Narrow gauge railways in Kirov region, Russia

[Vazyuk]

In the topic of my settlement, I wrote about that in town Oparino (population 4000 humans) is narrow-gauge railway, and I was there in 2011. The total length of the railway 80 kilometers, but the trains do not go so far for a long time. At 30 kilometers from the Oparino is located settlement Chursya (to the settlement leaves the side branch), before it was a large settlement of loggers, but now they live a few people. Once a week, on Mondays there goes a passenger train which carries residents to Oparino and then carries back.

Passenger train in Chursya - one passenger car with TU6A locomotive:


In Chursya passenger train must pick up flatcar with container from end of line. In Oparino this container will be loaded products for the shop. Nearby with end of line located building (on this photo with flag), where located shop and administration of settlement:


Cab of TU6A, panel of engineer and oven for heating the cabin in winter:


View from fireman's seat:


Cows and small palace of culture:


Now we coulping the flatcar, near the porch of shop:


Horses in Chursya:


Houses of Chursya:


To be continued.

[qballbandit]

That poor engine looks like it has seen much better days.
On the positive side, looks like you can listen to music while rolling through the pretty countryside.
What's the top speed you can run on this line? I am betting fairly slow, looking at the track and grasses.

[Vazyuk]

Maximum speed on this railway - 25 km/h, usually we ride more slowly.

Also i will show photo before departure of this train from Oparino to Chursya:


I almost never photographed way to Chursya as riding in a passenger car. I went back in locomotive, so there I have a lot of pictures. Now we leave Chursya, here is rust railcar AM1A:


In this photo you can see that way to Chursya goes on side branch, beside comes mainline:


River Chursya:


Rust passenger car Pafawag (made in Poland):


Fallen car with forest:


Way:


More information (on russian language) about this railway: http://infojd.ru/28/oparino.html Maps: http://infojd.ru/28/oparino_karty.html Опарино - Oparino, Чурсья - Chursya.

[NorthernWarrior]

Thanks for posting.

That track needs some serious maintenance!

[Noisemaker]

Never figured Russia would have NG. Always thought it was 'Big Gauge For Big Country'. I guess they have little gauge for the little people as well? LOL

[Vazyuk]

That track needs some serious maintenance!

Almost all of the narrow-gauge railways (except children's railways and currently closed Ryazan-Vladimir's narrow-gauge common carrier railway) does not belong to Russian Railways. During the Soviet period, this railway owned by the Ministry of forest industry, it is now owned by company "Oparino-forest". The company has a little money, repair goes only where everything is very bad. Now in Chursya nobody lives and most of the railroad dismantled. Now is cheaper to haul wood in trucks. Frankly, rarely narrow-gauge railways in Russia are in good condition.

Never figured Russia would have NG. Always thought it was 'Big Gauge For Big Country'. I guess they have little gauge for the little people as well? LOL

It's a industrial forest railway. Build a wide railroad would be inappropriate, since there will be heavy traffic and the large flow of goods, some lines are also being built as temporary. These railways are taken forest to broad-gauge railways or large rivers. Besides forest narrow-gauge railways, in formerly Soviet Union much narrow-gauge railways for transportation of peat, also has mine's narrow-gauge railways (for example Sulyukta's electrifited(!) coal narrow-gauge railway in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan), oil railways, railways for transportation of sugar beet (usually in Ukraine), factory's railways, agricultural railways (many such railroads have been in Kazakhstan at the time of "Virgin Lands Campaign"), and several common carrier railways (Ryazan-Vladimir's railway in Russia, Haivoron's railway in Ukraine), which owned by Soviet railways, then by railways of remaining countries, there are many different goods transported.

Continue towards to Oparino. Tanker cars with water (if happens forest's fire):


One of the sidings (frogs switches fireman, signalization is absent, traffic coordinets dispatcher by radio):


Stored forest:


River:


Curve:


Another siding (abandoned settlement Lesnoye, nearby is cab of rust locomotive):

[qballbandit]

Always amazing to me is, even on the other side of the world, the scenery looks very similar to many of North Americas woodlands.
Pretty, and peaceful.

[Vazyuk]

Abandoned settlement Lesorubovskiy:


Fallen forest car:


Skidders:


Carved wood:


Curve:


Bridge:


Railway workers:

[frliss]

These pictures look very much like the fictional narrow gauge railroad "Industrial community" available from trainsim.ru.

Below is a screenshot.

Fred


post-3476-0-82649300-1339469261_thumb.jpg

[Vazyuk]

Route "Industrial community" not very similar to the typical russian narrow-gauge railway - at the all stations there is signalization (it is rare on the russian narrow-gauge railways), the path is in good condition (except line Sosnoviy bor - Sovhoz, there is very similar to typical russian narrow-gauge forest railway). A very interesting line in fictional city Kodinsk - there is similar to narrow-gauge railway in city Kirovo-Chepetsk, i went through it, I'll write later.

Soon we come to Oparino:


Railroad crossing, there are only two signals on this railway:


We drove into Oparino:


Homemade draisines, built by local residents:


Barns for draisines:


We drive next to Oparino: