1294i

INTERNATIONAL SUPPLEMENT TO BLN 1294 02 DECEMBER 2017

BRANCH LINE NEWS

INTERNATIONAL

This newsletter covers the World outside the British Isles from information
supplied by members.

Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Compilers or of the Society.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS TEAM:-
International Editor (to whom all email and postal contributions should be sent):
Paul Griffin, 7 School Bell Mews, Church Lane, Stoneleigh, COVENTRY, CV8 3ZZ
Email: [email protected]
Deputy International Editor: Derek Woodward, 68 Church Street, Matlock, DERBY, DE4 3BY

________________________________________________________

Chişinău is the capital of Moldova, so a suitably impressive station building is to be expected, the present building
dating from the late 1870s. The station is equipped as an international port of entry/exit, with a customs hall, and
border control. International services arrive at and depart from platform 1, whose concourse can be closed off with
barriers to create a contained customs zone. Note that the Romanian and Russian words for station (Gara and
Вокзал (Vohzal) respectively) may be seen above the arch, a reminder of the two major ethnic groups of the
country.

EUROPE

[460] Austria - Track related matters from the 2017-2018 timetable
East of Graz the extension of the Gleisdorf to Weiz branch to Weiz Schulzentrum has been delayed
awaiting ministerial approval, so will not commence in December as planned.

As predicted the regular IC service over the Salzburg avoiding line is to end, however there will be
some overnight train diversions over the curve in the timetable period.

[461] Austria – Friedberg to Oberwart branch sold
On 14 September 2017 a contract was signed in Oberwart for the purchase from ÖBB of the 25.8km-
long Friedberg to Oberwart branch by Verkehrsinfrastruktur Burgenland. After passenger services
ended in 2011 ÖBB attempted to sell the line, but found no takers. Since then freight traffic has
increased substantially.

[462] Croatia - Zaprešić to Zabok to be electrified
The European Commission is to provide €80.8m for the modernisation and electrification of the 24.2
km line from Zaprešić to Zabok to support an expansion of suburban services northwest of Zagreb.
The project includes the construction of several sections of new alignment, the elimination of all level
crossings and the renovation of the stations. Completion is planned for 2021.

[463] Croatia/Slovenia – New initiative to reopen cross-border route
The railway line from Savski Marof (in Croatia) to Kumrovec and Imeno (in Slovenia) closed in 2000,
with only the short stub to Harmica at the southern end remaining in use. The line crosses the border
between the two states several times before the final crossing before Imeno. This creates some
unresolved border issues which, and along with the fact that Croatia is unlikely to enter the Schengen
area until 2019, has stalled attempts to revive the route. Now a new initiative by local Mayors and
local authorities has been launched.

[464] France – Pertuis ‘branch’ to close
Some local trains from Marseilles continue past Aix-en-Provence up the Grenoble line as far as
Meyrargues, where the freight line to Cavaillon branches off westwards. From 3 September 2001 these
trains continued to Pertuis, a short distance along the Cavaillon line. Recent reports that the service
from Meyrargues to Pertuis would cease with the December timetable change appear to have been
confirmed as the new timetable does not show Pertuis at all. Although the station is not well
patronised, the station closure may well be the result of a planned four year closure of the Cavaillon
line for engineering works. That sounds excessive even by SNCF standards, so maybe this is closure by
stealth.

[465] France - Rodez to Sévérac-le-Château
L'Echo du Rail reports this line will close from 10 December 2017 for track work for at least four years
(!) - but for which no financing is yet in place. Given the very low patronage permanent closure must
be a real possibility.

[466] France - Beauvais - Abancourt - Le Tréport. Budget agreed for regeneration
More details have been reported in the local press about plans to regenerate the TER line from
Beauvais to Le Tréport Mers-les-Bains via Abancourt.
The line will temporarily close from June 2018 to December 2019. The trains will be replaced by
autocars during the closure. All the rails, ballast and sleepers will be replaced between Beauvais and
Abancourt (47 km). On the section Abancourt - Le Tréport (57 km) there will be partial replacement of

sleepers (1 in 3) and the oldest rails will be changed. Level crossings will be renewed and platforms will
be re-surfaced where necessary or demolished in the case of those in stations now closed. Signals not
in use will be removed. The platforms at Le Tréport will be made wheel-chair accessible. The total
budget is 71 million euros. 71% will be paid by Hauts-de-France Region, 15% by Normandie Region and
the remainder by SNCF Réseau. The French State will make no contribution. The modernisation is
expected to eliminate current speed restrictions at 60 kph and keep the line open for the next 30
years. Beauvais - Le Tréport is operated by TER Hauts-de-France. The line is partly located in
Normandie (76 Seine-Maritime) - between Aumale and the terminus at Le Tréport (49 km). There are
6,000 passengers a week on average, mainly school children and tourists in the summer. Mondays to
Fridays there are currently 5 return services by rail from Beauvais to Abancourt (with 6 stops) in 56
minutes. 3 services continue from Abancourt to Le Tréport with a 4th one on Friday evenings. On
Saturdays there are 4 return services along the line in 1h53m with 11 stops. On Sundays there are 3
return services. The first in the morning starts from Paris-Nord and the last in the evening from Le
Tréport returns to Paris-Nord. It can be estimated that, on the re-opening date, journey times
between Beauvais and Abancourt should be improved by at least 10 minutes and between Abancourt
and Le Tréport by at least 15 minutes. This country line runs through attractive scenery and those
interested should note that it is still operated with Lartigue semaphore signals and telegraph poles and
wires are also still visible between Blangy-sur-Bresle and Eu. These items of infrastructure may be
partly or totally swept away in the modernisation. Courtesy of the French Railways Society

[467] Germany – The Naumburg tram system
BLNI 1292.422 included a picture of a Naumburg tram and the caption pointed out what appeared to
be an unusual offset buffer. A member promptly pointed out that the "offset buffer" is actually the
coupler. He goes on to give a potted history of the tram system as follows:
Your correspondent will have noted that the town is some distance from the railway and on a hill. A
steam tram service started on 15 September 1892 between Bahnhof and Wenzeltor via Markt. This
lasted until 25 October 1906. Electric traction was introduced on 2 January 1907 and the line was
extended to Salztor at this time. Within a year there was an extension to Michaelistor and the ring was
completed by 1909. From the start of World War II operation was anticlockwise only, and this
continued until the start of the winter 1957 timetable. The town section from Poststrasse to Platz der
Einheit (present day Theaterplatz) closed on 12 April 1976 in conjunction with town centre
pedestrianisation. Platz der Einheit to the depot closed on 30 December 1981 and was replaced on the
same day by the current line via Marienring, thus closing the ring. There was a suspension of service
from 30 January 1986 to 23 June 1987, and from 24 June 1987 the line ran in the clockwise direction
only. Service ceased again on 18 August 1991 and was formally closed on 1 August 1992. However
occasional services ran for tourist purposes under the auspices of the municipality and daily service
resumed on 30 March 2007. Work is currently in hand to reinstate a further section from the current
terminus at Vogelwiese to Salztor, and he recalls reading somewhere of plans to relocate the Bahnhof
terminus back to its original location in front of the station.
(Information culled from Naumburg und seine Strassenbahn, and Die Strassenbahn in Ostdeutschland
Teil 2, both published by Schweers + Wall). He goes on to provide four pictures taken 2 July 1991.

Approaching the Bahnhof from the closed section
In front of the Bahnhof - the present terminus is some distance to the left

Michaelisstrasse
Moritzplatz

[468] Germany - Klütz to Reppenhagen NG to be extended
The route of the "Klützer Kaffeebrenner" narrow gauge railway (600mm) on the Baltic coast is
currently 4.5 km long, but an extension of a further kilometre to the village of Gutow is planned for
next year.

[469] Germany - Another trial period of operation for the Lüneburg to Bleckede line
From 11 to 16 December 2017 SPNV will be conducting another trial service between Lüneburg and
Bleckede, with HVV tariffs applying, though Niedersachsen Land tickets and other day tickets will be
valid. The line is currently used for heritage railway operations in the summer months.

[470] Germany - Darßbahn reprieved for 2018
VMV, the transport association of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has announced that the closure-
threatened Darßbahn service between Velgast and Barth will run in 2018. Instead of the current two-
hourly service through to Stralsund, the service will run at alternate 40/80-minute intervals, between
Velgast and Barth only. A review of the revised offer on the Barth branch will take place towards the
end of 2018 or the beginning of 2019. It is hoped with the increased frequency on the branch, and
better connections into RE services as well as ICs, that usage will increase. The station (Haltepunkt) at
Kummerow - on the main line between Velgast and Stralsund - will close at the forthcoming timetable
change. It is currently only served by the Barth branch trains running through to Stralsund; as this
practice will cease, this station will no longer be able to be served. It is apparently not possible to stop
the RE9s there for timetabling reasons. The operator is believed to be DB Regio MV, replacing UBB
(Usedomer Bäderbahn). Still no news on whether the proposed reopening of the rest of the branch to
Zingst or Prerow is to go ahead.

[471] Italy/Switzerland - Mendrisio to Varese line to commence services
On 15 November tests were conducted between between Stabio and Cantello Gaggiolo (the border
between Switzerland and Italy), to test the changeover from 3 kV DC to 15 kV AC and also the change
from Italian SCMT to the Swiss security system EUROZUB/EUROSIGNUM. The following day EMU 524
001 ran from Mendrisio to Varese and back to enable the official acceptance of the line.
So everything appeared to be on course for this much delayed cross-border reopening to commence
operation on 10 December 2017, but even that has now been deferred until 7 January. Km distances
are as follows: (Mendrisio 0) - Stabio 3.549 - Border 6.252 = 11.058 - Cantello-Gaggiolo 10.068 -
Arcisate 6.187 - Induno Olona 3.507 - Varese 0. A total of 17.31 km. Also on 7 January the [Varese] –
Arcisate – Porto Ceresio line reopens, having closed in 2011 due to the shared section with the Stabio
to Varese project.

[472] Lithuania/Latvia/Belarus – Report of visit in June 2017
Arrival in Klaipėda (Lithuania) was via the DFDS ferry from Kiel, which sails along the fairly narrow
waterway between the Curonian Spit and the mainland, giving some opportunities for train watching
in the port area. The new ferry terminal is now closer to the town centre (some 3km south) – the
information on the Seat61 website is now out of date. Arriving at the terminal, the route to the exit is
a bridge across some of the port railway tracks. There did not appear to be any bus service to the
terminal itself, but city bus 9 stops on the main road some 200 metres away.

First view of the port railway in Klaipėda with cross-harbour ferry in the foreground
Klaipėda ferry terminal with walkway across harbour railway tracks

Unfortunately there is currently no passenger rail service at all across the Lithuania-Latvia border, but
Klaipėda’s modern bus station is across the street from the railway station (services to Vilnius only)
and there are bus services to Liepāja (Liepoja in Lithuanian), taking about 90 minutes, as well as
directly to Rīga.
Liepāja’s impressive railway station now serves almost exclusively as a bus station, unsurprisingly as
the passenger train service consists of one weekly train pair to/from Rīga (from Rīga on Friday, back on
Sunday dep 17:30). This makes for an unsettling passenger experience as the single platform has
almost none of the expected facilities – no staff, no ticket facilities, no passenger information or
indicators and almost no seats.

Liepāja bus and railway station

However, by about 17:00 a few people had started to gather and when the 3-coach DMU train arrived
(from the Rīga direction) it had two lady conductors on board and it was fairly well filled when it left.
The two ladies were kept busy – a single ticket to Rīga cost a bargain EUR7.20 for a journey of around
220km (3¼ hours). For the first part of the journey the ride was extremely uneven (presumably shaken
to pieces by a procession of heavy freight trains). If the train hadn’t turned up then there were a fair
few bus services to Rīga, but the train must have swallowed up at least three full busloads.

Liepāja station platform with the weekly train to Rīga

Liepāja is worth a visit for its single metre-gauge tram line which passes in front of the railway station
and through the town centre.

Liepāja tram with railway station in background

Even on a Sunday there was a tram every 7-8 minutes. The line continues for around 1km north-east of
the station; beyond the town centre it serves southern suburbs. A southern extension goes through a
modern housing district opened in 2013 (information from Robert Schwandl’s Tram Atlas Northern
Europe), the new section branches off at a right angle from the original tracks which continue for a few
hundred metres along Klaipēdas iela – apparently still useable [Google’s Street View of 2011 shows a
tram at the now unused Klaipēdas iela terminus]. Unfortunately for line collectors the tram drivers
would not allow passengers to stay on board while the tram went round the turning circles at each end
of the line – there are separate stops for inbound and outbound directions. This is a very characterful
system that feels like a bit of a survival; the trams are original Tatra vehicles and pass through narrow
streets with wooden houses on each side. A single ticket costs EUR 0.70 (0.80 from the driver) and a
day ticket is EUR 2.50.
Rīga has by far the largest tram system in the Baltic States, with 8 lines, some of which make long
journeys into the suburbs. Most of the lines on the western side of the river pass through some
attractive park areas and districts with wooden houses. Line 10 to Bišumuiža has a particularly old-
fashioned character, with long sections of single track running along the roadside. On the eastern side,
line 5 to Mīlgrāvis feels more post-industrial. It runs parallel to the mainline railway towards Skulte
(with no fence in between) then further north near its terminus has the unusual feature of a flat
crossing with a broad-gauge (freight-only) line.

Rīga tram line 5 – flat crossing between tram line and freight line

Unlike in Liepāja, the drivers are usually relaxed about passengers staying on board around the turning
circles. A day ticket costs EUR 5. A “retro” tram route operates at weekends during the summer. The

entire Latvian Railways (Pasažieru Vilciens) domestic timetable, with a schematic map, is available in a
handy fold-out pocket-sized guide. Unfortunately for anyone planning to visit the narrow-gauge line
from Gulbene (our members did not do this), PV trains are not currently operating to Gulbene, only to
Madona (and then only twice a week). Outside the Rīga suburban area, passenger train service in
Latvia is really skeletal and apart from the Liepāja service the western part of the country has no
passenger trains at all. Between Rīga and Daugavpils, the second largest city in Latvia, there are only 4
PV trains per day, at irregular times that leave a gap of over 5 hours. Train 88 Rīga-Minsk runs every
other night (20:00 Rīga, 07:50 Minsk) and on their trip consisted of three Belarus Railways sleeper
coaches.

Train 88 Rīga-Minsk being shunted in to Rīga station

The accommodation was comfortable enough but unfortunately the trip can’t be highly recommended
for a peaceful night because the last of the border formalities were not complete until somewhere in
the region of 02:00 (Latvian and Belarus customs and immigration, making a total of four visits). This is
the only passenger train scheduled to use the Latvia-Belarus border crossing via Indra. Arrival at
Minsk’s ultra-modern Passazhirsky station, slightly reminiscent of an airport, with a large ‘departure
lounge’ and escalators linking multiple levels, was on time at 07:50.

Train 88 on arrival at Minsk Passazhirsky
Interior of Minsk Passazhirsky

Train information board at Minsk Passazhirsky

A day in Minsk gave an excellent opportunity to sample the various transport systems. Easily the
highlight was the K. S. Zaslonov Minsk Children’s Railway, which is next to an amusement park in the
north-east of the city, easily reached via the metro (Park Chelyuskintsev stop). The line is a faithful
scale model of a ‘real railway’ – the gauge is 750mm. The main station (Zaslonovo) has an imposing
white building with spacious ticket office and waiting room.

The main station (Zaslonovo) on the Minsk Children’s Railway

Departure board at Zaslonovo station

The single platform is unusually wide. The fare is 3.50 Belarus Roubles (about £1.35). Almost all duties
are carried out by teenage children, with a few mainly younger adults providing discreet supervision.
On the day of the visit an intensive service was in operation, with a departure every 35-40 minutes.
The aim seemed to be to give a job to everyone; when the train arrived it had 7 coaches in Belarus
Railways livery and each coach was assigned two ‘conductors’ who checked tickets once at the
entrance, again after departure and again on the way back, recording the numbers on a paper form.

Train at Zaslonovo station

According to Internet information the length of the line between the two end stations is 3.79km. At
each end there is a loop; the Zaslonovo station is roughly in the middle of the loop while at the other
end (Sosnovy Bor) it is beyond the station – the train goes round the loop before stopping at the
station for about 10 minutes.

Start of track loop at Sosnovy Bor station

Train at Sosnovy Bor station

The route is mainly through forest and attractive park land although it does cross a slightly more open
and built-up area where there is a level crossing (guarded by plenty of railway staff, of course). The
depot is in this area and according to maps there is a station (Pionerskaya) although the trains did not
seem to stop there.
Minsk also has 8 broad-gauge tram lines operating over a roughly X-shaped system, as well as a metro
with two lines. On the day of the visit (a Saturday) all trams spotted were single (and single-ended)
cars, providing a very frequent service.

Minsk tram in city centre – the sign on the side translates roughly as “Easy to stop him? (picture of bison). The tram
weighs as much as 40 adult bison. Don’t be a follower!”

The fare for tickets bought in advance is a bargain 0.55 Roubles (around 20p); on the metro this buys a
token that you have to insert into a machine at the entrance. There are disused tram tracks in the
square outside Passazhirsky station, so evidently the system was once more extensive. The terminus of
tram lines 3 and 4 (plus others) is at DS Vozera, the north-west end of the ‘X’, where there is a wide
turning circle [DS = dispetchskaya stantsya or “control room station”]. The turning circle is clearly
visible in Google Maps’ satellite view, just outside the second ring road, where Staravilienski trakt
crosses vulica Arloŭskaya, although the maps only mark the tram route very faintly and do not show
the stops.

Minsk tram at DS Vozera terminus

The final part of the journey back to Western Europe was on train 13 “Strizh” (Swift) from Minsk to
Berlin Ostbahnhof. This is formed of brand-new Talgo stock, very similar in layout to a Spanish
Trenhotel, and possibly there is still some debugging to do as a Talgo representative was observed on
board.

Train 13 Minsk-Berlin Ostbahnhof at Minsk Passazhirsky

At least this train crosses the Belarus border at a respectable time – in the region of 22:00 (Belarus
time which is one hour ahead of CET). Between Brest and Terespol the train went slowly through the
gauge-changing shed where there seemed to be a large number of observers including a video
cameraman. Border formalities consisted of two visits each by Belarus and Polish officials but were
over quite quickly, with some light-hearted discussion among the Polish officers whether British
people should still be admitted to the EU.

[473] Poland – New flyovers open shortly avoiding Kraków-Płaszów
With the start of the new timetable on 10 December almost all trains between Kraków and stations to
Zakopane are routed via the new flyovers between Kraków Zabłocie and Kraków Krzemionki which
avoid Kraków Płaszów station. As a result the present route for Zakopane trains from Kraków Płaszów
to Kraków Krzemionki will see very few trains indeed. They will be the Zakopane portion of the
KARPATY overnight TLK from/to Gdynia and Warszawa, the dated weekend MORSKIE OKO EIC from/to
Warszawa and the northbound dated EIC service to Gdynia (GIEWONT) or Warszawa (TATRY)
dependent upon the day of the week.

[474] Poland/Czech Republic - Mieroszów to Meziměstí border crossing reopening confirmed
According to the ČD 2017/18 timetable pdfs and a Polish website, there will be four train pairs
between Wałbrzych Główny and Meziměstí via Mieroszów on weekends and holidays next year
between 28 April and 2 September. Operated by a Koleje Dolnośląskie DMU the first and last trains will
run from/to Wrocław Główny and will extend beyond Meziměstí via Teplice nad Metuji to Adršpach on
the line to Trutnov. The Adršpach area has many strange and beautiful rock formations which are a
significant tourist destination.

[475] Poland/Slovakia - Reopening of Leluchów – Čirč border crossing?
The pressure group Organization for Train Reconstruction claim to have negotiated with Polish and
Slovakian railways a summer only Košice to Kraków train pair by the Leluchów – Čirč border crossing,
closed after serious flood damage washed away a bridge north of Muszyna on 4/5 June 2010, but
reopened only for freight on 17 January 2011. If the story is correct the trains will commence in
summer 2018.

[476] Romania – Bucharest tram changes
On completion of major road works to construct a road underpass at Piata Sudului south of the city
centre there has been a reorganization of tram lines.
Line 1: Circular. The terminus has been transferred from Sura Mare to Romprim further south from the
city centre. Also the line has been redesignated as Line 1 anticlockwise and Line 10 clockwise.
Line 19: Reinstated from Sura Mare to replace diverted Line 1.
Line 34: Provided from Sura Mare via Piata Sudului round the east of the city terminating at Banu
Manta on the north side.
Line 11: Terminus of Zetarilor retained and not transferred back to Romprim as before road works.
The Tram network map can be found at www.ratb.ro/maps1/Tramvaie.pdf

[477] Spain – Track used by museum trains in Madrid
It looks as if the Tren de la Fresa (the 'Strawberry Train' to Aranjuez) ran from Principe Pio in 2017,
rather than the former Delicias terminus, the railway museum, as did the Tren de Navidad ('Christmas
Train') in Dec 2016/Jan 2017. Our member wonders if RENFE will no longer allow passenger carrying
trains from the Museo de Ferrocarril. Nothing about the Tren de Navidad for this Christmas as yet;
they are usually very late in posting information. This means that EGTRE ES17/33 loses services over
the stub from Bif. Museo to the Museo del Ferrocarril (Paseo de las Delicias), but gains the short
stretch from Bif. Museo to Delicias Cercanias station, which was last used by the very elusive (it ran on
only a few days a year and was difficult to find) 'classic' overnight between Bilbao and Malaga.

[478] Switzerland - Durchmesserlinie St. Gallen progress
The Appenzeller Bahn have released the following information: the line from St Gallen to Teufen will
close at end of traffic on 2 April 2018 and buses will replace trains. The new line and tunnel will be
launched with a festival on 6 October 2018 with timetabled traffic starting on 8 October 2018. Trains
from Trogen will continue to terminate at St Gallen until the December 2018 timetable.

REST OF THE WORLD

[479] Canada – The end for the Englewood logging railway
Western Forest Products Inc., a Canadian forest products company, announced in early October that it
would close its Englewood logging railway on Northern Vancouver Island to save money and increase
competitiveness. The company's decision to end its train operations comes less than a year after a
train derailment killed three workers. Built in 1917, the railway was the only remaining log transport
railway system on British Columbia's coast.

[480] Cuba – News round up
Repairs to the network continue after the hurricane. The Meyer-Condado section has been repaired
but the section between Condado and Manaca Iznaga is still being fixed with specialised forces from
Placetas and Jarahueca assisting the Trinidad local forces. This is line that connects Trinidad with
several towns in the Valley of the Sugar Mills, and is used for special tourist trains.
19 November saw celebrations as part of the 180th anniversary of Cuban Railways. 180 locomotives
blew their horns simultaneously at 09:00 and a locomotive pulling two coaches departed from Havana
Central to Bejucal for the official celebrations. This was the same route as that of the first train that ran
on 19 November 1837. A cultural event took place, conferences were held and 2,000 railway
employees with over 30 years of experience were recognized for their achievements. It was
announced that Cuban Railways would go onto the worldwide web for the first time with the launch of
the official FCC website on the 19 November, but there was no sign of this two days later…

[481] USA - World's “shortest” railway resumes service
The 298 feet-long Angels Flight funicular railway was built in 1901 by Colonel J.W. Eddy to ferry
workers from the top of Bunker Hill to downtown Los Angeles and closed in 1969 as the area was
redeveloped. The two cars, Olivet and Sinai, were stored and recommissioned in 1993 when the
funicular was rebuilt a few hundred metres away. It closed again in 2001 following the death of a

passenger, but operations restarted on 15 March 2010. It was closed again after a minor derailment
incident on 5 September 2013 and the discovery of serious safety issues.
Following a campaign to preserve the funicular, which is listed on the National Register of Historic
Places, the Mayor struck a deal by which the non-profit Angels Flight Railway Foundation and the ACS
Group—a construction and development company— will pay for safety upgrades and maintain and
operate the railway for the next 30 years in exchange for a share of the profits. The bottom station is
by the Pershing Square Metro station. The funicular duly reopened on 31 August 2017, though rather
embarrassingly it closed again for a few days four days later due to a mechanical problem.
Angels Flight has been called “the world’s shortest railway” (which should get a few BLS members
getting out their reference texts) and recently featured in the award-winning film La La Land.
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RAILTOURS AND DIVERSIONS OVER NON-PASSENGER LINES
This is provided as a service to members and details must be checked with the organisers.

The LCGB is pleased to renew its invitation to BLS members to participate in its Overseas Study Tours.
A brief outline of each is shown below together with contact details. Further information on each tour
is placed on the LCGB website as it becomes available at www.lcgb.org.uk. To join LCGB Overseas
Tours travel insurance is mandatory.
Bulgaria - February - joining a special train from Nurnberg to Bulgaria. Loco types 4-8-2, 4-6-2, 2-10-0,
2-12-4T and ng 2-10-2T.
Cuba - February - travel with vintage steam, diesel and electric power plus visits to UNESCO world
heritage sites.
Germany - late April. Trier Dampfspektakel - 4 days Plandampf with 100 steam trains, 10 main line
locos and vintage electrics and diesels.
Netherlands - late May - our regular weekend trip to the bi-annual Dordrecht in Stoom festival with
steam of all kinds on rail, road and water.
Baltic States - September - postponed from 2017 - visiting virtually all preservation sites in Estonia,
Latvia and Lithuania including steam, diesel and tram charters.
Ethiopia/Djibouti - Autumn - travel on new electrified sg line plus new light rail lines and sightseeing.
Russia - late September/October - luxury train from Moscow using 21 different steam locos including
four of the famous Cl.P36 4-8-4s.
Further details of these tours can be obtained from Adrian Palmer, 46 Heathside, Weybridge, Surrey,
KT13 9YL or by email from [email protected]