European Railroad Discussion > Russia, May 2018 - Part 3

I made good use of the transit system. Like other big cities, many streets were jammed with traffic. Where trams ran in mixed traffic this could really slow things down. But there is a lot of dedicated right-of-way, especially as you get away from the center. Using the "Troika" card or app allows access to everything from bus to Aeroexpress. Fares were about 50 cents per trip with free transfers between Metro lines. As CNStratford mentioned in his series, due to a number of terrorist bombings every Metro entrance has metal detectors and police present. Trams are front-only entrance and have a turnstile barrier with a card/ticket scanner.

1) A T3 and newer tram wait at the Universitet loop, southern terminal of lines 14, 26, and 39. It is also a station on the Metro 1 line. Moscow University is about a mile away via bus or walk. In addition to the Metro and trams, Moscow has an extensive bus and trolleybus network- from commute shuttles to 5-min or less headway lines. Buses range from vans to 60 ft. articulated. If you go to Moscow or Saint Petersburg, get a 1 or 2 day pass for the tourist double-deck buses that loop thru the city. It's a great, inexpensive way to get a quick orientation and take in a lot of scenery. The Metro is fast and frequent, but it's all underground save a few segments.

2) Two T3s. I probably saw 10 different paint schemes in addition to some wrapped with ads like this green Avangard Bank car. Paint schemes did not seem to correspond with particular lines. I'd also see various tram types running on most lines.

3) Russian Knights SU-27s & Swifts MIG-29s on Victory Day, 9 May. In a about 10 seconds they will be over Red Square. The intersection where I took the photo was packed with people taking photos and video of the overflights. Lots of Ooos & Ahhs, people wearing orange and black ribbons (colors of St. George) or other patriotic items. It seemed like the whole city was out on the streets. I goofed and wasn't at an intersection where I could see the military parade- Red Square is invitation-only on Victory Day. That afternoon and evening all over the city there were events, concerts, and fireworks celebrating the end of WWII and honoring veterans. I did see the parade practice on the 6th.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/18 15:30 by Duna.

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4) I'm headed to Saint Petersburg. This is the interior of the Leningradsky station, also known as Oktyabrskaya. You are never far from a coffee shop in Moscow. Almost all of the military visible were traveling by train, not acting as station security. As with every public space I visited, the overall noise level or "din" was lower than in similar spaces in the US or western Europe. Very little horseplay, people are just quieter and more respectful. It's like a trip back 50 years. Just out of view to the right is a TGI Fridays restaurant, it's menu very similar to those found in the US, including a Mexican section. Another goal I had was to find a good burrito. Pre-trip research included looking at a dozen or more "Mexican" restaurants via the clickable markers on Google Maps. These usually linked to websites with menus, photos, and prices. I did not eat here.

5) My car on the northbound "Nevsky Express". Before the introduction of the Seimens-built high-speed "Sapsan" (peregrine falcon) trains, this was the fastest train between Moscow-Saint Petersburg. It runs 6x per week and makes the 440-mile trip nonstop in 4:10. Seating is all 3 facing 3 compartment style. Unfortunately photo-wise my seat was backwards-facing with the sun on the wrong side the entire trip. There will be two glare-y photos in Part 4. All six seats were taken, I was at the window with a table blocking me from getting up unless the man next to me got up. Except for the couple across from me who were watching a movie on a tablet while sharing a set of earbuds, no one said a word the entire trip. Well a few words to the car attendant who brought us snacks, tea, slippers, and other goodies. Next trip I'll know more than a few words of Russian- language is probably the biggest barrier with maybe 20-30% of the people speaking any English.

6) "Grand Maket Rossiya" a large HO scale model railroad in Saint Petersburg. About 1/3 of the layout is shown in the photo. A private "museum", admission was about $10. It depicts, in a pack-as-much-in-as-possible style, Russia from Kaliningrad to the Pacific. Lighting cycles thru a night, buildings are illuminated, lightning flashes... There were school groups and lots of families with kids- hundreds. It even has an onsite restaurant. Worth a visit. I need to note that, although I took photos all over the place, I tried to avoid taking photos of people too close. There didn't seem to be any issue with taking photos of rail equipment or facilities. People in uniform, military, police, railroad employees, etc. did not want their photos taken- as far as I could tell. I was never asked for "papers!" or yelled at by anyone.

Link to Part 2 https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?17,4637353,4637362
Link to Part 4 https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?17,4638571



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/18 18:35 by Duna.

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Thanks for posting more interesting photos from your trip.
Definitely like them all especially the model layout even
though I am not a modeler.
ALLEN