Back in England, stored in my brother's loft lies an N gauge model railway. The track is 9mm (slightly less that 3/8ths or 0.354") wide. It is 1:160 scale. The rolling stock is 1:148 scale so my largest engine is about 300mm long. This N gauge which we are now riding on has track which is 760mm wide and the engine is somewhat larger but what a marvellous train set which someone gets to control and others to work on. Yes; this is a Narrow Gauge railway and we are on our way from Septemvri to Dobrinishte exploring the full length of this 125 km run. To this end I have booked an hotel in Dobrinishte rather than the rather more popular Bansko summer and ski resort. Unfortunately the branch from Varvara to Pzardzik is now closed.
At 14:00 hours we pulled out of the station past a stationary train destined for Velingrad according to the destination plate on the carriage door, do they operate commuter trains on this line too or was this a relic of the lines former glory attested to by the, now overgrown, freight cars along the route? You will see from the timetable that we were due to depart at 13:34 but what's the hurry? I have reproduced the timetable for the journey, it's copyright is held by BDZ but I am sure they will not mind as it is downloaded as a PDF from their site. Our first stop was just across route 8, perhaps to drop off the crossing operator as there did not appear to be any form of station here. According to the timetable this is Pamparovo - SP, what I would term a 'halt'. I deduced this from stops later up the line.
We arrive at Varvara station, a traditional building in keeping with the scenery surrounding this line. Looking up the track I observe that we are in the siding and deduce that we are waiting for the 'down' train to arrive as the route is all single track apart from the stations. The timetable shows a four minute wait. Several passengers dismount and walk across the track to the shade of the station for a smoke. It would appear that our wait will be longer than four minutes probably due to the late departure.
I dismount and stretch my legs before positioning myself to take a photo of the arriving train. A railway employee cycles up to the signal box with a sheet of paper in his hand. Moments later he cycles back. Communications have not advanced very far here since the line was built. Still no 'down' train. A flock of geese cross the track, pecking amongst the sleepers oblivious to the activity around them. I think I see movement but realise that a road must cross the track just out of sight and it is the occasional lorry I see.
My arm starts to ache, the crew is returning to the train, I give up my vantage point and re-board the train. Some 50 minutes after our arrival the "down" train appears round the bend. I guess this is the price for our late departure. A previous account I read about the journey had this exchange taking place at Dolene another four stops and 34 minutes up the track. Whilst writing this I deduce that our late departure was due to the late departure or a delay in the schedule of the "down" train as most stops are scheduled for about one minute each. Waiting in the fresh air on a warm, sunny afternoon surrounded by beautiful scenery who cares? I don't but, perhaps just as in the south east of England, the commuters do. Nevertheless the arrival and halt of the "down" train was quite exciting and afforded an excellent photo opportunity. I even captured the smiling faces of the crew. The "down" train disgorged its passengers as the Traffic Controller signalled our departure.
The line winds its way alongside route 84 and the Chepinska river as we climb through the lower Rhodope mountains leading us towards the peaks of Rila and Pirin. Unfortunately I was to discover that EEC funded upgrading of route 84 has led to the demise of some of the wonderful stations along this track. Even as we start our journey the scenery is spectacular. The river cascades in places and flows serenely in others. Dramatically the road is first parallel then immediately below us as we travel along an embankment looking down on the passing traffic. We cause a queue as we rattle across the main road and positions are reversed.
I miss the 'halt' at Marko Nikolov if, indeed we did for now we arrive at Cepina station. There is a discrepancy with some of the place names. I thought it was due to translation or name change but I have also read that the names are in the native Crylic and French. I have no means of verifying this. Again this station is of the traditional architecture of the area with shade, wooden seats and fresh water drinking fountain. I would love to be the station master at one of these locations.
Departing Cepina we carry on as before but up ahead I spy a tunnel, All goes dark, perhaps the duration is not worth of lighting. When is a tunnel not a tunnel? When it resembles a cathedral cloisters, through the arches we see the road below. Of course some tunnels are tunnels where the line parts company with the road and river. It is fascinating to see the line below proving that we are climbing and in some respects not getting very far as we wind around the mountain range.
We soon emerge rattling through gorges cut through the towering hillsides surmounted by forest. The sun shines on this late September day, the foliage along the track is starting to change colour in anticipation of autumn. The air is fresh and I decide that it is time for a snack. A pastry roll with a sausage in it somewhat akin to a Frankfurter fresh baked that morning. A bottle of Nestea to quench the thirst. I share my chocolate bar with the family sitting opposite. New friends made.We pull into Dolene station, of similar construction to those before. This is a short stop then on. The absence of road and river gives a sense of adventure as we negotiate our way through the surrounding vegetation. We are visibly climbing now and the train slows at times to negotiate the bends. The countryside is breathtaking.
We arrive at Kostandovo station, what went wrong here? From the romantic stops preceding this one this looks like a 1960's concrete blot on the landscape. A short stop as passengers alight and board and we are off again. I am surprised at how popular the line is. I had assumed that I would have a lonely journey out of season but I was wrong, the line is well supported by local commuters. It would be interesting to see how many passengers there are on the morning and evening runs.
The countryside changes and I wonder if I have time travelled back to the lowlands. These dramatic changes of view are what makes this journey so breathtaking. We are still in the mountains but in an open plain. Yaz. Batak, a huge lake at 1036 metres is just over the horizon. Stands of trees, dense forest, pasture land and cultivation. Variety is the spice of life.
Our next stop is Velingrad, a popular destination as the town resides on the edge of the Kleptuza National Park. There are many luxury spa hotels here taking advantage of the natural hot mineral springs which bubble up from the rock below. The station building reflects the importance of the town and surrounding area but the horse and cart brings us back to earth. Life goes on around the tourists who pour into the area. There is still work to be done. This is another reason why I wanted to take this route.
A short journey later and we halt at the rather decrepit Velingrad-jug station. The building is constructed on more traditional lines and I wonder if this is the original stop before international tourism caught on. The station is also much nearer the park. All of the stations and most of the halts are recorded in my photo album. Here is an example of one of the huge spa complexes which are taking over the area. Do not despair, the area is so vast and the backdrop so huge that the complexes seem minute in comparison.
Although the line itself hasn't changed much since its inception and the rolling stock is ancient, the railway does evolve in relation to local circumstances. Ostrec, our next stop is now downgraded to a "halt" rather than a station. Does one stick out ones hand and the train will stop or does an official drive there from Velingrad to meet the train? What is obvious is how quickly nature reclaims its own. Perhaps the upgraded road or changes in the local economy reduces the importance of some stations whilst tourism enhances others.
A flock of sheep graze on the pastures in the valleys amongst the mountains. The view is constantly changing and surprising. This is the first time I have seen sheep in Bulgaria. Lamb is a treat here, try and find it in a restaurant. The timetabled journey is 5.5 hours but worth the time. As we will see as the journey continues it is like stepping back into the English countryside of the early 20th Century.
The seats are comfortable, the engine hauls the train with little discernible effort. I am fortunate that the windows in the carraiges slide down so that views can be captured without the glare or grime of the window affecting the shot. Of course, mid afternoon the sun is at the wrong position at times. I get stressed trying to snap the shot between the track side foliage. Which side of the track to watch? Decisions, decisions. Keep calm and enjoy the journey!
Half an hour from Velingrad and we arrive at Tsvetino or Cvetino according to the timetable. This is a busy station, I was surprised at how many people disembarked here. I get a close up look at the local dress, previously seen at a distance in the fields. The colourful dress of the women reflects the historical background of the area. These are "Pomaks", ethnic Slav Muslims who inhabited the area prior to the reunification which I have talked about in previous posts. Crossing the tracks, much frowned upon in the UK is a way of life here in Bulgaria.
By contrast Sveta Petka is little more than a cobble stone platform some metre or two wide. No signs. Does the light on the lamp post work? There is a levelled area as a car park. Our next stop is one of the highlights of the journey. The highest railway station in the Balkans at Avramovo. This attractive station painted a pale yellow with neat flower boxes reflects its status. The train only make a brief stop here so no time to hop off and look around. I contemplated getting off here on my return journey then catching the last train of the afternoon back to Septemvri but it was not to be.
We are just over half way through the journey. As the "Station Master" or "Traffic Controller", I am never sure as there are two separate offices on most stations, checks his watch to signal our departure. we are one hour late according to the timetable but will leave at 15 minutes past the hour regardless. I shall pause my journey here and continue the adventure on into the mountains in my next post.
View my "BDZ Narrow Gauge Railway" photo album - this contains the photos relating to this post
View my "Trip to Rila" photo album - this contains all of the photos relating to the whole trip
We soon emerge rattling through gorges cut through the towering hillsides surmounted by forest. The sun shines on this late September day, the foliage along the track is starting to change colour in anticipation of autumn. The air is fresh and I decide that it is time for a snack. A pastry roll with a sausage in it somewhat akin to a Frankfurter fresh baked that morning. A bottle of Nestea to quench the thirst. I share my chocolate bar with the family sitting opposite. New friends made.We pull into Dolene station, of similar construction to those before. This is a short stop then on. The absence of road and river gives a sense of adventure as we negotiate our way through the surrounding vegetation. We are visibly climbing now and the train slows at times to negotiate the bends. The countryside is breathtaking.
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