Narrow Gauge In Budapest

When I visit cities abroad I usually try to get a railway attraction on the programme. Recently I was in Hungary's capital Budapest that has a very varied selection of railway features: plain normal standard gauge, trams, Europe's oldest metro, funicular, rack and pinnion line, railway museum and a narrow gauge 'childrens' railway'.

Mk-45-2002 arriving with train at Széchenyihegy station on the Budapets childrens' railway. The loco was built in Romania by the 23. August Works as 1569/1972.

I was fortunate to get a taste of several of the dishes at the Budapest railway buffet, but the 760 mm gauge childrens' railway took first place as it is a lovely scenic train journey through the hills of eastern Budapest that also has great value for non-railway enthusiasts (at least my travel partner said so). I visited the railway back in 2009 and not much had changed since my first visit. The railway was built in 1947 as a pioneer railway, an institution many countries under communist rule was blessed with. Here the young pioneers (besides getting a (un)healthy dose of political teachings) could learn working together running a railway with adults only taking care of the most demanding tasks. That's basically also what is happining on the railway today just without the communist indoctrination.  

The large mosaic above the ticket counter at Széchenyihegy station reminds of the time when the Hungarian flag had to be accompanied by the red banner on a depiction of the young pioneers. The uniforms have changed slightly, but the children are still saluting every passing train with (what to me looks very much) the communist pioneers' salute.

 

Despite visiting in early April two trains were operating on the almost 12 km long railway. Here trains meet on Szépjuhászné station. The train from Hűvösvölgy is pulled by Hungarian built Mk 48.2024.

The railway is a (for a Dane) steep climb from Hűvösvölgy to Széchenyihegy covering 235 meters in height including a horse shoe curve with a tunnel. Absolutely worth a visit.

If you visit the railway museum in the northern part of Budapest to see narrow gauge items you'll be disappointed: I saw only one small 760 mm draisine representing Hungarian narrow gauge railways at the museum. There is a lot of interesting standard gauge things to see (of particularly interest to me was the track maintenance machines and rail cranes). 

The single narrow gauge item exhibited at the Hungarian railway museum in Budapest. Draisine GV 179. 

Budapest is a nice city to visit, rail transport is extremely cheap, has good regularity and while very few foreigners understand Hungarian, Hungarians understands English just fine.