Hungary - narrow gauge trains

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The Balatonfenyves narrow-gauge railway runs from Balatonfenyves on the south shore of Lake Balaton to Somogyszentpál over a distance of 13 km. It is the last remaining MÁV-operated narrow-gauge railroad of Hungary as of 2017. It is a 750 mm track railroad built 1950-. Passenger traffic started in 1956. Freight traffic ended in 1990, but the line remains in use especially because it connects the Csiszta spa with the normal gauge railway line in Balatonfenyves and there are large numbers of tourists in the lake Balaton area who want to drive with the old trains to and from the spa. This picture shows the Balatonfenyves narrow gauge station 1.7.2015. Picture by Ilkka Siissalo.

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A typical narrow gauge train of the Balatonfenyves railroad, consisting of a class Mk48 locomotive and two coaches. Picture in Balatonfenyves 1.7.2015 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Uncoupling the class Mk48 diesel locomotive from its wagons. These class Mk48.2 locomotives were all built in 1960 and there are only three of them left. It's a dieselhydraulic engine with a top speed of 50 km/h - in most places the poor condition of the tracks does not allow even this. Picture in Balatonfenyves 1.7.2015 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Same train with its Mk48 locomotive seen from the other side. Picture in Balatonfenyves 1.7.2015 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Manual track maintenance work at the repair shop yard at Balatonfenyves with some of the still working locomotives in the background. Picture in Balatonfenyves 1.7.2015 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Mk48 locomotive no.2013 with its fresh paint looks almost like new, although it is already soon 60 years old. In practise all operations on the remaining 13km of the originally 35 km long network is performed with the three remaining Mk48 machines. They are the most powerful machines of the railroad. Picture in Balatonfenyves 1.7.2015 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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These class C50 locomotives were intended for shunting and were built in 1956. Its power rating is only 37 kW and top speed in theory is 30 km/h, but in practise they only move wagons on the yard of the Balatonfenyves repair shop area. The Balatonfenyves railroad has two of them in active use and this is the one in better shape. Picture in Balatonfenyves 1.7.2015 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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This is also a class C50 shunter, but this no. 5727 is no longer in active use. The text G.V. stands for Gazdasági Vasutállomás or narrow gauge railway. The whole name of the Balatonfenyves narrow gauge railroad is Balatonfenyvesi Gazdasági Vasút. Picture in Balatonfenyves 1.7.2015 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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The C50 locomotive no.5713 is still in use. Here it has just brought an old passenger coach from inside the repair yard. The old wagon shines with new paint and with its new chairs looks like totally new. Picture in Balatonfenyves 1.7.2015 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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An old class Ba.w coach looks like brand new in its new paint and new furniture. Picture in Balatonfenyves 1.7.2015 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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This is how the same coaches look like before renovation. Some have even burned inside and one of them has a broken axle. Picture in Balatonfenyves 1.7.2015 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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The narrow gauge locomotive and coach repair shop. Picture in Balatonfenyves 1.7.2015 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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