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UKRAINE

The following observations were made during the course of an October 1999 Dzherelo charter tour. Locos used during the week were 2-10-0 L-3535; 4-8-4 P36-0050/64; 2-10-0 S017-3146, 4371; Su251-86, 252-21.

Rakhov — Valea Viseului (Roumania) — Sighetu (Roumania): The broad gauge Ukrainian track is interlaced with Roumanian standard gauge for the 25km between Valea Viseului and Sighetu. The cross-border passenger service is twice-weekly (WFO) from Rakhov.

Rakhov — Delyatin: This is a highly scenic line, with many viaducts, and high peaks as backdrops. But, the track is in a fairly poor state in common with most other secondary lines. Three service trains run each way per day and are operated by Dl 4-car hydro-mechanical DMUs in a rather faded dark red livery. One freight was observed behind twin Co-Co DE 2 M62-1167 on 11th October.

Delyatin — Rakhov: Dl class DMU work on this highly scenic route.

750mm gauge railways

All notes in this section relate to August 1999 unless stated otherwise. Additional comment and updates on these and similar systems would be especially welcome. A table showing the various Tu classes of narrow gauge diesel locos appeared in CRJ 88, p 69.

Adampol — Stara Synjava: Located east of Starokonstantinov (Quail Atlas, p 6), this 12km line was built in 1936 as a Russian military light railway. One special feature is the turning loop at Adampol. The remains of some bunkers are still visible along the line, which is currently out of use because the sugar factory in Stara Synjava has recently switched to road transport. In 1998 the line carried 4000t of goods. There are currently no plans to dismantle the line. Locos noted are Tu6-0058 (used without engine as a snowplough), 0020 (both locos with Tu4 superstructure); Tu7-1255, 1770?, 2184 and TuS-0248.

Aktrtyrca — Chupakhovka — Zen'kov: The line was opened in 1940. Between Akhtyrca and Chupakhovka it utilises parts of the trackbed of the never finished 1520mm gauge line to Gadyach. The Chupakhovka — Zen'kov section is a sugar beet operation, one of only two such lines known to be still operating in the Ukraine (the other is Kodnya — Chervonoye). During the season 1000 tons of beet are hauled daily to the sugar factory at Chupakhovka, where the depot is also situated. Sidings at Zen'kov suggest that traffic other than sugar is carried from time to time. There has never been a regular passenger service other than workers trains. Locos noted include Tu4-1160, 2957?; Tu6-1706; Tu7A-3051/7, 3109; Tu8-0098, 0349/52/65, 0752; also the remains of scrapped Tu2-183; Tu4 2254, 2602 and Tu7-0332. Steam locos once used include Gr 0-8-0. (Location: Quail Atlas, p 8).

Belopol'ye — Terni: This line closed some years ago after the sugar factory at Terni (since closed) switched to road transport. At Belopol'ye. only one ng tank car and a few metres of track remain. (Location: Quail Atlas, p 3).

Buchmany: This peat system was built around 1953 and, at its greatest extent, ran for 30km. Today, the line as shown in the Quail Atlas is closed, and has been partially dismantled since 1998. A new line now leaves the "main line" approximately 2km beyond the peat works and runs south-westerly for about 10km to the current loading point. The railway was not operating in August, but local staff hoped that operations would resume the following month. Peat is produced for agricultural purposes and briquettes, although the briquette presses have not worked for some time. The factory also has its own 7km broad gauge line to the UZ (Ukrainian State Railways) station at Byelokorovichi. Locos are 1 (Tu6A-3685). 2, 3, 4 (Tu6A-0796), 5, 6 (Tu6D-0056) and ASU-1A 549. There were never any steam locos, but MD54 preceded the Tu6A.

Gayvoron — Rudnitsa: There has been a great reduction in the frequency of trains on this U2 network. (Location: Quail Atlas, p 6). On 13th October 1999, 0-8-0 Gr-280 headed a "mixed" charter train, which in addition to the 77km "main­line" trip, also traversed the 15km Dokhno — Chechelnik branch, which diverges about two-thirds of the way towards Rudnitsa. The regular loco-hauled passenger service consists of just one train each way per day, supplemented by a second working on some days. No freight was observed by our correspondent. There are plenty of stored wagons, especially at Dokhno. The Chechelnik branch is freight only and serves a factory at the end. Traffic runs as required which, judging by the track, is not very often! The branch is rather more scenic than the "main- line" which is pleasant but fairly straight and flat, alternating between wooded and open landscapes. The sugar factory line at Bershad (25km west of Gayvoron) has been lifted. To the west, the Rudnitsa — Kamenka line is being lifted on the Ukrainian side of the border with the Republic of Transdnestra (adjacent to Moldova). This particular section was last reported in CRJ 111, p 32.

Gubarevka — Parkhomovka: This sharply-graded line serves the sugar factory at Parkhomovka. Until some years ago there was beet traffic from a now disused loading point at Gubarevka. Locos noted recently include Tu4-096 (dumped at the factory), 1042, 2582; a Tu6D dumped at Gubarevka; Tu6SPD(or A?)-0044; Tu7-1648, 1706, 1873; Tu7A-3052. (Location: Quail Atlas, p 8).

Ukraine: 750mm gauge BB DH Tu4-2582 shunts the transhipment yard
at Gubarevka on 12th August 1999.(Michael Friedrich)

Kolomak — Anan'yevka: This line is reported closed, but still in situ. (Location: Quail Atlas, p 6).

Lebedinskaya — Budilka: This narrow gauge line, serving a spirit factory at Budilka, was converted to 1520mm gauge in 1992, but TuB-0257 and several ng wagons can still be found inside the factory. Two Tu7 have been sold to Parkhomovka and one Tu4 to another line. At the old transshipment yard at Lebedinskaya, two ng tank cars and most of the buildings and transfer facilities are still in situ. The factory had, until 1975, two further ng lines for the haulage of peat (for the boilerhouse). (Today there are two bg TGM40, but the line is not working as the production of spirit ceased 114 years ago. The factory is being converted to produce petrol additives). (Location: Quail Atlas, p 8).

Manevici: Although not visited by our correspondent, this peat railway is still thought to be working with much of the peat exported to western Europe.

Maydan Vila — Novaki: Situated north-east of Shepetovka (Quail Atlas, p 5), this system functions as two distinct operations. A brickworks at Maydan Vila uses the railway to haul clay in bogie dump-cars from a pit, about 8km distant, to a storage area. The clay is kept there for about a year, for drying purposes, before being loaded into small four-wheeled wagons and shunted to the unloading shed. A double-shift system is currently producing 12 trains per day. Locos Tu7A-3022 and Tu8-0443/72? have been noted. The second operation relates to a small refractory brick works situated near the clay pit. Its ng line diverges from the "main line" about 1km from the pit. Just one Tu8 has been noted. Finished bricks are loaded onto 1520mm gauge wagons at Maydan Vila, trains running from there about once or twice per week. Coal for the brick ovens is also brought in by rail.

Miropol — Pershotravensk: Electro-technical porcelain is produced at Pershotravensk, and concrete components in an adjacent smaller works. The straight 11km line (there is absolutely no curve along the way!) has been little used during the summer months, perhaps just once or twice a month. But, more trains are scheduled to run during the winter. Presumably road transport becomes more precarious when there is lying snow. Cement and coal are also carried by rail. Our correspondent is not aware of the line's date of opening, but the loco shed was built in 1935. There was a regular passenger service, with mixed trains, until 1992. Locos noted are Tu4-2826, 3052 (scrap); Tu7-0418, 1928 and Tu8-0150. The remains of a MD54 can be found at Miropol station. There were once five steam locos. (Location: east of Shepetovka, Quail Atlas, p 6).

Nizy: Although not shown in the current Quail Atlas (page 3), there are some narrow gauge lines here associated with the 100 year old sugar factory. (Nizy is the terminus of a short freight only UZ branch from Grebennikovka). The ng connects the factory with a dump for beet-chips situated several hundred metres to the south. At the dump itself, an elevated outside track facilitates the direct transfer of these chips to bg wagons. The plant manager has said that there have never been any other ng lines in the vicinity, but at Nizy UZ station the bodies of a ng van and coach, in use as sheds, could be evidence of a once larger network. Locos noted are Tu6-111/2 (both with Tu4-type superstructure) and Tu6A-2497, 2533. (The bg provides Co-Co DE TEM2U 8145 and 4wDH TGK2 1094, 5916).

Novopoltavka — Vladimirovka: This UZ line (Quail Atlas, pp 12/3) has closed and the track is being lifted. Olevsk and Ostki: These two forestry lines (located east of Sarny, Quail Atlas, p 1) have both been lifted.

Polonnoye — Burtin: Burtin has a large brickworks, with two big ovens opened in 1891. Bricks, refractory bricks and tubes are manufactured. There is a short ng line to the clay pit near Chmelivka and a long one to the UZ station at Polonnoye. The latter line has been out of use for about three years because no customers want to receive their bricks by rail. Coal is also now conveyed by road. Also, the last train to the pit ran about one year ago, but operations will resume when the clay stored at the works has been exhausted. The railway opened in the 1950s and is still used inside the works itself to transfer clay from storage to preparation areas. Some flatcars are also in use to store finished bricks. Locos seen include Tu6D-0936?; Tu7-1741 and Tu7A-3089. (Location: east of Shepetovka, Quail Atlas, p 5).

Potash — Chervonuy: This 40km line was opened before World War I. It was operated by the Deutsche Reichsbahn during the German occupation, and now by Ivan'kovskij Podezdnoj Put, a state-owned company. There are sugar factories at Ivanky and Berezino (shown as Chervonuy Kut in the Quail Atlas, p 8), the latter having closed three or four years ago. There is also a spirit factory at Ivanky which now produces yeast. The track has been recently renewed and is leased from the local "communities". The local management is trying to get permission from Kiyev (Kiev) to dismantle the disused line beyond Ivanky. Locos reported are Tu7-1121, 1823, 2361; Tu7A-3113, and another Tu7 with the cab of  Tu8-0143! The shed is at Ivanky. Tu6A-2587 is in the closed factory at Berezino. The cab from Tu4-2649 is used as a shelter at a lake along the line, and another cab is to be found near the wagon works at Ivanky.

Ukraine: On 15th August 1999, a 750mm gauge Tu7 class BB DH heads a train comprising wagons of limestone and heavy oil near Ivanky, for the sugar factory at that place.

(Michael Friedrich)

Rokitno — Mochulyanka: This 50km forestry line was operated (and built?) from 1921 by PKP (Polish State Railways). After World War II it was handed over to the local forestry industry and operated as a forestry railway. It is not known if there was still a public passenger service at that time. The line was dismantled in 1974. The tracks at Rokitno are now solely within the sawmill (which was partially built on the area of the former PKP depot), to carry timber from the storage to sawing areas. There are two locos, a Mp54 and a MUZ5. Both look like small lorries, but neither is a road vehicle conversion. Note: Rokitno — Majatek Krasinskiego is a long closed peat railway related to a glass factory at Rokitno.
Smyga: The line to Stupno (shown as Sosnovka in the Quail Atlas, p 5) supplies peat to the peat-briquette factory at Smyga. This is an archaic works, consuming a lot of the peat to dry the rest, with about 1.75 tons of peat being needed to produce 1 ton of briquettes! The peat is unloaded east of the 1520mm gauge Kamenitsa-Volvynskaya line and transferred to the western side by a conveyor belt. There it is loaded onto a ng train and brought into the works, a distance of about 150 metres! The original peat line was on the western side, and the existing one was built in 1964 to exploit new supplies of peat. A crossing of the bg at Smyga to reach the factory was not allowed by SZD (Soviet Railways), hence the current complicated handling. The last 4km of the line is to be dismantled in the near future and relaid to serve a new peatbog at Maydan. Locos noted areTu4-3063; Tu6D-0333,18xx; Tu7-0538,1714; Tu8G 0016, Oxxx;

ASU-2A xxxx.

Vapnyarka — Yampol': This UZ line (Quail Atlas, p 6) is currently not operating. The branch to Tsekinovka was lifted about 1996.

Vygoda: All the forestry railways in the Carpathian region (see Quail Atlas, p 4) were badly affected by the severe floods in November 1998. The line to Besniv is heavily damaged and out of use with an uncertain future. The western line is partially in use after the repair of some minor washouts. Operation starts at Dubovyy, where the timber is transferred to lorries. The branches into the small valleys west of Solvtvino are mostly usable, but south of here the bridges over the river have been washed away. Two of the destroyed bridges on the "main line" will be circumvented by an avoiding line which is currently under construction. It is hoped that the western line will be completely repaired by next year. The future of the system depends on a Czech company buying the complete Vygoda timber operation. Locos are: Tu8-0364 in use and brought to Dubovyy by lorry; Tu6-0418 scrap at Solvtvino; and at Vygoda depot — Tu4-1470 (scrap), 1693 (scrap), 1893 (scrap); TuGP-0039/42; Tu 7-1936; Tu7A-2867; TuSG-0017; ASU-2A 700 and one unknown Tu6/8.

The manager of the Vygoda system is not sure about the fate of the other railways in the region, but it looks as if Lugi is closed and Broshnyev is partially operating (both last referred to in CRJ 111, p 32). Also, Teresva is not working and has an uncertain future owing to the particularly disastrous flood damage there.

Zvenigorodka: This network opened before World War II (and was operated by Deutsche Reichsbahn during the German occupation), but was completely closed about 5 years ago and the track subsequently lifted. However, 2km of track to the Zvenigorodka sugar factory remain in situ, and the transshipment yard at Zvenigorodka is still intact and contains dozens of wagons, many still loaded with limestone! Tu7-1285, 1791 and Tu7A-3107 are to be found in the loco shed, and three Tu7 cabs litter the yard. Old photos show Tu2MK-hauled beet trains, and Tu4 have also been operated here. In steam days, Gr 0-8-0 seem the probable power. (Location: Quail Atlas, p 7). The 600mm gauge mine railway at Shakhta, 11 km east of Zvenigorodka, is now lifted.

Other lines: The following lines are thought to have been dismantled: Antoniny — Mal. Pyzyr'ky; Berestoven'ki •— Khalturino; Kamenka — Luka/Ozernaya; Spartak — Mircha; Ustinovka — Shamragevka. Although Zavorichni — Kapustyany is shown as ng in the Quail Atlas, it is in fact 1520mm gauge.

Children's railways

The Quail Railway Atlas of Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova lists 24 children's (formerly pioneer) railways, of which seven are known to have closed. Reports have been received on two of the survivors. Information on other lines would be welcome.

Kiyev (Kiev) (750mm gauge): Tu1-001, prototype of the Tu2, has been burnt out and was scheduled to be scrapped at the end of August 1999. Extant locos are Tu2-21 and Tu7A-3192/7.

Rovno: Tu2-137 operates on this UZ line, which is presumably 750mm gauge. Tu2-002, previously here, is said to have gone to a museum in St. Petersburg, but local staff have some doubt as to whether the loco ever reached its destination