‘Russian Wolsztyn’ a remarkable project, says UK preservation group
A RAILWAY project in Russia that has seen the creation of a museum and the reintroduction of timetabled steamhauled commuter trains has been hailed by a UK support group of eastern European preservation as a‘remarkable’ example of cooperation between enthusiasts and railway authorities.
The project has seen steam return to a line that branches off at Bologoye, the midway point of the 396-mile Moscow-st Petersburg main line, and runs 70 miles to the town of Ostashkov, which lies on the southern shore of Lake Seliger and is a major tourist attraction.
To enable steam trains to return to the line, infrastructure work included restoring access to a depot at Bologoye, the reinstatement of a turning triangle at Ostashkov together with fire-cleaning and coaling facilities, and the restoration of four water columns at each end of the line and at Kuzhenkino, one of the intermediate stations.
This work was carried out as a joint project between the Russian Society of Railway Enthusiasts, the state-owned October Railway, which operates the Moscow-st Petersburg line, and the Moscow-tver suburban railway, and was completed in 18 months.
As part of the project Kuzhenkino station has become a preservation steam and museum complex, and includes a number of historical artefacts from the line. Alexey Vulfov, chairman of the enthusiasts’ society, explained: “The station building was repaired, including the restoration of such historical elements as the booking and luggage offices, but the exterior has remained about 80% authentic.
“Historical fencing and lights were re-created on the platform, an old station attendant console was retained, and a 1920s manual fire pump, baggage scales, and old wooden benches carrying the title ‘Ministry of Railways’ were brought in. Two concrete pillars were also replaced by wooden ones, visitors’ paths laid, and an exhibition created in the station building.”
The reinstated steam trains, hauled by either an L class 2-10-0 or Su class 2-6-2, run every Saturday, and from spring this will be expanded to include Thursdays and Sundays.
The trains, which have already been dubbed the ‘Russian Wolsztyn’ after the acclaimed Polish steam service, are timetabled to connect with the main line Moscow-st Petersburg trains at Bologoye, and comprise coaches that have been given an historical appearance by being painted green and carrying Bologoye-ostashkov carriage boards. Fares are the same as on the line’s diesel-hauled services.
Footplate crews were trained at a drivers’ school in the city of Kursk south of Moscow – one of only two such establishments in the country – and testing was carried out on the branch line to measure the consumption of water and coal on the 70-mile route.
Unique and historical
Alexey said the line was one of the most picturesque in western Russia, and retained early-20th century railway facilities and architecture, as it was never planned for modernisation due to its low economic significance. It was also one of the last steam-powered lines in the Soviet Union, using steam until the end of the 1970s.
Explaining how the steam train project came about, he said the prospect of preserving the line was first aired in about 1984, and 20 years later it became necessary to place it under state protection due to the modernisation of the country’s railways.
“With the support of the regional Department of Culture, it was possible to take over the protection of the three stations on the line, at Kuzhenkino, Batalino and Ostashkov, including their old buildings,” he added.
A significant development came in 2016, when Oleg Valinsky, head of the state-owned Russian Railways’ directorate, issued an order for the introduction of steam on the line due to its tourism potential, and at the request of the Russian Society of Railway Enthusiasts the line was officially declared a protected zone.
This evolved into the idea of running a steam-hauled commuter train on certain days in place of the usual diesel on the line, with the standard ticket being valid. “With its small traffic and only one passenger train a day it was very suitable for this, and the management of the October Railway supported the idea,” said Alexey.
Enthusing over the project, Alexey, who visited the North Yorkshire Moors and Keighley & Worth Valley railways last summer, described as “unique and unprecedented” the launch in the 21st century of a suburban steam train by a team comprising two railway companies and an enthusiasts’ society. In this regard, he praised the involvement of Viktor Ivanov, an experienced railway engineer and keen supporter of the line, who led the team.
Stephen Wiggs, chairman of the Uk-based New Europe Railway Heritage Trust, said: “This is a remarkable project which shows how our friends in the east sometimes have lessons for us, in this case on the development of the heritage aspects of an operational railway, with enthusiasts cooperating with the state railways.”
The trust was founded in 1999 to help railway preservation in the former Soviet Union and other excommunist countries in central and eastern Europe. It is a member of the Heritage Railway Association and the European Federation of Museum and Tourist Railways.