The Vaser Valley Forestry Railway in Romania feels like a journey back in time.

Wood-burning steam locomotives operate alongside diesel trains and railcars on a network of around 60 kilometers of narrow-gauge track. The track was laid in 1933 with material salvaged from the German railway line that crossed over the Carpathians between Maramureş and Bukovina during World War I. 

The old steam locomotives, which carry tourists deep into the forest, were built in the 1950s. The most senior among them is a venerable old German ‘O&K’ locomotive, made in 1910. The line is also regularly used by the railcar Rossia as well as railcars and diesel locomotives that pull the logging trains.

An excursion on the steam-puffing train has a special charm. On the journey, visitors cross the forested basin of the River Vaser, where they’ll find old-growth forest. Visitors can visit the railway park, which includes various old steam locomotives that have been withdrawn from use and an automobile on railway wheels.