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wvorking on
ll1e
ra~,road
.
Hungarian
S'tyle
N
o visil to Hungary would be
complete without a ride on
the Pioneer Railway - a unique
little line which winds its way deep
into the verdant hills on the rolling
Buda side of Budapest.
The railroad is operated by Hun–
gary's national railway system as a
training ground for future employ–
ees of the nation's raíl network.
(Such a practice is quite common
in
the communist world. The Soviet
Union has 30 such railroads!)
The Hungarian version is a
scaled-down, narrow gauge line,
about 8 miles in length. The engi–
neers on each train are adults, but
virtually all other employees are
"Young Pioneers" - youngsters
around the age of 12 to 14, members
The
PLAIN TRUTH Aprii-May 1976
of the communist equivalent of the
"Boy Scouts" or "Girl Scouts."
In learning the profession of rail–
roading, the youngsters take their
turn at performing a wide range of
operating roles - as ticket sellers,
conductors, station masters, teleg–
raphers, and ftagmen. The young
railroaders take their job very seri–
ously, and it seems impossible for
passengers to distract them frorn
their duties.
Children from the Budapest area
enjoy riding the Pioneer Railroad as
well. Groups of schoolchildren, ac–
companied by their teachers, regu–
larly take field trips on the railroad,
disernbarking at various stations
along the way to disappear into the
wooded conntryside, which is ex-
cellent for hiking and picnick.ing.
On board
our
train we were joined
by a group ofexuberant 10 year olds
extremely eager to talk lo their
American fellow travelers. Hand
gestures on both sides helped sur–
mount the formidable language bar–
rier. American television programs
also lent a hand. The children, wres–
tling to come up with the few
English words they knew, rnanaged
"cowboy" and for sorne curious rea–
son, "Arizona."
A ride on the Pioneer Railway
alfords sorne of the rnost scenic
views of the Budapest area.
lt
also
provides a good opportunity to see
the young people of Hungary at
work and at play.
-G.H.H.
9