Europe
For lists which includes many European Museum sites see http://www.heritagerailways.com/world.html
(English only) European Federation of Museum & Tourist Railways http://www.fedecrail.org/en/index_en.html
and http://www.innvista.com/culture/travel/rail/museuro.htm
(various languages). If you are prepared to spend some time browsing then the
pictures on this site will take you to many preservation sites - http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix_frameset.html.
Austria (updated
18th November 2009)
For an English language summary of extant lines please check out http://www.austrian-railways.org/argng.htm
and http://members.surfeu.at/magag/index-e.htm. These
are direct links to most of the operating railway's websites which are largely
German language although the major ones have parts in English. The amount of
steam activity varies from daily in the tourist season to occasional.
Bosnia
(added 1st August 2007)
The coal mine at Banovici has working steam, although I believe its status is
now spare to diesels. For the reports check the Europe page
on this site.
Bulgaria
(updated 4th October 2007)
2-10-2T 60976 has been reported active on special trains on the Septemvri to Dobriniště
line - for picture of it in action in 2007 see the links on http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix/bg/narrow_gauge/steam/609/pix.html.
James Waite has sent a
report of his visit (4th October 2007)
Czech Republic (updated
18th November 2009)
The narrow gauge lines from Jindřichův to Hradec and Obrataň operate a
diesel service with steam on summer weekends and special days, for their own
website see http://www.jhmd.cz/ and for an introduction
see also http://www.vitejte.cz/objekt.php?oid=3030&j=en.
In addition to the U47 here originally, Heinrich Hubbert adds (1st September 2008)
that in August 2008 there were two further steam locomotives working - a Resita
and a PX 48.
James Waite has sent a
report of his visit (2nd September 2008)
Heinrich adds (1st September 2008) a Resita 0-8-0T is now available for
special workings on the last CD narrow gauge line between Osoblaha and Třemešná
in the North East of the country - see http://www.orchestrion.cz/narrow.htm
for basic information on this railway and http://ftp.czechtourism.com/133premier/en/cd/en/news/news133.htm
for information on steam operation (at least in 2006).
Thomas Nugent (via Chris Allen and Chris Hodrien) reports (14th August 2008):
"I went to a restored narrow gauge railway in a large industrial town called Kolin
, a pleasant 50 mile round trip along the Labe by bike (the old paddle steamer is still there by the way, untouched). I was at Kolin last year when restoration work was still under way, but it is now open to the public and runs a weekend service.I had a look at
http://www.mapy.cz and it appears that all of the buildings have been erected in the past couple of years. Money came from the EU as well as local companies such as Toyota. They have a web site with some English content -
http://www.zeleznicka.bloudil.cz/?lang=cz.
It was built in the 1840s to carry sugar beet from the fields to the processing plant."
The Mladějov Museum of Industrial Railways is close to
Brno. http:// www.mpz.cz
(Czech language). This is a former industrial railway which was taken over by railway enthusiasts who collect locomotives of closed industrial railways from all over
Czech Republic and Slovakia. Most of them are still working. (Information
extracted from Endre Barta's page http://www.trains.hu/eur/4a10-cz/front.htm.) For
some excellent pictures of the railway when it was still real, see http://spz.logout.cz/uzke/cz_mladejov/mladejov.html
(Czech language, added 18th November 2009).
Denmark
(updated 1st June
2008)
For an excellent summary see "A VISITORS' GUIDE
TO NORDIC (SCANDINAVIAN) NARROW GAUGE RAILWAYS" by Philip Pacey. James
Waite visited the Hedelands Railway at Roskilde in May 2008, you can read
his report.
Estonia
(updated 18th November 2009)
At Lavassaare is what is called a museum but is actually preserved narrow
gauge railway - see http://www.museumrailway.ee/.
James Waite was
here in July 2009 (25th July 2009). For more information on Peat Railways in
Estonia, please see this page - http://spz.logout.cz/uzke/ee_tootsi/ee_t-l.html.
It is in Czech but readily and (dare I say it) quite well using Google
translate. This link added on 18th November 2009.
Finland
(updated 29th August 2009)
The Jokioinen Railway is a preserved 750mm gauge in southern Finland. The railway's
website is http://www.jokioistenmuseorautatie.fi
and you can also read James
Waite's report of a July 2007 visit (with a 29th August 2009 interesting
diesel update). See also "A VISITORS' GUIDE
TO NORDIC (SCANDINAVIAN) NARROW GAUGE RAILWAYS" by Philip Pacey and
this Finnish site which lists quite a few former narrow gauge lines in the
country - http://www.netti.fi/~kpaanane/narrow.htm.
France (updated
19th April 2009)
The key website is that of UNECTO ( Union des Exploitats de Chemins de Fer
Touristique)
and in particular two lists and a map
The railways by gauge: http://www.trains-fr.org/unecto/_annu/cftfede.htm
The railways by area http://www.trains-fr.org/unecto/_annu/index.html
A map of locations http://www.trains-fr.org/unecto/_dest/
An historical overview (English) http://www.trains-fr.org/unecto/_hist/cft40gb.htm
The magazine Voie Etroite has a list of tourist railways, many of which of
course will not be narrow and maybe not even steam!
http://www.voieetroite.com/annu_cft.htm.
Putting it all together and using recent Continental Railway Journals for
non-member organisations, it seems that roughly from north to south the
following are steam operated and less than standard gauge (not included are some
museums which offer short steam rides). I doubt it is a complete list:
Germany
(updated
21st June 2009)
For a summary of extant lines please check out http://www.schmalspurbahn.de/
(German language site). A further internet search should identify English
language sites where they exist. I have not been able to identify an English
language site covering the German narrow gauge (steam) railways adequately.
Not strictly an operating railway, although it
has a lengthy demonstration line some 2km long is the Frankfurter Feldbahn Museum,
you can read about James
Waite's June 2009 visit (added 21st June 2009).
The following are, perhaps, among the better known of those operating steam services,
being mainly in the former East Germany and having maintained 'real steam' into
reunification, but now they are all effectively 'preserved' operations. But
there is a lot more than these if you dig around in the site above and I shall
be happy to add specific recommendations to the list below.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern:
Niedersachsen
Sachsen:
Sachsen-Anhalt
- Harzer Schmalspurbahnen GmbH - 1000mm - http://www.hsb-wr.de/
- If you search Google using "site:www.hsb-wr.de Harzquer Railway"
then there are several English language pages with information but I have
yet to find any page linking them! Trevor Heath has uploaded some pictures
from his September 2008 visit (added 14th October 2008).
Greece (updated
17th November 2009)
Many metre gauge steam locomotives survive, but I have not seen any
suggestions that any are serviceable. The 600mm line to Milies has been part
restored as a tourist operation but owing to fire risk, their steam locomotives
see limited operation. Local railfans charter steam trains here from time to
time, see http://apostolos.fotopic.net/
for pictures of such events in 2007/8 (added 7th December 2008).
For more pictures visit http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix/gr/narrow_gauge/steam/pix.html
which also includes static preserved items elsewhere in the country.
The 750mm line between Diakofto and Kalavryta is a (part) rack system which
in theory could see steam charters but no reports of such seem to have been made
in recent years. The line is reported open and working normally with new diesel
railcars after repairs in November 2009 - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diakofto_Kalavrita_Railway.
Holland
(updated 25th September 2007)
See this site for an English language list of Dutch railway museums - http://www.railmusea.nl/en_index.php.
Recommended (by James Waite) narrow gauge destinations are below - you can read
his report on them (added 25th September 2007):
This park also has an operational narrow gauge steam locomotive - First
Drenthe Association of Steam Aficionados (EDS), Barger Compascuum - http://veenpark.vlmg.nl/park.html.
Hungary
(updated 21st November 2009)
For a summary of extant lines please check out http://members.surfeu.at/magag/index-e.htm. This
page has lots of information but I suspect it is very out of date http://narrowrail.net/hungary/index.html
(added 17th November 2009).
Particular mention should be made of the Gysev operation, the 3.6km museum
railway "Széchenyi" in Nagycenk with regular scheduled steam - see https://www.gysev.hu/portal/page/portal/INTERNET/GYSEV_ONLINE?p_h_menu=2&p_v_menu=3.
Click here for some
pictures.
There appears to be a 14km preserved forestry railway at Lillafüred with
some steam operation - see http://members.surfeu.at/magag/hulillafuered.htm
- more details would be appreciated!
The Királyrét Forest Railway connects Kismaros and
Szokolya, located near the Duna-Ipoly National Park and the Slovak border. Ex
Romanian 490.2004 operates here from time to time but you'll have to negotiate
this website to find out exactly when - http://www.kisvasut-kiralyret.fw.hu/
(17th November 2009).
Peter Nettleship recommends the Budapest Children's Railway (formerly the
Young Pioneers' Railway until 1990), in the Buda Hills and easily combined with
rides on the rack tram and funicular - see http://www.gyermekvasut.com/english.html
(moved from the museums page, 21st November 2009), according to their website
steam is used at the weekends.
Ireland (updated
20th September 2007)
The vast majority of Ireland's wonderful 3ft gauge railways were swept away
many years ago. The Irish Steam Preservation Society have a small operational
railway of relatively recent origin - http://irishsteam.ie/.
James Waite has sent me a
report of his own visits (20th September 2007) which includes the following
systems:
Tralee and Dingle - http://www.tdlr.org.uk
West Clare Railway - http://www.westclarerailway.ie
(Replica) Listowel & Ballybunion Railway - http://homepage.eircom.net/~lartiguemonorail.
Italy (updated
17th June 2009)
Italian steam was always 'different' and so were their narrow gauge railways,
being built to 950mm gauge (they built the Eritrean railway
too). For a general English language site on tourist railways, visit http://www.railtouritalia.com/railtouritalia_en/FRlinks.htm.
See also on this site Italian Railway Heritage and Preservation
- with links to areas with narrow gauge steam.
The best known of such railways are those on Sardinia, several of which have
steam locomotives which are nominally serviceable but they seem only to be used
for well-heeled tour groups and even then, not entirely in accordance with the
advertised schedule... This page gives some information - http://www.rinbad.free-online.co.uk/it_sarde.htm
- but it is a little out of date now. For Italian language sites see http://www.treninoverde.com/
and http://www.ferroviesardegna.it/. James
Waite was in Sardinia in May 2009 and provided an illustrated report (17th June
2009)
On the mainland in Calabria there are two 95cm gauge sections run by the Ferrovie della
Calabria, both of them very much working railways. One is based on Cosenza and consists of two lines up into the mountains, one of which finishes at Catanzaro Lido on the south coast and includes a short rack section down an escarpment from Catanzaro city. In theory three steam locos are available for tourist trains out of
Cosenza. RTC had, optimistically as ever, promised to run all three of them, no's. 353, 403 and (rack) 504 in action on three days in September 2008. In practice it was fortunate that 353's boiler certificate had been temporarily extended which allowed it to operate on one of the days as 403's repairs were never going to be completed in time (the loco was recently described as 'a kit of parts') and 504 is currently in Cosenza works with front end problems... It was probably a good job that the local vino is very palatable!
The second section is based on Gioia Tauro. There's been no active steam here for many years but
Breda-built 2-6-0T 188 has been kept in semi-open storage at Gioia Tauro depot and there's a long-term plan to restore it to working order.
These pictures are courtesy of James Waite:
Latvia (updated
18th November 2009)
There are two operational railways at Ventspils and Gulbene
- read the report James
Waite's July 2007 visit (updated 10th October 2007). See also this Czech
language report on non-steam operation at Gulbene - http://spz.logout.cz/uzke/lv_banitis/banitis.html
(added 18th November 2009)
Norway
(updated 16th October 2008)
For an excellent summary see "A VISITORS' GUIDE
TO NORDIC (SCANDINAVIAN) NARROW GAUGE RAILWAYS" by Philip Pacey. On
this site, you can read James Waite's account of ”Tertitten” - the Urskog-Hølandsbanen Railway
and the Setesdalsbanen
(updated 16th October 2008).
Poland
(added 31st August 2007)
For a general introduction, see http://members.lycos.co.uk/polishnarrowtracks/index.html,
http://www.cleeve.com/poland/ and http://www.schmalspurbahn-in-polen.de/
(German language). It seems that the children's railway in Poznan has at
least one serviceable steam locomotive, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Railway_Maltanka.
Portugal (updated 4th
October 2007)
Metre gauge Mallet E214 has been serviceable in recent
years but a combination of fire bans, gauge conversions and sundry other
problems have severely limited operation. The last report of it I have was
that it had been "moved from Regua to Guifoes works for inspection"
in April 2007, by September 2007 it was back in Regua where there were 5
other Mallets in fair condition (report by Trevor Heath - click
here for pictures - added 4th October 2007).
Romania (updated 4th
October 2008)
The railway at Viseus de Sus remains operational on a
reduced scale - click
here for the reports. As of mid-2008, the service was suspended owing to
severe flood damage, but the line has since re-opened.
Russia (updated
12th November 2009)
For an entry point into the world of Russian (and former
Russian Empire) narrow gauge start here - http://narrow.parovoz.com/indexe.php.
Unfortunately the rest of the site is in Russian...
There is a narrow gauge railway and museum at
Pereslavl,
see http://narrow.parovoz.com/pereslavl/main-e.html
and the official site (in Russian) http://kukushka.ru
(added 31st May 2008). James Waite was here in August 2009 see http://www.internationalsteam.co.uk/trains/russia11.htm
(added 11th August 2009).
There is a children's railway at Rostov-on-Don, see http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix/ru/narrow_gauge/steam/pix.html
for pictures. James Waite and Thomas Kautzor (of course!) were there in November 2009 see http://www.internationalsteam.co.uk/trains/russia15.htm
(added 9th November 2009). Thomas Kautzor visited a couple of other narrow
gauge lines in the area at the same time (non-steam!) the Apsheronsk Forestry Railway,
http://www.internationalsteam.co.uk/trains/russia18.htm
and the Guamka Gorge Tourist Railway http://www.internationalsteam.co.uk/trains/russia19.htm
(both 12th November 2009).
Similarly at Nizhni Novgorod - James Waite and
Thomas Kautzor were here in August 2009 see http://www.internationalsteam.co.uk/trains/russia10.htm
(added 11th August 2009).
Wikipedia states there
were 52 children's railways in the former Soviet Union at the time of
its break up and lists some of them and those in satellite countries. For a
Russian site dedicated to them see http://www.dzd-ussr.ru/.
Serbia
(added 1st August 2007)
There is working steam at Kostolac Open Cast Mine, several 900mm Davenport 0-8-0's like UNRRA locomotives
are here. For the reports check the Europe page on
this site.
There is a narrow gauge railway and museum at Mokra
Gora,
see this page for basic information - http://www.zlatibor.co.yu/voz/english/--%20sarganska8%20--.htm.
Slovakia
(updated 18th November 2009)
For a summary of extant lines please check out http://members.surfeu.at/magag/index-e.htm.
Also Paul Steane's excellent enthusiast's guide to travel
in Europe http://www.steane.com/egtre/egtre.php
and http://www.steane.com/egtre/sk_info.htm
in particular.
There is a metre gauge children's railway in the Cermel Valley near Kosice
- which uses U36.003 'Sam' / 'Katka'.
Čiernohronská Železnica Čierny Balog is a 760mm gauge former
forestry railway. It operates over 17km of track from Hronec zlieváreň (some 2km from Chvatimech ŽSR)
station to Vydrovobetween. See (links revised 18th November 2009):
Part of the former Kysuce-Orava railway is a 7km 760mm gauge line starting
from Skanzen Station, about 20km east of Čadca, it includes a reverse. As
far as I can gather it is part of the Kysuce Village Museum. See (all added 18th
November 2009):
http://www.expea.sk/EN/sluzby_nazelanie.html
(a good source on Slovak railways in general, added 18th November 2009) states
that "The Kysuce-Orava Forest Railway (KOLZ) came into existence by joining the Kysuce Forest Railway and the Orava Forest Railway - both railways are 760 mm gauge. At the peak of its fame, it had 110km. It had exclusively served for transporting wood. Its exceptionality lies in its well-preserved system of switch tracks. At present, the railway is divided into two parts: the part in the region of Kysuce as the Historical Forest Zig Zag Railway(HLÚŽ) and the part in the region of Orava as the Forest Zig Zag Railway Tanečník - Beskyd (LÚŽ). In future, the two railways shall be reconnected."
It will be the former which is described above, the latter appears to be diesel
powered.
Sweden
(updated 12th November 2009)
For an excellent summary see "A VISITORS' GUIDE
TO NORDIC (SCANDINAVIAN) NARROW GAUGE RAILWAYS" by Philip Pacey.
James Waite has provided a report of his visit to the Jädraås–Tallås Järnväg
(JTJ) - a 891mm preserved line (17th September 2007), similarly the Östra Södermanlands Järnväg
(ÖSlJ),
(the East Södermanland Railway, new report 12th November, the
old pictures are still available), Uppsala–Länna Järnväg
(ULJ) (2nd October 2007), Anten-Gräfsnäs Järnväg
and Skara-Lundsbrunns Järnvägar
(joint report, added 10th October 2007).
Switzerland
(updated 11th November 2009)
The following excellent links provide a good guide:
Click here for James
Waite's report on his visit to the Rhätische Bahn in February 2008, updated
2nd January 2009 with a link to public steam trains in 2009. He returned in
March 2009 to see the
railway's snowblower in action (6th March 2009).
Click here for James
Waite's report on his visit to the Dampfbahn Furka Bergstrecke in September 2009,
a spectacular (part) rack metre gauge railway with some pretty well travelled
steam locomotives (11th November 2009).
Ukraine
(amended 18th November 2009)
There is a children's railway in Kiev - see http://www.hotels-kiev.com/child_railway.htm
for information and http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix/ua/narrow_gauge/steam/pix.html
for pictures which show Gr 336 active in 2005. It is apparently still
serviceable but is only used on high days and holidays (amended 10th November 2009).
There has been a preserved narrow gauge railway for some time - see http://spz.logout.cz/uzke/ua_borzava/borzava.html
(needs translating from Czech) which was certainly operational in 2004/5. Gr 6
286 was at Irshava then, but I do not know its current operational status,
rumours have it out of service!
United Kingdom (added
3rd September 2007)
This page offers links to most operational UK narrow gauge railways - http://www.narrow-gauge.co.uk/links/.
This page professes to list of all known UK narrow gauge railways http://www.ngrs.demon.co.uk/downloads/miniature-sites.htm
although there are no links on it.
See also UK Heritage Railways Site
but there is no specific narrow gauge list.
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