Mocănița Huțulca, Moldovița (Moldovița-Argel forest railway)

Mocănița Huțulca starts from the narrow-gauge station in Moldovița, Moldovița commune, Suceava County. The main route climbs the Moldovița valley to Argel, about 12 km, behind a steam locomotive, and a second route, with a diesel locomotive, runs towards Vatra Moldoviței. For this route a new 5 km line was built between Moldovița station and Moldovița Monastery, near Vatra Moldoviței station, announced in 2023 for Easter 2024. The first forest railway at Moldovița was built in 1888-1889 by Louis Ortlieb, a sawmill owner from Munich, to carry timber, with an 800 mm gauge and an initial route of 23.9 km from Moldovița to Roșoșa. In 1909 its owner, the Church Fund (Religionsfonds), narrowed the gauge to 760 mm. After 1948 the line became part of the state forest railway system (CFF). Timber traffic continued until 2001, after which the line was abandoned. Since the summer of 2005 it has been managed by the Association for the Preservation of Narrow-Gauge Lines in Romania, and the restoration was led by the Austrian Georg Hocevar. The „Krauss” steam locomotive was built in 1917 at the Krauss works in Munich, worked in Austria until 1971, was bought from a collector in 2005, restored and put into service at Moldovița in 2007. At Moldovița station visitors can see the engine shed and old narrow-gauge carriages. The train is operated for tourists by the Mocănița Huțulca Moldovița team, which publishes its timetable and booking system on its own website. Check the timetable before visiting.