Narrow gauge railway Naissaar
| Narrow gauge railway Naissaar | |
|---|---|
 TU6A-1904 (2011)
| |
| Route length: | about 38 km |
| Gauge : | 750 mm ( narrow gauge ) |
The narrow-gauge railway Naissaar was built for military reasons on the Estonian island of Naissaar ( German Nargen , Swedish Nargö ) in the Gulf of Finland .
history
The routes were created in connection with the construction of the coastal defense batteries for the sea fortress of Emperor Peter the Great on the island in order to prevent an enemy invasion of Reval and Saint Petersburg . The construction of the rail network began in 1913. The railway system also had the task of distributing economic devices and equipment on the island.
Although the entire planned route network was not yet completed by 1918, around 37 km of railway lines had been built by then. It is believed that the first locomotives on the island were steam locomotives No. 1 through 8. In 1915 the Russian army delivered more locomotives from Finland. When the Russian forces left the island in 1918, a large part of the buildings on the island were destroyed. During the independence of Estonia, military activity continued on the island. Some of the batteries were repaired, some were rebuilt. Unnecessary routes have been removed. However, most of the rail network remained in use. Two locomotives and an unknown number of freight cars were needed on the island.
Between 1919 and 1920 a locomotive of the Eesti Vabariigi Raudtee (Estonian Railways - EVR) was brought to the island and given the number T. 106 . Since the second locomotive was needed, EVR sent the Finnish naval administration locomotive No. 17 to the island. In addition to the steam locomotives , there were two motor locomotives on the island. The structure of the railway was not significantly changed by the subsequent Soviet and German occupation. The Germans brought in 1941 the locomotive H. 121 on the island, which legally belonged to the EVR and probably before in Narva or near Leningrad was in use. Under the renewed Soviet occupation, the island was completely handed over to the military. In the west of the port of Naissaare a mine factory was built, for the needs of which the railway network, most of which has been preserved to this day, was expanded.
The MUZ4D , MD54 / 2 , MD54 / 4 and, from the 1980s, the TU6A series were used on locomotive series . When the Russian Navy left the island in 1994, several routes were unusable. However, the port could be approached. The administration was transferred to the municipality of Viimsi , which was looking for concepts for the transport of tourists as well as for commercial applications. On October 3, 1996, the railway was classified as a national cultural monument.
Further maintenance was not enough to ensure safe traffic. The situation steadily deteriorated until traffic had to be officially suspended. Tour operators offered a trip on a short stretch until 2014.
Web links
- Mati Õun: NAISSAARE RAUDTEE ON SULETUD JA OOTAB REKONSTRUEERIMIST. July 7, 2010, accessed June 22, 2018 .
- Railway history Naissaar. raudtee.eu, 2005, accessed June 22, 2018 (Estonian).
- Mehi's helmets: Naissaare merekindluse raudtee ja selle aluskeha ulatus ning seisukord. Ettepanekud hooldamiseks yes taastamiseks. (PDF) register.muinas.ee, accessed on June 22, 2018 (Estonian).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Kultuurimälestiseks tunnistamine. Minister of Culture, October 3, 1996, accessed June 22, 2018 (Estonian).
- ↑ Day Trips from Tallinn - 1/2 Guided tour to Island Naissaar. Duration: 01 Jun 2014 - 31 Aug 2014. tallinn-cruises.com, 2014, accessed on June 22, 2018 .