Steam Engines

Since the line’s opening, until the introduction of the first diesel railcars for passenger service in 1942, all activities  are being carried out by steam engines. The steam traction dominates until 1965, when the first diesel engines  are delivered and gradually replace steam in the freight services too. During the whole history of the line, a total of 25 steam engines representing three different series served the narrow gauge line between Septemvri and Dobrinishte.  Between the end of World War II and the year 1950, three additional locomotives from the 92.00 series “Mallet”  are being temporarily used on the Rhodope Narrow Gauge, borrowed from the Yugoslavian railways, but they are returned after the delivery of the 600.76 series for BDZ.

Series 1.76 - 10.76

The first locomotives to be used on the narrow gauge line

Series 1.76 - 10.76

The first locomotives to be used on the narrow gauge line are the ones of the series 1.76 — 10.76. They are two-cylindered and built by order of the Main Directorate of the Bulgarian State Railways in 1922 in the German factory Reinmetall – Düsseldorf. In 1923 they delivered ten locomotives of the series. They were used in the construction of the section Saranbey – Ladzhene. At the time of the opening, the line had 3 locomotives of the series and the necessary wagons. Over the years these locomotives served the line with its extension to Yakoruda which  opened in 1939. Locomotives № 1.76 and 10.76 are currently to be found in the courtyard of the locomotive depot in Septemvri.

 

Series 500.76

specially for the railway Saranbey-Chepino

Series 500.76

In 1927, four steam engines of the series 500.76 were delivered from the Českomoravská Kolben Factory in Prague, specially for the railway Saranbey-Chepino. Their purpose was to pull the freight trains on the route Septemvri-Velingrad. They were used in regular service since the beginning of June 1928. In the early 30s, due to the increasing traffic and the line’s extension to Yakoruda, two more locomotives of the same series were bought. These were the machines with № 505.76 and № 506.76. They were built in Schwartzkopff – Berlin. Nowadays 504.76 can be found on the tracks of the affiliate depot in Bansko, while the other still preserved engine of this series, № 506.76, lies in front of the entrance of depot Septemvri.

Series 600.76

Series 600.76

They were built at the German factory Schwartzkopff

Серия 600.76

At the end of 1939, the delivery of the first five locomotives of the series 600.76 was negotiated. They were built at the German factory Schwartzkopff — Berlin. Delivered in early 1941, they were put in operation the same year. Their purpose was to pull freight trains on narrow gauge sections with steep gradients and many curves. In 1947, the next 10 engines of the series were delivered from Poland. They were manufactured at the “Pierwsza fabryka lokomotyw w Polsce” — Chrzanow and put in service between the end of 1949 and early 1950.

Locomotive 609.76 was restored in 2004 and to this day serves the entertainment trips on the line with preliminary order. If you wish to arrange such a trip, you should make an inquiry to the respective department of BDZ at E-Mail: fancy@bdz.bg or per Phone: +359 889 915 863. More information HERE.

 

 

 

Видео от атракционно пътуване с локомотив 609.76 през октомври 2015 г. Автор: Николай Вичев