European Railroad Discussion > Week in the East - Part 4 - Latvian Rails

Latvia's mainline railways are built to the Russian 5' gauge.  If you are used to American railways you will feel right at home around these railways - equipment is very large compared to British practice, and the freight trains are powered by multi-unit diesels that sound like a couple of SD-40s coming at you.  Couplers and other equipment look very American, freight trains are longer than in the rest of Europe, and the freight car design looks like it was copied from American practice, then tweaked slightly to give it an exotic edge.  International passenger services have been reduced over the last few decades, but there are still plenty of local and regional passengers services radiating from Riga.    Passenger services are run by a subsidiary of the Latvian Railways called "Pasazieru Vilciens" (PV). 

1.  PV DR1A DMU in Riga.  These were Latvian built by Rigas Vagonbuves Rupnica (RVR). 
2.  PV ER2 EMU entering Riga station past the new mall added on to the station structure.  These were also built by RVR.
3.  PV ER2T EMU at Riga station.  These are rebuilds of the ER2s with a new front end added.
 

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4.  Two different fronts on two types of ER2T EMUs in Riga. 
5.  ER2T EMU in Ogre.  Ogre is a short-turn terminal in the suburban zone on the line to Aizkraukle. 
6.  ER2T EMU in Ogre heading towaqrd Riga.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/16 13:55 by dwatry.

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7.  Interior of ER2T EMU.
8.  Eastbound freight train with a 2M62 loco set oin the point at Ogre.  (I think that designation is correct!)
9.  Covered hoppers on eastbound freight - reminding me of BN covered hoppers!
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/16 13:54 by dwatry.

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10.  Eastbound ER2T EMU set in Ogre.
11.  Westbound freight in Ogre with two-unit 2TE10U loco set.
12.  Westbound ER2T EMU set in Salaspils. 
 

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You've got a great series going here, thanks for posting

13.  Eastbound light engine move in Salaspils.
14.  Westbound DR1A DMU set in Salaspils.  Note crossing watchperson signalling "all clear" to train as it passes by holding up furled flag. 
15.  ER2M EMU eastbound in Salaspils.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/16 14:03 by dwatry.

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16.  Riga-Moscow overnight sleeper train through Salaspils.
17.  ER2T EMU westbound in Salaspils.
18.  ER2 EMU eastbound in Salsapils.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/16 14:06 by dwatry.

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19.  ER2 EMU westbound in Salaspils.  Thoroughly wet now so think I'll get onboard and go back to Riga for some dinner. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/16 14:09 by dwatry.

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dwatry Wrote:
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> 16.  Riga-Moscow overnight sleeper train through
> Salaspils.

That's a TEP70 supposedly developed from the Hawker-Siddeley Kestrel that the RZD acquired when BR expressed no interest. The TEP70 were built by Kolomna with a Kolomna 4 stroke V16 prime mover

5 foot gauge would have been the better choice for our stuff too! Notice the passenger car interior-3 abreast seating. Saw the same in china.
So the Roman Chariots traversed 4' 8&1/2". So what. Stupid idea to start with-just like refusing to totally accept the metric system.

Nick - no wonder that engine has a familiar look to it.  Pre-EU east-west cooperation!

I'm very glad to see the RVR DR1A DMUs are still around, hopefully with their original Zvezda engines.

ValvePilot Wrote:
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> 5 foot gauge would have been the better choice for
> our stuff too! Notice the passenger car interior-3
> abreast seating. Saw the same in china.
> So the Roman Chariots traversed 4' 8&1/2". So
> what. Stupid idea to start with-just like refusing
> to totally accept the metric system

Well, we had our chances--the Russian 5 foot gauge originated in the U.S. It was adopted in Russia mainly because the Tsar hired a U.S. engineer to design and build the St. Petersburg--Moscow railroad, and that engineer happened to be a Southerner, accustomed to working with 5 ft gauge (many pre-civil war railroads, especially in the South, were 5 ft gauge) -- and remember, the Erie was originally built to 6 ft gauge. The large size of Russian/former USSR equipment is due to their greater clearances, not the track gauge (it's only 3-1/2" wider than ours, after all!), and note that those Chinese cars you saw with 3-abreast seating run on 4' 8-1/2" gauge, just like ours; the seats are just somewhat narrower than ours, guess they've been learning from the airlines...

Roger Lewis (airbrakegeezer)