In the first half of the 20th century an extensive narrow-gauge railway network was operated in Hungary. Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, they are less expensive to build and operate than standard railways. (especially in mountainous or difficult terrain). Lower-cost narrow-gauge railways are often built to serve the industry and forestry.
Today, most of the narrow-gauge railway lines have disappeared, and their role has been taken over by road traffic. Some lines are still operating today with a changed role (for tourism). In the Kaszó wooded area, a 20 km long network was set up. Today, most of the rails have been razed, only a small section remained between the Kaszó tourist center and the Senta railway station.
The little trains of Kaszó carry hikers only on holidays. The track gauge of the railway is 760 mm. Trains are towed by a small diesel locomotive now, but also steam locomotives have been in operation earlier. One of them is the locomotive called "Karácsony", which came to Kaszó in 1997. It is spending his retirement years at the final station.
The locomotives of type no. 490 was produced by the MÁVAG factory in Budapest between 1905 and 1950 with a total of 152 pieces. The “Karácsony” locomotive was built in 1950 and renovated in 1984. Initially, the type had a Stephenson-controlled flat version valve gear (490), and since 1942 it has a Heusinger-controlled and cylinder version valve gear (490.2). The boiler is suitable for coal and wood firing, so this type was very common in forestry. Depending on the fuel, its variants were capable of 150 to 290 horsepower. The locomotive has no pilot-wheels, all of its four axles are driving (powered) ones, so the total mass of the locomotive is considered to be a mass of adhesion. In this way it was suitable for 6% uphill traffic, and its 1st and 4th powered axles were adapted to small radius curves of railway with Klien-Lindner system.