The Railway Heritage of Greece
1871-2008

by Alexandros Gregoriou

 Editorial 

Introduction of the speech: "Premises and Rolling Stock of the railway lines in Macedonia from the late nineteenth century until present days", which was given by Alexandros Gregoriou at the "Thessaloniki History Center" on January 24, 2001

From the last quarter of the 19th century onwards, apart from those historical elements that shape the course of the railways in Macedonia, its premises and rolling stock occupy an important place and constitute "monuments" (1) of the Industrial Archaeology of our country.

A rather recently coined term and such, probably unknown to the general public, Industrial Archaeology (2) studies, records, preserves, restores and reveals all those remnants of the past that constitute our industrial and technological heritage.

In railway technology jargon, by premises we mean (3) the buildings of all kinds of passenger stations, the platforms and guardrooms, switchyards, roundhouses, machinery buildings, headquarters and operation premises, as well as the dwellings of the railway personnel. Also, by premises we mean the tracks, all kinds of mechanical and technical equipment, as well as technical works like earthworks, bridges and tunnels. By rolling stock we mean types and categories of engines and cars.

The constructions of Willas, Renaudin, Vitalli, Arigoni and other Greek and European architects, mechanics and representatives of the companies that constructed and utilized the railway networks in Macedonia, and the rolling stock they used, must not, in any case, die out either from physical erosion or from human interest and indifference.

I shall try and give you a general picture of the premises and of the mainly withdrawn rolling stock of the railway network in Macedonia from the 19th century untill now. This is within the general framework of an attempt to first inform and sensitise the general public on the matter, and second, to make those in charge realise their responsibility as to matters that concern our cultural and technological heritage; our railway heritage.

In the dawn of the 21th century, the gales of modernisation that have blown in the Greek Railways have been sweeping and, at the same, time ravaging the history of more than a century.

(1) Proclamation of a building as work or historical monument is according to law N.1469/1950 concerning the protection of special categories of buildings and works of art dating after 1830, according to article 52 of law K.N.5351/1932 concerning antiquities, and according to law N.2039/1992 on the confirmation of the agreement for the protection of the Architectural heritage of Europe.
(2) see R. Slotta "Introduction to Industrial Archaeology", Athens (PTI.ETBA) 1992
(3) Olga Traganou-Deligianni, "Railways and their history. Research and endeavours for preservation and protection" History of Modern Greek Technology, 1st three-day work summit, Patras, 21-23 October 1988, Record of Proceedings, Athens (PTI.ETBA) 1991, 154

(2) Ο πρωτος που προσδιορισε τον ορο Βιομηχανικη Αρχαιολογια ηταν ο Donald Dudley, καθηγητης στο πανεπιστημιο του Birmingham της Αγγλιας, στις αρχες της δεκαετιας του ’50 και οι πρωτες μελετες οφειλονται στον καθηγητη Michael Rix. Επισης βλ. Rainer Slotta, Εισαγωγη στη βιομηχανικη αρχαιολογια, Μτφ. Αγη Παπαδοπουλου, Αθηνα (ΠΤΙ - ΕΤΒΑ), 1992 και Pinard Jacques, Η Βιομηχανικη αρχαιολογια , Μτφ. Γιωργου Σπανου, Αθηνα (ΠΤΙ - ΕΤΒΑ), 1992.

(3) Οι απαρχες της τεχνικης των σιδηροδρομων συμφωνα με την γνωμη πολλων ειδικων, βρισκονται στην αρχαια Ελλαδα. βλ. εισηγηση του Χ. Η. Χαλαζια, στο ΑΞ„ Βαλκανικο Συνεδριο με θεμα “Σιδηροδρομοι και Πολιτισμος”, Θεσσαλονικη 4 -5 Νοεμβριου 1994. Επισης βλ. περιοδ. ΤΟΤΕ, τευχ. 56 (1995), σ. 9. Επισης βλ. Δ. Παπαδημητριου, “Σιδηροδρομοι στην Αρχαια Ελλαδα”, στο Αλεξανδρεια. Σιδηροδρομος και Πολη. 1894-1994. Αφιερωματικη Εκδοση για τα 100 χρονια σιδηροδρομικης συνδεσης Θεσσαλονικης – Μοναστηριου και η επιδραση στην Αλεξανδρεια. Αλεξανδρεια 1994, σ. 11-12.

(4) Ολγα Τραγανου – Δεληγιαννη “Οι Σιδηροδρομοι και η ιστορια τους. Ερευνες και προσπαθειες διασωσης και προστασιας” Ιστορια της Νεοελληνικης Τεχνολογιας, ΑΞ„ τριημερο εργασιας, Πατρα 21-23 Οκτωβριου 1988, Πρακτικα, Αθηνα (ΠΤΙ - ΕΤΒΑ) 1991, σ. 154. Επισης βλ. Κ. Γ. Αμπακουμκιν, Σιδηροδρομοι. Αθηνα (Συμμετρια), 1990.