Russian Railroads

[archangel1]

I originally posted this in the BOB section but figured I should also add it here for those who don't frequent that part of the Forum.  I'm currently awaiting delivery of Company B's/Brigade Games' Russian Armoured Train model.  Since my train will be built as a diorama piece, I will be laying my own track instead of buying readymade.  The question is, does anybody know what weight of rail the Russians used?    I know about the 5' gauge but I can't seem to find any reference to the actual rail.  I'm thinking about buying S Gauge Code 83, which is equivalent to about 85 pounds, but I'm wondering whether I should get Code 100, which equals roughly 110 pound rail.  Code 83 will probably look better, visually, even if it turns out to be a bit lightweight, though.

[Westfalia Chris]

I originally posted this in the BOB section but figured I should also add it here for those who don't frequent that part of the Forum.  I'm currently awaiting delivery of Company B's/Brigade Games' Russian Armoured Train model.  Since my train will be built as a diorama piece, I will be laying my own track instead of buying readymade.  The question is, does anybody know what weight of rail the Russians used?    I know about the 5' gauge but I can't seem to find any reference to the actual rail.  I'm thinking about buying S Gauge Code 83, which is equivalent to about 85 pounds, but I'm wondering whether I should get Code 100, which equals roughly 110 pound rail.  Code 83 will probably look better, visually, even if it turns out to be a bit lightweight, though.

I have no exact figures at hand, but generally speaking, the quality of Russian railroads varied tremendously once they had their own production facilities and did not have to import the rails any more (in the 1860s, some 7/8th of their demand had been met by foreign suppliers). During the 1870s and 1880s, a lot of manufacturers "jumped the bandwagon" and created rail works, which were all converted to steel rail production during the 1890s.

For railroads of minor importance and during construction of overland lines, it was often customary to lay the first track directly to the ground, which could actually be done on permafrost ground for the Transsib. However, permanent overland rails had to be constructed on raised dams to avoid them being clogged by snow.

In J.N. Westwood´s "A History of Russian Railways" (George Allen & Unwin Ltd., 1964), he notes that in the 1890s, a committee was created "by order of the Czar" to find solutions for the deteriorating situation of freight transport, which, as a result of their work, recommended increasing the thickness of the gravel layer to 47cm/18,5in and using heavier rails. This implies that in the years before, lighter rails were used (presumably for reasons of cost; private Russian railway companies were notorious for shirking and cutting expenses). A sum of 98 million roubles was made available for implementing these improvements; nonetheless, the level of traffic exceeded the possibilities of the track systems continuously.

I can really recommend Westwood´s book on the topic. Superb work, although it does, naturally, focus on the railroads itself and does not have more "wargamer specific" information. But a great read and excellently illustrated with technical drawings of locomotives and rolling stock.

[Arlequín]

*Thinks* Chris maybe a train geek too... 

[Westfalia Chris]

*Thinks* Chris maybe a train geek too... 

Just an "amateur" who happens to be the son of a railroad aficionado with a well-stocked library, primarily on steam railroads.

And, by coincidence, the above book (in the German translation published by Zürich´s Orell Füssli in 1966) was one of my favourite reads when I started with BoB...