If a child likes railways, he has to buy another toy for a children's road with wagons and trains for his birthday or New Year, then it is not difficult to find the best gift. You can just go with him to the real children's railway in Nizhny Novgorod. It would be a gift that will be remembered for a lifetime.
This attraction for children is a miniature of an adult railway with all full-time posts on it, it is a unique structure. This is both a game and a real educational institution for those who want to become a train driver, guide, dispatcher or work in a depot, engaged in the repair of rolling stock. All these specialties can be learned by working on the Gorky Children's Railway.
Construction history
According to the construction plan, a children's railway was built in the southern part of the May 1 park, which is not far from the Chkalovskaya metro station. Maybe this is symbolic, because the construction began in May 1939. They built the road quickly, it took only seven months. Work went immediately at all sites, and this: the construction of stations at the terminal stations, the construction of wooden stations at intermediate stations, the laying of the track and the construction of a depot.
More than 36 thousand people worked at this facility. At the two extreme stations (Rodina and Schastlivaya), real station buildings were built, the designs of which were prepared by architects Anisimov and Yakovlev. Intermediate stops (Pushkinskaya and Mayakovskaya) are designed by architect Bazhan. Currently, stations are monuments of architecture, but buildings at intermediate stations have not been preserved. The length of the road at the time of its opening was almost 9 kilometers.
The construction of the road was completed by November 8, then the movement of trains was opened. There were 2 steam locomotives and 12 soft cars on the road. The children's railway, built in Nizhny Novgorod, was the oldest of those built in Russia for children. In total, 25 such roads were built.
The road during the war and the postwar period
During the war, the children's railway did not work, but was a real training enterprise for railway workers preparing to work as front-line train drivers. They returned to the education of children on the railway and transportation already after the end of the war, at the end of 1946. The road at that time connected two areas: Kanavino and Avtozavodsky. In the first post-war year, about 100 thousand passengers were transported.
In 1965, the city executive committee decided to shorten the children's railway in Nizhny Novgorod by almost six times. Old-timers said that they did not agree with this decision, but the road was demolished, the construction of a residential complex began on this site. Only 1.5 km left from the road with the terminal station Pushkino.
About plans
As mentioned above, Schastlivaya station was the final destination on which the railway station was built. After analyzing the railway tracks in the station building, the House of Creativity began to work, and by the 70s, the Wedding Palace had settled in, which is still working.
In 1991-1994, reconstruction of the children's railway began in Nizhny Novgorod. The length of the road was increased to three kilometers (up to 12 in plans), the end station was called Happy in memory of the one that was at the beginning of construction.
How does a children's railway work?
Currently, there are three stations at the children's railway: Rodina, Pushkino and Schastlivaya. The children's railway train travels along a narrow track, driven by a narrow-gauge diesel locomotive, to which passenger cars, open cars and cargo platforms are attached.
Theoretical classes on the basis of children's railway are conducted for seven months (from October to April). The educational program covers six railway circles, sections of modeling and art. Children who have studied here undergo summer practice from June to September. The timetable of the children's railway was timed to coincide with this period. Sending a train from the Rodina station. The route is carried out four times a day: morning train at 10 and 11 hours, afternoon - at 14 and 15 hours. The road runs from Tuesday to Saturday. Over the summer, trains carry about seven thousand passengers.
Education at the children's railway is serious. Children who have come of age have the opportunity to work on the adult railway. Riding in real carriages operated by children gives passengers indescribable pleasure.