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Narrow gauge railway preservation in Romania

Brits at CornăţelBritish volunteers help with track repairs on SAR

Intrepid is a word oft used of BritishExplorers in the late 18th Century.That same word can be rightfully

applied to a small but happy band ofenthusiastic Brits who set out from theUK to drive to Transylvania with a vanload of track repair equipment to assistwith the restoration of an iconicRomanian narrow gauge railway. Theaim was to help with the repair of 8 kmof narrow gauge track that hadn’t seen asteam engine for fifteen years.

SARUK member and organiser AlasdairStewart together with white van ownerChris Philimore of Track Systems UK,FR track manager Alun ‘Tom’Tomlinson and enthusiast Trevor Streetermet at Tonbridge, home of Col Stephens- how proud he would have been to seethe results of his legacy – to start the epicjourney to Sibiu. There they would meet

with the rest of the party who flew fromLuton. The ‘fliers’ included JohnSreeves, Frank Cooper, Graham Farr. andMichael Thacker.

The following is Alasdair’s account ofthe week on the Sibiu to Agnita Railway.

It all began on Friday 29th May withAlasdair leaving home to catch the09.45am bus from outside the Griffinpub in Penrhyndeudraeth to Porthmadog,

meeting up with Alun ‘Tom’ Tomlinsonfollowed by a short car ride to Bangorstation to catch the London train and, viaTonbridge, ending in Sibiu, Transylvaniaon Sunday afternoon………….

Alasdair Stewart kept a diaryof the SARUK track week inCornatel in which 8 Britsjoined 3 Germans and severalof the local Friends to beginwork on upgrading the line

Top - An international cadre of volunteers at workon the track at Cornăţel station.

Middle - The van that had driven across Europeat Cornăţel station.

Left -Van & steam loco at Campensi en route

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June 1st

A cool and misty dawn – the expectednoisy petrol engine wasn’t disturbing thepeace in valley after all……on arrivingon site it was apparent the Radu Tompahad encountered a problem with thestrimmer. Soon solved however and hewas able to make good progress turningthe unkempt site into somethingapproaching a railway station – albeit afairly ramshackle one – by strimming thegrass and weeds from the track andturnouts at the Agnita end of the site toallow them to be inspected and theircondition assessed. The turnout from the‘platform’ road, whose divergent routeled to the weighbridge, was found to bemissing its cover check rail.

Later on in the day the king point at theSibiu end of the station was alsostrimmed and examined as this will not

be required for use during run roundmanoeuvres at the gala event inSeptember. The point that leads to theVurpar branch loop was also examinedand found to have a check rail thatexactly matched the length and holespacing of the missing one…..a plan wasquickly hatched and preparations made toswap the check rails after lunch……

At this point it is probably worthmentioning that the volunteer workingparty – eight Brits, and a varying numberof Romanians was augmented by a strongteam of three delightful teenage girls,Hanna, Antonia and Vanessa, fromGermany who were travelling all overEurope before heading off to Universityin the autumn. They stayed in the ScoutAssociation’s HQ in the neighbouringvillage of Nocrich and formed the core ofthe gang detailed to scrape and wirebrush the peeling paint of the lattice

girder bridge at the Agnita end of thestation site. This was followed by theapplication of the Romanian equivalentof ‘Hammerite’ silver paint. Throughoutthe week they were supervised by IoanaBlotor and a rotating team of localvolunteers that included BogdanTeodorescu, Alex Barac and DespinaCusnir.

Lunch was taken at the Bio Haus, atNucet, just up the road from Cornăţelwhere the SARUK party had stayed lastSeptember. We were all grateful toNicoletta’s parents for providing thismeal, including produce from their owngarden.

The ‘fliers’ had left Luton on 30th Mayand had taken the opportunity to visitAgnita station and several other sitesalong the railway for the benefit ofparticipants on the trip who not been tothe area before.

During the afternoon, the van was takenup to Agnita station to recover as manybaseplates of the right dimensions andhole patterns to suit the rail section on thetrack heading out of the station in thedirection of Hosman. We also stoppedto pick up John Sreeves who had spentthe morning working his way along theline systematically checking andinspecting all the bridges and structurescrossed by the track.

Missing baseplates and track fixings wasquickly identified as being a significantconcern with one length, just beyondCornatel station limits, having noeffective fixings in situ for thirteenconsecutive sleepers!

A quick trip to the ‘Penny Market’supermarket on the outskirts of Agnitawas necessary for the emergencypurchase of sun block and after suncream…….the ‘Factor 8’ oil purchased atthe Eurotunnel terminal in Folkestone notbeing up to the challenge of Romaniansunshine in June!

One the way back to the work site atCornăţel station, we called in on Mihai’sfather in order to collect the ratchet jackneeded to lift the rails sufficiently clear ofthe defective sleepers and point timbersthat were to be taken out and replacedwith new timbers.After a hard day in the heat, the entireparty enjoyed a wonderful evening mealat the Bio Haus in Nucet.Top - Track repairs at the station throatLeft ­ The Bridge Girls painting the Cornăţelbridge, wearing a rather incongruous high vizvest!

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June 2nd

Today was spent changing long timbersunder turnout(s) in Cornatel station andundertaking preparatory work forreplacing failed sleepers at rail joints inthe single track heading out of the stationtowards the bridge in the direction ofHosman.

Rate of progress was hamperedsomewhat by the availability of only onejack……this was required to lift the railsjust a few millimetres clear of thesleepers on which they sit in order toallow them to be more easily slid out toone side or the other. Both ‘more easily’and ‘slid’ are quite subjective termshowever, as just standing and walkingabout in the middle part of the day wasexhausting enough. Whilst there wereplenty of Englishmen in evidence, maddogs were conspicuous by theirabsence…..!

In order to speed up the process and tohelp the ‘Friends’ establish themselves asa moreeffective trackgang, it wasdecided that atleast two newjacks shouldbe bought anddonated to thecause. ChrisPhilimore setoff with Mihaiinto Sibiu topurchasesuitable toolsfrom a shoprecommendedby GeorgHocevar and this is where our secondencounter with ‘old’ Romaniaoccurred…….It seems that the shop wasactually a wholesaler and not able to selldirectly to the public but only tocompanies. Fair enough you may thinkbut it actually turned out that they werenot prepared to sell to a company thatwas not a Romanian company – despitebeing in the EU. As Chris therefore wasunable to make the purchase through hisCompany - Track Systems UK - we hadto have pro forma invoices forwarded toGeorg Hocevar who agreed to make thepurchase through his company in Abrudon our behalf for later reimbursement.What a palaver - it’s good to see theEuropean Union working for the benefitof all!

In the evening, the ‘van’ contingent andthe three German girls, Hanna, Antoniaand Vanessa, retired to Sibiu for anevening meal. Unfortunately an

interruption to the electricalpower supply left manyestablishments unable (orunwilling) to servecustomers. This ended witha magical moon-lit mysterytour on foot of centralSibiu. Alex Barac did acommendable job, leadingus through various backstreets and alleyways butalas to no avail.

June 3rd

An early start again on site,before the overwhelmingheat of the day kicked in.6:45am saw Alex andAlasdair taking out suppliesand tools to enable moresleepers at joints to bereplaced while Raducontinued strimming thetrack from the Vurparbranch level crossing as wellas the turnouts and loop

lines at theAgnita endof the site.Later on inthe day the remainingnew point timbers wereinstalled under rails inthe two most criticalturnouts.

Lunch was prepared onsite by head chef IoanBebeselea of ‘SyndicatGourmet’, a fabulousrestaurant in centralSibiu specialising in ablend of Asian and

Romanian cuisine, highly recommendedand well worth a visit when you’re inSibiu. Ioan soon had a camp fire goingin one of the concrete pits associated with

a former water column. A ‘witch’scauldron’ was suspended from a set ofiron ‘shear legs’ from which Ioanproduced a delicious vegetarian soup.

One of the ‘key lock’ mechanisms wasremoved from a turnout for temporaryrepatriation to the UK for repair andrestoration whilst the ‘bridge paintinggang’ continued their efforts, often to acappella accompaniment of a Germannursery rhyme song about a coughingworm, performed in a Eurovisionstyle…..

Top - Alfresco cooking by Bebe from SyndicatGourmet restaurant in SibiuBottom - Alfresco eating

“If for the British volunteers this was justanother week of railway work, albeit in amuch torrid climate than they wereaccustomed with, for us Romanians it wasa real training internship. The Britsshowed us where and how to replacesleepers, how to tamp ballast undersleepers and how to level the track andtaught us tips to keep us safe and makework easier. They also donated protectiongear and tools, amongst which two brandnew jacks.”Quote from The Friend's website

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June 4th

More of the same……continued cleaningoff the ends of old sleepers to facilitatetheir removal. The physically demandingtask of breaking the ground with a pick ordigging the trench with an oddassortment of spades best done before theheat of the day.

A group of visitors on a tour organised byFfestiniog Travel was made welcome inthe morning and it was lovely to meetRomana Cazacu – tour guide and owneroperator of ‘My Romania’. The draisineand trailers were swiftly converted intopassenger carrying mode after their P-way and civil engineering department

duties and made ready to head offtowards Hosman where the tourists wereto have lunch at the old mill. TheHosman Old Mill includes its own bakeryfrom which the most irresistible smellsemanate. The mill is a tourist attractionin its own right and could easily beincluded as part of a package to attracttourists to the line in the future.

As the ‘revenue’ earning trip was in onedirection only, the train was manuallyturned to face Cornatel and swiftlyreturned to departmental use.

Meanwhile a splinter group had set off inthe van to Hosman to recover a pair of25kg/metre rails that were laid at rightangles to the running line to serve a longabandoned shed for a plate layer’s trolley.With only two pairs of rail tongsavailable, it was a strain to lift and movethem in turn and carry them the short

distance to the level crossing where withsome difficulty they were loaded onto thedrasine trailers.

I can exclusively reveal that the rail thatwasn’t joined to the one that extendedinto the shed with a fishplate hidden inthe roots of the thick, long grass, was theeasier of the two to move……

Trevor and Tom elected to ride on thetrain as additional crew – a definiterequirement as the two rails served asimprovised 9 metre long couplingsbetween the two vehicles of the train,secured in place only by the irresistibleforce of gravity…..slow progress wasmade on the navigation of the route to thefirst solar panel farm and then van easilyreached there first, despite the ‘off road’

Above - Festiniog Travel tour participants packinto the draisineRight - The platelayers hut at Hosman from whichthe rails were ‘borrowed’.Bottom - Loading the recovered rails onto thedraisine loco and truck

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passage. One of the pair of recoveredrails was dropped at the solar panel farm,to be swapped with one that had beeninstalled a couple of years earlier on

anotherSARUKworkingparty. Thereason forthe swap wasthat theprevious railwasapproximately 100millimetrestoo short – agap that thelight weightdrasine andtrailers couldnegotiate at a

slow speed but not suitable for theoperation of a steam locomotive andcarriage as planned for the gala inSeptember.

Just as the morning session of work wasdrawing to a close, we were joined byNeil McGregor who had driven fromBucharest to join the working party.Neil is the somewhat unusualcombination of a British solicitor with apractise in Bucharest and who is alsosecretary of the Nene Valley Railway!

Lunch was taken in delightfulsurroundings near Hosman station whereyet another delicious meal was providedfor us by Gabriel and Andreea Sarbu.

During the afternoon the opportunity wastaken for a siesta in the shade of theveranda at the Farm School oppositeCornatel station to discuss the politicaland commercial prospects for the venturewith Neil. The results of the work thatNeil and his colleagues have undertakenso far in Bucharest and the need toinvestigate ownership details of the plotsof land that the railway and its associatedbuildings were originally constructedupon. Neil provided suggestions to Mihaias to how best to go about this process.

Our evening meal was taken at theimpressive Syndicat Gourmet in Sibiu, acomparatively new venture that presentsa fusion of different world cuisine.

June 5 & 6The van team settled up our bill – at leastI hope we did as there was nobodyaround to hand the cash to, it was left inthe hands of Neil to pass over whensomebody representing the proprietorsmade an appearance. Some groupphotographs were taken in front of theCornăţel station building and then the vanhit the road – destination Bratislava!From there we headed on to Wernigerodefor a trip up the Brocken on the metregauge Harz railway.

Frank had hired a car for the duration ofthe week that proved to be surprisinglyeconomical and is probably the best wayto go on future visits.

Top - Transporting recovered rail using thedraisine and trailer as a sort of bolsterwagon!Centre - Getting the gauge right.Bottom - New sleepers in place.

Thank You!To Tompa and Câmpean families for their peasant-style lunches on the line.To Bebe from the Syndicat Gourmet restaurant in Sibiu for the pot stew, polenta and salads served in the coolness of the watertower - see him at work in the photos on page 3.To Gabriel and Andreea Sârbu for the delicious stew served in their garden.To Cioran family of the Bio Haus B&B in Nucet for looking after our team.

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Sibiu is a beautiful city set in the equally beautifulcountryside of Transylvania. With its stunningarchitecture, its dramatic squares and fountains, its

inspirational museums, its elegant churches and its internationalcuisine it is an outstanding example of what Romania has tooffer. But Sibiu cannot afford to rest on its laurels, the city islittle known in the UK and we wonder if the Eyes of Sibiushould not be seeking new and different ways to attract moretourists to enjoy the area’s charms?

For example right on Sibiu’s doorstep there is a goldenopportunity, a chance to revive, at very little cost, a type ofattraction that is becoming increasingly popular throughoutEurope. The Sibiu to Agnita narrow gauge railway that onceconnected the villages of the Hârtibaciu Valley with the city cando so again. It remains virtually intact; it is a NationalMonument and is an iconic symbol of Romania’s RailwayHeritage. In the rest of Europe tourists flock to ride on heritagesteam-hauled railways and the local hotels, restaurants and shopsall benefit. In the UK tourist railways are worth more than£390m to the economy.

Tourists spend money! The railway provides an ideal way ofencouraging them to do this. The revived line could provide alink between the little known and unspoilt villages of the

Hârtibaciu Valley with the potential source of income thattourism offers.

UK railway volunteers, eager to help, have been coming to thearea for five years bringing a little income each time and, asimportantly, going back to the UK to spread the word. As aresult the famous Festiniog Railway is now organising tours toSibiu to see the railway and perhaps enjoy a ride on the littlemotorised drasine at Cornatel, and this is just the start.

Sibiu is the base from which tourists can explore the valley’svillages, enjoy their culture and history, their churches, somefortified, and a simple, centuries-old unchanging way of life.

And what better way to arrive then by steam train? Toenjoy the quiet beauty of the Transylvanian countrysidefrom the window of a narrow gauge carriage, travellingalong what was once a life-line for the pretty villagesthat are strung like jewels on a necklace along thevalley’s length.

To stop at one of the little stations and walk through thevillage, or perhaps ride on a horse-drawn farm cart, tobuy local goods and produce such as honey, cheese andbutter or to visit the bakery (as in Hosman) to talk withthe villagers and perhaps visit the church. A touristshop could be set up selling locally made souvenirs or acafé at the station to cater for the hungry and thirstytourist. The opportunities to increase income are

Why Sibiu Needs its Heritage Railway

Top - near Altina 10th October 1998 (Photo M Kibler)Right - The Honey Lady at Nocrich September 2014Lower Hosman station 10th October 1998 (Photo M. Kibler)

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endless - once the tourists have a reason, and ameans, to visit the valley and its villages.How to go about it? Heritage railways inthe UK are largely run by enthusiasts who arehappy to volunteer their services to keep alivemuch loved local lines. In many cases they willemploy professional staff to drive the trains.Volunteering is still a novel concept in Romaniabut in the case of the SAR a group of experiencedBritish railway enthusiasts, including some of theUK’s leading railway engineers, and all of themvolunteers, have been helping the Sibiu-basedFriends of the Mocănița with their ambition ofreturning trains to the SAR. This is a labour oflove to help our Romanian colleagues. Nor is thetraffic one way - on two occasions the FfestiniogRailway has entertained volunteers from Sibiuanxious to lean track laying skills. Isn’t that theway it should be?

The fact that the rails and infrastructure are stillthere, in situ and intact, presents a greatopportunity. On most of the UK’s heritagerailways the original rails had long been lifted andthe track required total reconstruction but with theSAR it’s comparatively easy, nearly everything isstill there, just as it was when the line closed in2001.

The project has received a great deal of publicity inthe UK railway press, it has the support of theBritish Ambassador, it is backed by The EuropeanFederation of Railway Preservation Associations –Fedecrail - who are holding their autumn meetingin Sibiu and whose President recently met with theRomanian Transport Minister to discuss thescheme. As a result the Sibiu to Agnita Railway isnow at the top of the potential heritage linesdescribed in the Government’s 15 year plan fortransport throughout Romania.

The European Union is all about improvingrelations between member countries and whatbetter way to improve UK/Romanian relations thenby working together, each with our different skills,to restore one of Romania’s famous narrow gaugerailway lines and to save a vitally important pieceof Romanian railway heritage for posterity.

But we can only do so much. Sibiu needs toappreciate the railway gem that lies on its doorstep.The project needs and deserves the support of thelocal councils. It is something the region can beproud of, and it is the sort of scheme, located inone of the poorer region of the EU, that ticks all the boxes for EUfunding. It will never be a goldmine but it will make a positivecontribution to the local economy. A restored Sibiu AgnitaRailway will raise the profile of the region in the UK and it willbe one large stride forward for Romania and for Transylvania.

With imagination, determination and application it will succeed.

So in summary –Sibiu Needs its Heritage Railway because:-

a) It will attract tourists in its own right.b) It can be added to Sibiu’s tourist portfolio.c) It will take tourists and their money to the poorer regions of the Hârtibaciu Valley.

d) It will preserve an historic railway that is a critical part of Romania’s railway heritage and which is now a National Monument.e) It will attract EU funding.f) It will improve the awareness in the UK of Sibiu, one of Romania’s most stunning cities.

Top - SAR train at Bolovani 27th September 1999 (Photo M Kibler)Middle - Same view in September 2012 but from the other side of the river.Lower - Passengers flock to ride on the reconstructed Welsh HighlandRailway in North Wales, whilst a holiday coach pulls up outside. This showswhat can happen, and indeed, what will happen on the SAR if the opportunityis grasped.

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It is time to start organising theSeptember SARUK visit toTransylvania and in particular to

Sibiu and Cornăţel for the Steam Eventon the 26th/27th September.

The idea is to get there on Tuesday 22ndSeptember so that from Wednesday wecan help with final preparations for theevent with a return to UK the followingTuesday.

You will recall that it is planned forsteam to return to a section of the 7kmlength between Cornăţel and Hosman.The track has been, and is being,repaired. The girder bridge over theriver at Cornăţel has been repainted andthe track timbers replaced. The levelcrossings have been dug out and it ishoped that everything will be in place bythe due date.

In addition Cornăţel are putting on anall-day traditional Transylvanian Brunchon the Saturday with all that you can eatand drink. These are great andcolourful occasions and provide awonderful opportunity to meet the localvillagers as some may recall who were atApold a couple of years ago and atNocrich last year.

There will be an official reception atwhich the Great & the Good ofEuropean & Romanian Railwaypreservationists will be present.Fedecrail are holding their annualmeeting in Sibiu to coincide with theevent; Mr Paul Brummell, the BritishAmbassador to Romania will attend.Representatives from NERHT will bethere, local politicians have been invitedas have personnel from CFR (RomanianNational Railway Company)

It is very definitely going to be ademonstration of faith in the project, aflag-waving effort to convince localpoliticians that this is something thatthey should support, and, of course,SARUK too will be well represented.

All the rooms in the Biohause Hotelhave been booked for us - it’s just up theroad from Cornăţel ­ for a week. Greatfood!

At the time of writing there are at leastnine SARUK members who will begoing including two ladies.

On this occasion if you intend to comeplease book your flights independently -Wizz Air from Luton direct to Sibiu.An alternative route might be Blue Airfrom Liverpool (and other airports) toBucharest, overnight stay in Bucharestand then by train from Bucharest toSibiu (5 hours).

If you intend coming please ring oremail David Allan to advise (Tel 0151327 3576 or emaildavid.allan132@ntlworld.com)

Frank Cooper can help with flight detailsand Luton airport hotels - his contactdetails are Tel : 07736 774307; email:yorkhouse.flyer@btinternet.com

Sibiu in September

Top - digging out the level crossing that carriedthe branch to VurparLower - A rainbow hovers over the container usedto house the draisine at Cornăţel

Whilst in Sibiu why not visit the

SYNDICAT GOURMETRESTAURANT

“Using only fresh ingredientsbought every morning from the

town's main market place.”

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SARUK is a small and ratherinformal group of railway preservationenthusiasts dedicated to helping ourRomanian friends with the repair andrestoration of the Sibiu to AgnitaNarrow Gauge Railway in Transylvania.

It seeks to raise awareness of the line inthe UK and to overcome the problemsencounted in a country were the conceptand benefits of preserved railways arenot fully understood.

We are endeavouring in our very smallway to improve the perception ofRomania in the UK by identifying theopportunities that exist for the touristpotential of many of the country’s closedrailway lines and especially that of theSAR.

We now have a Facebook page whichprovides up to date information on ouractivities. See link below.

Over the last four years we havecontributed a total of £4,100 plus theodd small cash donation from members.This includes £1500 towards securing acoach for that Friends that had beenrescued from the scrap man, £605towards the repair of Cornăţel's uniquewater tower, £910 towards legal fees andmarathon sponsorship of £1085. Inaddition one of our members paid for therebuilding of the lovely little stationstable at Altina. Not bad you might sayfor an organisation of about 25members.

All our income whether from donations,appeals or the annual subscription goesdirectly to The Friends and this is theonly outgoing. All expenses including

the printing of this newsletter is met byindividuals. So you might say we arepretty dedicated to the cause!

What is SARUK?

Join UsThe Sibiu to Agnita narrow gaugerailway closed just eleven yearsago. It is located in the heart ofstunning scenery in the Hârtibaciuvalley, Transylvania. Most of thetrack, pointwork and infra-structure remains in situ.

Annual subs for membership ofSARUK is just £15 for which youwill receive four editions of ‘TheAgnita Express’ a year.

For more information please emailDavid Allan(david.allan132@ntlworld.com) orphone on 0151 327 3576

Follow this link to access the page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/SARUK/1073053896042860?ref=hl

The photos on this page, selected at random, showsome of our members;-Top row (left to right) Frank Cooper (grouptreasurer); Luminita Holban (formerly of MihaiEminescu Trust); Bill Parker (runs the loco repairshop at The Flour Mill in the New Forest).Lower Jim Turnbull MD of an elderflower cordialand local jam making enterprise at Saschiz nearSighișoara in Transylvania (well worth a visit!);Alasdair Stewart railway engineer extraordinaire

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The bridge over the riverat Cornăţel will be a keyfeature of the track at the

September Steam event. Thepictures on this page show theextraordinary effort that is beingput into this aspect of the lineupgrade.

The ‘Bridge Girls’ as they werenamed on the working partieshave been mainly responsiblefor rust removal and repaintingwhilst the men have beenremoving the heavy bridgetimbers and replacing them withequally heavy new ones.

Cornatel Bridge

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Our members are very good atresponding to appeals forfunds. In the last four years

we have contributed over £4000 tohelp with the repair and restoration ofthe Sibiu to Agnita railway.

We have provided working partiesevery year for the last four years,including the party that spent a week atCornăţel at the beginning of June.

We have visited Bucharest for highlevel meetings with officials,politicians and others as recordedelsewhere in this and previous issues -all at our own expense.

But all of this will have been in vainunless we can secure the transfer of thetrack to either the local authorities or toThe Friends. Only when theownership of the line is clear can thereal work of repair and reconstructionbegin.

We are not in receipt of any grants werely totally on our members and otherinterested parties to help with funds forthe project

As you can see from the column on theright we have now employed a British-led Romanian legal firm to try and

understand the very complexownership position so that transfer ofthe ownership can be properlyconcluded.

We need to raise £4000 to meet theirfees. We already have been promisedsome £2000 of pledges, so may weonce again appeal to your generosity tohelp with this vital aspect of theproject. We know it’s not ‘sexy’ likelaying track or driving locomotives butwithout the trackbed, the rails and theinfrastructure neither of these thingscan happen. It is fundamental to theproject.

Please may we ask you to contributeeither with a direct donation or by astanding order. Enclosed with thisedition of The Agnita Express you willfind a form for you to fill in and returnto SARUK Treasurer, Frank Cooper.

We have come along way down theline but we must overcome this majorhurdle of track ownership.

Please help us to help our Romaniancolleagues in the fulfilment of theirambition to restore this iconicRomanian narrow gauge railway.

David Allan

An Appeal On the LegalFront

Following our visit to Bucharestin January and the subsequentmeeting between David

Morgan (Fedecrail President) and theRomanian Minister of Transport inthe company of Paul Brummell, theBritish Ambassador it became veryclear that in order to make progresson the transfer of the track to theLocal Authorities or indeed to TheFriends of The Mocanita theownership of the track and the landon which it stands needed to beidentified.

So, whilst all the frenetic track repairactivity was taking place at Cornăţelback in Bucharest quiet progress wasbeing made on the legal front.

We have employed Neil McGregorand his Romanian legal firm to tryand unravel the very tricky questionof who actually own the Railway.At first glance you might say that iseasy, the State railways (CFR) ranthe line for many years so it clearlybelongs to the Government butnothing is as straightforward as itseems in Romania! The line wasoriginally built (1890 to 1910) by theHungarians when the area was a partof Hungary. Boundary changesbrought the line into Romanianterritory.

The Romanian Government arecurrently seeking ways that willenable them to transfer ownership ofnot only the SAR but all formernarrow gauge lines to the control oflocal authorities. The SAR hasbecome a sort of guinea pig to tryand work out the best method ofdoing this, but ownership is crucial.

Not only is Neil’s firm activelypursuing this important work, but healso flying the flag for the enterprisein the higher echelons of Bucharest’spolitical elite.

It is certainly true to say that thepoliticians are now fully aware of therailway preservation rumblings fromTransylvania and of the need to dosomething to encourage this homegrown railway preservationmovement.

Sales ItemsTo help with funds SARUK is now offering several selecteditems for sale. These include the new Gomm’s lapel badgedepicting an original SAR locomotive. A new SARUKPolo Shirt (red letters on a Royal Blue ground) in four sizesand a SARUK mug. Please help us to support the line byconsidering a purchase of some of these items.

supporting / sustinere

Sibiu – AgnitaMocanita

PricesLoco Badge - £5.00SARUK Mug - £6.95Polo Shirt £15.00 (sizes L to XXXL)

Please send your order with cheque madeout to SARUK to :-Frank Cooper Maple Lodge, Chapel Lane,Sibsey, Boston, PE22 0SN

All post paid

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So what toexpect at theSeptember

Steam Event atCornăţel?

First and foremostthere will be asteam engine in thestation with one ofthe later carriagesthat The Friendshad managed tosave from the scrapman. This will beoffering frequentshort 2 km ridesover the Cornăţelbridge towardsHosman.

Cornăţel was, andindeed is, ajunction where the 8 km branch linecoming in from Vurpăr joins the mainAgnita to Sibiu track. It was here thatthe mainly timber carrying wagons fromVurpăr would have been marshalledwith the passenger coaches from Agnitafor their journey on to Sibiu. JohnAlexander has captured the Cornatelscene brilliantly with his 1980’sphotographs, two of which are publishedhere. See also last newsletter.

The motorised drasine will be operatingin the station yard as far as the main roadlevel crossing that was dug out recentlyby volunteers.

The cyclo-drasine will also be availablefor anyone wishing to try this novelmeans of self-propelled rail transport.

The Transylvanian Brunch, which isbeing held at the Farm, across the roadfrom the station, starts at 11.00am andgoes on until 3.00pm . The price of theBrunch is 50 lei per person (£8.00) andthis entitles you to an unlimited supplyof food, drink and general good cheer!

SARUK will have a stand manned byFrank Cooper and Graham Farr, whilstthe Friends of the Mocănița or AsociatiaPrietenii Mocanitei to give them theirproper title will have several information

points with all you need to know aboutthe project.

There is little doubt that this is animportant milestone in the early life ofthis impressive Romanian project. Italso might be seen as the vanguard forsimilar operations throughout EasternEurope.

September Steam Event at cornatel

Top ­ mixed train leaving Cornăţel and heading toSibiu on 20th October 1980

Lower - Loco (764-207) heads the mixed train asit snakes out of Cornăţel on 20th October 1980

Both images by John Alexander