Transzbörzsöny narrow-gauge railway

In Szob, the narrow-gauge railway departs directly next to the standard railway station, and you can find the terminus by the pedestrian overpass' leg. If you arrive by train from Budapest, you don't have to worry about minor delays; the small trains heading to the heart of Börzsöny wait for the Budapest trains. The rolling stock is quite varied, so it is impossible to predict in advance which locomotives and hauled vehicles will serve the journey: alongside the real workhorses of Hungarian narrow-gauge railways, the C50 locomotives, two motor coaches built in Királyrét operate here, and curiosities such as an L-60 or an MD-40 small diesel locomotive may also appear. Both open and closed passenger cars can be found—the greatest experience, of course, is the summer ride in one of the open cars.

Whichever train receives passengers, it certainly clatters past the houses and gardens along the route to Márianosztra for the first few hundred meters after leaving the traction depot on the left side of the rails, whose size clearly shows it was not designed for today's railway operation. Where the asphalt road branches towards Vám osmikola, the rails wind between trees and shrubs, giving a forest railway atmosphere already. The train passes through several conditional stops in order; those who want to get off at Malomkert, Barackos, Petyerák-tanya, Máriakút, or Malomvölgy must notify the train crew in advance. The railway line was once extended to Malomvölgy in the Bezina valley, where the Csák Hill quarry still operates, but the stone extracted here is now transported by road. A special feature of the former railway operation was that it also led to the “White” quarry located higher on the mountain, which later was replaced by a funicular railway.

Leaving the mining area, the track starts climbing sharply in a strong curve — and it remains so until Nagyirtáspuszta. Márianosztra station is bordered to the west by a meadow; looking east towards the village, the towers of the Palos monastery's chapel and the grim walls of the prison can be seen above the houses. After leaving the settlement, travelers can enjoy a genuine forest railway atmosphere (except the usual rattling is absent due to the almost new track). First, the 760 mm track winds along the edge of a meadow, then climbs higher into the narrow Bezina stream valley towards the watershed. After leaving the conditional stop Füstös-forrás, the train starts wild twists: many loops facilitate overcoming the elevation to the highest station on the line, Nagyirtáspuszta.

Many hiking trails converge at Nagyirtáspuszta, near which the Szent Orbán Inn can be found, but for refreshments and a bite, you don't have to go far: the tastefully designed station building houses a buffet. Many stop here because they need to change trains, as the Szob–Nagyirtás and Nagyirtás–Nagybörzsöny sections are operated by different operators (so tickets cannot be bought for the whole line; separate payment is required on each train).

From Nagyirtáspuszta, our "new" train begins a serious descent since the track slopes down all the way to Nagybörzsöny. Like on the southern side, the train winds in numerous loops here to overcome the elevation difference, but we also encounter a solution that is unique in the country. This is the so-called turntable: don't be surprised if the train suddenly starts moving in push mode, i.e., against its previous direction along the slope of Tolmács Hill, then upon arriving at Kisirtáspuszta, it changes direction again, moving “correctly.” Looking at the map, the track runs in a Z shape at this section because there was no other way to overcome the grade. Such solutions used to be common on many other narrow-gauge railways in Börzsöny, and also existed on certain narrow-gauge lines in Gerecse, Mátra, and the Visegrád Hills. Today, however, this is the only one in Hungary, and it was declared an industrial heritage monument in 2000.

In Kisirtáspuszta, accommodation is available in beautifully renovated hostels, and numerous hiking trails also depart in different directions from here. The narrow-gauge railway track runs along the stream in the Hosszú Valley all the way to Nagybörzsöny, where it ends at the station located at the village boundary. The traction depot houses the vehicles in a smaller and a larger engine shed, and a small museum is set up in a railway car. Until the next train departure, you can spend time in the station's buffet and on the turnaround track, but it's also worth visiting Nagybörzsöny and discovering the village's hidden treasures.