Children's railway

This article is about educational railways run by children. For the Dutch amusement park Efteling ride for children, see: Children's Railway (Efteling). For small trains suited for children, see: Train ride
Kolejka Parkowa Maltanka (Park Railway Maltanka) in Poznań, Poland (600 mm (1 ft 11 5⁄8 in) gauge).
Steam Locomotive on Kiev Children's Railway, Ukraine, 750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in) gauge.

A children's railway is an extracurricular educational institution, where teenagers learn railway professions. This phenomenon originated in the USSR and was greatly developed in Soviet times. The world's first children's railway was opened in Gorky Park, Moscow,[1] in 1932. At the breakup of the USSR, 52 children's railways existed in the country.

Many children's railways are still functioning in post-Soviet states and Eastern European countries. Many exhibit railway technology not seen anymore on the main lines and can be seen as heritage railways. Even though few exceptions exist, most children's railways built in the communist block have a track gauge of at least 600 mm (1 ft 11 5⁄8 in)[2] and can carry full size narrow gauge rolling stock.

List of children's railways

There are children's railways situated in following cities:

Armenia

Belarus

Bulgaria

China

Cuba

Georgia

Germany

  • Parkeisenbahn Wuhlheide,[4] Berlin, Wuhlheide
  • Bernburg, Krumbholzallee
  • Parkeisenbahn Chemnitz,[5] Chemnitz, Küchwald
  • Cottbus Eliaspark - Fürst-Pückler-Park Branitz
  • Crispendorf, Ferienland
  • Dresdner Parkeisenbahn, Dresden, Großer Garten
  • Parkeisenbahn Gera,[6] Gera, Tierpark
  • Goerlitzer Parkeisenbahn,[7] Görlitz, An der Landskronbrauerei
  • Die Parkeisenbahn Peißnitzexpress,[8] Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, Peißnitzinsel
  • Leipziger Parkeisenbahn, Leipzig-Wahren, Auensee
  • Magdeburg, Rotehornpark, until 1967
  • Parkeisenbahn Plauen,[9] Plauen, Syratal
  • Vatterode, Vatteröder Teich, out of operation

Hungary

Kazakhstan

Lithuania

Poland

Slovakia

Turkmenistan

Ukraine

Uzbekistan

Russia

See also

References

  1. ↑ Children's railways: Gorky Park, Moscow (Russian)
  2. ↑ de:Pioniereisenbahn
  3. ↑ http://web.railfriends.org/EN/Childrens%20Railway/index.htm
  4. ↑ http://www.parkeisenbahn.de/BPE/
  5. ↑ http://www.parkeisenbahn-chemnitz.de
  6. ↑ http://www.gera.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=15569&_nav_id1=10267&_nav_id2=10272
  7. ↑ http://www.goerlitzerparkeisenbahn.de/
  8. ↑ http://www.pe-halle.de/
  9. ↑ http://www.parkeisenbahn-plauen.de

External links

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