Virtual Railfan Tour Soviet Union February 1974 - Murmansk

 

Our arrival at Murmansk
I had a good night's sleep in the train which was about ten minutes late into Murmansk.  There is a very large railway and dock installation here. I saw two steam locomotives in steam.  First off we were taken for a sight seeing tour of the most northerly city in the world.  Some children were having a great time on a slide.

After the tour we were taken to the locomotive running shed.  There were several locomotives ChS2T-364 and VL23-067 in multiple with VL23-195.  The unit numbers were in stainless steel.  One of our group got fresh paint on his hand, it hadn't even dried.  
Tools specially arranged for our visit
Having inspected some rolling stock we had lunch.  This was a three course meal with cold cuts, lamb soup, meat, coffee and fruit - with vodka.

We then went to see a demonstration of snow clearing equipment and a CTC panel.












It was then back for another meal with the table groaning under the weight of the food. We presented the railway officers with a Canadian flag for their railway museum here. Murmansk is quite mild in the winter as a result of the influence of the Gulf Stream.
(- It was here that I learned to refill my vodka glass with water to avoid getting drunk.  I kept bottoming up and they couldn't understand how I could stay sober.  
-The two meals were closely spaced and I had the feeling that it was two different parts of the railway trying to impress within the short space of time available.  
- It was possibly not the most diplomatic thing to do to give a Canadian flag for the museum - I think Canada had a hand in the abortive move to counter the 1917 revolution with an invasion through Murmansk)
WE boarded the train that evening for the long journey back to Moscow.



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