Railway Herald
Only two of the original 10 members of the Romanian-built Class 77 narrow gauge locomotives on the Rhodope Mountain Railway survive, Nos. 77-002 and 77-009. The good news is that both locomotives are undergoing a complete modernisation and rebuild plus the installation of new Caterpillar diesel engines that are compliant with EU Stage V emissions standards. The first to go to Express service in Ruse for the upgrade was 77-002, returning renumbered as 77-102 entering service on 2nd October 2022, on the Septemvri to Dobrinishte line. Pictured here on 21st July 2019, 77-002 is seen near the General Kovachev station stop with the morning service from Dobrinishte to Septemvri. The line and the main road (R 84) run very close to each other at this point, a relatively isolated location between Gulijna Banja and Belica.
Stephen Ginn
