Čierny Hron Railway

The Čierny Hron Railway (in Slovak: Čiernohronská železnica or ČHŽ) is a narrow gauge railway in the Slovak Ore Mountains, built as a forest railway for logging operations.

Čierny Hron Railway
Čierny Hron Railway at the station in Čierny Balog
Overview
Native name	Čiernohronská železnica
Locale	Slovakia
Coordinates	48°44′46″N 19°39′28″E
Service
Route number	900
Technical
Line length	17 km (11 mi)
Track gauge	760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in) Bosnian gauge
Operating speed	15 km/h
Route map 3,3 Dobroč stadium (Sihla) Pusté Fekete-Garam Jánošovka škola Jánošovka vepor Jánošovka 3.7 Vydrovo 2.5 Korytársko 1.5 Vydrovo skanzen Vydrovo most Black Hron 0 0 Čierny Balog 2.1 Krám 2.9 Nový Krám 4.3 (Šánske) 7.2 Svätý Ján Black Hron Selecká siding 9.4 Hronec obec 9.8 Hronec zlieváreň 10.1 Hronec 10.7 Valaská obec 11.5 Chvatimech ŽSR 172 Banská Bystrica-Červená Skala railway Hron 11.8 Chvatimech ČHŽ Podbrezová-Štiavnička Data from [1]

A train is readied for travel from Hronec to Čierny Balog.

History

Planning for the railway began in 1898 and building began in 1908. In 1909 regular wood transport on the railway started, between Čierny Balog and Hronec. The network was extended to transport wood from the forests and by the middle of the 20th century the railway had a total length of 131,97 km, the most extensive forestry railway network in Czechoslovakia.

On 19 July 1927, passenger traffic was permitted on the railway between Čierny Balog and Hronec, which operated until 1962.

The railway was closed in 1982, but it has been granted national heritage status since. During the following few years it was repaired by enthusiasts and re-opened in 1992 as a heritage railway for tourists. The line is now 17 km long: Chvatimech - Hronec - Čierny Balog - Vydrovo.

The line is believed to be the only railway in the world to pass through the middle of a soccer stadium, the tracks running along the front of a grandstand at the stadium belonging to the TJ Tatran Čierny Balog club.

Motive Power

Identity	Works Number	Type	Gauge	Builder	Year Built	Previous Operator	Status	Notes	Image
BNE 50 Č			760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)	Stavostroj Rodotínská				[2]
BNE 50 F			760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)	Stavostroj Rodotínská				[2]
BNE 50 Z			760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)	Stavostroj Rodotínská				[2]
BN 30 Azor			760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)					[2]
DDB 75			760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)	Deutz				[2]
DDB 120			760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)	Deutz				[2]
Bn60H 900			760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)					[2]
PETKA		4wDM	760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)					[3]
DH120			760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)	Poldi				[2]
TU24.001			760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)	Stavostroj Rodotínská				BN 50[2]
SČM 4 36 005		4wDE	760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)	Stavostroj Rodotínská				[3]
TU24 901 LIENKA		4wDM	760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)	Škoda Works			Operational	[3]
		0-4-0DM	760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)	ČKD			Plinthed	[3]
ČHLD 2 Joy	1679	0-6-0WT	760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)	Budapest	1909			Not the original ČHLD 2[3]
PLD 2	4280	0-8-0T	760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)	MÁVAG Budapest	1916		Operational	U45.903[3][4]
3	625	0-6-0T	760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)	Smoschewer	1918			[3]
M21 004	54125	Railcar	760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)	Ringhoffer	1939		Operational	[3]
ČHLD 6	5277	0-8-0T	760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)	MÁVAG Budapest	1942			U46.901[4]
3	2209	0-6-0T	760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)	ČKD	1948	Železene Podbresna		[3]
ČHLD 5	2611	0-6-0T	760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)	ČKD	1948			U35.902[3][4]
1	2609		760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)	ČKD	1948			U35.901[1]
ČHLD 7	2610	0-6-0T	760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)	ČKD	1948		Plinthed at Vydrovo	U35.903[3][4]
	3611	0-6-0T	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in)	ČKD	1957	Železene Podbresna	Plinthed	[3]
764.407	604	0-8-0T	760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)	Reghin	1958			Rebuilt at Kolin 2014[5][4]
	024	B-B DH	760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)	Rába	1961			TU 45.003[1]
	025	B-B DH	760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)	Rába	1961			TU 45.002 (green)[3][1]
	027	B-B DH	760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)	Rába	1961		Operational	TU 45.001 (Red/White)[3][1]
TU 48.001	21583		760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)		1972			Lxd2.302[1]
Bn60H		0-4-0DH	760 mm (2 ft 5 ^15⁄16 in)	TSM	1970s	Keramica Soukup S.R.		[3][5]
(Unnumbered)	3853	0-4-0DM	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in)	ČKD	1956		Plinthed at Chvatimech	[6]

See also

• The Historical Logging Switchback Railway in Vychylovka
• List of transport museums in Slovakia
• List of museums in Slovakia

External links

• (in English and Slovak) Official site
• Čierny Hron Forest Railway
• ČHŽ Railway Map
• Photo collection of heritage railway operations on the ČHŽ
• bahnbilder.de

References

1. "Všeobecno-technický Predpis". ČHŽ - Čiernohronská železnička. Archived from the original on 28 May 2016. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
2. "Všeobecno-technický Predpis". ČHŽ - Čiernohronská železnička. Archived from the original (doc) on 28 May 2016. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
3. Williams, Hugh, ed. (March 2015). "Čiernohronská Železnica, N.O. (Čierny Balog Forest Railway), 20/8/2014". Overseas News. Industrial Railway Society. 955: 16.
4. Pospichal, Josef. "Čierny Balog". Lokstatistik. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
5. Williams, Hugh, ed. (September 2015). "Čiernohronská-Železnica Railway, Hronec-Čierny Balog, 5/2015". Overseas News. Industrial Railway Society. 963: 20.
6. "1435 BN 60 č. 3853". Železniční poklady. Retrieved 28 July 2017.