By 1988, regular working steam in Turkey had all but disappeared, except for a few pockets. The only locos we saw were the German war department Kreigsloks - a strong, simple and rugged design, and it was predictable that this class would outlive all others.
This paralleled the decline of steam in the UK where the Stanier Black 5 survived in some numbers until the last days. It may not be very patriotic, but I would prefer a Kreig to a Black 5 any day.
On the first day of our trip, we were lucky to find a steam-hauled ballast train working out of Izmir. I would estimate this train to be of the maximum line load - around 2,000 tons, and it is a fitting tribute to the loco that it managed its train unassisted up the steep Kemer Bank, where this clip opens at Şirinyer. According to Google maps, the line at this point is now underground, forming part of the Izmir Metro........
We catch this train twice more before heading off to the Afyon-Usak line, where more Kreigs are seen on heavy freights. Considering that the official end of steam was scheduled for the following year, these locos look surprisingly well cared-for.
We were lucky with the weather, and experienced good lighting conditions. By this time I had purchased an Agfa Movexoom 10 sound camera, which took suprisingly sharp and clear images - the best I had ever managed to achieve.
I would like to thank Jeremy de Barr for doing the driving on this trip. Transfer to digital format was made by Pl anet Television.
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