First of all a very happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year to all the readers, many of whom I feel I know personally, although we have never met!
May I take the opportunity to make a few suggestions for those planning vacations:
1. Do come and visit us on the Czech Narrow Gauge. We will give a special welcome to our U.S. friends. I will post the 2013 schedule shortly but basically steam operates from Tremesna v Slezsku to Osoblaha every Saturday in Summer and with our big annual day on June 22nd.
2. If you go to Czech Republic also visit the other narrow gauges. The line from Jindrichuv Hradec to Nova Bystrice operates daily all summer with steam. This is also 760 mm.
3. Also recommended is the Mladejov industrial railway, also steam and if you look on my website www.railwayinternational.com you will see the latest photos for this fantastic operation.
4. There is narrow gauge steam in Slovakia, much in Poland and a lot in Germany. You could spend the whole summer doing nothing else.
5. For steam enthusiasts do not forget the standard gauge steam in Regua in Portugal.
6. Finally there is a little known outfit called Club 760 who are doing a fantastic job restoring steam locomotives and whose latest project is the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway which is a fantastic restoration project and would welcome U.S. members. I have done a separate posting.
7. Finally the gem of all, Ecuador and it is more than likely that 2013 will once again see trains from Duran to Quito.
Finally, for us foreigners would some readers here do a brief synopsis of U.S. narrow gauge lines in operation for us with perhaps a reference to their websites is that those of us coming to the U.S. can make sure we miss as little as possible.
Again it will be a wonderful 2013 despite the year number and narrow gauge flourishes.
Enjoy it while you can and do come to the Czech republic and Ecuador.
Michael Grimes
P.S. if anyone wants to contact me my mobile is: +353-86-0444-017.
