Ferrovia Circumetnea.
The Italian island of Sicily once had many a passenger carrying narrow gauge line, nowadays however there is but one, the FCE (Ferrovia Circumetnea) ... which as it's name implies circumnavigates Mt. Etna. The line was built to Italian metre gauge, which wasn't the same as everyone elses as the Italians at the time measured their gauge to the centres of the rail heads. In reality, and in conventional speak, the FCE is 950mm gauge.
Like a lot of things on the island, the little railway has seen better days and is becoming a little threadbare, but therein lies a lot of its charm. Services are worked by these 1970s built Fiat / Tibb railcars which are incridibly raucous, a little tired but fun to ride in nevertheless.
The railway nowadays is a curious mix of old school narrow gauge, wannabe tramway and tourist attraction. It's hellishly difficult to find out any information regarding travel if you don't speak the language and sees little or no advertising to the outside world who'd almost certainly appreciate its charm. Even trying to research the most basic of facts relating to it on the net draws little or nothing by way of answers.
Currently, only about two thirds of the line is operational, the northern section from Randazzo to the coast at Reposto is closed for alleged upgrading. Whether the latter will ever take place is an unknown as the FCE also runs buses which seem to cope quite well, and already an ominous air of dereliction is noticeable. At the other end of the line, conversion of the busiest section from Catania which serves the suburban towns and their huge student population, works are underway to convert the narrow gauge line to a standard gauge underground 'Metro'... an extension of the city's underground which the FCE also operate. What then will be left for the more rural sections I wonder?
Anyway, the picture ... nearly forgot about that (!), was taken last week high up on the western side of Mt. Etna of a pair of Fiats on the final approach to Adrano from the Randazzo / Bronte direction.
Ferrovia Circumetnea.
The Italian island of Sicily once had many a passenger carrying narrow gauge line, nowadays however there is but one, the FCE (Ferrovia Circumetnea) ... which as it's name implies circumnavigates Mt. Etna. The line was built to Italian metre gauge, which wasn't the same as everyone elses as the Italians at the time measured their gauge to the centres of the rail heads. In reality, and in conventional speak, the FCE is 950mm gauge.
Like a lot of things on the island, the little railway has seen better days and is becoming a little threadbare, but therein lies a lot of its charm. Services are worked by these 1970s built Fiat / Tibb railcars which are incridibly raucous, a little tired but fun to ride in nevertheless.
The railway nowadays is a curious mix of old school narrow gauge, wannabe tramway and tourist attraction. It's hellishly difficult to find out any information regarding travel if you don't speak the language and sees little or no advertising to the outside world who'd almost certainly appreciate its charm. Even trying to research the most basic of facts relating to it on the net draws little or nothing by way of answers.
Currently, only about two thirds of the line is operational, the northern section from Randazzo to the coast at Reposto is closed for alleged upgrading. Whether the latter will ever take place is an unknown as the FCE also runs buses which seem to cope quite well, and already an ominous air of dereliction is noticeable. At the other end of the line, conversion of the busiest section from Catania which serves the suburban towns and their huge student population, works are underway to convert the narrow gauge line to a standard gauge underground 'Metro'... an extension of the city's underground which the FCE also operate. What then will be left for the more rural sections I wonder?
Anyway, the picture ... nearly forgot about that (!), was taken last week high up on the western side of Mt. Etna of a pair of Fiats on the final approach to Adrano from the Randazzo / Bronte direction.