Costa Brava Narrow Gauge

My first ever flight was in Summer 1968, on a package tour from Gatwick to the Costa Brava. We stayed in the popular resort of Lloret De Mar.  

Of course, we looked for some steam interest and found it not too far away in the city of Gerona, which had not one, but two narrow gauge railways connecting with the main broad gauge RENFE system. One was metre-gauge and went to inland to Olot. Most of its passenger trains were diesel railcars, but steam was in use for various duties.

Nearby was the 750mm gauge line from Gerona to San Feliu de Guixols, situated on the coast. This was all steam and seemed the more attractive option for a ride. The locos in use were all neat 0-6-2T built by Orenstein & Koppel, mostly  in 1890.The route was 39.7km in length, winding its way through the countryside to the coast, with a journey time of just under two hours.

There were a reasonable number of locals aboard as we set off and it was delightful to perch on the carriage's footstep in the sun with the train rattling along, stopping at fairly substantial wayside stations, including Llagostera which I recall boasted a proper restaurant. There was also some freight shunting en route, as the trains are mixeds. At San Feliu was a proper loco turntable, hand operated.

The line closed in 1969, another treasure gone. Six SFG locos are preserved, albeit on plinths.

There is a commercially available Argo Transacord recording of the SFG made by Peter Handford in 1960 , entitled 'Narrow Gauge on the Costa Brava'

The railway's trackbed is nowadays a green way, see http://www.viesverdes.cat/EN/54/narrow-gauge-railway-route-ii.html