On November 27, 1999,
CFR - SA celebrated a century of Romanian railway architecture

A year after finishing in 1898 the railway that connected Pitesti to the secular residence of Curtea Domneasca, on November 27, 1899, the buildings of the four railway stations were commissioned: Bascov, Merisani today a whistle-stop, Radu Negru, today the Baiculesti whistle-stop, and Curtea de Arges
All these stations, and the railway connecting them, are the work of engineer Elie Radu, who became inspector general of the Romanian Railways at the end of his career.

In order to mark the event for the younger generations of railway men to know and take pride in their predecessors, the National Railways Company CFR - SA organized the festivities to mark the 100th anniversary, graced by the presence of Transports Minister Traian Basescu and CFR - SA director general Viorel Simut.
After the welcoming speeches and the presentations in the Pitesti stations, in the presence of all regional company directors and representatives of railway transport companies, as well as other guests, including former CFR employees and present-day politicians, a historic train, towed by a 150.000-series steam engine, a magnificent locomotive carefully maintained by the railway men, was embarked by the guests and left for Curtea de Arges.
The train passed Bascov without stopping, but made the first stop in Baiculesti, where the anniversary moment was noted.
In Curtea de Arges, the train and the guests were received by the railway personnel of the Craiova regional railway company, the fanfare of the Craiova CFR high school, and the mayor of the city of Craiova, the country's first capital 600 years ago.
Several speeches, the uncovering of a commemorative slate and visits to exhibitions - where the Craiova regional railway station showed the guests how a Euro-station (the future Craiova station) will look in a very close future - marked the event.
Of course, the organizers could not omit a visit to a cathedral loaded with history, built, according to tradition, by the legendary Master Manole, and to the Curtea de Arges monastery, a chance for the guests to bow piously before the tombs of the first kings of Romania.

Dan Dragos