiu - Sighişoara narrow guage railroad (b.t.w., Sighişoara is the only citadel still inhabated in Europe). The part Sibiu - Agnita still exists, but the part Agnita - Sighişoara was closed in 1965. There is one more problem: the ones who are biulding Transilvania motorway didn't put in theyr plans the railroad.

Here are some pictures:

http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix/ro/narrow_gauge/pix.html

http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix/ro/steam/narrow_gauge/pix.html

 The numbering of the series 68x and of 76x cames from the gauge: 680 mm  and 760 mm.

One some pictures apear streetcars, because the first electric railroad in Romania was also narrow gauge (only one small part of it is in use now :( ).