I saw a picture of this thing on a couple of the usual sites posting funny pics today, and realized very few people know what it is. Since I’ve actually seen it in action this summer on vacation, I decided to shed a little light on the subject.
The CFF which is the Romanian forest railway company, runs at least a couple of these vans on wheels in Viseul de Sus, located in a relatively remote North-Western part of the country. There, an old logging route has been turned into a tourist attraction by a foreign company that bought the rights to the line.
They use a couple of reconditioned compact steam engines, which they told me produce about 100 horsepower, to take tourist on a half-day journey through some of the most untouched parts of the country.
The steam locomotives sometimes brake down, and these vans are used to bring the stranded tourist back. Notice how they turn the body around since there is only one track and very few places to turn it.
They use a couple of reconditioned compact steam engines, which they told me produce about 100 horsepower, to take tourist on a half-day journey through some of the most untouched parts of the country.
The steam locomotives sometimes brake down, and these vans are used to bring the stranded tourist back. Notice how they turn the body around since there is only one track and very few places to turn it.
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