Romania - Viseu de Sus (CFF) Forest Train
VISEU DE SUS ... (formerly CFF, then Viseuforest, now R.G. Holz) ... close to the Ukraine border, in the Maramures, it is the only remaining, working narrow gauge forestry railway of many that were constructed to transport timber from the vast, remote forests of the Carpathians and their foothills. This 760mm gauge forestry system starts at the timber yards and sawmill to the north of this town with a long tradition of woodworking and logging. The railway climbs for 41km following the often very narrow Vaser valley deep into the forests of the Maramures Mountains. Logs were originally floated down the river aided by a series of sluices which were used to regulate the flow and level of the river. The railway was constructed in 1932 and follows a course which soon becomes little more than a ledge above the river, and in one place there are a series of short tunnels.
The CFF was privatized in 1999 and operations were shared between 'Viseuforest' which occupied the former shed and workshops, and a private Swedish-owned company, 'R.G.Holz' which established sidings and facilities about 1km further along the line and brought in two former CFF diesels and a steam locomotive. At the same time a dedicated group of enthusiasts from Switzerland became involved in the preservation and running of the railway. The 'Wassertalbahn' group has subsequently been influential in rejuvenating the railway, and establishing projects to attract enthusiasts and tourists with a view to increasing employment in the valley.
Logging Train on the Vaser Valley Forestry Railway, Romania
The 760mm narrow gauge railway at Viseu de Sus in the Carpathian mountains of Romania is the only forestry line in the country that still hauls logs for the timber industry. Trains can run on the mainline as far as Coman near the border with the Ucraine, over a length of 43,5 km. The diesel-hauled “production train” collects the timber from the sidings in the forest daily except Sunday.
Die 760mm-Schmalspurbahn bei Viseu des Sus in den rumaenischen Karpaten ist die einzige Waldbahn im Land, die noch Holz zu den Saegewerken transportiert. Die Hauptstrecke fuehrt 43,5 km in das Wassertal bis an die Grenze zur Ukraine. Der mit einer Diesellok bespannte „Produktionszug“ sammelt die beladenen Wagen an den Verladestellen der Strecke jeden Tag ausser Sonntag. Das Video ergaenzt den Artikel in der Zeitschrift Fernexpress Heft 2/2018.
Steam Train Trip in Romania [EPIC] across the Vaser Valley (Mocanita)
Mocanita in the Vaser Valley, Maramures County 2018
The Viseu de Sus forestry railway, located in the far north of Romania close to the border with the Ukraine, is an outstanding example of technical cultural heritage. Since 2000, regular steam trains for tourists have been running in the Vaser Valley. The trains operate from spring to autumn.
A Mocanita (Romanian pronunciation: [mokəˈnit͡sə]) is a narrow-gauge railway in Romania, most notably in Maramures, Transylvania, and Bukovina. Archetypely, they are situated in mountainous areas and the locomotives operating on them (which themselves can also be referred to as mocanitas) are steam-powered. These railways were built for cargo and passenger services - some in the era of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, before 1920 - but fell into disrepair over the years. Some are now being rehabilitated for the purposes of tourism.
Romana:
Numită adesea „Mocăniţa de pe Valea Vaserului“, Calea Ferată Forestieră din Vişeu de Sus se află chiar în nordul României, la graniţa cu Ucraina şi reprezintă o bogăţie atât din punct de vedere tehnic, cât şi cultural. Pe o rută de aproape 60 kilometri distanţă circulă – pe lângă locomotive Diesel – până astăzi locomotive cu abur înfocate cu lemn, lucru prin care CFF Vişeu de Sus (prescurtare de la Calea Ferată Forestieră) devine cunoscută în întreaga lume ca fiind ultima cale ferată forestieră adevărată, care funcţionează cu abur.
Linia care a fost construită dupa ecartamentul austro-ungar de 760mm, duce într-o vale de o sălbăticie fermecătoare, de-a lungul râului Vaser, peste poduri şi prin tunele. Calea ferată trasează o zonă împădurită enormă, unde nu există drumuri sau sate, ci este locuită doar de urşi şi lupi.
Music: Another World 13 - Johan Hynynen
Mocanița Steam Train of Vaser Valley , Maramures Romania
CFF Vișeu. Maramureș România. Călătorie cu Mocanița pe Valea Vaserului cu locomotiva Cozia 1 intre Stațiile: Viseul de Sus - Paltin / Km 21,6.
CFF Viseu. Maramures Romania. Journey with Mocanita (Steam Train) on the Vaser Valley with the Cozia 1 locomotive between the stations: Viseul de Sus - Paltin / Km 21,6.
CFF Viseu. Maramures Rumänien. Fahrt mit Mocanita (Dampfzug) auf dem Vaser Tal mit der Lokomotive Cozia 1 zwischen den Stationen: Viseul de Sus - Paltin / Km 21,6.
20.04.2018
MOCANITA - Vaser Valley forestry railway HD
and on this page are other videos and photos
romania rumunsko Since 1932, the Vaser Valley Railway, also known as Mocanita is almost constantly in use. Six days a week trains run into the valley to transport wood down to a procesing plant in Viseu de Sus. The Mocanita is therefore the only European railway that is still used for timber production.
Waldbahn/Logging Railway Viseu de Sus 2009 - FarRail Tours
Die Waldbahn Viseu de Sus wurde im Hochwasser 2008 zerstört. Nach dem Wiederaufbau konnte FarRail Tours im Herbst 2009 wieder eine Reise zu dieser Bahn durchführen. Die Aufnahmen entstanden auf dieser Fahrt. Die nächste Reise dorthin wird im Mai 2010 stattfinden. Siehe unter FarRail.com.
The forestry line Viseu de Sus was almost completely destroyed during a flood in 2008. After they rebuilt the line it was possible to run a charter train event. This short film shows what we've seen on the tour in Autumn 2009. The next tour to this line is planned for May 2010. see FarRail.com
Steam in Romania 2015 - CFF Viseu de Sus Part 1
The CFF Viseu de Sus forestry railway runs for 43 kms along the beautiful Vaser Valley in the Carpathian mountains in the north of Romania. This 760mm gauge line was probably the last of its kind in the world to regularly use steam power. In 2008 devastating floods washed away large parts of the line but with the aid od cash, hard work and dedication the line was restored and trains are running again. The steam locomotives are now kept serviceable for tourist trains and charters for railway enthusiasts. These videos were shot on a visit organised by FarRail Tours in the autumn of 2015.
20130907 15 ROUMANIE 2/6 VISEU DE SUS 2
Ligne Forestière Viseu de Sus (traduit du texte B.Seiler FarRail Tours)
En 1932 débute de la construction d'un chemin de fer forestier de Viseu de Sus le long de la rivière Vaser. Une branche de 13 km le long du Valea Novatului a été ouverte en 1952.
En 1982 de grosses inondations ont détruit plusieurs sections de voies, demandant de nombreux mois de travail avant la réouverture de la ligne. Le pont sur la Vaser au PK13 n'a jamais été reconstruit, condamnant ainsi l'embranchement. En 1987-88 une nouvelle branche fut ouverte au-dessus de Faina. En 2008 une autre inondation endommageât plusieurs KMS de lignes, heureusement reconstruite.
À Viseu de Sus, il y a une grande scierie, un dépôt et un atelier de réparations bien équipé.
Le chemin de fer forestier de Viseu de Sus avait trois caractéristiques tout à fait uniques. Tout d'abord, il y a trois tunnels sur cette ligne. Deuxièmement, il y avait un service régulier de passagers jusqu'aux années 1990. Il est destiné principalement aux ouvriers forestiers, mais est aussi bien utilisé par les habitants de la vallée pour qui le chemin de fer était le seul moyen de transport. Le lundi d'habitude trois trains partaient de Viseu le matin, deux trains pour Coman et un pour Ihosa sur l'embranchement. De nos jours la ligne voit un à deux trains par jour, tractés en diesel et n'allant pas au-delà des besoins d'exploitation forestières. Plusieurs « autorails » artisanaux (minibus montés sur des boggies) sont utilisés le service passager.
Les trains transportaient aussi des vivres pour les ouvriers forestiers. Ces vivres étaient déposés dans des « cottage » le long de la ligne. Un « cottage » était un logement rudimentaire, souvent avec un petit magasin accolé « magazin forestiere », où les ouvriers vivent pendant leur semaine de travail dans la forêt.
Il ne reste aujourd'hui en transport passager que le train touristique en été. Les voitures viennent en partie de Suisse et sont peintes en jaune...
L'autre caractéristique unique à Viseu de Sus était sa grue d'eau. Malheureusement endommagée par une inondation, elle ne fut jamais réparée, le diesel opérant la plupart des opérations. Comme la plupart des chemins de fer forestiers suivent une rivière, la procédure de ravitaillement en eau est simple : un tuyau entre les caisses à eau de la machine et la rivière.
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Forestry Line Vişeu de Sus (text B.Seiler FarRail Tours)
In 1932 the construction of a forestry railway from Vişeu de Sus along the river Vaser started. A 13 km branch along the Valea Novatului was opened in 1952.
Heavy flooding in 1982 washed away large sections of track and it took months before the line could be reopened. The bridge over the Vaser at km 13 was never replaced and its associated branch was closed. A new branch just above Faina was opened in 1987/8.
In 2008 another heavy flood washed away many miles of track and damaged several bridges. Fortunately the line was re-built.
At Vişeu de Sus, there is a large sawmill, a loco depot and a well-equipped repair shop.
The forestry railway at Vişeu de Sus had three quite unique features. First of all, there are three tunnels on this line. Secondly, there was a regular passenger service until the 1990ies. It was intended primarily for the forestry workers, but is also well-used by the inhabitants of the valley for whom the ng railway was once the only means of transport. On Mondays usually three trains left Vişeu in the morning, two heading towards Coman and one for Ihosa on the branch line. Nowadays the line sees one to two trains a day, diesel hauled and not going further up the line than needs of logging requires. Several self-made railcars are used for passenger services.
As well as conveying workers and passengers, these trains also carried food supplies, which were dropped off to the cabana along the line. Cabana are very simple lodgings, often with an associated shop (magazin forestiere), where the workers live during their working week in the forest. The only passenger transport today are the tourist train in the summer. The coaches used coming from other lines, partly from Switzerland. Some of them are painted yellow ...
The other unique feature at Vişeu de Sus was a water crane. It was damaged in a flood at the beginning of the new century and never repaired because diesel took over most of the daily operation. The normal procedure elsewhere at Vişeu de Sus and on all other CFF lines is to drop one end of a long pipe, carried on the locomotive, into the nearest pond or small river to suck water into the tanks. As most forestry railways follow a water course at some stage or another, it is not difficult to find a suitable source of water - whether it be a clear, raging torrent high in the Carpathians as at Vişeu or the murky waters of the Blue Danube at Berzasca.
With Mocanita along the Vaser Valley
Narrow-gauge forest railway in Maramures - Romania , going from Viseu de Sus, the Vaser Valley. Currently used as a tourist attraction
Winter Steam in Vaser Valley - part 1 - Bavaria
A video report of a 6 day tour on the Vaser Valley Railway (Romania) in winter. This part shows Bavaria locomotive (CFF 764.435, Reșița 1954) hauling a typical logging train from Vișeu de Sus to Coman, i.e. the whole of the line (about 43 km). The video also shows some traditional logging and loading of the train, using horses. A tour by tanago.de.
Steam in Romania, 2015 - CFF Viseu de Sus Part 2
The CFF Viseu de Sus forestry railway runs along the beautiful Vaser Valley in the Carpathian mountains in the north of Romania. The steam locomotives are now kept serviceable for tourist trains and charters for railway enthusiasts. This series of videos was shot on a visit organised by FarRail Tours at the end of September/early October 2015. Included is a demonstration of the traditional method of hauling logs by horses to the loading stage. Manual loading is also demonstrated. Large plantations of small seedlings were see at several points beside the railway. A very welcome sign that felled trees are being replaced.
Călătorie cu Mocănița Vișeu de Sus-Glimboaca Steam Train Ride @Valea Vaserului - 23 March 2019
Călătorie cu Mocănița Vișeu de Sus-Glimboaca Steam Train Ride @Valea Vaserului - 23 March 2019
1:Mocănița/Steam Loko/Dampflok BAVARIA 764.435 CFF in Gara Vișeu de Sus Station
2:Călătorie cu Trenul Turistic/Ride with Touristic Train - Mocănița 764.435 CFF Steam Loko~Vișeu de Sus-Fabrica Trei~Valea Scradei
3:Defecțiune Tehnică/Tehnical Tailure - Mocanița/Steam Loko/Dampflok BAVARIA 764.435 CFF
4:Călătorie cu Trenul Turistic/Ride with Touristic Train - Mocănița 764.435 CFF Steam Loko~Fabrica Trei-Valea Scradei
5:Alimentare cu Apa/Water Supply - Mocănița/Steam Loko/Dampflok BAVARIA 764.435 CFF
6:Călătorie cu Trenul Turistic/Ride with Touristic Train - Mocănița 764.435 CFF Steam Loko~Valea Scradei-Novăț-Glimboaca
7:Alimentare cu Apa/Water Supply - Mocănița/Steam Loko/Dampflok BAVARIA 764.435 CFF~Glimboaca
23 March 2019
© LDEGM Trainspotter
Steam in Romania, CFF Viseu de Sus 10
In very muddy conditions felled logs are loaded onto bogies prior to their downhill journey to the sawmill. October 2006
20130907 15 ROUMANIE 1/6 VISEU DE SUS 1
Ligne Forestière Viseu de Sus (traduit du texte B.Seiler FarRail Tours)
En 1932 débute de la construction d'un chemin de fer forestier de Viseu de Sus le long de la rivière Vaser. Une branche de 13 km le long du Valea Novatului a été ouverte en 1952.
En 1982 de grosses inondations ont détruit plusieurs sections de voies, demandant de nombreux mois de travail avant la réouverture de la ligne. Le pont sur la Vaser au PK13 n'a jamais été reconstruit, condamnant ainsi l'embranchement. En 1987-88 une nouvelle branche fut ouverte au-dessus de Faina. En 2008 une autre inondation endommageât plusieurs KMS de lignes, heureusement reconstruite.
À Viseu de Sus, il y a une grande scierie, un dépôt et un atelier de réparations bien équipé.
Le chemin de fer forestier de Viseu de Sus avait trois caractéristiques tout à fait uniques. Tout d'abord, il y a trois tunnels sur cette ligne. Deuxièmement, il y avait un service régulier de passagers jusqu'aux années 1990. Il est destiné principalement aux ouvriers forestiers, mais est aussi bien utilisé par les habitants de la vallée pour qui le chemin de fer était le seul moyen de transport. Le lundi d'habitude trois trains partaient de Viseu le matin, deux trains pour Coman et un pour Ihosa sur l'embranchement. De nos jours la ligne voit un à deux trains par jour, tractés en diesel et n'allant pas au-delà des besoins d'exploitation forestières. Plusieurs « autorails » artisanaux (minibus montés sur des boggies) sont utilisés le service passager.
Les trains transportaient aussi des vivres pour les ouvriers forestiers. Ces vivres étaient déposés dans des « cottage » le long de la ligne. Un « cottage » était un logement rudimentaire, souvent avec un petit magasin accolé « magazin forestiere », où les ouvriers vivent pendant leur semaine de travail dans la forêt.
Il ne reste aujourd'hui en transport passager que le train touristique en été. Les voitures viennent en partie de Suisse et sont peintes en jaune...
L'autre caractéristique unique à Viseu de Sus était sa grue d'eau. Malheureusement endommagée par une inondation, elle ne fut jamais réparée, le diesel opérant la plupart des opérations. Comme la plupart des chemins de fer forestiers suivent une rivière, la procédure de ravitaillement en eau est simple : un tuyau entre les caisses à eau de la machine et la rivière.
********************************************************************************
Forestry Line Vişeu de Sus (text B.Seiler FarRail Tours)
In 1932 the construction of a forestry railway from Vişeu de Sus along the river Vaser started. A 13 km branch along the Valea Novatului was opened in 1952.
Heavy flooding in 1982 washed away large sections of track and it took months before the line could be reopened. The bridge over the Vaser at km 13 was never replaced and its associated branch was closed. A new branch just above Faina was opened in 1987/8.
In 2008 another heavy flood washed away many miles of track and damaged several bridges. Fortunately the line was re-built.
At Vişeu de Sus, there is a large sawmill, a loco depot and a well-equipped repair shop.
The forestry railway at Vişeu de Sus had three quite unique features. First of all, there are three tunnels on this line. Secondly, there was a regular passenger service until the 1990ies. It was intended primarily for the forestry workers, but is also well-used by the inhabitants of the valley for whom the ng railway was once the only means of transport. On Mondays usually three trains left Vişeu in the morning, two heading towards Coman and one for Ihosa on the branch line. Nowadays the line sees one to two trains a day, diesel hauled and not going further up the line than needs of logging requires. Several self-made railcars are used for passenger services.
As well as conveying workers and passengers, these trains also carried food supplies, which were dropped off to the cabana along the line. Cabana are very simple lodgings, often with an associated shop (magazin forestiere), where the workers live during their working week in the forest. The only passenger transport today are the tourist train in the summer. The coaches used coming from other lines, partly from Switzerland. Some of them are painted yellow ...
The other unique feature at Vişeu de Sus was a water crane. It was damaged in a flood at the beginning of the new century and never repaired because diesel took over most of the daily operation. The normal procedure elsewhere at Vişeu de Sus and on all other CFF lines is to drop one end of a long pipe, carried on the locomotive, into the nearest pond or small river to suck water into the tanks. As most forestry railways follow a water course at some stage or another, it is not difficult to find a suitable source of water - whether it be a clear, raging torrent high in the Carpathians as at Vişeu or the murky waters of the Blue Danube at Berzasca.
Mocanita 2019 | ROMANIA STEAM TRAIN TRAVEL | CFF Viseu, MM
#English:
The Romanian Carpathians territory is covered by vast areas of pristine forests, in fact, the largest track of unfragmented forests left in Central Europe, and is home to the largest brown bear population in Europe and other big carnivores’ population of the continent ( lynx, wolves etc).
The Vaser Valley – with its length of 60 kms (Paltin station 21.6 km for tourist transportation)- climbing from Viseu de Sus to the end of line near Comanu, The scenery is quite different from other valleys of the Carpathian mountains. There are a few logging camps along the valley and a vast area, void of human population. It is accessible only by railway, along with a few logging roads that link key points on the line.
Starting from Viseu de Sus you will see a number of individual houses alongside a rough dirt road for a distance of approximately 8 kms. At the Novăţ Delta triangle junction the railway branches in two directions: to the right the line runs a further 7 km into the Novat Valley; to the left the main branch continues beside the River Vaser towards Comanu, with the turning point for regular steam trains at Paltin, halfway from Cozia to Bardău.
The railway line passes through the most spectacular landscape of the whole route between Cozia, Bardău, Botizu and Făina: narrow, rock lined canyons; fast-flowing, sparkling mountain brooks; the colourful wildlife of the mixed forests; and no less than three short tunnels before Botizu station. Located above Făina station, you can visit a small church, built by Austrian settlers and dedicated to the famous Empress Elisabeth
Some 5 kms beyond the camp at Făina, near Măcârlău station, the railway passes the remains of an impressively large retaining wall. At this point the Vaser River was retained by a temporary dam in order to raft the timber down to the saw mills in old times.
#Deutsch
Das Wassertal von Viseu de Sus bis hinter der Endstation Comanu gute 60 Kilometer lang (Touristiche Route 21.6 km Paltin), ist mit keinem anderen Gebirgstal der Karpaten zu vergleichen. Es umfasst ein riesiges, bis auf Holzfällercamps völlig unbesiedeltes Waldgebiet, erschlossen einzig durch die Waldbahn und an die Geleise führende Forstwege. Als Teil des Naturparks “Munti Maramuresului” steht es unter europäischem Schutz; die forstwirtschaftliche Nutzung ist zwar erlaubt; ökologische Auflagen garantieren aber, dass der Wald in seiner jetzigen Grösse erhalten bleibt.
Ausgehend von Viseu de Sus, sind ca. 8 Kilometer einer holprigen Naturstrasse noch von Häuschen gesäumt. Beim Gleisdreieck Delta Novat verzweigt sich die Eisenbahn: Rechts führt die Strecke knapp 7 Kilometer ins Novat-Tal; links, entlang dem Wasserfluss, geht die Hauptlinie weiter Richtung Comanu. Zwischen Cozia, Bardau, Botizu und bis Faina, durchfährt die Bahn den landschaftlich spektakulärsten Teil der Strecke. Enge, von Felsen gesäumte Schluchtpartien, wild sprudelnde Bergbäche, das Farbenspiel der Mischwälder, drei kurze Tunnels vor Botizu. Ooberhalb der Bahnstation von Faina ist ein von österreichischen Siedlern erbautes Kirchlein zu besichtigen, welches der Kaiserin Elisabeth gewidmet ist.
Ca. 5 Kilometer nach Faina, bei Macarlau, passiert die Bahn die Reste einer mächtigen Talsperre, wo früher der Wasserfluss für die Flösserei aufgestaut werden konnte
Der Besuch des Wassertales, ob als eintägige Fahrt mit der Waldbahn oder längere Wandertour mit Zelt, ist bis heute ein Abenteuer: In dunklen Wäldern und auf sonnenüberfluteten Almen, auf einsamen Bahnstationen und betriebsam-lauten Waldarbeitercamps erschliesst sich eine faszinierende, andere Welt.
#Romana
Traseul de intoarcere cu Mocanita pe Valea Vaserului. Plecare din Statia Paltin – CFF Viseu de Sus (km 21,6).
La km 21,6 al căii ferate forestiere, se găseşte staţia Paltin – destinaţia finala a trenurilor turistice regulate cu abur.. Aici se poate a servi un picnic , si deasemenea se pot admira defileul de pe o platformă de observare situată în apropiere sau se pot face scurte drumeţii pană la galeriile din timpul celui de-al Doilea Război Mondial.
Mocanita: Construită după Primul Război Mondial doar pentru a transporta lemnul este încă este folosită în scopul original. În zilele noastre, în ciuda vârstei sale înaintate, locomotivei cu aburi i s-a mai dat o sarcină: aceea de a transporta turişti.
Calea Ferată Forestieră din Vişeu de Sus se află în nordul României, la graniţa cu Ucraina şi reprezintă o bogăţie din punct de vedere tehnologic şi cultural. Pe o rută de aproximativ 60 kilometri distanţa circulă -- pe langă locomotive Diesel - pană astăzi locomotive cu abur înfocate cu lemn, lucru prin care CFF Viseu de Sus ( Calea Ferată Forestiera) devine cunoscută în întreaga lume ca fiind ultima cale ferată forestieră adevărată, care
funcţionează cu abur.
MOCANITA TRAIN. BEAUTIFUL DAY TRIP IN VISEU DE SUS ( MARAMURES )
August 25 , 2017.
Viseul de Sus Mocanita | Old Railroad from Romania | Aerial 4K | Vaser Valley Railway
Viseu de Sus forestry railway, located in the far north of Romania close to the border with the Ukraine, is an outstanding example of technical cultural heritage. The line is known as the “Vaser Valley Railway” - vaser comes from the local German word for water, in the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
More info on
Railway Trip 2011 - CFF Viseu - Preparing
Railway trip to the last narrow gauge railway in Eastern Europe one of the most spectacular and wildest areas...
Video description: Shunting and preparing the train for its journey.
Description of the line: The last forestry railway in Europe, located in the far north of Romania. The railway walks along the Vaser Valley, climbing from Viseu de Sus to the end of line near Comanu. The line is known as the Vaser Valley Railway - vaser comes from the local German word for water, in the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This valley is different from other valleys in europe, because it crosses a area devoid of human population. This area is accessible only by the railway, and what happens after leaving the station is the scenery of a fairytale. The line runs alongside the Vaser River with numerous curves, bridges and several tunnels, into a wild and romantic valley, high in the Carpathian Mountains. The railway opens up a vast area of isolated forest and mountain, without roads or villages but with plenty bears and wolves instead! You can still find here a wood-burning locomotive willing to do its job.
This magic train introduces you in a forgotten world, where time was passing slower and days were counted in wood transports, years were counted in seasons and lives were counted in events. The sound of the steam locomotive gives you a peaceful feeling, and an amazing landscape surrounds you.
This train brings you only to the half of the route, but the landscape has just started showing you its beauty. If you continue by foot you will discover that the railway line passes through the most spectacular landscape of the whole route between Cozia, Bardău, Botizu and Făina: narrow, rock lined canyons; fast-flowing, sparkling mountain brooks; the colourful wildlife of the mixed forests.
A bit further than the Faina station you can visit a small church, built by Austrian settlers and dedicated to the famous Empress Elisabeth also known as Sissi.
The industrial use of timber in the Vaser Valley began at the beginning of the 18th century, during the Austro-Hungarian Empire, when germans started exploring the forests
Since 2000 the forestry railway has been receiving support from abroad, specifically from the Swiss association Hilfe für die Wassertalbahn (Help for the Vaser Valley Railway). With assistance from Switzerland, some disused locomotives were restored and put back into service, new passenger coaches were purchased, and the depot and the historic station building at Viseu were refurbished.
Mocanita Viseu de Sus
The Vaserului valley or the Forestry Railroad from Viseu de Sus is located in northern Romania, on the border with Ukraine and represents a technical and cultural treasure. The train (Mocanita) is one of the world's last steamed railway track.
Constructed as a more sophisticated technical solution for transporting wood (other than on water), the forestry railway still works today for both the initial role and the transport of tourists.
On a 50-60 kilometer long route, steam locomotives are still in use.
The railroad leads into a charming wild valley along the Vaser River, over bridges and tunnels. The railway crosses an enormous forested area, where there are no roads or villages.
In the 1930’s the railroads spread throughout Europe, especially in the Carpathian region.
In most European countries, after 1945, the railway tracks were replaced by forestry roads, in Romania the railway tracks were preserved.
The only forestry railway in the world that works today is Mocanita on the Vaser Valley, and it still fulfills its original purpose of a railway track used for timber transportation.
Valea Vaserului (Vaserului Valley) has a beautiful forested area and is part of the Maramureş Mountains Natural Park, being under European UNESCO protection.
Starting from Viseu de Sus to the forest, the railway passes through a spectacular conner of nature.
Our trip on the Vaser Valley was a one-day trip. We got in the steam locomotive (Mocanita) and the beauty of nature just rolled in front of our eyes. We saw a lot of tents and people from all over the world camping, enjoing nature, living life. There are also beautiful hotel accommodations available.
The Mocanita sometimes crosses short tunnels, then land on sun-mooned lawns, penetrating into a fascinating world, a world where nature is at home, and man is simply a guest.
Starting from (Viseu de Sus) and reaching to Paltin station, the Mocanita tour route has a length of about 21 km of fairy tale scenery. Several stops are made along the route, including one to power the locomotive with water from the river. Arrived at the last station of the tourist route, Paltin station, where it stops for a two hour brake. We were welcomed in a holiday atmosphere, by the young people who welcomed us with their traditional music, dance and Maramuresean cuisine.
A great day breaking away from urban reality.
This video was shot with this camera:
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Winter Hike Through Beautiful Vaser Valley (Part II)
Two Days in Vaser Valley (Part I) here:
In January 05, 2020, me and my dog Spor leave behind our village Valea Viseului in a team, attempting to hike The Vaser Valley – with its length of some 60 kms (Paltin station 21.6 km for tourist transportation), in North Romania, Maramures County. Our trip begins in Viseu de Sus CFF station.
Following the forestry railway route, ... it took us a hiking or trekking tour of two days (43 km) there and back. After hiking for the whole day without interruption , we set camp near Paltin station (21.6 km from Viseu de Sus CFF Station upstream).
As it was snowing heavily in the first day I had to make sure that I did all my video shooting work the next day starting early in the morning... then return to Viseu de Sus. However, the filming process and the hard trip back was a bit longer than expected and we managed to get back to Viseu the next day, late in the night.
Detailed Trip Checklist:
The first and most important thing I needed to do was to ensure I was properly prepared: you need to have good hiking experience, I was equipped with Lemigo Arctic Thermal boots (Temperature Range: Up to – 50ºC) and... I know the rule: Never hike alone! :)) so my best friend Spor joined, you must be equipped with tent and sleeping bag ( I had two sleeping bags at -15 each), you must be self-sufficient for food as there are no shopping facilities in the area, (though I did n`t carry much food as I wanted to keep my backpack as light as possible).
More Notes:
# Respect border controls (carry your ID-card), # there is no network coverage for cellphones, # avoid walking in the vicinity of the Ukrainian border, # beware of unattended shepherds dogs and wild animals, # you can obtain drinking water from springs or from the river, # respect nature (you are in a Nature Park biosphere reserve).