# Interesting (partially in English) website on Soviet Children's Railways



## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

The children's railways of the former Soviet Union have always facinated me. It was a two-fold operation, it gave an attraction at a park and provided job training to the children that worked the railways. But I could not find much direct information in English or German on these lines. And actually, I found this site a while back looking for some information on a former East Prussian railway. I thought that the hanful of members here that are not railway xenophobes, may find this of interest. 

http://railways.id.ru/english/index.html


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## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

Very nice link Garrett. 


I remember I've read something about those lines in a book about railroading I had once (perhaps still, but I can't find it at the moment... I believ it was from Collin Garet). If I'm correct those railways were mend as part of the education system, to trigger the kids talents and to prepare them to become a full working class citizen in the glorious motherland. I believe there was one also in the DDR but I'm not sure of it. 
The size of the trains make clear these were not toys at all. 
It's very interesting and funny to see how the kids already take a routinely looking pose, like it's "all in a days work...".


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## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

I found this site also. Present day railroad. In Russian text only but the photo series explain a lot: http://mszd.org.ru/ 
More something like a scouts group.


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

This one is in Dneprpetrovsk, Ukraina - http://home.zonnet.nl/p.engelbert/UA-PIO.html 

In former DDR there was one called the FDJ Pioniereisenbahn, somewhere down near Dresden when we operated in the DDR during the '80s. 

Most former WP countries had them - Hungary hand many -

www.cleeve.com/budapest
www.philwieland.com/postcard/m/m7.html *www.*ronfisher.fotopic.net/c1694673.html www.gyermekvasut.hu/english www.walkingtours.topbudapest.org/3-...two
and CZ as well.

tac 
www.ovgrs.org 
Supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund


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## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

Nice links tac!

I've found this one in Chemnitz (Karl-Marx-Stadt in DDR times): http://www.parkeisenbahn-chemnitz.de/english.html
Chemnitz is about 50 km from Dresden, so perhaps it's the same you refer to?

It's an older railway actually (far before the Iron curtain) but in the DDR era it was turned into a "Pioniereisenbahn".
According to the text in the "history" chapter there would be more of these in East Germany:

*At the beginning of the 70’s the academy of transportation Dresden did researches on possibilities to equip all the pioneer railways of the DDR the same.* 

The fun thing is that this railway is not only still operating as a touristic attraction but is also still got the same goal as in DDR times; kids can follow an job orientation program (Berufs Orientierung) for jons in railroading: link to "berufsorientierung"


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## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

Why is it so hard to place a simple link on this site? 
http://www.parkeisenbahnchemnitz.de/ueber-uns-berufsorientierung.html


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow, thanks. Many of the links I have not seen. 

And Paul, that is the great question of MLS.....


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

When I was a 'visitor' to KMS that part of the city was 'Sperrgebiet' for the Military Missions..... I would have loved to have seen it. 

tac 
www.ovgrs.org 
Supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund


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