My old little dream came true - I took a ride on a retro train around Moscow. I usually admire the steam locomotives from the outside that drive such trains, although, of course, I have been in the booth of a hot steam locomotive before. But I was always interested in the question, what does a passenger on a retro train feel? After all, just recently, a steam locomotive running under steam on our roads was a great rarity. Everything changed two years ago, when the management of Russian Railways made a very valuable gift to history buffs and the president of the company signed a landmark order dated November 23, 2012 No. 2380r “On the preservation and restoration of the operability of the steam locomotive fleet of JSC Russian Railways.” By this point, only the enthusiasm and love for old technology of a small group of people saved the remaining cars from being cut for scrap and popularized the retro steam locomotive movement. The issuance of the order marked the success of all this work and the beginning of a new stage in the locomotive fleet of 142 locomotives of 22 different series. Now the locomotives are included in the inventory fleet of the regional steam locomotive traction directorates. Their restoration to a working condition and preservation are ensured. All this is done in order to use steam locomotives in festive events, film and video filming, to promote Russian railways, and to provide excursion and tourist transportation.

Nowadays, the Russian Railways TOUR company organizes the movement of passenger trains under steam locomotive traction on a regular basis. On the company's website there is a schedule of planned trips of retro trains: http://www.rzdtour.com/routes/tourtrain/.
For example, in Moscow the next retro trains are scheduled for December 13, 21, 2014, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 January and April 18, 2015. From experience I can say that the Traction Directorate provides different locomotives for trains. Therefore, there is an opportunity to get acquainted with cars of different series. It’s true that you most likely won’t be able to guess in advance which locomotive will take you. The ticket purchasing system is not perfect yet. For example, you cannot buy a ticket for a retro train via the Internet, as you can for a regular train by paying with a card. On the Russian Railways TOUR website they offer to book on-line tickets, but really a link for individuals didn’t work, at least when I tried to use it, it all ended with a suggestion to contact the tour operator. I also couldn’t find any offers on the Internet to buy a tour from intermediary companies, much less without first visiting the sales office to conclude an agreement. But I hope that soon it will be easier to buy a ticket for a retro train. It's still worth taking a ride under a real hot steam locomotive!

I'll share personal experience travel on a retro train. The duration of the tours varies. The shortest one now costs 850 rubles. Trips begin with a roughly one-hour tour of the Museum of the History of Railway Technology at the Riga Station. Organizers warn that it is open air and advise you to dress according to the weather. My tour was longer, it was called “Moscow Stations” and lasted almost 4 hours, of which the train ride lasted 2 hours 31 minutes. All this time the trip was accompanied by a very interesting story from the guide. This is a separate, great advantage of the tour - very good guides, real enthusiasts of locomotive business. The train departs from Rizhsky station, passes by Leningradsky, Yaroslavsky and Kazansky squares, calls at Kursky and ends the journey at Paveletsky. That is, it goes in three different directions and even changes its number along the way. Due to the change of directions on this journey, the train has steam locomotives at both ends.
The trip to Moscow stations took place during daylight hours, but I would have done it in the dark. The places along which the train passes, frankly speaking, are not the sites for the Chereshnevy Les festival. However, many of them have a rich history, so the guide does not have a single free minute. Those views from the train window that are really beautiful are those with good evening lighting. In addition, at night you cannot see the scourge of Moscow - wires. It could be a Sheldon Cooper-esque romantic getaway. Especially if you attach a dining car instead of an interregional carriage. All the same, half the carriage is lining up for tea.
Tea is a different story. I understand that maintaining a retro carriage is expensive and therefore relatively modern carriages are rented for the trip. I can grit my teeth to tolerate some eclecticism, when the train is driven by a locomotive from one era (the drivers even have a uniform that matches the era, and they wear it in the summer), and the conductor in the carriage wears the uniform of another era. For me, if it is not possible to put on a uniform that corresponds to the time, it is better to be in a formal modern uniform, and not in some “third-class conductor’s attire.” Still, this tourist train, not "cuckoo". But why tea on “my” retro train was served in plastic cups, and not in glasses with cup holders, I cannot understand. You can do without a live video broadcast from the locomotive booth, you can not eat scrambled eggs fried on the shovel of an assistant driver right in the firebox of the locomotive, you can forgive the lack of old uniforms for the staff, but you cannot forgive the lack of cup holders in a retro train. However, this is the only thing I categorically did not like about the trip. I took my six-year-old son on the trip. The organizers recommend an age starting from 8 years old, but, probably, for many it is even higher. I saw adults who relaxed in a warm carriage and slept soundly. The children, and there were many of them, did not restrain their emotions, and by their behavior one can easily determine what is really interesting. For example, no most interesting excursion walking through the museum will not replace the sight of live maneuvers of a hot steam locomotive around the station. And when our train was exhibited on the tracks of the Rizhsky station, children hung in clusters on the grate separating the museum from the station tracks. Just like a minute excursion into the cabin of a hot steam locomotive is preferable to a child, and to many adults, than any theory. The train cars are the most ordinary, interregional ones. Those who don't listen to the guide can get bored quite quickly. So, I would recommend that children start getting acquainted with retro trains with short trip from the Rizhsky station to the Podmoskovnaya depot, where real steam locomotives “live”. It’s good for the family to travel by steam locomotive to Kolomna or Sergiev Posad. Except have an interesting trip, this way you can also “bypass” Moscow traffic jams. In general, for those who stay or come to the winter vacation When visiting Moscow, I highly recommend paying attention to the program of retro train tours.

Do you love steam locomotives as much as we love them? And we love them very much! So much so that instead of children’s cartoons, we enjoy watching videos about trains from YouTube, and as a lullaby, my mother has been singing “Don’t be a fool, America” for a year and a half now (voice-over from one such video). The sound of wheels for a child The best way calm down, and traveling by train is a great adventure! And the only game in which the child has not lost interest in a year and a half is a wooden railway! Well, in general, you understand...

Lovers of steam locomotives have plenty to enjoy in Moscow. "RZD Tour" took care of this! I have long been planning to get with my child, for example, to the museum of transportation at the Rizhsky station. But it turns out there is an even more interesting option than just visiting a museum!

The big locomotive adventure consists of IV parts:

Part I - Museum of Railway Equipment at the Rizhsky Moskovskaya Station railway

It all starts with getting acquainted with the stationary exhibition. What's missing here! The museum contains a huge collection of historical examples of equipment of the last century - locomotives, carriages, special railway equipment. All of them are witnesses and participants in more than a century of history of the domestic railway industry.

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There are also recognized monuments of science and technology. For example, the legendary steam locomotive of the Ov series, which received the affectionate nickname “Sheep” among its drivers. This is the most honorable exhibit and a real “pearl” of the railway collection. Its age is more than a century. This is the most popular pre-revolutionary locomotive. But only 4 copies have survived to this day.

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Following the Sheep is a tender carriage - the one that transports a supply of coal and the legendary heated train - a carriage in which people and horses were transported during the First World War, which received its name because of the potbelly stove installed in the center.

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Nearby is another Soviet-made steam locomotive, FD - “Felix Dzerzhinsky” - one of the most powerful Soviet locomotives of the 30s.

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The guide will tell you about all this and much more. In our case, the most colorful Evgeny Lushin, who in the past worked as a locomotive driver on steam locomotives and knows everything about steam locomotives and their history, seems to be everything. And a little more. (If you ever plan to go on this excursion, ask him, you won’t regret it!!!)

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And he will not only tell, but also show! For example, how carriage couplings worked.

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Facts, stories, references, explanations flow in an endless stream... The excursion seems to be designed for children, but adults also listen with their mouths open.
For example, do you know why some locomotives were painted green and others black? No?

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The green ones carried passengers, and the black ones carried cargo!

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If excursions are not your format, then each exhibit has a sign with a description. You can read it... Although this, of course, does not compare with the story of a real driver who lives by this topic...

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After all, he tells not just bare facts, but also shares his emotions, which are sometimes difficult to hide. For example, the annoyance that steam locomotives are no longer being produced...

They stopped producing them literally one day, when at the next meeting figures were announced indicating the ineffectiveness of locomotive traction. All 30%. The electric locomotives that appeared at that time were much more efficient in absolute numbers. But the speakers did not explain that electric locomotives require a gigantic infrastructure. Hundreds of kilometers of wires, power plants, maintenance and much, much more - all this was left outside the scope of the report. So “inefficient” steam locomotives are a thing of the past.

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More than half a century has passed since then... But in terms of horsepower and average speed Steam locomotives of those years are almost no different from modern ones.
While we are walking around the museum, a real steam locomotive passes us! It's so everyday... But on this line it's par for the course!

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Most of the museum exhibits are also on the move. Although they almost never travel outside their museum, they have all the necessary equipment for this.

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You can touch the locomotives, you can even stand on the steps to get a better shot.

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Some locomotives have driver's cabins open for access. You can not only go there, but also twist all sorts of handles, taps, etc. to your heart’s content.

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It is absolutely impossible to go around the museum at one time, especially with a tour, when they not only show you the exhibits, but also tell you a lot of interesting things about each of them...

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Therefore, we limit ourselves to the locomotive sector and move on...

Part II - Retro train

A natural continuation of stories about steam locomotives is a ride on one of them! This is a completely worthwhile adventure, although at first glance it seems that it is more interesting to observe from the outside than from the inside.

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A trip on a steam locomotive is different from a trip on an electric train. Not to mention that from time to time, clouds of smoke fly past the window, and passengers waiting on the platforms stare with all their might and reach for their gadgets to take photos.

The very feeling of the ride is different... The locomotive moves more jerkily, with constant small jerks. This is related to the operation of steam engines and is the first and surest sign that you are being carried by a steam locomotive.
During the trip, you can have a snack, drink tea/coffee... Or buy souvenirs as a keepsake.

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And the guides continue to tell various interesting facts and, in between, entertain the children with games and competitions.

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The trip takes a little over 10 minutes. Our station is the Red Baltic platform.

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Part III - Podmoskovnaya depot

The Podmoskovnaya depot is no longer a museum, but a real working depot. It has recently been carefully restored and tours are being offered in full swing. The locomotives here are not just displayed as exhibits, but actually live, are refueled, repaired, maintained and driven, so when walking you need to be very careful, which is what the guide warns about.

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Everything here is as close as possible to how it was before. There is a water tower, which now, of course, no longer fulfills its direct duties, but serves as an architectural monument. And several residential buildings where employees used to live. It’s funny that these houses did not belong to any streets, but in the postal address they wrote what kind of house it was from a water pump.

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Nowadays locomotives are refueled at the side from a special pump.

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The main highlight on the cake is the turntable. Real, working! If you're lucky, you might even see him in action. We had incredible luck. The crane started to turn around.

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There is no convenient tourist route at the depot; you have to walk straight along the rails. But this only makes it more interesting!

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Strictly speaking, this is not really a depot. It is classified as a "museum-industrial complex". It is here that the educational and methodological base for the professional training of locomotive crews is based.
The school of locomotive control is akin to folk crafts. They stopped training machinists back in the 70s, and there are no professionals left in this field. At first they tried to invite electric train drivers, but they say they were reluctant. No one wanted to exchange the comfortable chairs of a modern cabin for the heat and dirt of a steam locomotive. But now, with the advent of the school, the situation has changed a little. There are a lot of enthusiastic young people at the depot who come to purposefully learn this particular profession.

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Although all this, of course, is very difficult. The equipment in the depot is mostly from the beginning and middle of the last century. Spare parts for it have not been produced for a long time, and it must be handled with the utmost care. For example, the boiler must be kept hot almost constantly if the locomotive is running. The more often it cools down and reheats at startup, the faster the boiler fails. And a faulty boiler, in modern conditions, is a decommissioned locomotive. In total, there are eight cars in operation at the depot, each with a driver, his assistant and a fireman.

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A sectional view of a steam locomotive is presented in a separate room! This is a real steam locomotive, broken down and beyond repair, which has been converted into a visual aid to demonstrate how steam traction actually works. For clarity, the “hot” parts of the locomotive are colored red, and the cold ones, respectively, blue.

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Those who are especially curious can climb in and look into the firebox from the driver’s side.

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Part IV - apotheosis

Getting to know steam locomotives is impossible without one, the smallest, but most striking detail...

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The culmination of the locomotive day is the rise into the driver's cabin of a working locomotive! This attraction is available at the end of the tour. And, I must say, it is in demand among both children and adults...

Here you can no longer twist or touch anything. But the driver will open the firebox door slightly so that you can feel the heat and see the flames and will certainly step back... Scary!

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But how many impressions, emotions and memories remain after this! Both parents and children are delighted... In general, do not miss one of the most exciting entertainments in Moscow.

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All details, prices, appearances and passwords can be found from the organizer of this story -

"Locomotive Walk" is a unique excursion in retro style. During the “Locomotive Walk” you can really plunge into the old days, take part in the life of the railway of the early 20th century, briefly become a passenger on a real retro train, feel the heat of a hot steam locomotive and hear the whistle that inspired many of our compatriots.
“Locomotive walk” will allow you to touch the antiquity, and also learn interesting facts from the history of the railway, scientific and technological progress and Russia as a whole. The locomotive walk will be interesting for both children and adults; here everyone will find a good mood and experience the unique charm of the locomotive era.
The walk begins at the Riga Station at 12 noon with a tour of the Museum of the History of Railway Technology. In the museum located under open sky, presents more than 60 natural exhibits from the end of the nineteenth century to the present day. Here you can see the legendary sheep (Ov series locomotive), the FD series locomotive listed in the Guinness Book of Records, captured German equipment and much more.
A locomotive whistle will notify you of the start of boarding the retro train, which will be waiting for you at the exit from the museum. The retro train departs at 13:30. During the trip along the route Rizhsky Station - the ancient depot "Podmoskovnaya" (Krasny Baltiets station, Sokol metro area), passengers of the retro train are accommodated in carriages (seats), and a restored steam locomotive from the early 20th century is used as a locomotive. During the journey you will be offered tea.
The retro train will take you to the old depot, built in 1901 and still in operation. Here you can observe with your own eyes the maneuvers of a steam locomotive, the work of the depot, and also see railway buildings and structures of the early 20th century. The culmination of the program will be the turning of the locomotive on the turntable (possible, provided there is a free circle), and filling the locomotive with water (possible, provided there is a free branch).
At the end of the “Locomotive Walk”, the retro train will take you back to Rizhsky Station (arrival at 15.15)
"Locomotive Walk" will give you the opportunity to ride on a real steam locomotive, take unique photographs, unforgettable experience and a great mood for the whole day.

Duration of the excursion: 2 hours 30 minutes
Travel time by train: ~ 20 minutes.
Excursion program:
Guided tour of the Museum of the History of Railway Equipment. (Attention! A ticket to the museum must be purchased independently before the start of the excursion, 40 rubles - adult / 25 rubles - child, large discounts for preferential categories of citizens).
Walk on retro train, from Rizhsky station, to the Podmoskovnaya depot ~ 20 minutes.
Visit to the old Podmoskovnaya depot
At the end of the excursion, the retro train will take you back to Rizhsky Station (arrival at 15.15).
Cost: for adults - 700 rubles, for children (under 14 years old) - 500 rubles.

Collection at 12.10. Starts at 12:20.
We meet at the Rizhsky station near the entrance to the Museum of the History of Railway Technology.
The end of the tour at the Rizhsky railway station at 15:15

The price of the excursion includes: excursion to the museum with a professional guide (a ticket to the museum can be purchased for an additional fee, the cost for adults/children is 40/25 rubles, payment on the spot before the start of the excursion, at the museum ticket office), a trip on a retro train, a tour of the ancient depot "Podmoskovnaya" .

Attention! If for technical reasons we cannot show you the locomotive turning around or refueling with water, then as compensation we will offer you a visit to the “locomotive booth”, where you can observe the work process of the driver and his assistant.

Helpful information:
- You will spend most of the time outdoors, please dress appropriately for the weather and wear shoes, preferably without heels.
- Attention! You will visit an operating depot, be extremely careful and attentive, children must always be in sight, it is advisable to hold the child’s hand.
- Attention! Our retro train runs within the general train schedule, so please do not be late for boarding, the train starts moving minute by minute, and latecomers are not welcome. ]]>

At the end of February, Russian Railways Tour opened the season of locomotive excursions in St. Petersburg. The TJ correspondent, on instructions from the editors, went to unusual journey to find out if the company really has a real steam locomotive running and where you can go with it.

To bookmarks

The insides of Vitebsky railway station

The road to the city of Pushkin began for tourists from the first station to appear in Russia - Vitebsk. The tour group gathered at the entrance to the building at 10 am, but due to the fact that the tour took place on a Sunday, there were very few people around.

Our guide Valery Borisovich Stolov began his story with the reasons for the appearance of railway communication in Russia. According to him, the first transport routes were exclusively military-strategic in nature. Russia followed the example of Prussia and decided to replace fortresses with train stations and railways to make the army more mobile. The entire line to Vitebsk and the station of the same name were built in preparation for the future conflict with Austria-Hungary, which occurred in 1914 and became part of the First World War.

In the backyard" Vitebsky railway station located the “Royal Pavilion” - a small building that served as an access point to a special railway track, allocated for the emperor and his entourage. This path leads directly to the city of Pushkin (formerly Tsarskoe Selo), where the permanent residence of the emperor was located. From there, the ruler could travel to other parts of the country along designated routes.

Meeting at the entrance to the station

Monument to soldiers of the First World War

"Royal Pavilion"

Facade of the "Royal Pavilion"

Due to the desertedness of Sunday, it seemed that we had visited a museum, and not a working station of one of largest cities countries.

Third class hall ("economy") of the old Vitebsk station

Previously, the entire station was divided into several halls, the convenience of which depended on the class of service. For the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg in 2003, all premises were restored almost to their original appearance. I never left the Vitebsk station, so it was a big discovery for me that the 19th-century ambiance was preserved inside the building.

Windows with cash desks in the third class hall

The first hall, which served as a place for luggage and economy class passengers, was the most sparse in interesting details: it contained only high benches. As they explained to us, they carried not only the passengers’ belongings, but often they themselves, because from time to time they had to wait twenty hours for a transfer to the next train.

The hall occupies two floors in height and almost all its details hint at the fact that wealthy aristocrats entered the station through it. It contains a marble staircase, very large windows with stained glass, a bust of Emperor Nicholas I and many artificial lamps, unlike the previous hall.

Stained glass window in the lounge for elite passengers

Hall for aristocrats

If you climb the marble staircase, on the second floor of the station you can find the former waiting room for privileged passengers. The train platforms themselves are located on this same level. They are located above city streets due to the proximity of the Obvodny Canal, across which a high railway bridge was once built.

The first class waiting room itself was not as grandiose as the road to it. The main difference from the budget hall is that the seats are not so long and wide, but they look more cultural and sophisticated. In addition, there are paintings hanging in the room that depict some episodes from the history of the development of railways in Russia.

Next to the hall there is a restaurant for first class, where passengers could eat “on the road”. With the advent of railroads, passengers arrived at stations several hours early for fear that the train would leave without them. Therefore, the idea of ​​spending time in restaurants while waiting for the train has gained wide popularity. This became a habit and remains relevant to this day.

Lounge for first class passengers ("business")

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Railway stations became associated with the word “station” thanks to the engineer Franz von Gerstner, who built for Russian Empire the first railway. He proposed to locate an entertainment establishment “voxal” next to one of the first stations in Pavlovsk - a room or garden in which festivities with dancing, masquerades and fireworks usually took place. This type of establishment was extremely popular in Europe: the first such establishment opened back in 1660 near London and was called Vauxhall Gardens.

“Voksal” was proposed to open next to the Pavlovskaya station in order to increase passenger traffic on the Tsarskoye Selo railway. As a result, a fashion arose among residents of St. Petersburg to travel to Pavlovsk for music and parties, and return back the next day. Philologists are inclined to believe that after this the name “voxal” was assigned to the stations, and a little later, under the influence of the Russian word “hall”, it turned into the currently used “vokzal”.

After getting acquainted with the waiting rooms, we went directly towards the train and found ourselves in the lobby in front of the exit to the tracks. This metal room stands in stark contrast to the previous rooms. Due to the huge steel vaults, consisting of many metal rivets, a steam-punk style ambience is created.

When you first look at this room, you get the feeling that you have literally been transported to another era: it is spoiled only by modern kiosks with souvenirs and food.

Vitebsky station lobby

View of the locomotive from the lobby doors

Getting to know the locomotive

At the Vitebsk station there is a very accurate copy of the old train with the Provorny steam locomotive, which made its first trip on Russian railways in 1837. Early trains were unable to move from car to car: in fact, passengers were locked with their fellow passengers in a confined space throughout the entire journey. As they explained to us, in the case of economy class cars, this could be dangerous, since there was no security on the trains and very often cases of rape, robbery and even murder were recorded during travel.

On the way to the model, we saw a retro train that was supposed to take us to Pushkin. He had already been placed on a separate track, where he caught the surprised glances of passengers and staff of the station itself.

When I heard the sounds of a working steam locomotive from afar, I caught myself thinking: people who have not watched old films and have not delved into the history of steam locomotive construction, probably, like me, will fall into some kind of stupor from the very fact that this mechanism is on the railway and can work. I have seen steam locomotives in pictures and in some films, but this cannot be compared with what I saw. It took me about a minute to overcome the cognitive dissonance that arose: during it, I could only stand and think about whether this was really happening.

When we returned, there were only more casual spectators. The locomotive was not going anywhere yet - it just stood there and “puffed”, but this was enough to attract the attention of both very young and very old residents and guests of the city. Even the police officers and other drivers were distracted from their work: succumbing to the situation, they took out their phones and began filming the locomotive (unfortunately, they were not included in the shot).

The closer I got to the retro train, the more clearly I felt like I was part of history. Images of passengers of the second half of the 19th century even began to pop up in my head, for whom steam locomotives were as commonplace as the Sapsan is for us now. Unfortunately, the carriage we were traveling in was not authentic. But when the train started moving, this faded into the background.

Awesome trip

When you ride a steam locomotive, you feel like a close friend of some Hollywood star: everyone around you is trying to take a good photo, standing with their mouths open, or trying to make friends.

A trip on a steam locomotive cannot be confused with anything else. When starting to move, it quickly accelerates due to the peculiarities of the operation of the steam engine, and at the moments when the coupling drawbar (the so-called metal bar connecting the wheels) is as high as possible above the railway track, a “slipping” effect occurs, which is expressed in jerks when moving . At first it’s unusual and a little annoying, but after two minutes everything goes away and you begin to enjoy the trip.

Perhaps the most unusual thing about such a trip is that in the window you constantly see small clouds of smoke emitted by the locomotive. I have not seen this effect in any film where a ride on a steam locomotive is shown from inside the carriage: for some reason it is stubbornly ignored. Even in the recent Westworld series, which was set in the days of steam locomotives, the ride on them was not accurately depicted.

From time to time, the drivers used the characteristic locomotive whistle, which, together with other features of the locomotives, created the effect of complete immersion during the times of Tsarist Russia.

We got to the Detskoselskaya station (popularly the 21st kilometer) in Pushkin in about 10 minutes. During the trip, Russian Railways employees politely invited tourists to drink tea from glasses with classic railway cup holders. In addition, everyone could treat themselves to oatmeal cookies, sweet rolls or candies.

The retro train conductor pours everyone a cup of tea and offers treats

Upon arrival at the station, tourists had the opportunity to photograph a moving locomotive for the first time during the tour. He was detained especially for us, and when everyone was ready for filming, he went to the stage to turn around and clear the way for electric trains and other trains.

The locomotive starts moving from Pushkin

In Pushkin, the tour group stopped for about an hour to study the work of the Malaya Oktyabrskaya Railway, or as it is popularly called the Children's Railway.

Behind the scenes of the children's railway

The Small Oktyabrskaya Railway differs from the “big” roads in that it has narrow-gauge tracks and in that instead of adults, children under 15 years of age work on it. Unlike most other children's railways, the Moscow Railway has not only an educational, but also a transport function. It unites three stations in the south of St. Petersburg and two stations in the north, and the total length of the tracks is almost 13 kilometers.

Moscow Railway Depot

Even the benches for young railway workers are themed

Unfortunately, we were not able to see the road in action due to the fact that it only works in summer time, however, we got acquainted with the current “children’s” trains, young railway workers and the peculiarities of working in the Moscow Railway.

The excursion for us was conducted by guys who study and work at Moscow Railways, each of them was no more than 16 years old. I have never been interested in the behind-the-scenes work on the railway, so for me the appearance of the control panel was a revelation. It turned out that it displays in real time the location of all trains on a specific section of the track. I immediately had a question: where is the equipment that ensures the operation of the entire MOZD and the control room. As they explained to us, a certain analogue of the “server room” is supported by adults due to its complexity, and when I saw the number of wires and various switches, I could no longer disagree with this.

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During the winter, the children's railway depot housed all the trains operating on the southern line in the summer. All MORR trains surprise with their simplicity and elegance of execution. From the outside, they look like miniature amusement rides or Lilliputians, but the inside of the trains is very spacious and comfortable: two people can fit into the aisle without any problems.

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During our excursion, the operation of the Detskoselskaya station was not stopped, so in addition to tourists, there were also random passengers on the platform. Two young men with wine in bags did not miss the opportunity to ride on a steam locomotive with hares. They did not stop to get rid of uninvited fellow travelers, despite their uncivil behavior.

The return journey did not differ in time from the way to Pushkin, but it seemed that we drove for about an hour: deep down in our souls we wanted to prolong this atmosphere.

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The Russian Railways employees seem to have gone too far in their hospitality this time. I arrived on the excursion with a delay of about five minutes due to the fact that I waited a long time for a taxi: I only understood where to go large cluster people at the entrance to Vitebsky railway station. I expected that they would ask me for a passport or at least ask for my last name in order to confirm participation in the excursion, but apparently they took me for part of the group when I simply began to move around with everyone and take photographs. I thought there would be some kind of check at the entrance to the retro train, but even there it was enough to just go in: they didn’t ask for your name or documents.

This is how impostors became part of the excursion participants. After examining the “Tsar’s Pavilion” of the Vitebsk Station, a man approached me, who had already disguised himself as a participant in the excursion, and began to ask: what is it made of, where are we going. I calmly told him, but then he asked a question that revealed the saboteur in him: he asked what we were driving. After answering “on a steam locomotive,” the man asked again and asked for clarification of what exactly that meant. When we were already boarding the retro train, when asked by an employee of Russian Railways Tour whether he was a participant in the excursion, the saboteur confidently said “yes” and finally joined the tour group.

"Elvis has left the building"

Even if you are not at all interested in how one of the most popular types of transport of our time began, a steam locomotive tour can pleasantly surprise you at least with the level of its organization. Personally, my experience of interacting with Russian Railways is almost always negative: either the company’s website does not work when I need to issue tickets, or I overpay, being fooled by the “branded” train, and inside there will be an uncomfortable compartment.

Therefore, this time I went with the expectation of some mistakes, shortcomings or negativity from the employees. But most of all I expected that the steam locomotive would turn out to be fake, and in the end we would ride on an ordinary train, which was only decorated to look like an antique. Fortunately, all my fears were unfounded: the event went on schedule to the minute, and the staff were polite, kind and positive towards all tourists.

The good attitude of the staff could be attributed to the fact that this excursion is being held for the first time, but it turned out that such events take place with enviable regularity. You can ride a steam locomotive approximately once every three weeks: the next excursion is scheduled for March 26.

Apparently, the company only recently began actively advertising steam locomotive excursions on the Internet: several people from the group, including me, learned about such an opportunity through advertisements in in social networks. Since I went to the event on the instructions of the editors, it was free for me, but in fact, a ticket for an adult costs 2 thousand rubles. However, if the opportunity arises to go on a similar trip again for a fee, I will gladly participate.

We present to your attention unique excursions on a retro train for schoolchildren and adults. During the excursion tour it will be fun for both children and parents. At your request, we will organize a 2 or 3 hour steam train ride around Moscow and the outskirts, to Kolomna and Star City. In addition, you can choose a train tour along the Golden Ring, visiting Pereslavl-Zalessky, Kostroma, Vladimir and many other cities. You can choose the carriage or route that suits you and visit railway museum. We will also organize you a real adventure trip for the weekend, during which you will be able to visit interesting places Moscow region and the Golden Ring. You will remember our excursion for a long time!

Walking routes on a retro train.

Tour of the Small Railway Ring of Moscow. The duration of the route is about 3 hours. You will see the sights of Moscow, including Novodevichy Convent, Moscow City, Ostankino TV Tower and many others. We will drive through several times famous bridges across the Moscow River. The cost of a walk along the Small Ring starts from 1000 rubles. per person. The duration of the excursion is about 3 hours.
Moscow-Kolomna-Moscow. The duration of the tour is about 10 hours. During the excursion we will visit the Kolomna Kremlin, sightseeing tour in Kolomna. In addition, we will visit the marshmallow museum and attend the Cossack Camp theatrical performance.
Route to the Air Force Museum in Monino.
During the steam locomotive ride we will visit the Air Force Museum in Monino. We will see real examples of helicopters, airplanes and a huge amount of aviation equipment.

We will organize for your group sightseeing tours by train to any destination and on any date convenient for you. We can allocate the required number of seats or carriages that are suitable for your group and your event. However, to organize such corporate offsite events, it is necessary to think through the route in advance and determine the exact number of participants in the event.

For questions about organizing a tour, please contact our managers.