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Published: June 15th 2008
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Semaphore signal post
Such semaphore signal post, which I saw only in movie, today give orders that are obeyed. Have you been at museum under open sky? There are a lot of such in order to preserve soul of bygone days which could not cover under the glass. Being at such place always tried with thought and feeling recur to that times and feel deeply thoughts and feelings of humans, who touched and used these things. Sizes of the museums are as a rule from several meters to several kilometers. But museum, with exhibit, which get a public benefit for local inhabitants, and stretch out on 100 kilometers and could move along this territory, you can meet when will attend narrow-gauge railway Zarichne - Antonivka.
I have personally heard about narrow-gauge only in stories and tales of World War One times. And I had been fully confident that such anachronism died long ago and felt myself well. Once in the past I learn that at Carpathians are net of working narrow-gauge railroad, which use for transportation timber and delivery woodcutter to the glade. But not long ago Oleg discover for me that at Rivne state just far 200 kilometers is operating narrow-gauge railroad on the forgotten by everybody north of state.
Digging a little at Internet I
can find some information about this railway. There are
some extracts:
History.
Exact date of commencement of construction work of this narrow-gauge railroad is not known. Approximate year is 1895. Narrow-gauge railways, at that time, are constructed a lot. They have got great significance for Russian empire industry, and here, near the West border, was important in strategically sense. And after, as history would show, nearly all created then narrow-gauge railroads at the best would remake to broad-gauge, in other way destroyed. At 1919-1939 this area had belonged to Poland. At that time narrow-gauge railway had been used active and have got Polish rolling stock. Form 1941 to 1944 it had been destroyed by war and at list of immediate object for reconstruction did not get. First intervals were reconstructed at 1946 year and later. Due to "Album of railway schemes", which printed at 1948 year, it is known exactly, which was postwar net narrow-gauge railroads between Antonivka - Hinoch - Kuhotska Volya and Hinoch - Dubrovytsa. At that time it was at the list of reconstructing objects and belongs to Nationa Commissarial of Communication Lines. Length of road Hinochi-Dubrovytsa so didn't reconstruct, but on the other fact
it was closed only at 50-th years. It was lane Dubrovytsa-Vysotsk.
Working length of road Antonivka-Kuhotska Volya was handed under administration to the local forestry enterprise for a period of 10 years.
At that time goods traffic on narrow-gauge railway consist of mainly from timber produced at the area of village Hinoch and Bile. Road configuration undergoes changes: was constructed length of road Tyhovyzh-Lokrytsa (17 kilometers), and shortly was taken apart length Tyhovyzh - Kuhotska Volya. It was, apparently, temporary length of road to glades, which didn't remain to our time.
At 1967 year narrow-gauge railway was returned under Ministry of Communication Line's administration, but after that it, perhaps under inertia, didn't plot on the maps.
At 1968 year railroad gained its modern view. It was opened 18-kilometers length of road form Lokrytsa to Zarichne (district center town). In 1970-80 years there were a lot of changes in rolling stock: stream engines were changed to diesel locomotives and old carriage - to new, was built new car shed and overloaded complex from broad-gauge to narrow-gauge railway. Freight traffic at that time was rather active. There were transported cargos from Zarichne businesses, Ostrovsk vegetable drying factory etc.
New rolling stock - generally freight cars - was received here even to the end of 80-th years. At that time in fate of this railway hardly had happened sharp bend. Near Kuhotska Voly (this village after disassembling part of railroad was found itself at 6 kilometers aside from working line) was discovered diamond deposit. It was elaborated mine working and building to that place lane of broad-gauge railroad, changed 71 kilometers of narrow-gauge ones. For good fortune for this museum under open sky this plans did not realize.
Economic crisis after disintegration of USSR led to cessation of freight traffic on the narrow-gauge railway and now it life is near end. Lvivska railroad's company management has been persisting in it closing and destroying by the reason of great unprofitableness. Narrow-gauge helps only local authorities who have obstinately given to destroy it. This railway is only communication for many villages of Volodymyrets and Zarichne districs. Since recently here organized excursion trip for railway's devotee from Europe, but, perhaps this hardly help narrow-gauge railroad to survive.
About our journey.
We came to Zarichne town in the morning because just from there we had decided to begin
our trip. Frankly speaking Zarichne not open to us something interesting, only add several dabs of paint to the picture named "Disorder and globalization". We met here unfinished church, for finishing it parishioners perhaps have not got cost, or they all had left town and nobody can end build this church. We met here a lot of wooden house though covered by roofing slate and sometimes met houses that had got satellite dish under the roof.
Satellite TV here, perhaps, also as in the Carpathian region, is not luxury but possibility to obtain information. Though most house have got ordinary aerials, which try to rise higher, but on the reasonable high, because winds at this place sometime at thunderstorm can have hurricane speed.
Feeling that we were in the museum appeared as soon as, we had approached to the narrow-gauge railroad...
history about our jouney further you could read on the caption under the photo
or
on my personal web site
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