To add a bit of obscure rural rail lines to the people interested in these things. In Cuba, in the province of Las Tunas, in the town of Columbia there is a train station named Carata, not far from downtown. Out of this station runs several lines thru the rural farmland to places like Jobabo & Amancio. Some of the lines also serve the sugar mills. But what is most interesting is the converted van & small bus chassis to run on the narrow-guage line! I saw this type of rail car on your video. I didn't think this existed outside of Cuba!!
INFO: The Harz Mountain Railway (metre gauge) in Germany's Harz Mountains, (featured in the first 8min of this programme) is NOT a Preserved Railway. But a 100 MILE network of lines & branches providing a public service. The only line regarded as "touristic" is the line up to the Brocken mountain summit (4002ft). The railway's fleet includes at batch of 66ton 2-10-2T, a couple of Mallet tanks, & a small fleet of modern Diesel railcars. This comprehensive system connects with German National Railways in 3 towns. Wernigerode, Quidlingburg & Nordhausen. The first two towns are complete Medieval towns with Castles & Town Halls each OVER 1100 YEARS OLD, and still in constant daily use ! Along with thousands of pre Elizabethan houses. Both towns attracting over a Million German tourists each year. Indeed my ex secretary lives in a Wernigerode house rebuilt in 1340 in a rough cobbled street, complete with a real working "wishing well", just inside the 900 year old City wall ! This metre gauge network of lines and quaint little branches, operates every day except Christmas day. Fares on all lines except the Brocken line are extremely low, as they are subsidised by the EU. Heritage "specials" are also operated on bank holidays using the now very old Mallet 0-4-4-0 Tank locos, and pre-war coaches. In winter significant snow falls are dealt with by rotary snow ploughs, and of course most steam locos also have small ploughs fitted as well. The line also has a little freight, using Standard gauge diesel locos now mounted on metre gauge bogies ! Indeed Dutch ballast hoppers are carried piggy back fashion on metre gauge "rollbockwagon". These workings are to be found on the Nordhausen line, to and from Eisfelde Tammal (junction of the Nordhausen & Wernigerode lines). The famous "Brocken" mountain line is normal adhesion worked, requiring the line to circle around the mountain almost twice to gain altitude. This line also passes through a National Park, with Wild Boar, & wild Lynx mountain cats, lurking in the dense forest. You might even run into the odd "Witch", as this area is made famous by Von Geuthes epic tail "Faust" about all the witchcraft associated with the Harz mountains !!!! The "witches" flew on their broomsticks from the Hexen Tanzplatz (Witches dance place) to the Brocken summit (naked of course) to "consort" with the devil. A tradition re-enacted precisely every April 31st at Midnight on the Brocken summit. With special steam trains to take you up there, and bring you back around 02.00hrs, part of the Harz wide "Walpurgis Nacht" celebrations !!! "Walpurgis nacht" (The night of the Witches). Which EVERY town & village in the Harz celebrates on April 31st. Not for the faint hearted, as every town & village is traditionally blessed at Midnight by the ceremony of the beautiful "Harz Blondes" running totally naked through the streets. Even the famous British writer William Wordsworth went to see the Harz Blondes on April 31st !!! So how come the Brits are now so conspicuous by their absence ????
Thanks for the info. Don’t know why the Brits are conspicuous by their absence, being American. When I owned and operated Highball Productions I produced a two hour program, Steam in the Harz. Still available from Pentrex/Highball Productions.
@@petercrook4626 Then you are welcome if you want to see that line, the staff is generally very helpful, and by requesting it in advance they can put together a train with some particular rolling stock. One more note, a completely modernized German diesel narrow-gauge "V 90" circulates on the line, only two circulating in Europe, one here, one in Germany
I actually never yet investigated it, but it's the exhaust pipe from some auxiliary steam powered device on the loco. Might be the air brake pump or the injector, as the bangs occur most frequently just prior to the train starting from a halt. And it's not the safety valve, those are located somewhere else on the boiler.
