The International Steam Pages


Steam in the Ukraine 2013

Fabrice Lanoue visited the Ukraine on 25th/26th September 2013 for part of a 5 day tour organised by Wolfram Wendelin, an Austrian who loves this country, speaks Ukrainian and seems to know the right people in the bureaucratic UZ.. See also James Waite's 2010 report.

On the 25th we travelled with GR 280 on the Hayvoron network from Tauzhnya to Holovanisk tender first with some photo stops against the light. Even the modernised, Holovanisk station is interesting with signal, broad gauge and local people ...The main problem was that, owing to bad coal, Wolfram needed to ask for diesel support,  TU 2-179 arriving from Hayvoron 2 hours later! Fortunately we made 3 or 4 runpasts with the TU uncoupled in splendid light. The day finished in Tauzhnya and we never saw Hayvoron!

On 26th a special trip took place on the short but scenic line from Lviv to Lychakiv in the Lviv suburbs with 2-10-0 L 3535. First we took some pictures during the morning preparations in the Lviv north shed. Several people from UZ were invited, maybe 50 people with family and children. Many journalists too standing at 1 meter from the engine with their camera! What a mess during the first stops! Wolfram managed to get these people to stay in the coaches for the first few minutes of each photo stop.

5 years after the last Dzherelo tour, I didn't think I would ever see steam again in this country, so I'm quite satisfied.

Wolfram has told me that 2-6-2 SU 251-86 is also in working order. It is based at Tsvitkove depot and the owner is AZIZU (Ukrainian railway history reservation society).




Rob Dickinson

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