24/08/10 - Rail Miracles that replaced ‘desert ships’

Дата публикации: Jan 19, 2012 1:46:19 PM

Uzbekistan is the land where throughout centuries caravan roads following from China to Caspian Sea crossed over. Traders transporting various merchandise on camels needed six months to overpass this route. Today this distance can be overcome for few days by rail the history of which history started in 1880.

The first steam locomotive started it journey from Caspian Sea. It arrived to Samarqand on May, 15, 1888. This date became an important mark in the history of the Uzbek highway. And on August, 4, 1989 the Museum of Railway Engineering was opened in Tashkent timed to its 100th anniversary. The museum is supervised by the State Stock Railway Company “O’zbekiston temir yyollari” and as the object of social-technical culture is appeared the part of the Central Palace of Culture of Railroaders. It enters the World Association of Technical Museums of railway profile and the collection of exhibits ranks it as one of the most interesting museums of the world of similar type. Its visitors can see all exhibits and get the detailed information on them. There are 13 steam locomotives of historical series, 18 diesel locomotives, 3 electric locomotives, various cars and the most interesting samples of repair-building techniques of the last century. According to the representatives of the museum, the special feature of the exhibition in that the rolling stock exposed here actively operated on the railways in the past and even acted in films. The oldest sample of railway unit that could be seen in the museum is the steam locomotive ОВ ("Lamb") 1534 with 700 horsepower that was produced in 1914. It made 55 km/h. The most powerful steam locomotive displayed in the museum is П 36 ("Victory") with about 3000 horsepower. The steam locomotive as absolutely new means of transportation was invented in 1833-1834 by Yefim and Makar Cherepanovs and was used up to 1956 when the cars were transformed to diesel motive power. The interesting sample of the new period was the maneuverable diesel locomotive of 1961 that could make 60 km/h.

A small museum of history of Uzbek rail way is placed in the separate car produced in1934. Along with models of as-built exhibits the museum collects numerous maps tracing railway lines, samples of communication facilities that were widely applied in the old days. For instance, Morse apparatus and visitors could get acquainted with principle of its work. Besides, telegraph set of 1940 looks like typewriter, manual and electric punchers with which cashiers punched dates of departure and arrival of trains, and denominations of that time, this money was used to pay people salaries who were engaged in railway building. The electric token system of D.S. Treger is of a great value, this device provided the movement of trains on single-track lines. The token instrument served as the permission for train’s movement. The kerosene lantern preserved in the museum having more than a 100-year history was also the important “assistant” in railway work.

Visitors can also get familiarized with the device and working principles of a usual steam locomotive. It has three components – tender for coal and water, machinist’s cabin with fire chamber and boiling section. The energy of steam moved locomotive, and it “ran” forward on rails. The tender was loaded with 18 tons of coal and 27 tons of water which sufficed only to 100 kilometers. Thus, each 100 kilometers of the route was provided with water towers that supplied steam locomotives with water in order it could successfully continue its trip. The sample of such tower one can see near the museum, and similar ones were preserved in Jizzakh, Samarqand and Bukhoro.

Today the museum has the narrow-gage children's railway (distance between rails – 78 mm) with the train meant for excursions. Interesting sightseeing tours for numerous visitors including children and grown-ups are organized here. Students of institutions profiled in railway engineering start their new academic year by visiting this museum.

Today Uzbekistan railways experience the period of rapid development and expansion of tracks network. Many rail roads are now electrified, particularly, the high-speed line from Tashkent to Samarqand is under equipping, at a result of which trains can make 250 km/h and reach the destination in an hour and a half. And regularly acquires new electric locomotives will allow to deliver passengers and cargo to the most remote areas of the republic.

Irina Morozova, UT