Since 190 years ago the steam is used as power for railway locomotives. The system of the steam engine born in that time is still fascinating for today railway enthusiasts. Day by day the railway system improved worldwide becoming more and more technique at higher speeds. But one thing stays the same as in 1814: the power of steam!

From one period to another we get fascinated by the old pictures. With this steam the locomotive is breathing. You can see life in metal coming from the heart of the fire box. You can see heavy metal parts moved together by one simple power: steam.

Through years people tried to catch this fascination of steam by immortalizing special moments on film and paper. They shared the impressions and tried not to interfere with the natural sites where these steam locomotives are working.

The most impressive experience is to catch the people and their steam machines in that special environment of Maramures.

A journey back in time!

When travelling with the Mocăniţa up the valley one should keep in mind that this is like a journey back in time: after leaving the Vişeu station there is no cell phone signal, and any contact with the modern times is lost.

“Wood” and “water” are two words that best define Maramureş. The history, the traditions and the life of the people of Maramureş are carved in the wood of the churches and gates, and numerous rivers and streams are spread along the land like a cobweb, forming famous valleys: Mara, Iza, Vişeu, and Vaser.

Among these, of special interest for tourists is the Vaser Valley, which crosses the Maramureş Mountains in the middle of one of the most wild and beautiful landscapes in Romania. The Vaser River is about 60 kilometres long, forming a spectacular canyon-like valley, where precipitous cliffs alternate with dense forests, beautiful clearings and mineral water springs.

The access point to the Vaser Valley is the town of Vişeu de Sus, which is also the starting point for Mocăniţa, a narrow gauge steam train, the only means of transportation in the valley. The railway runs along the Vaser River and is one of the last remaining steam rails still in active use in Europe, and the only one in Romania still used for hauling logs down from the mountains. Built after the First World War for the express task of transporting wood, it is still – surprisingly – used for the original purpose.

Nowadays, in spite of its old age, the steam locomotives have been given one more task: that of transporting tourists. As this place is one of the few where one can ride along in a wagon pulled by steam power, every year the old Mocăniţa, attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world, and offers them unforgettable railway trips.

Travelers can go by train all the way up to the end of the valley and back, enjoying the beauty of the nature. It is also possible to stop on the way, get off at one of the several halts, "halte", and start a hiking trip to the mountains.

About Mocanita

The narrow gauge railway line (760 mm) was build between 1930—1933 years.

The length of railway is 56 kms.

Railway’s engines, model “Resita”, are made in ‘50’s.

The highest altitude is at 1.100 m at Comanu and the departure is from Viseu at 600m altitude.
Steam locos weight is 24.8 tons with fuel and 20 tons empty.

The train still runs for industrial purposes, for wood, and just one train is only for tourists, starting travel since the summer of 2004.

The waggons for tourists can be terrace or class.

An unforgettable trip with Mocanita in the Heart of the Mountains!

It all starts at the Vişeu de Sus railway station (Căile Ferate Forestiere Vişeu de Sus, or simply CFF Vişeu de Sus). Since this is not a regular railway station, but a forestry station, there are no passenger platforms. The place looks more like a lumberyard than a railway station, smelling of freshly cut wood.

Very early in the morning the Mocăniţa is made ready for the day’s trip. Both the tourist wagons and the forestry wagons are attached to the steam locomotive, wood and water provisions are made – they are the fuel of the steam engine – and the mechanic starts the engine. After some time off, the train goes with a long whistle, puffing along the way.

Following the cascading river, the train first passes among the houses of Vişeu de Sus. Then, after about seven kilometres, the tracks start to go deep into the wild forest, passing among the steep cliffs of the gorge, and penetrating the mountains through dark tunnels.

The silence of the nature is broken not only by the on-rushing tumultuous river and the puffs and hisses of the train, but from time to time also by the sharp whistles of the locomotive. The Mocăniţa creeps slowly up the abrupt slopes and often gives the impression that it can no longer advance and that the steam power is not sufficient. However, it manages to continue the journey and carry the tourists to picturesque places.

The journey is long and with several stops. As it ascends, the train drops off empty wagons, which are picked up on the return, piled high with logs. The train also stops when locals are taken on board along the way. They use the train to bring cheese down to the town to sell, and to visit nearby villages. Moreover, several fuelling stops are required, as new provisions of water need to be made. Then the locomotive is unhitched from the wagons and is taken to the river. At its return it gives the tourists a strong shake, just to let them know that they should be ready for continuing the trip. The fuel tender also needs to be filled with firewood.

What Else You Should Know Before Getting on the Train

When travelling with the Mocăniţa up the valley one should keep in mind that this is like a journey back in time: after leaving the Vişeu station there is no cell phone signal, and any contact with the modern times is lost; the train is pulled by an antique steam locomotive, and therefore one should pay attention to the soot and sparks that might stain or burn one’s clothes; along the way there are no shops, and provisions of food, water and other consumables have to be made before departure.

“Unforeseen” is a key word in the mountains, and it is advisable not to plan anything for the afternoon, as there is no certainty about the return hour: something might break (one has to keep in mind that the line is more than 70 years old and the locomotive can be even older!), and there might be either trees or rocks on the tracks. As the weather in the mountains is very unstable, appropriate shoes, warm clothes and a waterproof coat are necessary. The Vaser Valley is in the border zone, and a valid identity card or passport has to be brought along.

The halts, the majesty of the mountains and the untamed forests, the frenzied river that competes with the noise and sounds of the train, the lumberjacks, the train itself with its conductor, all are a cause for enjoyment, a feeling of adventure, of enchantment. On this train one has to forget the destination, the time it supposedly takes to reach the end of the line, the schedules and other mundane worries of our frantic modern life.

History

The so called “Vaser Valley Railway” (the Romanian vaser means “water”), the forestry railway of Viseu de Sus, located in the high north of Romania next to the border to the Ukraine, is still an outstanding technical culture heritage object: On a network of approx. 60 kms track length you will still find steam locos – besides some motor locos – with wooden firing. For this reason the CFF Viseu de Sus (CFF is the Romanian short cut for Caile Ferate Forestiere „Forestry Railway“) shall be the last real forestry railway on earth.

The track was built with 760 mm gauge, which was the standard narrow gauge within the Austrian-Hungarian Empire and will lead you with numerous curves via bridges and tunnels next to Vaser River into a wild romantic valley of the Carpathian Mountains. The railway opens a huge forest area without any roads and villages, but therefor with bears and wolfes.

The industrial use of the forests started late at the beginning of the 18th Century during the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. German speaking settlers explored the forest areas and transported the cutted lumber by wood rafting via the river down to Viseu de Sus into the saw mills. In 1932 the forestry railway was built – an enormous technical progress compared to the rafting.

Forestry railways were widespread over Europe, especially within the Carpathian Mountains. The operating principles were very simple: following close to the river, in case of need with narrow curves (therefore the use of the narrow gauge!), and constructed to enable the small locos pulling the empty logging cars up to the mountains and to coast down the heavy loaded trains to the saw mills.

While replaced in most of the European countries after 1945, the forestry railways in Romania survived for a long time: In 1970 the state-run forestry administration still operated more than 3.000 kms of tracks, up to 1986 still new forestry steam locos were built in Romania, and in 1989 still more than 15 forestry railway existed with together approx. 1.000 kms of tracks.

The economic changes starting in 1990 had a devastating impact on the state-run forestry railways “CFF”: Within a few years all of them were decommissioned, abolished, locos and wagons were scrapped or sold. Only one of them is still operating up to now – the Vaser River Railway. And it is still serving for its primary purpose: a forestry railway for logging.

The railway system is managed by the private Romanian corporation „R. G. Holz Company“ since 2003, which is also the owner of the depot area and most of the locos and wagons. Still in public ownership are the railway infrastructure and the major part of the forests in the valley.

Since 2000 the forestry railway also gets support from abroad: the Swiss association „Hilfe für die Wassertalbahn“ („help fort he Vaser Valley Railway“) (1.6.Swiss association). With the Swiss assistance some locos out of commission were putted back into service, new passenger wagons were purchased and the depot and the historic station building were refurbished. The surroundings at the CFF station in Viseu de Sus will receive all infrastructures for the rising tourism.

Since 2005 regular passenger trains with steam locos are in operation for visitors and since 2007 the Vaser Valley is under European protection as a part of the Natural Preserve „Muntii Maramuresului“.

At the moment the forestry railway is still a little bit pending, there are still a lot of problems. But the beautiful railway found a lot of friends through the whole world and the number is still growing! The last forestry railway of Romania looks into a good future, not at least due to the tourism.

Agency remarks

Mocanita program - Regularly public steam trains 2011

28th April – 26th June 2011 and 22th September – 30th October 2011

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Vişeu de Sus – Departure 9:00
Paltin (km 21.6) – arrival approx. 11:00
Vişeu de Sus – Arrival approx. 14:30
Price: Adults: 41 Ron, Students/Pensioners/Invalids: 35 Ron, Children*: 25 Ron

30th June – 18th September 2011

Daily, including Sundays
Vişeu de Sus – Departure 9:00
Paltin (km 21.6) – approx. 11:00
Vişeu de Sus – Arrival approx. 15:30
Price: Adults: 45 Ron, Students/Pensioners/Invalids: 39 Ron, Children*: 32 Ron (Always Mondays special price for children 25 Lei)

Special Trains 2011 – Scheduled trains with special events

Official opening of the touristic season 2011: 24^th and 25^th April (Departure at 9:00 am)

Special Easter-train: 26^th of April (Departure at 9:00 am)

Press-Event for the introduction of the hotel train „Carpatia-Express“: 28^th of April

Maramures Brunch with Mocăniţa: 12^th of June (departure at 09:00)

Special train for Pentecost - Introduction of the Jewish museum „Elefant“: 13^th of June (departure at 09:00)

Theatre: „The Visit” (orgin. title “der Besuch der alten Dame) at the Water Valley: 9^th of July (departure at 5.00 pm)

Full moon ride: 16^th of July and 13^th of August and 10^th of September (departure at 7:30 pm)

Rock Festival: 22^nd and 23^rd of July (departure at 5.00 pm)

Concerto for strings: 6^th of August (departure at 5.00 pm)

Traditional music spectacle: 19^th of August (departure at 5:00 pm)

Christmas ride: 26^th and 29^th of December (departure at 10:00 am)

New Year’s Eve Party into the Water Valley: 31^st of December (departure at 7:00 pm)

With the steam train into the New Year: 02^nd of January 2012 (departure at 10:00 am)

reserv