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Children’s Railroad in Minsk (Минская детская железная дорога имени К.С.Заслонова)
If you are in Minsk with your little children and don’t know where to go you certainly should visit Children’s Railroad in Minsk (Минская детская железная дорога имени К.С.Заслонова), the Railwaymen often call it Small Belorussian Railway (Малая Белорусская). But despite the name, everything here is real: diesel locomotives with wagons, and traffic rules, and engine drivers, and conductors, and station managers, and of course, passengers. It don’t differ much from the usual railway: its railroad is narrow, only 750 mm or 2 ft 5 1⁄2 in, the path lenght is only four and a half kilometers and its wagons are small enough to best fit for children.
It’s one of many children’s railways that existed in the USSR and continued functioning after its breakup in post-Soviet states, it was opened on July 9, 1955.
You will happily ride with your children for the station Sosnovy Bor where you can go out, take a walk in the forest, breathe in fresh air, escape from everyday life and even have a little picnic and come back at any time. The whole trip takes half an hour (15 minutes to each side), which is enough for little fidgets to enjoy their little adventure and not to be tired. The children songs and beautiful pictures of course add the festive mood for all of you.
But the kids trips are not the unique destination of the railway. Currently, the Children’s Railway is an institution that combines the functions of a real railway enterprise, an educational institution of vocational training and additional education of children at the same time.
The Railway is fully operated by children!
Beginning with the 5th form age children can come at training center and study different railway professions at the study centre, where in the process of theoretical training (from October to April) young railway workers are introduced to the main railway disciplines. Classes are held in specialized classrooms equipped with the latest technical devices, simulators, mock-ups, multimedia computer equipment, and programs. From May to Seprember children have their summer practice at the Children’s Railroad. Full course continues 3 years and the study is absolutely free.
The railway line counts 3 stations (listed from north to south): Zaslonovo, Pionerskaya and Sosnovy Bor; and a pair of rail loops after the end stops.
The building of the Zaslonovo station, located at 86 Nezavisimosti Avenue (not far from the Park Chelyuskintsev metro station), was built in 1955. There is a waiting room, two ticket offices, a station duty officer, an instructor’s room and a railway layout. It’s the starting and ending station of the route of the Children’s Railway, where passengers board and disembark.
Pionerskaya station is technical. There are remote controle, from which traffic control is carried out. The station has 4 tracks, there is a viewing ditch and a hydrocolumn. The station provides maintenance of rolling stock and equipment of locomotives.
Sosnovy Bor station located in a forested area. Previously, there was a wooden station building, but it was destroyed by fire, and at the moment there is a canopy.
