European Railroad Discussion > Astrakhan, Russia once again

Hello All,
I'm back in Astrakhan again, thought I would share a video. Having some trouble with the photos. It's a 2TE116 with a freight train at Sofia Perovskoy station in Astrakhan.
Cheers,
Nick

You must be a registered subscriber to watch videos. Join Today!

Thanks for showing the entire consist.  Gives us a good view of equipment types on the main line.

Where's the grafitti?

That is a long train for european standards

Thanks for posting AND showing the entire train....like to see foreign freights and freight cars.

There isn't much graffiti here, that is more of a Western Europe thing. This is an average sized freight for Russia, and they run many of them. Trains are limited by the locomotives, which can't be MUd with the exception of the way these two are which is to say permanently.
Cheers,
Nick

Posted from iPhone

Few comments

1) Despite the socioeconomic breakdown in most of the 15 new countries following the collapse of the USSR, graffiti never really gained popularity (other than small-scale stuff on building walls and in elevators).  Complete lack of it on rolling stock is probably due to a few things, but those that come to mind include the spatial separation of rail yards from residential areas that may happen to be nearby, and a general lack of inner city industry and the associated sidings.  Probably some cultural aspects come into play too.

2) Ex-Soviet railways are not subject to the same consist length/weight restrictions as those in other European countries due to the use of the auto-coupler.  This is how the 1980s SZD was able to carry more freight than all of the US Class I's combined.
 

NGotwalt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There isn't much graffiti here, that is more of a
> Western Europe thing. This is an average sized
> freight for Russia, and they run many of them.
> Trains are limited by the locomotives, which can't
> be MUd with the exception of the way these two are
> which is to say permanently.

Many heavy freight electrics actually do have MU capabilities....diesels don't.

And what you see here is actually considered a single double-unit locomotive (2TE10U, I think), not two coupled permanently together.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/13/15 21:46 by chs7-321.

ЧС7-321, Thanks for the clarifications. I was struggling to articulate what you just said.
Cheers,
Nick

Video of the day, awesome. I was thinking when I shot this, how cool it would be to get video of the day. My first photo or video of the day...nice.
Cheers,
Nick

From looking at the tank cars I'd say that there isn't the same concern about environmental contamination that we have here.

It's also hard to say since our tank cars are all black, but generally I would guess you're right.
Nick

did russian trains ever use cabooses?  if so, when did they stop?  just curious........

66

goneon66 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> did russian trains ever use cabooses?  if so,
> when did they stop?  just curious........
>
> 66

Nope.

The closest that came to US-style cabooses in Europe are guards vans, but those were always up front behind the locomotive.   I don't think Soviet railways even had guards vans...at least not since WW2....

Nick,

Thanks for posting the video.  While I have never been to Astrakhan, my wife and I did take the Rossiya in 2013.  You video of the Russian railways brings back the memories.

Best Regards,
Eric

chs7-321 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The closest that came to US-style cabooses in
> Europe are guards vans, but those were always up
> front behind the locomotive.   I don't think
> Soviet railways even had guards vans...at least
> not since WW2....

The Soviet railways might not have used cabooses, but the British used Brake Vans at the rear of freight trains into the '50s. The are a goodly number of them are on preserved railways in the UK.

SOO6617 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> chs7-321 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The closest that came to US-style cabooses in
> > Europe are guards vans, but those were always
> up
> > front behind the locomotive.   I don't think
> > Soviet railways even had guards vans...at least
> > not since WW2....
>
> The Soviet railways might not have used cabooses,
> but the British used Brake Vans at the rear of
> freight trains into the '50s. The are a goodly
> number of them are on preserved railways in the
> UK.
Brake vams were in widespread use until the demise of freight trains without full continuous brakes. This finallly took place in th late 1970s!