Every year, in May, the Hungarian railways (MÁV) organize special pilgrim trains to Şumuleu Ciuc (or Csíksomlyó). There are part of a Catholic pilgrimage to this little town in Romania. Hungarians travel to the location to commemorate a victory of the Catholics over the Protestants dating back to 1567, a happening believed to be a sign of Virgin Mary.
Nowadays it is also an event for Hungarian people living in and outside the historical region of Transylvania to demonstrating their spiritual unity with Şumuleu Ciuc / or Csíksomlyó.
In 2013-2017, a MÁV locomotive type 480 was given a special full wrapping – commemorating a historical person – so it could pull one of the pilgrimage trains in style:
- 2017: MÁV 480 003 ‘Szent István’
- 2016: MÁV 480 006 ‘Szent Márton’
- 2015: MÁV 480 007 ‘II. Rákóczi Ferenc’
- 2014: MÁV 480 004 ‘Gábor Áron’
- 2013: MÁV 480 005 ‘Hunyadi Mátyás’
This year no new livery was presented, MÁV locomotive 480 003 ‘Szent István’ was used for the second time. Nevertheless, Andrei Bârza made a nice video of such a train running through a ‘green tunnel’:
Related posts:
