READERS' REPORTS - EUROPE
BELGIUM
BULGARIA
Of all the countries in Europe that maintain heritage steam locomotives available for charter, Bulgaria, for all its relatively small size, and its position as a relatively poor former Eastern European country, its State railway BDZ must be congratulated for being in the forefront of locomotive preservation. A complete turnround from the days, not so long ago, when – in common with other Communist countries like Yugoslavia and Poland, photographing trains could get you arrested, and your film confiscated!
But Bulgaria's investment appears to be paying off, as an increasing number of foreign groups are taking advantage of the charter trains that the Bulgarian State Railways can provide, in a country whose landscape is remarkably beautiful and bucolic, and where the climate is more often than not, pleasantly warm and sunny.
Tours almost always include days on the narrow gauge Rhodope railway – where the normal service is operated by the rather attractive 1965-built Henschel diesels, but on which the star attraction is Polish-built 2-10-2T 60976 seen in one of the attached photographs.
Most recently - in late October, 2022 – BDZ operated a week's charter for a group of German enthusiasts, numbering 50+, mostly middle-aged, but of course many would remember steam in their native Germany, where it ceased later than in the UK – and indeed, on the East German narrow gauge, it has never stopped! That recent German group's tour was steam only, but Bulgaria also runs ex-British Rail Class 86 and 87 electric locomotives – and a British charter tour planned for next Spring – provisionally April 26th – May 3rd,and a “Classic Traction Tour” using the ex-BR electrics referred to above, and visits to other installations – meant to appeal to a growing number of “modern classic traction” enthusiasts. Both versions of the tour will permit deviations into the other subject to space availability. (Details from and in future issues of LI)
