Operating WW2 Steam Trains in Bosnia | 🚂 Kriegslok | Locomotives
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- čas přidán 14. 10. 2023
- Near the city of Tuzla in Northern Bosnia, are 5 working and driving examples of German-Built WW2 Steam Trains (Class DRB 52, JŽ 33, Kriegslok, Kriegslokomotive, or simply, War Locomotives). They have been kept running by the skill and inguenietiy of the men who use them to this day to deliver coal to the Tuzla Power Plant, the largest coal plant in the region. By running on the very product that the power plant requires (plus a bit of Bonian Bereaucracy), these trains have remained in service for over 80 years. The specific train that we operated was built in Poland in 1943 for use on the Eastern Front.
Music: / @joestmusic
"Dance no. 5"
"TT"
"Hirundididae"
#adventure
#travel
#train
#trains
#ww2
#history
#locomotive
#railway
#railfans
#railways
Here in the USA people spend hundreds sometimes thousands of dollars for the experience these guys gave you. Truly a sight to behold all original steam locomotives in their raw hard working glory.
Yeh, it's $600+ in advance just to get a seat on a big boy car, nowhere near the cab. Thanks for watching! It was truly amazing.
@@TattooedTraveler600$? damn.
Well, i guess a big boy is more expensive to operate and maintain than most helicopters or a smaller locomotive.
And america is very profit- oriented.
I visited a museum railway where they operate a ~40 ton locomotive (prussian t3 from 1903) a few weekends per year. Rides last ~15 minutes (they don't have too much track that's safe to use), and that costs 5€ to be in the cab.
@nos9784 now that's a deal, but yeh, I'd like to see big boy, but def wouldn't pay $600 to ride in a car
@@TattooedTraveler no me neither not without a very good reason, we run trips with 765 some are pricy but its not quite near that bad on price, and as a volenteer car hosting it can be buissy and slightly stressful it can be and we always have to make safety number 1 of course but being a member and voleteer has its perks, though we also run several diesle trips with vintage locomotives from indiana northeastern and soon enough 358 which in the 50's what replaced the nickle plate berkshires, but serviceing and maintanance is a lot of dirty hard work, I know from experiance cleaning out the firebox many times and doing lots of cleaning and scraping of grease, thought there are many others that do soo much more, and know so much more several having grown up around it or immersed in it since childhood, though I grew up in a railroad town the last bastion of b and o steam and its just kind of in my blood being around it and a high school with the team name the railroaders, point is we dont even charge that much and its trips behind the ledgendary nkp 765 though people will also pay good money to get to see behind the scenes and when we have cab rides or some sort of throttle time like we will some years at openhouses with 765 or one of the gramling locomotive works tank engines, we members got to have a change to run the little 150 horse down and back by the shops of the indiana northeastern before the members dinner and anytime you get a chance to run steam you should go for it its increadibly rare in this day and age, steam is a dirty hot and dangerous buisness but it can be really fun and helps apreciate what made the contry run in years past for more then a century.
but getting to run even for a little on a big steam engine is very special
@manga12 definitely an unforgettable experience, and I'm originally from Baltimore, so I remember seeing some of the old tracks as a kid. Always was fascinated by them.
No machine on earth will ever feel more alive than a steam locomotive
Absolutely agreed
@@TattooedTraveleryes
I'd say diesel submarines and steam engines in general are contenders.
The iron horse
Z
The design i would say is very....German. Very heavy duty industrial. I hope these beauties won't end up being torn to pieces. They MUST be preserved.
I think they will be running for the foreseeable future. It's a special situation where they run on the scrap of the actual factory they work for. Things move slow in Bosnia.
in germany there are many clubs still operating them and offer special rides. Just took one a few weeks ago
@@TattooedTravelerI absolutely gotta pay em a visit!
There was a war on, and “form follows function”…well I find them more Brutalist than Bauhaus but either way they’re amazing!
For them to be worth servicing after all this time, the original engineering must have been solid. You can keep almost anything running with enough money, but to keep machinery running to make a profit is a different thing. Very impressive!
There is too much happiness all around there!❤❤❤😊
So awesome to see these working and such friendly crews who welcomed you and showed you their pride and joy.
They were awesome guys for sure, thanks for watching 🤙
And the Engineer is pretty chill too, we would expect these guys to be mad to be bothered, but they were so welcoming and happy with your presence, realy goes to show how much they love what they do and wouldnt mind to show it to the world
They were really awesome, super grateful to them.
Epic! The magic of steam trains: Some old soldiers don’t even fade away, they simply refuse to die…!
Right! 😆🤙🪖🚂
Like Aatami Korpi from the Finnish WWII action movie Sisu.
Just before I found this video, I watched one, I think from a historical group in Germany, about the engines. They were built & used during WW2 to haul troops & supplies. They were abandoned at the end of the war. Bosnia has been maintaining & running them for decades. The video I watched was from late 2022. He said they had 5. They run 2 at a time. 1 is a spare. One is in for general maintenance. & the last is being overhauled at any given time. They are used to haul coal to a power plant.
You're correct about all of that. Thanks for finding me!
I was right near there in 1997-1998 and never knew about or saw these.
@@abnbmet they're more on the outskirts
This one was a blast. I hope you guys enjoyed it 🚂 Do me a favor and like, comment, & subscribe if you do 👍
This is amazing.
@Oivaras thank you! Glad you enjoyed
The last working examples of some 7,000 “Kriegsloks”, (War locomotives), originally built for use on the Eastern Front in the Second World War, one of the largest fleets of steam locomotives ever built, and which became synonymous with that era, featuring in “Schindler’s List” and countless other WWII films.
For more than four decades that followed the end of the war in Europe in 1945, Kriegsloks were a mainstay of rail freight haulage throughout the divided Germany and across the Eastern Bloc, finally disappearing from East Germany in the late 1980s and Poland in the early 1990s.
Their continued use today in the Tuzla area is a matter of simple economics: the Kreka mines company would like to replace them with diesels, but simply cannot afford the €2 million price tag which even a second-hand a diesel capable of hauling 1,500 tonne coal trains would cost.
Plus they run on scrap coal and exist in Bosnia 😆🤙
The locomotives had been build for the light rails of second lines, and mostly the east (also Austria) were not so heavy as in German. The first version was the 50 (since 1939), and then this type of machine had been made more simply and it changed to 52.
Yugoslavia and also Austria never had been Eastern Bloc!
What do you mean with "last"?
No one seems to be making new ones....@@23GreyFox
@@dailyblackbook well it was't the last one ever made nor the only in operation.
As a huge fan of trains, it boggles my mind to see a locomotive like this still running, even though it’s seen better days. It’s amazing that this engine found itself in the hands of people who care for these amazing machines. I hope the story of these Engines making their way to Bosnia can be uncovered one day
Hopefully this helps 😆🤙
Friggin awesome! Greetings from the States... originally from Poland. These class BR52 are my favorite steam engines. I grew up with these still working normal trains in Poland. In Poland they are called Ty2 and there was at least one occasion when one of them was pulling my train. Generally they were used on freight trains in area where i grew up, but on some mountain routes when extra grip was needed from five coupled axles, they would hook up Ty2 to a passenger train instead the usual "mikado" tank locomotive.
Thanks for watching bro! And yeh this was a top 5 life experience for sure. Super grateful these guys were so cool about it. I have some cool stuff planned for Poland in the future so stay tuned 🤙
When I was in Poland I was lucky enough to get a ride on the cab of a Ty2 on a freight working 😊
@@stephenbrooker7097 Did they let you take the throttle?
As someone born in Bosnia I'm always happy to see tourists enjoy something there! And also you're very handsome!
Bosnia was awesome, thank you!
That was soooooo cool! Hands on with history! Amazing!
Appreciate you watching, definitely a core memory lol.
Seen trains like this in museums, but never in operation. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching bro! Was a first for me as well lol
some are oparational in germany too, they called class 52 and there are currently 183 existing ones in germany and 18 are oparational
@nicowolters8959 Yeah, those look awesome, but these are the last 5 in service outside of tourist/ museum purposes
About 250 of the BR 52 Kriegsloks have been preserved in museums, "fan clubs", private collections or as memorials. About 30 or so are in working condition, but the beauties in Bosnia are probably the last ones earning their bread hauling freight on a daily basis. Although used for tourist trains most of the time, freight runs pulled by BR 52s still do happen in Germany on special occasions, mostly during "Plandampf" ("scheduled steam") organised events. But sometimes it happens spontaneously! A fan club not far from my home town actually owns and operates a BR 52, and when the regular diesel loco of the local freight service broke down one day back in 2007 and no reserve loco was available, the dispatcher phoned the fan club in order to hire their BR 52! The job was to bring empty rail cars from the main line station over 25km of trunk line to a loading station for lumber and then haul the loaded rail cars back to the main line. There is a YT video of the event (in German): czcams.com/video/bYCXWjawyNE/video.html - a highlight at czcams.com/users/clipUgkxB3jrBFmYAE6Z_kGseE2BSc5xPJlaNC4l?si=xyBoyIAKkoSQqDhG
Nice 😆 and yeh, I believe these are the last 5 (2 active) in everyday regular service. Thanks for sharing 🤙
Mate, you had goosebumps driving it.
We had goosebumps just watching the vid.
A very special experience that very few people get to have.
Cheers for sharing 🥳👍🇦🇺
Haha, I'm super grateful for these guys for allowing us, it took a bit more talking than I showed and we weren't sure til the end. But one of the greatest experiences ever bro. Thanks for watching as usual 💯🤙
Very good video. It took me back 55 years, to my childhood. It's nice to hear her purr 😁. Thank you for this beautiful trip to the past... greetings from Rijeka, brother.💯🤙❤
Thank you brother! 😆🤙
I’m 55. My Dad work in the rail yard in Dallas Texas. When I was around 14 I speak thanksgiving day there with him and he let me drive a diesel switcher a ways through the yard. I’ll never forget it and I know you’ll never forget this. Keep posting!
Definitely something I'll remember forever, and will do, thanks for watching 🤙
I knew that opening shot of the engine sitting there with the air compressor panting was a good sign. This was fantastic!
Thank you! And yeh, I didn't want to give it away right away, but figured I'd leave a good hint 😆🤙
Well, that's a boys dream come true! 👊
I envy you for that remarkable experience!
Who wouldn't want to drive a steam horse like that!? And watching it, I realize it is a whole lot more complex than most other vehicles, given that it's not just moving that lever but keeping an eye on temperature and pressure and all the things that influence it while shoveling coal into the fiery belly of the beast! 😃
Definitely a boyhood dream come true bro, it actually looks more complex than it is, it's basically a giant boiler and the throttle lever is just a manually operated valve cover that allows steam to drive the 2 pistons. I left it open way too long and wide the first time 🤣. It's simple, but there's no fail safes to prevent explosions and such.
fun fact: these locomotives were supposted to last 15 years
Yup, at the most
Fascinating that these engines are the fit conditions to run I myself am from Bosnia and glad to see these things working still not to mention a overall fun video I don’t see videos like these often, Another thing is that I’ve been down a few times to Tuzla and recognized the power plant from the first frame I saw it. Overall a great video
Thank you! I had a great time in Bosnia and will be back for sure.
I hope those end up in a museum, or even fully restored when they're finally retired in another 80 years, and then someone's able to trace the history of all the trains they pulled in the war.
Let's hope, but yeh, I think they'll be running for the foreseeable future
Man, your joy is infectious, this was such a fun watch!
Thank you bro!
Now that's cool stuff...to go from "can we take pictures" to driving it!
An amazing experience bro, more than we could have ever hoped for. Really owe those guys one.
The fact these old locomotives that were cheap throw aways after WW2, are STILL in service is nothing short of amazing. As an American, German build quality is actually really freaking good
They're great when they don't over-engineer things, but also credit to these guys as well. But yeh, they left us in the dust decades ago. Our American vehicles aren't even made in America, even when they are assembled there, the parts ain't.
@@TattooedTraveler I trust a brand new European car, before I’ll trust a brand new American car
@@AppalachianRailfan99 Same, or a Toyota lol
@@TattooedTraveler definitely a yota!!!
Whoop whoop on aboard!! 🤩 Nothing like taking a train for a joy ride 😂 what a blast !! Your so lucky! 🥹I think you won the gold 🏆🏆 …
Lol, thanks Don 🤙
This video was amazing. I felt like I experienced it with you guys haha. So lucky and those guys were straight aces for giving you the opportunity. Such an amazing experience. Thanks for sharing 👍🏼
Thanks for watching! And yeh, really owe them big time for that. I'll have to go back because I was still in awe when they were shoveling the coal, need to do that next time 😆🤙
Thanks for sharing. If you've never experienced a full size steam locomotive then you won't appreciate the power they have when they lift off from a start. I have had only one chance to drive one and it was scary but the feeling of the "pull" when accelerating is remarkable.
Well done of your adventure.
Thank you! Truly an unforgettable experience
For Steam Locomotives designed as throw aways for mass production, they're designed really well.
They definitely knew what they were doing
I still encountered one of them in the early seventies in Rákosrendező, as an occasional helper, when the regular M 62 was in maintenance. It was huge, powerful and could do everything what the M 62 could. The designers of this locomotive wanted a powerful locomotive, which was simple and modular built, substituting the lion share of the copper parts from earlier peacetime locomotives, which went against its longevity. That's why their designed longevity was only a decade. Of course, with maintenance it could last a Century or more.
PS A) At that time we kept the original 520 type number, B) it came to Hungary after the war as war compensation, C) They were scrapped shortly after, except one or two. One is kept in the Budapest rail museum in a lovingly restored and working condition. Occasionally it takes short, 20 - 30 km journeys pulling a few also old passenger wagons, with a lot of enthusiastic and happy railfans on board.
Sounds awesome bro, thanks for watching
I would have been excited like a kid on Christmas if I had that experience, so I don't blame you for having that smile on your face.
Haha, it was great! Thanks for watching!
The Loco is there because of the reperations after war.
A lot of countries get german Steam Locos. It was part of the deindustrialization of Germany.
Thanks for clearing that up
Some probably got left behind when the Soviets drove the German Army back into Germany and others couldn't go back because most of the railroad lines were bombed during the war.
It looks very crudly put together, but clearly made of tough materials!!
WOW!! ❤❤❤🚂
Hard to imagine they’re still around. Living breathing pieces of history. Fantastic find. 👍🏻. -TY
Truly amazing, thank you for watching 🚂
Still sounds smooth and well oiled, I'm impressed
Yeh, these guys know what they're doing, no black smoke either.
Would definitely like to put that on my bucket list. More than one of my ancestors worked with steam. Must be a passion that runs in our blood to marvel something so simple yet powerful.
It's definitely undeniably impressive
Soo dope man, holy hell! I understand your excitement, keep doing you bro!
Thanks brother! We were super fortunate to get to do this.
Always been fascinated with steam locomotive. They are literally like fire breathing dragons
I think every man is lol
As a guy who´s working on a Steam Loco in a historical railway association, i really enjoyed that video and had to grin the whole video.😅 There are just not many things that are so satisfinging than a steaming, hard working steam loco😆
Sounds like a great job 😆🤙 & I agree
@@TattooedTraveler I can confirm that. It's great and very fun to work on👌
That is awesome! I've had a go at driving steam trains before but not one as huge as that! Glad you enjoyed!
Experience of a lifetime bro, thanks for watching 🤙
Great video! Always wanted to go to Bosnia and see these things if I could. You’ve got the best video out there about them for sure!
Thanks bro! Bosnia is an underrated destination in general. Definitely recommend going sometime.
According to google Bosnia was allied or occupied by Germany. So it’s not unreasonable that the Germans sent some locomotives over there to aid in the war effort.
It was an extremely complicated region, but yes there was a German garrison in the area, more so after '43. Lindy beige did a good video about the whole Yugoslavia in WW2 and just how complex it was.
It really cool to see such old equipment working especially from that time era. They built things to last and only few know how to run steam locomotives. Definitely such passion for it and its cool that the have kept those steamers alive.
Definitely an unforgettable experience, thanks for watching 🤙
My old Bosnia steam video: czcams.com/video/Dhq7F89cmeo/video.html
Cool to see the workshop
I like how this is not a shining museum piece but it's a dirty and dusty working train
The museum pieces are cool, but yeh, this is a real working beast
What a cool experience this must have been! Thank you for sharing this with us!!
Thanks for watching!
Amazing Bro 👍🏻💪🏻
💯 bro
Thanks for sharing! 🙏 May the Steam be With You 🚂
Thanks for watching, and also with you lol
So cool.....
It was insane bro
Great job bro! 🎉
Thank you bro! We have to go back together, I didn't get to shovel the coal this time 🤣
Very interesting, for sure! For me, one of your best videos, if not the best! Although, that 88 was really cool!😅
Yeh brother, I told my buddy, we were some of the few to repair the 88, one of the very few to drive Kriegsloks, but definitely the only to do both.
That is just insane, I fully understand your excitement! Wonderful to see thanks for sharing this truly remarkable experience.
I'll never forget it, thanks for watching!
Best video ever! 🙌
Definitely 😆🤙
Danke für dieses super Video!! Das ist auch mein Traum,einmal in einem Führerhaus einer Dampflok zu sein ,und sie zu bedienen!😎😍👌
Velen Danke!
This is so cool!!! Good on you guys
Thank you!
Couple of kids again. Fantastic fun! :-)
Exactly that 💯
I still can feel your happiness behind the screen.
It was truly amazing bro, will never forget it
My great grandfather was a engineer on a br 52 during ww2, veteran of ww1 as well.
That's really cool, thanks for sharing.
Amazing machine. I can only imagine the stories that locomotive could tell. I hope the train yard starts making videos on it.
Absolutely
steam locomotives will always run. steampunk era is master era
💯
Awesome brother! Thanks for sharing!! Looks like great fun!!! Don’t know what happened to the live chat
Thanks brother! Top 5 best days for sure, and yeh, it's fucked.
I’m jealous of you.
Greetings from the Netherlands 🇳🇱.
By-the-way… Great footage, beautiful sound!
Thanks for watching bro!
Take that green planet people. Steam can never be defeated
Never! Ah man, they would cry non stop in Bosnia
That was pretty fückin cool!!!! That smile on yer face classic
Straight back to 10 years old bro haha
I still remember when I was 10 in 1978, when my Uncle got me a ride on the foot plate of one of these engines, my first ride in a steam engine. It was used as a banking engine in Bosnia pushing Express Passenger trains from Split and heavy freight trains up the grade. As a 10 Year old that first step was huge. I wish I could get hold of that photo so I can see the number and see if it is still running. Thank you for sharing hope to see these next year.
If it was used in Bosnia there's definitely a chance that it's one of the remaining 5. And yeh, core memory material for sure. Thanks for watching!
I shall visit this place some times next year. Someone here will know as it isn't far from my late Uncles place.
@@TattooedTraveler
@@Ausmerica go for it bro
Whenever I take my Eurotrip someday (which I hope I do), I will definitely make sure to see these things in action!
Definitely, and Bosnia, in general, is a great place to visit
What's interesting about these locomotives is at the time due to war production they were designed and built to the bare minimum of what the Germans considered acceptable. That being said no effort was put into their appearance at all leaving them rather gaunt and ugly compared to other locomotives they came before and after them. And even though they were built to the bare minimum they were still extremely complex and built very well with very tight tolerance in manufacturing specifications hence why they're still able to operate today 80 years later and 70 years after they're expected service life little in the way of major overhauls.
So, This video is amazing - I literally punched the air and shouted "fuck yea, Trains!" and now my other half genuinely thinks i'm autistic - Not gonna lie, I might be somewhere on the spectrum - But what a beast of a machine! How could you not be impressed by it!
Thanks for sharing - I don't think i've watched a video that has made me smile so much it actually hurts my face for a long time!
I'm right on there with you bro! 🤣🤣 Really glad to hear that, appreciate you watching!
Those old guys might be on the lookout for the next generation of caretakers.
I wouldn't mind
thats awsome man
Thanks bro 💯
i work with steamtrains in the Netherlands at the stoom stichting nederland and this video would also be a dream come true for me.
In the future, maybe I can organize trips there
Was für ein Erlebnis. Der Lockführer und sein Heizer sind ja mal echt coole Jungs. 👍🙂
💯
Awesome. Amazing it still runs.
Crazy experience bro
AWESOME....
super video!
Thank you!
What a great experience!
Awesome bro, just Awesome
Schön zu sehen das sie gebraucht wird.
I share your sense of joy and wonder for this!
It was truly amazing bro, glad to hear it
This goes to show if you take care of something long enough it’ll almost never die like the cavelaier Chevy
Right lol
Very nice film. Wonderful legendary steam engine
Thanks for watching!
Now that's a real holiday, up close and personal with a unique machine and its operators. None of those corporate "tours" where you look from a distance.
Yeh bro, walking up and asking yourself is always the better option, even if it doesn't work out. This couldn't have gone any better. These guys are awesome.
@@TattooedTraveler I know that all too well, you never know what you might get by just asking.
Exactly bro, learned that a long time ago. Works more often than not.
"YOU DON'T KNOW THE POWA OF THE STEAM SIDE!" Darth Kriegslok
😆
It's honestly criminal that there aren't train sets of these things. Doesnt matter the scale, I know there's an audience for this. Especially from a historical perspective.
There's definitely B52 models, I plan on ordering one after this lol
Thanks for reminding me, actually, lol ordering one now.
broooooooooo so cool!!
Yeh bro, insane experience
That was great fun ✅
Thanks for watching
These Steam locomotives might very well be the last working Revenue steam engines in Europe
I believe they are
Wow amazing 😎 🚂🚂🚂
💯
Wow, just wow!!! I live in the Netherlands and we have also some German steamlocs in use by enthousiast clubs, they are using the secondary railtracks mostly but so now and then special events will be organized and the steamloco's travel on the mainline across the country and sometimes into Germay as well. Steam engines are so awesome, can you imagine the steam engines aboard Olympic class ocean liners for example? So sad that not one ship like Titanic, Olympic, Lusitania etc etc is saved for today. Greetings to the nice people of Bosnia!
Yeh man, it was awesome, and yeh, something just nostalgic and impressive about Steam.
You guys cherish that moment on that train once in life time in states we have to pay alot some of us never get chance u got
My friend recently passed, but I'm glad we got to experience it together. We talked about it for years prior. Definitely something I'll never forget 💯
this is so cool love old trains
Thanks, likewise lol
Very nice ❤
Thank you
They are actually called class 52 here in Germany. Kriegslok is just a given name. We also have a class 50 which is the first series of War locomotives. The class 50 was simplified and that created the class 52.
How they got to Bosnia? I have two guesses:
1. Germany defeated Yugoslavia in 1941. Yugoslavia was occupied then. Yet a puppy state of Croatia was errected. It contained the areas of modern day Croatia and modern day Bosnia. The locomotives could have been sent there as aid for the croatian allies.
2. The locomotives Were seized after the war or during the last days of the war and then given to Yugoslavia.
From what I could find, this particular engine was built in 1943 in Poland & went East initially but then got sent back to occupied Belgrade where it remained. It may have been given over as reparations or just commandeered by partisans. Either way, it was fascinating. Thanks for watching 🤙
@@TattooedTraveler indeed I checked that too. It was made in an occupied plant in poznan. It was definitely made by slave labor btw.
That looked fun 😀
Definitely bro 😆🤙
3:45
Wow that locomotive is beautiful
💯
This is one of the parts of humanity that I love
Thank you!
i hope when they eventually get retired they arent sold for scrap but donated to a museum or even an excursion railroad if they exist in the area, im not sure how many br33's are in preservation
These are the only 5 in everyday service, but I think there's about 15-20 in Germany. Bosnia is actually surprisingly good at museums. Hopefully, at least 1 or 2 are preserved, but for the foreseeable future, these should be running.
@@TattooedTraveler that's good to know, though I should mention that I believe there are infact different classes and wheel configurations of the kriegslok, you can tell which class yours was by the first 2 digits on the number plaque (the one you guys seen was the br33 class)
What a privilege you guys got to experience this, extremely awesome!
Absolutely unforgettable experience, thanks for watching
Cool old iron looks like you had fun
Definitely bro