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The railway age in the Carpathian forests: A study of Romania

2003; Faculty of Agronomy in Čačak; Issue: 7 Linguagem: Inglês

10.5937/geopan0307009m

1820-7138

Nikolae Muica, David Turnock,

Transport and Economic Policies

Commercial wood exploitation has been a major industry in the Carpathians since the late 19th century but its spatial progress has been influenced not only by the distribution of species (particularly fir and spruce that were highly valued in the early years) but by the possibilities for efficient transport. Initial use of the rivers gradually gave way to rail transport including not only the main lines but many purpose-built narrow-gauge branches connecting sawmills with their catchments areas. With particular reference to Romania, the paper examines the growth of forest railways to their maximum extent in the 1950s, including some continued use of the rivers as well as specially-built inclines and funiculars to reach the more inaccessible areas. Although road transport has taken over increasingly over the last half century, the forest railway still has some commercial viability for the timber business quite apart from niche tourism linked with industrial heritage.