Rhodope Mountain Railway - Driver’s Eye View - Yakoruda to Avramovo (Bulgaria) 

Hola desde Inglaterra, me complace que hayas disfrutado del video.🙂

Hi, I'm pleased you enjoyed it, you are lucky to live in such beautiful part of the world. Bulgaria is a fascinating country, rich in history, beautiful to look at and in many ways, trapped in a time warp that allows visitors to see how things used to be back in the fifties and sixties before modernization and progress condemned so many similar railways to history in many parts of the world.

Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed it.

@@Timsvideochannel1 very relaxing. I love trains!! Thanks

@@debbiehernandez5325 Hi Debbie, I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride, it is one of the most memorable railways I've travelled on, so beautiful.

I was lucky with this one, the camera was mounted on the hand rail at the front of the locomotive from where it picked up the sound of the train running along the track.

Timsvideochannel1 : great job, it really is a brilliant video! It's hard to beat that sound, it's like the ticking of an old clock. Thanks again!

Thank you, I really appreciate your comment.

Спасибо, я рад, что вам понравилось.

Hi, your comment is really appreciated, I love to travel and You Tube is a rewarding way to share some of my adventures. I was not aware of mdds, so I looked it up and discovered mdds was short for "Mal de debarquement syndrome". My wife tells me my videos are a cure for insomnia as she tends to fall asleep when I play one on TV. From your comment I understand that watching the videos helps you to "return to motion" thus providing relief from mdds. Many people who watch my videos tell me that for various reasons they no longer find it easy to get about and visit places, so they watch You Tube as it enables them continue enjoying the wonderful world we live in. I did not really know what to expect when I started this channel, generally the feed back has been very rewarding, ranging from people re-living holiday memories, getting ideas for places to visit and staying in touch with the real life when ill health makes it difficult to get about. Thanks again for taking time to comment and I hope research will discover ways to help people combat the symptoms of mdds ... Tim.

Thank you, you've made my day .... Tim.

Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed the video. I would also like to ride the railway again some day, it's truly unique.

+francksol The Rila mountains are beautiful in Summer and in Winter Bansko is a great place for winter sports.

+Eric Strijbos (EricForFriends) Hi thanks for commenting, here are a couple of links to cab rides I have recently uploaded covering the Lötschberg railway in Switzerland ..... ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3pF1xXEB6ZE.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Rdc2Lv13Cgk.html

+Timsvideochannel1 Thank you very much, Tim, that one is a real treat as well!

+Eric Strijbos (EricForFriends) Hi, your comment is appreciated, here is a selection of cab rides some of which you have watched, but hopefully some will be new to you - ru-vid.com/group/PLPdTWbkwx85p4p1QRiDtEpDCfhBGHzCyc

Eric Strijbos Ledio rruda

Coolkeys2009 Thank you.

Hi, since the iron curtain came down travelling around the former communist countries has been a real revelation, most of them are beautiful, the railways may not be modern, but they still run, providing a valuable service. In my old history lessons they were portrayed as grey places with people queuing to buy basic necessities such as bread, in big cities there may have been elements of truth, but from what I've seen and heard, life wasn't so bad. You Tube has opened a whole new way of sharing, I watch it far more on YT than I watch television. Take care. Tim.

Cheers, I'm glad you enjoy these videos. Steam engines cope better with altitude than diesel locomotives, as was the case when early diesel locomotives were introduced in the Andes. Modern turbo charged diesels don't suffer too much at altitude. The Qinghai-Tibet railway (China) is the highest railway in the world and the last Chinese State railway to use the massive QJ class steam locomotives, recently replaced by modern diesel locomotives. The Rhodope Mountains are not high enough to create problems with a lack of oxygen in the air; the diesel locomotive was simply an insurance policy. For most of the journey the diesel locomotive ran either in front or behind our train except for parts of this section where the line climbed steeply to the summit, the railway management required the diesel to be coupled for the steepest section.

Hi Wendell, I'm glad you enjoyed this video. I have just returned home to England after spending two wonderful weeks filming the railways of Colorado, I really enjoyed visiting the USA and look forward to visiting again in.

Great! Looking forward to your Colorado videos. Cripple Creek had some interesting little locomotives, singles and doubles.

I'm working on the first of the videos now, should be ready some time this coming weekend.

Hi Alison, I try to leave the sound in where ever possible.

Alison Lee

.p

@@Timsvideochannel1 🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚

@@georgechin1145 😊👌👍

Thank you, like yourself I too enjoy watching "drivers eye view" videos.

+Bill Gauntlett Cheers Bill.

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I try to leave the original sound where ever possible. I hope your brother likes it as well.

ANK H z

These little diesel locomotives are surprisingly smooth riding and "competent" is probably the best way to describe them.

Henschel locos,made in the 1960s in western Germany.

Hola, espero que te mantengas bien en Chile y me alegra que hayas disfrutado del video. Mis mejores deseos de Inglaterra.

+Emil Jupov Thank you, your comment is appreciated.

Ďakujem, som rád, že sa vám to páčilo.

Hello, I'm glad you enjoyed this video and it is nice to see the forest looking good, the beetles have caused so much damage to the trees around the Brocken railway, I hope the area recovers.

Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed it.

Hi from England, the Rhodope Mountain railway passes through wonderful scenery, I look forward to returning one day.

Vessela Lytle WOW a Studio Ghibli film - Google to my rescue - found this - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Ea_rQFj2jCM.html - now I am a Studio Ghible fan. This part of Bulgaria is beautiful.

It’s so peaceful, beautiful and relaxing

Sei que tenho sorte de viajar, o mundo é um lugar fascinante e maravilhoso. I realize I am lucky to travel, the world is a fascinating and wonderful place.

@@Timsvideochannel1 Continue assim, tendo sorte para postar belas imagem dá Europa. Boa sorte.

@@marcosantonio1006 Obrigado, é bom saber que você gosta desses vídeos.

Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride.

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Roelof Luinge Thank you.

Muito obrigado, estou satisfeito por ter gostado do passeio.

Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed it.

Hi Steve, I had trouble with the video taken from the various steam engines, I didn't expect them to be so rough riding. Diesels are usually difficult because of the vibration from the engine, but this one just purred along with hardly any movement .... Bye for now .... Tim.

Thank you.

+colorado2836522 Cheers.

Thank-you.

Obrigado, estou feliz que tenha gostado do passeio.

I'm pleased you enjoyed it.

Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride.

@@Timsvideochannel1 yes With natural sounds

It's a nice place, so unspoiled.

+jagafoto Thank you for your kind comment, I must visit Serbia again. Best wishes from England :)

Hi, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. The camera was offset because I only had a short time to clamp it to the hand rail on the front of the locomotive and I couldn't reach the middle.

Merci, je suis heureux que vous ayez apprécié la vidéo.

Hi, I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride 😊

Looking out of a train window at different countries is my favourite past time :-)

I really enjoyed visiting Bulgaria, the Rila Mountains are beautiful and the people were friendly.

I am Australian and I love Bulgaria...I've lived here for almost 12 years now.

It was a wonderful experience.

+SMILEVIDEOTRAINS Cheers Keith, I've enjoyed watching your Christmas videos and the "Wong Kei" Chinese restaurant. Happy New Year to you and June.

+Mr. Dimitrov Thanks .... Tim.

+Jim Colleran Your playlist is bookmarked. Thanks for hint. ;-)

You are lucky to live in such a beautiful place.

I lived in my country to 2009. And I traveled with this train on this route as child in 1984. Since 2009 I living in Germany.

A ride in 1984 must have been interesting, as there were still freight trains, sadly they don't run anymore.

In my memories I think the train seems in 1984 not much different als today. This vagons were in 1984. 3.bp.blogspot.com/-UdR1Jrs_lpg/Va_rPreatuI/AAAAAAAATV0/g031bvIy8rY/s1600/bpb150705380.jpg

Thank-you.

Hi, I'm glad you liked it, best wishes from England.

Kris Justin Hi Kris, thank you for your comment. The camera was not in the cabin, it was clamped to the handrail at the front of the locomotive.

Thank you.

Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed it.

:-)

Hugh Martell Hi Hugh, thanks for commenting, it is appreciated ... Tim.

I'm pleased you enjoyed it 😊.

The driver didn't know too much about it. I attached the camera to a part of the outside handrail I could reach and hoped I would be able to retrieve it later in the day.

Thank you.

Благодаря ви, аз съм доволен ви хареса видеото. Следващия път ще се опитам да сложа камерата в центъра.

Thank you, it is remarkable that this little railway has survived to the present day, long may it continue, so that future generations can ride this delightful line.

Hi, I must visit Romania, best wishes from England.

arbert stanley Thank-you.

+fonoro Това , наред с другото красиво място .

Hi, your comment is appreciated. Bulgaria was a very pleasant experience, some of the villages are idyllic and totally unspoiled, with a relaxed feeling, I imagine existed in the past, when things weren't so rushed. There were a lot of abandoned houses, maybe the younger generation has gone in search of work in the cities or other European countries. My daughter traveled around Japan, visiting most of the tourist sights and a good number of lesser known places. She was left with a very good impression of the railways, as she used trains for most of her journeys. It would be nice to get there one day, as I too have watch some of the Japanese rail fan videos, I love the way the trains just keep running through snow storms that would bring Britain's railways to a grinding halt. Thanks again for taking time to comment ... Tim.

Лазар Малинов Thank you.

Thank you, if you do get the chance to visit this railway, I am sure will be a rewarding experience.

As Montanhas Rhodope na Bulgária são lindas, estou feliz que você tenha gostado do passeio.

Hi Carol, I'm pleased you enjoyed it. I try to keep the original sound wherever possible.

+John Patman Hi John, this is a most unusual line, whilst I agree it does look a bit like a garden railway, it is also a very real line, with regular passengers trains, although the freight has ceased now. I hope the tourist potential of this line is realized, because it will be difficult for it to survive against increasing road competition.

Right after posting that, I found your video "Rhodope Mountain Railway, Part 1 - forward facing and on train cameras"... WOW!! Much thanks!

Hi, I'm glad found the ride interesting. I really enjoyed riding the Rhodope Mountain Railway and walking in the Pirin Mountains.

Hi Jason, this video covers a short part of the route. I think you will find this article interesting - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septemvri%E2%80%93Dobrinishte_narrow-gauge_line

Hi, I am glad you enjoyed it. This is all in real time.

+Jack Kreighbaum Hi Jack, the train can be seen at the end of the video and the camera was attached to a grab rail on the outside of the loco, so I never really got to see the inside of the cab, but I appreciate your comment and it is something I will bear in mind for future videos.

Hi Don, I can only guess they are distance markers to the next station, I couldn't find anything on the internet, although I did enjoy reading this description of the line - www.andrewgrantham.co.uk/tag/bulgaria/

The camera was attached to the diesel locomotive that was assisting our steam hauled train up the steepest hills. It was uncoupled and ran in front so that people travelling on the train could film the steam train running past without the diesel. The diesel was then attached again for the rest of the climb to the summit. This is why it appears to stop for no reason.

That makes sense, thanks a lot for your explanation!

Hi, from Tim in Sussex, England.

Hi Neil, yes this a narrow gauge line (760 mm). For more information, please click on this link - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septemvri%E2%80%93Dobrinishte_narrow-gauge_line

Hi, Tim. Thought it might've been! If the locos and carriages were half to one-third size, it could qualify as "light rail".

Hi, the gauge is 760 mm. The diesel loco on which the camera was mounted was remarkably stable.

Thank you, the elevation data was interesting, I didn't realize the train gained so much height.The stops were to allow the assisting diesel locomotive to couple and uncouple so that photo run pasts did not include the diesel locomotive.

Thanks. I did not realize they uncoupled the diesel. You can occasionally hear the steam whistle and the diesel responds.

Hi, the gauge is 760 mm. The camera was attached to a grab handle at the front of the loco. Time was not on my side, so I just fixed it onto something I could reach, I am not always sure I will be able to retrieve it at the end of the day. On this occasion the diesel waited long enough for me to get the camera back.

lol I just saw the description !

@@Cydonius1 Hi, the driver's were not too sure about allowing the camera inside the cab, but they were OK with me hanging on the outside, the only place I could fix it in the time available was to the hand rail on the front of the loco. Being a wide angle camera on a narrow gauge loco, it really exaggerates the offset.

There is plenty of room in Bulgaria, its a nice country.

+carmium Hi, the gauged used on this line is 760 mm.

+Timsvideochannel1 speed?

+lmgtech The trains were not very fast, the following link indicates the operating speed is between 30 - 50 kph en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septemvri-Dobrinishte_narrow_gauge_line

+Мартин Войков Hi, I was travelling on a specially chartered train with a group of enthusiasts from the UK. I was not allowed to travel in the cab of the loco, but with special permission I was allowed to attach a small camera to the outside hand rail at the front of the loco.

Hi, this railway is in Bulgaria. Please use this link for more information about it - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septemvri%E2%80%93Dobrinishte_narrow-gauge_line

+lutfi tjahjadi I didn't know, so I looked it up and discovered this article .... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosnian_gauge .... now I know what Bosnian gauge is, although this line "The Rhodope Mountain Railway" is in Bulgaria.

Ron Winke My pleasure Ron, it's good to know you enjoy watching these videos as it makes editing and uploading them worthwhile.

Ron Winke م .

I noticed those signs as well, initially I thought they indicated the distance to the nearest station, but when I studied them, that does not appear to be the case, maybe they indicate the distance to the nearest telephone? If anyone knows the answer, we would like to hear from them.

I think I have worked it out. They are kilometre from Sofia markers and the 9 to 2 markers are 100 metre markers between the kilometre posts - See 4:25 = 81 - 6:49 = 82 - 6:49 = 83 - 23:39 = 75 This would be an excellent method to help track workers etc to be able to report the position of any faults on the line accurately.

@@Timsvideochannel1 Tim, you are right and you are not: These are obviously hectometer signs. They allow an exact localization of any point on the route for drivers, maintenance and operating personnel as well as police and rescue. The Rhodope Railway runs from Septemvri (km 0) to Dobrinište (km 125). The video shows the section from Jakoruda (km 86) to Avramovo (km 69). BTW I have added this video to the playlist 'Best of Scenic Cab Rides - Rest of Europe'. which contains cab ride videos I think are the best.

@@bestofsceniccabrides8081 Hi, thank you for clarifying the marker posts, I am often asked questions I don't know the answer to, most times Google helps out, but on this occasion I couldn't find the information I was looking for. Thanks for adding this video to your play list. Cheers. Tim.

+Aviatorspot Hi, I'm pleased you enjoyed the video, the camera used was an old GoPro Hero 2, as it is easier to use and more reliable than my Hero 3 Black Edition. I have recently purchased an entry level GoPro Herocam to replace my Hero 2. The Herocam is excellent value, easy to use and the picture quality matches the best cameras in the range, if you don't need the remote functions this is the camera I would recommend.

Oh I see. I have Sony Action Cam HDR-AS15K. The quality is amazingly sharp and colourful video.

+Aviatorspot That's interesting, I have used Sony Hanycams for many years now as they are very reliable and easy to use with good picture quality. GoPro cameras have helped revolutionize the places a camera can be used (I would not want to place my Handycam on the front of a train), but they have a weakness I have not found an answer to, under some conditions they suffer badly from a jelly effect. For this reason I am likely to buy a Sony Action Cam to see if it preforms better than a GoPro in situations where it might be subject to a little vibration, such as fixed to the inside of a diesel loco windscreen when it is accelerating. Have you used your camera in a situation where there is some vibration, if so , how did it preform?