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© ATLANTIC PUBLISHERS 2008/2009 ISSN: 1466-0180

Cover: Class 1099 003-4 at Mariazell station, Austria, in the winter of 2001. PETR MIRCEV

NARROW GAUGE WORLD & NGmodelling is published six times per year. No.62 will be on sale 27 February 2009

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NARROW GAUGE WORLD

The magazine giving worldwide coverage – yesterday and today

No.61 January/February 2009

C O N T E N T S

5 First Lines

6 Saving the Wassertalbahn Charlie Lewis captures the magic of a unique steam-worked forest line in Romania that is threatened with destruction by road builders.

12 Pilgrimage to Janakpur A visit to the sole surviving narrow gauge railway in Nepal – and its Garratts that were the last working examples of this type in Asia.

14 Narrow Gauge in Transition Tony Travis continues his nostalgic look back at the UK narrow gauge scene of some fifty years ago by indulging in some Welsh exploration.

19 Axe at the Eleventh Hour A special dedication ceremony on the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway.

20 Weekends in Guangdong John Athersuch found himself in southern China at just the right time – free to travel but not too late to miss some exciting steam encounters.

25 Austrian Update

26 Winter in the Tatra Mountains Vintage electric traction on a metre-gauge railway in Slovakia – one of the most beautiful countries in Western Europe

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28 Sittingbourne The fight goes on!

30 Last Train to Traeth Mawr A wreath is inscribed with words symbolic of ‘defiance and survival in times of adversity’ as emotions run high on the Welsh Highland Railway (Porthmadog).

32 Hejaz Postscript More information on the present state of the railway and the preserved locomotives.

34 Isle of Man twilight

35 News and Views Home Happenings • Proper attire? • World Scene • King Coal at Darjeeling

40From the NGmodelling workbench

41 ExpoNG 2008 – the 25th edition

43 2008 Anniversary Challenge

44 A Passenger Coach for Gn15

46 Layout competition

NARROW GAUGE WORLD – N 0 61 ■ 3