Wednesday, 23rd of April. In the early morning we succeed to arrive to Palhaza by hitch-hiking on time to catch the small train. It was a cold morning of April so in the only carriage is working the stove. It smells nice of burned wood. We are the only passengers.
This small forest line is the oldest in Hungary. It has been built in 1888. Nowadays it is held by the National Forest Office. It was built to connect Palhaza and Kökapu. The track slopes from Kökapu so at the beginning the empty carriages were pulled up by horses. Downwards the main power was gravitation. The first steam engine began to work in 1902. The tunnel which is under Kökapu castle was built in 1903. The line created a direct connection to the narrow-gauge economic railway from Sarospatak to Satorljaujhely. The small train has been carrying passengers since 1958.
In 1990 the line was expended 1.3 km to Rostello. Nowadays, the train is merely a touristic attraction. It passes through the valley of Kaunce stream along the lake Kökapu and the hunting castle. It runs from mid April to end of October.
