The Railfaneurope.net Picture Gallery
Directory: /pix/ee/narrow_gauge
Last update: Sat Nov 15 22:29:21 CET 2014
|
At Tootsi (30 km north of Pärnu) the company "Tootsi Turvas" since 1937
produces briquettes of the peat found in the large swamps around. To get the
peat from the digging area to the factory they operate a 750 mm industrial
railway network, which also is the last leftover of the former large
estonian narrow gauge network.
Since peat almost went out at Tootsi in the late 80s, they built a 20 km
connecting line to the swamps near Lavassare where an identically gauged
industrial network already existed. There is also a narrow gauge museum
at Lavassare (I have not been there).
In former times larger parts of the network were electrified,
nowadays electric locomotives are only used for shunting within of the
factory area, the network itself is diesel-operated. They have at least
three identical electrical locos, which are painted in blue, yellow and
green.
The pictures document all those of the vehicles I found when I went there
in August 1997, which could easily be photographed. There are several types
missing, especially the newer diesel locos with the drivers cab in the
middle, which are nowadays used for the traffic on the outer network
including the trains to Lavassaare.
"Disclaimer": I don't know much more about this network - I really was
surprised finding such an interesting railway system in such a small
village in the middle of nowhere when I went there for some other
reason :)
All shown photos from me are taken on 23.08.97 or 24.08.97. Photos and scans by
David Jürgens