Trams in Volchansk

The Tram in Volchansk (Russian: Волчанский трамвай) is the primary transportation mode connecting the northern and southern regions of Sverdlovsk in Russia,[2] specifically, the southern town of Volchansk and northern town of Lesnaya Volchanka.[3] The tram has been in operation since December 31, 1951, and the system currently contains one line which is 7–8 kilometers long.[4]

Trams in Volchansk
Volchanka depot with a KTM-19 tram
Overview
TypeTramway
LocaleVolchansk, Russia
TerminiLesnaya Volchanka (Volchansk)
Volchanka
Stations13
Operation
Opened31 December 1951[1]
OwnerVolchansk Municipality
Operator(s)MUP «Volchansky Avtoelektrotransport»
Rolling stock5 trams
Technical
Line length7.6 km (4.7 mi)
Number of tracksSingle track
Track gauge1,524 mm (5 ft)
Electrificationyes
Route map
Volchanka tram depot
A yellow-blue KTM-5 tram

History

Volchansk is the smallest Russian town with a tram.[4] It is located 2105 km east of Moscow and 452 km north of Yekaterinburg.[5] The Volchansk tram service started on December 31, 1951.[4] At that time, Volchansk did not have the status of a "town". Reaching a peak population of around 36,000 people, it was declared a town in 1956.[5]

At first, the line continued past Volchanka Depot to Opencast Colliery #5 (Razrez 5).[6] This was closed in 1994 due to the theft of the trolley wire. There was also an inter-urban tram line to the neighboring town of Karpinsk, which had been working from 1953 to April 22, 1965.[7] It was dismantled due to the transfer of a large walking excavator from Karpinsk to Volchansk along the road between these two towns.

Rolling stock

The rolling stock consists of two tramcars of model 71-605 (stock numbers #7 and #8), one tramcar 71-608 (stock number #1), one tramcar 71-402 “SPECTR” (stock number #2) and one tramcar 71-619 (stock number #3). The last one came to the town in January, 2008. The SPECTR had arrived a couple of years before. Volchansk has completely renewed all its rolling stock: unlike many similar towns in Russia, it has enough tramcars to operate its transport system.

Passenger tramcars are equipped with bow-type current collectors, which are suitable for operation on the existing catenary. It is planned to equip tramcars with modified pantographs adapted to work in local conditions.

The depot has a snow plow “GS-4” (stock number unknown), though it is not currently functioning due to vandalism. However, Volchansk workers intend to restore the machine. Currently, a tractor is used to shovel snow off the track.

The depot uses an old flatcar that was a tramcar of model KTM-1 many years ago. It is coupled with a passenger tramcar and used to transport materials and tools to track-work sites.

The body of a MTV-82 tramcar is used as a warehouse.

World Record claim

Although it is not verifiable through the Guinness Book of World Records, local lore claims Volchansk is the smallest city in the world to have its own independent, stand-alone tram system. Volchansk citizens have applied to the Russian Records Book in order to have an official confirmation of their town as being the smallest in Russia with its own tram service.[8]

See also

References
  1. History and description of Volchansk Tramway System
  2. http://russiatrek.org/sverdlovsk-oblast
  3. http://www.urbanrail.net/eu/ru/volchansk/volchansk.htm
  4. http://russiatrek.org/blog/cities/volchansk-the-smallest-russian-town-with-tram/
  5. http://ymtram.mashke.org/russia/volchansk/volchansk_descr_en.html
  6. Volchansk Tramway: map of 1965 (Lesnaya Volchanka to Razrez 5)
  7. Volchansk Tramway: map of 1959 (Lesnaya Volchanka to Karpinsk)
  8. Photo of the diploma of the Russian Records Book (in Russian), Transphoto.ru.
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