110th Anniversary of Steam Railway Arriving at Tatranska Lomnica

[Steve]

The railway station at Tatranska Lomnica serves both the standard gauge railway from Poprad and is also the eastern terminus of the electric tramway system that is so important in this tourist region. One of the veteran electric trams from the tramway had been brought out of retirement to add to the occasion. It had been built in 1913 and had a maximum speed of 30 km per hour. It was a splendid addition to the occasion and spent the day going between Tatranska Lomnica and Stary Smokovec.

Tank engine 310 433 that had helped haul the special train was one of a class of locomotives typical for the Austro-Hungarian railways. 534 of the class were built from 1885 and 1927 in Budapest and Vienna. The last of this class of locomotive was working until 1953 in Czechoslovakia. In 1918 with the formation of Czechoslovakia 53 of these locomotives were allocated to Slovakia. This particular locomotive was working in a sugar factory in Pohronski Ruskov in central Slovakia from 1970 to 79. Then from 1979 – 81 railway enthusiasts reconstructed it. The typical feature of this locomotive is its very tall chimney stack and very low slung water tanks. From 1993 the locomotive has formed part of the historic collection at Vrutky, where it was extensively overhauled again in 1997.

On Saturday evening at the end of the festival an interesting make up of wagons and locomotives formed a special train down to Poprad. At the front was the diesel that had lead the way up Saturday morning, then a small green freight wagon followed by steam locomotive 310 433, there was then an old diesel railcar affectionately known as the blue spear. This was attached to a blue coach, and behind were two small red coaches and finally another diesel railcar. This final railcar had arrived early Saturday morning as it was home to the Poprad model railway club, a splendid use of an aged railcar. There was a splendid TT layout inside.