Steam engines in Serbia

Miroslav Milutinovic reports on some more steam engines that he’s found sadly neglected and abandoned in various parts of Serbia.

These machines have been discovered in various places in Serbia. Zlatibor is over 125 miles south-west of Belgrade, the country’s capital, and here I discovered a locally-produced – in Niš – Stanko Paunović steam roller, looking very much like a German-built Zettelmeyer. However, it’s been positively identified as the latter manufacturer’s No. 182, dating from 1955.

There’s another similar-looking roller at Radijalac, Subotica, which is about the same distance north of Belgrade, this being identified in the European Traction Engine Register-2015 as Stanko Paunović No. 140 of 1954.

The town of Obrenovac is to be found somewhat closer to Belgrade, lying only about 25 miles to the south-west of the city. The roller there has not been identified by works number but is said to be a Zettelmeyer.

Another steam roller is to be found just outside Mokra Gora, named such as a result of it being the ‘Wet Mountain’ after the many springs which are to be found in the surrounding areas. This one is located around 125 miles south-west of Belgrade, and is to be found not far from the terminus of the well-known ‘Šargan-Eight’ tourist railway that’s been visited by many railway enthusiasts and others over a long period of time as a result of its scenic attractions.

This line closed on 28th February, 1974, and was an important part of the former 760mm narrow-gauge main line from Sarajevo to Belgrade. However, about nine miles of track has been restored and the Šargan Eight, named for the ‘Figure of Eight’ it makes through the mountains, was opened in 1999. It runs through beautiful countryside, virtually otherwise inaccessible but for the railway line and, because of this, it has become quite a tourist attraction. The trip takes two-and-a-half hours since there are frequent stops along the way for passengers to admire the views and to take photographs. 

There is a Stanko Paunović roller in the grounds of a small, narrow-gauge railway museum, very close to Mokra Gora terminus which has been featured in the magazine previously. The pictured roller looks very much like a Zettelmeyer but it’s not the one in the museum, and is believed to be a genuine Zettelmeyer, located adjacent to the main road heading west out of Mokra Gora, towards Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This feature comes from the latest issue of Old Glory, and you can get a money-saving subscription to this magazine simply by clicking HERE