Tag Archives: steam trains

Recycling retired locomotives for carriage heating

In much of Europe it gets awfully cold in winter time, which presents difficulties for rail operators when carriages are parked overnight in a siding, and need to be warmed up the next morning ready for passengers to board. Their […]

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Car vs steam train on the streets of Germany

The other day on Twitter I found a video of an odd scene – a steam train driving along a narrow street, then crashing into a Mercedes Benz after the driver decided to pull out from the curb. pic.twitter.com/RU4qQUxvqV — […]

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Turning a locomotive on a reversing star

There are many ways for a locomotive to be turned – reversing loops, turntables, and triangular junctions. But there is one bizarre track configuration that can also do the same job – a reversing star. Google Maps How they work […]

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A whistle stop tour of Sinaia railway station, Romania

As I travelled across Romania by train, the railway station at the mountain resort of Sinaia in Prahova County caught my eye. Photo by Andrei Stroe, via Wikimedia Commons Căile Ferate Române 4-6-0 steam locomotive 230-039 was plinthed outside the […]

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Ретропоезд – the heritage trains of Russia

In Russian there is a word for old time trains such as steam engines – «Ретропоезд». It roughly translates to “retro train”, and on my visit to Russia, I saw quite a few of them.

Collection of locomotives at the south end of the museum Continue reading →

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