The (Southern) St. Petersburg Children’s Railway, 2015/6

The International Steam Pages

After many years in Moscow, Harvey Smith relocated to St. Petersburg in 2014. There is a list of linked reports at the bottom.

If you have visited this page before, there is a July 2015 update towards the end. I have now (6th August 2015) added a picture of the timetable and added telephone numbers for enquiries. A June 2016 update has the new timetable.

The railway goes under various names - Southern Small October Railway / Southern Malaya Octyabyskaya and also the St. Peterburg Children’s Railway.

There is also a Northern Children’s Railway in St. Petersburg. I had long heard that there was a narrow gauge steam locomotive running on the St.Petersburg Children’s Railway. However I found this completely by accident, when I was at Shushary museum. I visited the railway on 14th June 2015. The railway can be used for exploring area of Pushkin / Tsarskoye Selo with its parks and royal palaces. I suggest that you take a bicycle.

Why go there?

Well it gives the rare opportunity to see a working Russian narrow gauge steam locomotive K^p-4-447. If you want to know the history of these locos look here: http://c2project.org/index.php?page=loco_history. They are part of a class that is the most numerous narrow gauge locomotive ever built.

Getting there.

You can go by car, but it is best going by Metro or Train.

Metro

Get the blue line to the last stop in the south Kupchino. Come out the station walk south down the motorway over the large motor way bridges that goes over the metro line and you will see the Children’s Railway on the left next to the south end of the bridge and near the railway tracks.

Train

Similarly take the train from Vitebsk. Perhaps admire the 1:1 model of the locomotive “Provorny” at Vitebsk. See Get an electrical train to the Kupchino railway station. . Come out the station walk south down the motorway over the large motorway bridges that goes over the metro line and you will see the Children’s Railway on the left next to the south end of the bridge and near the railway tracks.

Car

You need to go north up Vitebski Prospect from the E105 (Moscow –St. Petersburg Road or the KAD. The railway is unmarked. You will see the remains of what appears to be an old Traffic Police road block and inspection area (you will see 2 large canopies one on each side of the road. Well just after the canopy and before the road bridge turn off the road. You will see large steel painted black and a high black steel fence.

Opening times:

The Railway is open from 1 June to 30 August every day from 11.00am. See the timetable below.

About the Railway

The Railway runs 10.5 km and was opened on 12 July 2011. It has 3 stations Molodejnaya (North Terminus next to Kupchino), Uni, and Tarskoyselskaya (South Terminus next to Platforma 21km). A World War 2 monument with 2 World War II era anti-tank guns sits outside Tarskoyselskaya. The railway runs along part of Russia's first railway line from Vitebsk to Tsarkoye Selo.

Rolling Stock

Diesel locomotives, TU10-001, TU10-025, TU2-167

Steam Locomotives K^p-4-447. previously it was preserved at ' Bologoe railway sleeper impregnation plant' (almost unrecognisable - http://narrow.parovoz.com/gallery/RU69/20100824_132903.jpg)

Coaches: VP750

Timetable: (2016 version)

If you have a Russian speaker handy, then Southern Children's Railway has an enquiries telephone line. These are local numbers and the telephone code for both is 812. So if you call from elsewhere in Russia you need to dial 8 (or +7) 812 before these numbers.

Molodezhnaya station, St. Petersburg 458 - 67 - 48
Tsarskoselskaya station 458-67-43.

K^p-4-447 Molodejnaya (North Terminus next to Kupchino)

K^p-4-447 leaving Molodejnaya (North Terminus next to Kupchino)

K^p-4-447 passing Parovoz Musee station (main line Station) at Shushary

Molodejnaya (North Terminus next to Kupchino)

Banner on the rolling stock shed (see below)

Tu10-025 at and Tu10-001 leaving Molodejnaya (North Terminus next to Kupchino)

Tarskoyselskaya (South Terminus next to Platforma 21km) and the rolling stock shed, water crane and wood pile Tarskoyselskaya (South Terminus next to Platforma 21km).

Harvey returned to celebrate his birthday in mid July 2015 and has added some extra pictures:

Refueling takes place at Tsarskoye Selo at the Southern end. Sadly as there is no turntable she runs back light engine as she is not allowed to run tender first for safety reasons. Mrs Natalya Smith is the seated lady in the red top and jeans. Note the tender carries the number 332, it seems to have been swapped while it was in Estonia.