Arad - Ineu - Brad / Romania, 23 April, 1 May, 4 September, 26 September 2023
Even well during the steam era, the development of the Romanian railway was symbolized by these fast and posh motorcars. They spent their last decades in regional service, and although they were over eighty, their retirement was not yet scheduled. No one thought they were immortal, but neither did anyone expect that it would all end so suddenly.
Elegant livery, clean inscriptions – In this nearly twenty-year-old photo, it seems like we see a completely different vehicle. The 1000 Series Malaxa railcars belonged to Depot Arad for decades and could have been seen on any of the railway lines around Arad. At the turn of the millennium, there were no private companies operating rail services, and Romania’s entire railway network was run by state-owned CFR vehicles. During this period, many people still traveled on the regional network around Arad and Timișoara, so during peak hours, locomotive-hauled trains consisting of traditional passenger cars were in operation. Railcars were primarily used in the late morning hours in the opposite direction to the main passenger flows. The 1017/1019 pair in the photo arrived from Arad, and after a short rest, they are heading back to Arad from the Valcani terminus. Next to the motor car is Romania’s iconic passenger car, the 1310 Dacia, a modernized version of the Dacia 1300, which was based on the Renault 12 design. (Valcani, Romania, 3 June 2005, 10:41 EET)
The only means of public transport – The morning train from Arad to Brad (no. 3123) stops at Ocișor, a village with only 160 inhabitants in the Crișul Alb valley. The second train from Arad arrives in the afternoon. These two daily trains are the only public transportation options here. On a typical weekday, there would certainly be more passengers, but it was a quiet Sunday morning. Not just the train, but the streets were empty as well. (Ocișor, Romania, 23 April 2023, 8:56 EET)
Traces of Use on the Body – After reaching the terminus, the railcar and the driver have almost five hours to rest before departing back. Despite the relatively new engine, the railcar's emissions are considerable, and the smoke stains its own roof as well. The railcar looks quite worn, creating a stark contrast with the blooming plum trees. The chipped paint and dents on the side were probably caused by tree branches or bushes too close to the track. (Brad, Romania, 23 April 2023, 9:56 EET)
The Rust and the Rest - Bumpers, lamps, coupling device and tail signs - as if we could hear the rust gnawing. The front of the railcar looks as if at a harder bumping it would fall suddenly apart. The hook has fresh paint so it can be seen in the dark. The railcar was prepared for the journey back. The tail plate and red tail light were placed. The Romanian tricolore, just like anywhere else. -- Brad (ro), 23 April 2023, 10:01 EET
The station building is just what a former gold mining town deserves, shining in its old glory after its recently completed exterior renovation. Brad now is just terminus of a long branch line but it could have been a busy junction, too. The later built Mintia–Brad railway line connected the city with the main line 200 Brasov–Arad–Curtici. The construction was started in 1939, but the entire railway line was put into operation only in 1988. It could have been a part of a direct railway link between Craiova and Oradea, serving the numerous mining and industrial facilities along the line. However, the new railway section was closed after a landslide in 1997, and the missing section to Oradea between Halmagiu and Vascau was never built. So the station of Brad remained a sleepy terminus with two trains a day, the intermodal wagons are not carrying anything, they might have been brought here only for being scrapped. (Brad, 23 April 2023, 14:25 EET)
The driver's dining room-- Before the departure, the driver eats his simple lunch, a slice of bread with liver cream. Instead of an ergonomic driver’s seat, the driver sits simply on a bench which is part of the hard plastic cover placed above the engine. There is no air conditioning, curtains shade the large windows, and the remaining surface is enough to observe the track while driving. Romanian tricolor and photos of the railcar itself make the place somewhat homey. (Brad / Romania, 23. April 2023, 8:56 am )
Plastic seats, like in a tram -- The once stylish interior of the railcar was replaced by ugly brown plastic seats. They have a somewhat ergonomic shape, it seems to be comfortable – at least for the first few seconds. But if some has a larger body than average, traveling is not a good experience. It can be survived once but frequent travellers need a high tolerance threshold. Most of them are weekly commuters, working or studying in the big cities of Arad or Timisoara, coming home for the weekend. (Brad / Romania 1 May 2023, 14:23 EET)
Crossing the Fields -- The lands around the villages were divided into small plots, being cultivated by local people. Some of the plots have already turned green, others are just plowed. The railway track runs between the village and the fields, and the narrow earth road crosses the track without any signaling device. Before crossing the railways, the car or tractor drivers must stop and look around. As already it was afternoon, nobody was working in the fields. -- Ociu (ro), 1 May 2023, 15:14 EET
The valley of the White Criş is rather wide, making agricultural cultivation possible but between the basins there are straits. The railway runs parallel with river White Cris, and crosses the river Leuca after leaving the station Varfurile. (Varfurile / Romania 1 May 2023, 15:45 EET)
Under the Old Snowy peak -- In the background the 1826 metres high Muntele Mare (Big Mountain), while the Hungarian name “Öreghavas” (Old Snowy) describes better its character, in May it is still under snow. Piatra Cântătoare (Zengőkövek). (Gurahont / Romania, 1 May 2023, 16:13 EET)
Low-speed rally – The train has an average speed of around 40 km/h while the parallel roads are in perfect condition and the area is rarely inhabited. It is easy to follow the train by car and taking open-line photos like this. -- Berindia (ro), 1 May 2023, 16:45 EET
Astonishing details -- Astonishing details of the railcar and the architecture of the station building. Wooden façade and fence. Long axle distance, between the axles there is the engine, built together with the boogie. The dirty curtain of the front window protects the driver from the direct sunshine but as the driver sits literally above the engine, if it is about the heat in the cab, it does not really matter. (Ineu, RO, 1 May 2023)
The next train to Brad – Train to Brad, R 3127 with Siemens Desiro, the second daily train from Arad to Brad, arriving late in the evening and coming back early in the morning. The age difference between the two railcars is 60 years! Strange, but between Malaxa 1000 and Siemens Desiro there were no other generations of diesel railcars in Romania. The Caravelles railcars representing the Sixties arrived only around 2010, being bought second hand by Keolis (now Regio Calatori) from SNCF, France. The gap was filled by Class 60 and Class 80 diesel locomotives which hauled long passenger trains, even on branch lines like this. (Ineu / Romania, 1 May 2023, 17:42 EET)
Where the lowlands meet the Carpathians -– The railway line runs right on the line where the Lowlands meet the mountains. The train passes young grape plantations at the bottom of the slope, it is not certain that the best quality wine will be made from the grapes harvested here. The Minis-Maderat vineyard is one of the oldest wine-growing regions in Romania. It is located 20 km from the city of Arad, on the hills sheltered by the western edge of the Zarand Mountains, and covers an area of approximately 2700 ha. (Mocrea / Romania, 01. May 2023, 17:50 EET)
Horse-drawn connection -- On the outskirts of Pankota is the Seleus station, named after the neighboring village, which is connected by a dirt road to the village of Moroda (Marót), which does not have a railway station. The horse-drawn carriage in the picture probably came from there, bringing two people to the railway station, where the train in the picture stops in a few moments. (Seleus / Romania, 1 May 2023, 18:09 EET)
The evening run -- A similar landscape as in the previous photo but after a short break our train runs already on the main line towards station Radna as train number xxx. Show her capabilities, as the top speed is 120 kmh. (Paulis / Romania, 1 May 2023, 20:11 EET)
Straight Connection, TEE -- The Malaxa returns to Arad coupled at the end of the regional train from Simeria. -- Radna / Romania, 1 May 2023, 20:34 EET
The Last Ride -- In fact, it was already a forced situation that the 1000-series Malaxas survived the turn of the millennium and were still in daily operation even after their eightieth year. Since their retirement wasn't planned due to a shortage of vehicles, it’s no surprise that the story ended tragically. On the early morning of September 1, 2023, the pair of 1008/1009 caught fire near the outskirts of Oradea. The passengers escaped unharmed, but the motorcar could not be saved. After a few days of waiting at station Oradea Vest, a Sulzer locomotive hauled them back to the Arad depot, where an investigation will take place. -- Sântana (ro), 4 September 2023, 15:29 EET
The End of a Very Long Journey -- Due to a fault with the Alison gearbox, units 1021 and 1031, the third pair of the existing railcars has long been parked in the depot, pushed aside. The Volvo engines have been removed and sent to Constanța for the 700 series. If there was any faint hope left for their revival until now, this was also shattered due to the fire incident. Behind them stand units 1019/1029, seen around Brad in May, which were immediately withdrawn from service after the fire. These were still operational at the time, but with the lack of regular maintenance, their fate was also sealed. -- Depot Arad (ro), 26 September 2023, 8:42 EET
Everlasting shapes -- When the last Malaxa railcar is scrapped, the reception building of the depot will keep their memory. (Arad / Romania, 26 September 2023, 8:59 EET)