The (Northern) St.Petersburg Children’s Railway

The International Steam Pages

After many years in Moscow, Harvey Smith relocated to St. Petersburg in 2014. There is a list of linked reports at the bottom.

For anyone wanting to see dual gauge track that this railway once had, this has been taken up and removed.

Shuvalovo Railway Station is worth looking at, since it is a 19th century station building. Moreover, the Pendolino /Allegro trains to Helsinki pass the same way so you can have a look at those as well.

This site gives some information and history: http://www.dzd-ussr.ru/towns/spb/index-eng.html

Location:

RUSSIA, Saint Petersburg, Ozerkovskiy Prospect, 4

Getting there

I chose to walk from Ozerki Metro Station on the blue metro line but you could get the train from Finland Station and walk from Ozerki Railway Station or Shuvalovo Railway Station. Ozerki Metro and Railway Stations are at different locations.

The easiest way of finding the railway (and I have to say it is not easy there are no sign posts) is to get to the level crossing between Ozerki and Shuvalovo railway stations. That is easy if you go to one of these 2 railway stations.

But more complicated if you use Ozerki Metro Station. There is a map on the wall at this Metro Station. When you come out of the Ozerki Metro Station turn left. Get to the main road bear left across the tram tracks, over the road, down the steps and into the park. Keep the lake with its beach on your right. Walk East to West across the park. You might find the WWII bunker in the rubbish dump and the Orthodox Church on your left when you get to the road on the other side of the park. Turn right, walk along the road past the new Russian castle of a house. When you get to the water sports centre with its equipment for practising water skiing and water boarding turn left at the big building marked “Banya”. You will see the level crossing, from here you will see a small shop and the branch line that leads down to a ballast storage area. Take the path to the left of the shop and you will soon find the railway.

This is a map At Ozerki Metro showing how to get to the railway.

The Children’s Railway

I estimate the length of the line as 2km. The railway has 2 stations: the main station: Ozernaya (at the North Eastern end) and Uni (at the Southern end). At the time (5th June 2016) I visited the rolling stock consisted of 2 locomotives and 4 coaches. The locomotives were:

1. Tu2-191 - Lider
2. Tu10-030

An older retired steel bodied coach can be seen in the garden of a neighbouring house.

Like many Children’s railways there were almost as many staff and passengers, but that is part of the charm of these railways.

Timetable