Russian enthusiast urges increased railway links after ‘exciting’ UK visit

by

By Geoff Courtney

One of Russia’s leading narrow gauge railway specialists has urged even closer cooperation between enthusiasts in his country and Britain after a fact-finding visit to the UK which he described as “exciting and helpful.”

During his visit in early April, Sergei Dorozhkov visited Bressingham Steam Museum, Southwold Railway Trust and the London Museum of Water and Steam in Brentford, and also gave a talk on Russia’s narrow gauge scene at the annual meeting of the New Europe Railway Heritage Trust in London.

Article continues below…
Advert

Enjoy more Heritage Railway reading in the four-weekly magazine.
Click here to subscribe & save.
Narrow gauge specialist Sergei Dorozhkov experiences one of Bressingham Steam Museum’s attractions on April 8 during his UK visit from Russia. DMITRII KALINOVSKII

Sergei, who is director of the Pereslavl Narrow Gauge Railway Museum north-east of Moscow was accompanied on his trip by museum colleague Dmitrii Kalinovskii. Sergei told Heritage Railway at the end of his visit: “We regarded it as most exciting, and are very grateful to NERHT for hosting us and making all the arrangements.

“The opportunity to see several different sites at different stages of development and with various themes was very helpful. It is so much more worthwhile exploring things for ourselves than solely reading about them.

“Railway preservation in Britain started 50 years before that in Russia, and it is really helpful to learn from you and have the benefit of your experience. Conditions in our country are quite different, and one can hardly expect things to be done exactly as in the UK, and the more we explore, so we see wider horizons.”

Article continues below…
Advert

Read more in Issue 241 of HR – on sale now!


Advert
Subscribe to Heritage Railway Magazine Enjoy more Heritage Railway reading in the four-weekly magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Article Tags:

About the Author