The Volchansk and Krasnoturinsk trams are among the smallest tram systems in Russia. Volchansk is the smallest city in Russia with tram traffic Coordinates for GPS navigator

23.07.2023

Volchansky tram is a tram system connecting the southern and northern parts of the city of Volchansk (Sverdlovsk region). The city's population is only about 9.5 thousand inhabitants. The tram has been in operation since December 31, 1951. The system consists of one line approximately 8 kilometers long.

Coordinates for GPS navigator

59.90145673027746, 60.06023699999997

Volchansk city on the map

Tram service in Volchansk opened on December 31, 1951. At that time, Volchansk did not yet have city status (it received it only in 1956), but the population reached thirty thousand inhabitants.

In the past, there were two city tram lines in Volchansk: to Lesnaya Volchanka and to coal mine No. 5. The latter line was closed in 1994 due to constant thefts of the contact wire. There was also an intercity tram line to Karpinsk, which operated from 1953 to April 22, 1965, dismantled due to the transport of a huge EVG-15 excavator from Karpinsk to Volchansk on its own along the road between these two cities.

The Volchansky tram consists of one line connecting the southern and northern parts of the city. The length of the line is about 8 kilometers. The line is single-track, the previously existing sidings (Uralsky Komsomol St., Kirpichny Zavod village, Lesozavod) have been completely dismantled. The tram route passes not only through city blocks of predominantly low-rise buildings (Brezhnev in the Northern village and Stalin in the South), but also through overgrown meadows and taiga.

There is only one route. Travel time is approximately 28-29 minutes towards Volchansk-1 (Northern part) and 23-24 minutes towards Volchansk-2 (Southern part). There is one carriage on the line.

Traffic schedule from January 2016 - from the depot: 7:00 (only on weekdays), 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20: 00, 21:00; from Volchansk-1 - in 30 minutes.

Previously, until 2011, flights operated every hour (from the depot at 05 minutes, from Volchansk-1 - at 35 minutes of each hour) from 6:05 to 23:05. Until 2004, until 14:00, the first shift had 2 cars working with an interval of 30 minutes. Previously, the line used a maximum of 4 cars with an interval of 15 minutes.

The rolling stock consists of two cars 71-605 (tail numbers 7 and 8), car 71-608KM (tail number 1), car 71-402 “SPECTR” (tail number 2, currently out of service) and car 71-619KT (tail number 3). The last one arrived in the city in January 2008. Thus, Volchansk has completely updated its rolling stock and does not experience problems with a shortage of cars.

Passenger cars are equipped with yoke current collectors, which is due to the peculiarities of the contact network.

The depot has preserved the platform from the KTM-1 car, which, coupled to a passenger car, is used by the Volchan workers to transport materials and tools to work sites along the route.

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

Until 2009, the depot contained a GS-4 snowplow (presumably without a tail number), once stolen by non-ferrous metal hunters. The Volchanians planned to restore the car, but the plans were not implemented: the car was eventually dismantled. Snow removal is done with a tractor.

According to local legend, Volchansk was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the smallest city in the world with a functioning tram system. This story was originally told to the guests of the city by the Luchanians themselves, from where it turned into a popular tale both in the city and beyond. Currently, numerous stories about the city and even the official website of the city administration, created already in 2010, mistakenly mention this “fact”.

Correcting this mistake, the Head of the city organized a fundraiser in 2008, the head of the city’s municipal tram service prepared documents, and on March 30, 2009, Volchansk was included in the Russian Book of Records, where it was officially confirmed that this city is “the smallest city in Russia with tram traffic.” .

The most depressive city in the North Ural agglomeration. Having grown up near a brown coal mine, with the decline of coal mining the city itself fell into decay; when a tram line was opened in the then village of Volchanka in 1951, its population was almost four times larger than it is now. In those years, the tram looked much less like a “subway in the countryside.”
In the 1950s, in the Northern Urals, in a rather isolated industrial area, a whole tram reserve was formed - back in 1946 a tram was opened in Karpinsk, in 1953 Volchansk was connected with Karpinsk by a 16-kilometer tram line.

In 1954, a tram appeared in a larger one.
however, the tram networks of Krasnoturinsk and Karpinsk were not connected (although the distance between them is half that between Volchansk and Karpinsk). The North Ural Tram Reserve never became a unified network; otherwise it would be an analogue of the Polish interurbans of Upper Silesia.
Here, as in Krasnoturinsk, the tram was built and until 1994 it was operated by the city-forming enterprise - first by the Volchanskugol trust, then by the Vakhrushevugol trust.
Like all other North Ural tram networks, the Volchanskaya network was and remains single-track with sidings.

In 1956, Volchanka finally became the city of Volchansky; in 1959, a tram was launched directly to the coal mine; but the peak of the city's development had already been passed.
The volume of coal production grew until 1965, but the population of Volchansk had already begun to decline.
In 1965, the intercity tram line Volchansk - Karpinsk was closed; however, this was only indirectly related directly to the decline of the city. The tram tracks passed through the walking excavator transfer route and were temporarily dismantled; After transporting the excavator, they decided that now there would be enough buses for intercity passenger transportation.

On the one hand, the roads and buses became somewhat better, on the other hand, fewer and fewer people lived in both cities and, accordingly, the demand for intercity transportation also fell.
Over the following decades, the population of Volchansk decreased by almost half; The condition of the Volchansk tram system remained stable.

And in 1994, the line to the coal mine was closed - the contact wire was stolen, but coal production was falling, and there was little point in restoring traffic.
The city tram network again began to consist of one seven-kilometer line.

This line connects two parts of Volchansk, approximately equal in size and population
Northern - Lesnaya Volchanka - in the past the periphery next to the railway station, now it is a developing part of the city with shops, a bus station and a temple.
South - Volchanka - in the past the unambiguous center of the city, built in a more or less uniform style of the 1950s next to a coal mine, now it is rather a quiet periphery, where the only organizations of citywide importance are the administration, the tram depot and the recreation center (burned down).
Actually, the main function of the city tram is the connection between Lupus and Forest Lupus.
Another function: the tram is the main attraction of the town.

The only 7-kilometer line begins in the north almost in the center of Lesnaya Volchanka, the official name of the final line is Volchansk-1.

Near the bus station and temple; It’s interesting that the bus station building also has a special tram waiting room - I’ve never seen this anywhere else.

10.

Tram stop in Lesnaya Volchanka:

11.

Almost half of the line runs through the forest between two Lupus.

12.

Moreover, most of the route is not even along the road, but simply through the forest.
The tracks and contact network are in poor condition, the carriage sways as if on waves, but goes quite quickly.

13.

Then the line runs through the entire southern part of the city, ending at the tram depot, which is even smaller than the neighboring one
The tram stop in Volchanka is an example of a public-private partnership:) more precisely, a municipal-private partnership.

14.

The Volchansky tram is so small and reserved that here the cars turn right through the tram depot, and you can easily visit its territory this way.

15.

The official name of the southern terminus is Volchansk-2.
Despite this state of infrastructure, the city tram is in demand - adjusted for the small size and depressiveness of Volchansk. Apart from the tram, there is no urban public transport in the city, and Lupus and Lesnaya Lupus cannot do without public transport.
Previously, competition for the tram was provided by intercity buses going from the bus station in Lesnaya Volchanka to Karpinsk and Krasnoturinsk (and even then their schedule was coordinated with the tram schedule so that they departed at different times).
But since 2010, buses have been sent from the northern part of the city directly to the bypass road, and the tram has remained out of competition; we can say that in Volchansk there is a meaningful transport policy, which can be set as an example for the vast majority of cities in our country.
True, minibuses run between Volchanka and Lesnaya Volchanka, but they do not do this very regularly (I only saw them once during my several hours in the city), and they finish work before the tram.
In general, unlike Krasnoturinsk, in Volchansk the existence of a tram seems meaningful.
Oddly enough, the local tram is also helped by the fact that Volchansk is very small: less of the detached attitude typical of a big city, locals (including the administration) rightly treat the tram as the main local feature. Repair of tracks and contact networks is carried out on our own, almost by hand, with noticeable vandalism since the 1990s. (when the contact wire was actively stolen) was not.
The tram in Volchansk has a completely European advantage: it runs strictly on schedule - 4 trips in the morning, 5 trips in the evening, a break from 10 to 16. It takes the cars 30 minutes to cover the line.
The schedule is posted at the terminals (Moscow could also learn from this), and by the time the tram arrives, a certain number of passengers always accumulate.

16.

The carriages are certainly not full, but not empty either.

17.

I have not found exact data on passenger traffic, but, according to my estimate, it can reach several hundred people a day, which is not so little for a city with a population of 9 thousand.
There are a total of 5 cars in the city (2 KTM-5, 1 “Spektr”, which is not used due to operational problems, 1 KTM-8, 1 KTM-19). The line uses one car; Thus, the Volchansk tram system can be called one of the best equipped with rolling stock in the country.

18.

Not only a transport curiosity, but also transport.
It is worth spreading the Volchansky attitude towards the tram on an all-Russian scale, I think.

19.

Catenary height Volchansky tram on Wikimedia Commons

Volchansky tram- a tram system connecting the southern and northern parts of the city of Volchansk (Sverdlovsk region). The city's population is only about 9.5 thousand inhabitants. The tram has been in operation since December 31, 1951. The system consists of one line approximately 8 kilometers long.

Story

Tram service in Volchansk opened on December 31, 1951. At that time, Volchansk did not yet have city status (it received it only in 1956), but the population reached thirty thousand inhabitants.

In the past, there were two city tram lines in Volchansk: to Lesnaya Volchanka and to coal mine No. 5. The latter line was closed in 1994 due to constant thefts of the contact wire. There was also an intercity tram line to Karpinsk, which operated from 1953 to April 22, 1965, dismantled due to the movement of a huge EVG-15 excavator from Karpinsk to Volchansk on its own along the road between these two cities.

System Description

The condition of the tracks is average. The condition of the contact network is poor.

The tram depot is located in the southern part of the city and is the final destination of the route. It consists of a one-story administrative building, a brick box for two cars, two dead ends (one is not used) for storing trams and a utility room.

Volchansky tram

Volchanskaya (Bazarnaya)

Pervomayskaya

6th cut

Western side

ORS database

"Administration"

Proletarskaya

"Vostochny" section

Tram depot

Tram depot. Park Volchansk-2

Section No. 5

To Karpinsk

Route network

Competition

In addition to the tram, there are passenger vehicles in Volchansk: minibuses and buses, owned by the same carrier and operating on the Volchansk - Karpinsk route, as well as passenger taxis. Since 2010, bus route 109 “Volchansk - Karpinsk” has been directed along a bypass route, which eliminates the duplication of 70% of the tram route and extends the travel time within the city to 30-40 minutes. Minibus taxis of the GAZelle type currently operate irregularly.

Prospects

Organizational changes that caused financial difficulties in 2010 cast doubt on the future of the municipal enterprise and, as a result, the tram in the city. There were fears that if no funds were allocated from the regional budget for the maintenance of the tram in 2011, then electric transport in Volchansk could stop.

However, in 2011, small funds were allocated from the regional budget for the operation of the tram in Volchansk, but this amount of funds is so small that it will hardly be possible to maintain the tram system in working order. Nevertheless, as of October 2015, the system continues to operate stably.

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Notes

Links

Online
on the website “Urban electric transport. Combined tram and trolleybus site »
on YouTube

- What are you saying? What? - he asked the general, who continued to report and drew the commander-in-chief’s attention to the captured French banners that stood in front of the front of the Preobrazhensky regiment.
- Ah, banners! - said Kutuzov, apparently having difficulty tearing himself away from the subject that occupied his thoughts. He looked around absently. Thousands of eyes from all sides, waiting for his word, looked at him.
He stopped in front of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, sighed heavily and closed his eyes. Someone from the retinue waved for the soldiers holding the banners to come up and place their flag poles around the commander-in-chief. Kutuzov was silent for a few seconds and, apparently reluctantly, obeying the necessity of his position, raised his head and began to speak. Crowds of officers surrounded him. He looked carefully around the circle of officers, recognizing some of them.
– Thank you everyone! - he said, turning to the soldiers and again to the officers. In the silence that reigned around him, his slowly spoken words were clearly audible. “I thank everyone for their difficult and faithful service.” The victory is complete, and Russia will not forget you. Glory to you forever! “He paused, looking around.
“Bend him down, bend his head,” he said to the soldier who was holding the French eagle and accidentally lowered it in front of the banner of the Preobrazhensky soldiers. - Lower, lower, that’s it. Hooray! “Guys,” with a quick movement of his chin, turn to the soldiers, he said.
- Hurray rah rah! - thousands of voices roared. While the soldiers were shouting, Kutuzov, bending over the saddle, bowed his head, and his eye lit up with a gentle, as if mocking, shine.
“That’s it, brothers,” he said when the voices fell silent...
And suddenly his voice and expression changed: the commander-in-chief stopped speaking, and a simple, old man spoke, obviously wanting to tell his comrades the most important thing.
There was a movement in the crowd of officers and in the ranks of soldiers to hear more clearly what he would say now.
- Here's what, brothers. I know it’s difficult for you, but what can you do? Be patient; not long left. Let's see the guests out and then rest. The king will not forget you for your service. It’s difficult for you, but you’re still at home; and they - see what they have come to,” he said, pointing to the prisoners. - Worse than the last beggars. While they were strong, we did not feel sorry for ourselves, but now we can feel sorry for them. They are people too. Right, guys?
He looked around him, and in the persistent, respectfully perplexed glances fixed on him, he read sympathy for his words: his face became lighter and lighter from an senile, meek smile, wrinkled like stars in the corners of his lips and eyes. He paused and lowered his head as if in bewilderment.
- And even then, who called them to us? Serves them right, m... and... in g.... - he suddenly said, raising his head. And, swinging his whip, he galloped, for the first time in the entire campaign, away from the joyfully laughing and roaring cheers that upset the ranks of the soldiers.
The words spoken by Kutuzov were hardly understood by the troops. No one would have been able to convey the content of the field marshal’s first solemn and, at the end, innocently old man’s speech; but the heartfelt meaning of this speech was not only understood, but that same, that very feeling of majestic triumph, combined with pity for the enemies and the consciousness of one’s rightness, expressed by this, precisely this old man’s, good-natured curse - this very (feeling lay in the soul of every soldier and was expressed by a joyful cry that did not cease for a long time. When after this one of the generals turned to him with a question about whether the commander-in-chief would order the carriage to arrive, Kutuzov, answering, unexpectedly sobbed, apparently being in great excitement.

November 8th is the last day of the Krasnensky battles; It was already dark when the troops arrived at their overnight camp. The whole day was quiet, frosty, with light, sparse snow falling; By evening it began to become clear. A black purple starry sky could be seen through the snowflakes, and the frost began to intensify.
The musketeer regiment, which left Tarutino in the number of three thousand, now, in the number of nine hundred people, was one of the first to arrive at the appointed place for the night, in a village on the high road. The quartermasters who met the regiment announced that all the huts were occupied by sick and dead Frenchmen, cavalrymen and staff. There was only one hut for the regimental commander.
The regimental commander drove up to his hut. The regiment passed through the village and placed the guns on the goats at the outer huts on the road.
Like a huge, multi-membered animal, the regiment set to work organizing its lair and food. One part of the soldiers scattered, knee-deep in the snow, into the birch forest that was to the right of the village, and immediately the sound of axes, cutlasses, the crackling of breaking branches and cheerful voices were heard in the forest; the other part was busy around the center of the regimental carts and horses, placed in a pile, taking out cauldrons, crackers and giving food to the horses; the third part scattered in the village, setting up headquarters rooms, selecting the dead bodies of the French lying in the huts, and taking away boards, dry firewood and straw from the roofs for fires and wattle fences for protection.
About fifteen soldiers behind the huts, from the edge of the village, with a cheerful cry, were swinging the high fence of the barn, from which the roof had already been removed.
- Well, well, together, lie down! - voices shouted, and in the darkness of the night a huge fence covered with snow swayed with a frosty crack. The lower stakes cracked more and more often, and finally the fence collapsed along with the soldiers pressing on it. There was a loud, crudely joyful cry and laughter.
- Take two at a time! bring the horn here! that's it. Where are you going?
- Well, at once... Stop, guys!.. With a shout!
Everyone fell silent, and a quiet, velvety pleasant voice began to sing a song. At the end of the third stanza, at the same time as the end of the last sound, twenty voices cried out in unison: “Uuuu!” It's coming! Together! Pile on, kids!..” But, despite the united efforts, the fence moved little, and in the established silence one could hear heavy panting.
- Hey you, sixth company! Devils, devils! Help us... we will also come in handy.
Of the sixth company, about twenty people who were going to the village joined those dragging them; and the fence, five fathoms long and a fathom wide, bending, pressing and cutting the shoulders of the puffing soldiers, moved forward along the village street.
- Go, or what... Fall, Eka... What happened? This and that... The funny, ugly curses did not stop.
- What's wrong? – suddenly the commanding voice of a soldier was heard, running towards the carriers.
- Gentlemen are here; in the hut he himself was anal, and you, devils, devils, swearers. I'll! – the sergeant major shouted and hit the first soldier who turned up in the back with a flourish. – Can’t you be quiet?
The soldiers fell silent. The soldier who had been hit by the sergeant-major began, grunting, to wipe his face, which he had torn into blood when he stumbled upon a fence.
- Look, damn, how he fights! “My whole face was bleeding,” he said in a timid whisper when the sergeant-major left.
- Don’t you love Ali? - said a laughing voice; and, moderating the sounds of voices, the soldiers moved on. Having got out of the village, they spoke again just as loudly, peppering the conversation with the same aimless curses.
In the hut, past which the soldiers passed, the highest authorities had gathered, and over tea there was a lively conversation about the past day and the proposed maneuvers of the future. It was supposed to make a flank march to the left, cut off the viceroy and capture him.

Volchansk is the smallest city in Russia with a functioning tram system. The population of the city is only 10 thousand people! The tram is the main mode of transport here, connecting the southern and northern parts of the city.

The tram has been in operation since December 31, 1951. The system consists of one line approximately 8 kilometers long. The line is predominantly single-track, with sidings

In the past, there were two lines in Volchansk: to Lesnaya Volchanka and to the coal mine? 5. The cutting line was closed in 1994 due to constant theft of overhead wire

There was also an intercity tram line to Karpinsk, which operated from 1953 to April 22, 1965, and was dismantled due to the movement of a huge EVG-15 excavator from Karpinsk to Volchansk on its own along the road between these two cities.

At the moment, the line is completely single-track; the previously existing sidings have been dismantled. The tram route passes through overgrown meadows and taiga.

There is only one route. Travel time is approximately 28-29 minutes towards Lesnaya Volchanka and 23-24 minutes towards Volchanka. There is one carriage on the line. Timetable since autumn 2013 - from the depot: 7.05, 8.05, 9.05, 16.05, 17.05, 18.05, 19.05, 20.05, 22.05. From Lesnaya Volchanka - in 25 minutes. At the same time, you can literally set your watch by taking the tram - flights are always on time.
It’s interesting that just a couple of years ago, Soviet tram tickets were sold, but with an overprint

Currently there are five trams and one freight platform in Volchansk. Of these, four cars are running.
The depot also looks quite unusual..

Now comes the fun part. Volchansk boasts more rolling stock than many cities. Especially its diversity. There are only two carriages of the same model in the city! These are KTM-5 cars produced in 1985

Due to the peculiarities (extreme degradation) of the network, drag-type current collectors are still used there

And here is the second KTM-5

KTM-8 2000 release

This carriage was accepted as a gift from Governor Eduard Ergartovich Rossel. That’s why the car immediately got the nickname “Rossel”. So much so that it began to appear even in official documentation

In 2005, the system acquired car 71-402 (“Spectrum”) produced by Uraltransmashevsk

And the funniest thing is the KTM-19 2007! And also with a yoke!

Snowdrifts have absolutely no effect on the operation of the tram. There are two methods of fighting. For small drifts - a very logical and funny method. I don’t remember that somewhere else they would have thought of attaching a bulldozer blade to a passenger tram

Well, if it hits you waist-deep, heavy equipment goes into battle

A bulldozer is walking in front of the tram and clearing the tracks.

Although the snow still remains, tram wheels can plow this depth without any problems

The line crossed several railway crossings (now only one remains). Although the traffic intensity on these railway tracks is even less than the tram...

There are places where the railway runs next to the tram

And rare intersections with highways are designed “in the style” of railway crossings

The short distance is tram, the long distance is railway

The kingdom of crooked pillars and paths

Find the rails

Once upon a time, the intensity of tram traffic was much higher than it is now. And the condition of the carriages is much worse...

But how unusual a modern tram looks in the winter taiga

But here is the state of the paths...

Although in urban areas everything is quite cultural. There are even areas for more comfortable seating.

The passenger is running :)

Any time of the year - beauty! Fairy tale

In 2009, it was officially announced that Volchansk is the smallest settlement in Russia in terms of population (but not in size!), whose residents can come home by tram

And lastly, a diagram of the route and closed lines. The “winding” of the paths is caused by the fact that it was once planned to build up the taiga and combine two parts of the town into one. Now the tram turns at intersections that were never built...

Original taken from griphon in Trams of Volchansk and Krasnoturinsk

In the north of the Sverdlovsk region there is a small city of Volchansk. The city is very tiny, practically a village, so that even many residents of other areas of the Sverdloshchina have never heard of it. But transport fans have heard well about it. After all, this is the smallest city in Russia, which has its own tram! Nearby there is a slightly larger Krasnoturinsk, which also has its own tram! Two small, but such soulful systems in the remote Ural wilderness. How do they live?

Getting into this bearish corner of the Sverdlovsk region is not so easy. From the regional center of Yekaterinburg it is more than 400 km to travel here. You can only get there directly by bus, and then only several times a day. However, you can get by train to Serov, which is nearby.

Nearby, nearby, but it wasn’t there. If buses go to Krasnoturinsk from here every half hour, then only one bus goes to Volchansk per day. Assess the size of the hole.

Volchansky and Krasnoturyinsk trams can be called “trams” in the literal sense. Because in each of the systems there is only one car. Going to these cities on the second of May, I was really afraid that I might miss the traffic - what if the trams don’t run because of the holidays? Both times the circumstances were such that it seemed that everything was over, there would be no tram...

First I came to Krasnoturinsk, because... There is a bus to Volchansk only during the day, and it was lazy to hitchhike early in the morning. I arrived incredibly early, around 7.30 (the EKB-Priobye train arrives in Serov at 5.18, and there we still have to wait for the bus). Reasoning logically that when the trams definitely run, it’s early in the morning, I immediately went to inspect the line. However, there were no trams visible.

Approaching the tram depot, I found a schedule according to which on weekends and holidays the service starts at 9 am. Well, okay, for now I’ll take a walk around the city, since it’s very interesting.

Built up with German houses, because... Many captured Germans lived here.

The main attraction is the city-forming enterprise Bogoslovsky Aluminum Plant.

There is a picturesque view of it from the river!

The tram line also leads to it.

I went to the other end, to the embankment. It was already 9 o’clock, in theory the carriage could have already left.

But for some reason it’s not there. Where does he ride?

I've been walking in close proximity to the line for over an hour now, but I can't see the tram...

The final "Embankment".

I climbed a hill from where an amazing view of the snow-capped Ural ridge opened up.

After walking around the city again, not seeing any signs of the train moving, I was in frustration about to look one last time at the depot and go to Volchansk in the hope of great luck there. And then... He’s coming towards you!

It turns out that on weekends the tram runs not from 9, but from 11! It’s funny what kind of owls work in the Krasnoturyinsk tramp park. Tych-tych-tych-tych! Tych-tych-tych-tych!

There is no Wi-Fi in this carriage. And in the other, according to the conductor, there is. It's a shame, it would be interesting to see.

The ultimate "Factory Kitchen" near the aluminum smelter.

Having made a full circle along the entire line, I went to look at the depot.

The depot is very funny: the area is the size of a district courtyard, surrounded by a fence like this. You can enter the territory calmly.

I tried in vain to find someone who would allow me to take photographs, but there was not a soul in the entire area. Therefore, I had to take photographs without permission. :)

Alas, everything is very sad. There are about 6-7 non-working cars - all the property of the tram depot.

There are Specters. It seems like they never came on line here at all.

This is how spare parts are stored.

The second working carriage, which has Wi-Fi.

One of the cars is in the workshop.

The length of the entire line is 3.5 km. It can be quickly passed on foot. The line is entirely single-track, but there are sidings.

The tram is not very popular with its frequent intervals. More people just ride it. Although, maybe it was just a day off.

By the way, there used to be two routes in Krasnoturinsk. The second one walked from the depot to the west and turned around. She was also reaching in the other direction. Now the line is completely inoperative...

Here is the former ring "Chkalova Street".

Okay, let's go further to Volchansk. There are only 4 flights a day there from Krasnoturinsk. More often you can get there from the city of Karpinsk (where, by the way, there was also a tram until the mid-90s!).

If Krasnoturinsk gives the impression of a small, but city, then Volchansk is immediately perceived as an overgrown village.

The city consists of two parts, several kilometers apart from each other. The bus first enters the “center”, then returns to the bypass and enters another, known as the “4th cut”, where the bus station is located. However, the bus station is generally tiny, consisting of a small room 4 by 4 m and a ticket office... Over there in the distance.

The tram just connects these two parts (diagram here).

Previously, he transported workers from the southern part of the city to a coal mine located in the northern part. But now businesses have closed, the city is depressed, there is no work...

The roundabout is right next to the bus station. Convenient, no need to think which way to go.

Local residents told me that there is no point in waiting for the tram, no one uses it, because... he walks completely unpredictably, and that I would be better off taking the bus. Yeah of course. Did I come here for the bus?

While the carriage was not there, I went to meet him along the line.

I remember they wrote something like this on the lurka about Volchansk: “they were going to build a city in the taiga, first they built a tram for it, and then there was no longer enough money for the city.” That's kind of how it looks, the line is laid out a little through rural areas, but mostly through nature!

Few new houses.

Very soon the residential areas ended, and there was a deep forest!

A characteristic feature of the Volchansky tram! Walk through the forest thicket.

Some people even light fires on the rails. It’s convenient, you can probably light firewood directly from the contact wire if you want :)

The length of the entire line is 8 km. The line is completely single-track, and there is not a single siding on it. Those. Even if you wanted to, it would be impossible to run two cars! Maybe just one by one.

Most of the line (about 5 km) runs through the forest!

I immediately pay attention to the condition of the tracks. When you step on some of the rails, they squelch under the weight... It's scary to imagine how cars move along such tracks...

I walk and wait for the tram to pass towards me. But he is not there and is not there! I’ve already walked about five kilometers, I’ve been walking for about an hour and a half...

Is it really not working after all? That's a disorder. It would also be great to take a tram ride here. But if he walked, he should have already passed at least once in so much time.

Coming out into the clearing, I decided to take a break and sat down on the rails to rest. Apparently I’ll have to come here again, even though the logistics are so inconvenient. Can you organize rental of a carriage and gather lovers? So many photogenic places...

Suddenly... There's a rumble in the distance! tych-tych-tych-tych-tych. tych-tych-tych-tych-tych. Can't be! For the second time today I have been brought to the point that this sound evokes in me universal joy and happiness.

And now he appears around the bend. It was not difficult to stop the tram and leave the forest.

Let's go!

There are very few passengers. There were two more fans from Yaroslavl in the carriage. and the tram usually runs empty...

Returning to the Volchanka area, where the bus station is located, I immediately took the tram back to the southern end of the line. Forest again.

The tram travels the entire route in about 40 minutes. At the other end of the line there is a depot. Unlike Krasnoturyinsky, there is not even a fence or fixed territory. Just a turning circle, a small track development, a couple of workshops and idle cars.

After talking with the mechanics, I realized the full scale of the tragedy. The Volchansky tram is in its death throes. There are no spare parts, and there are no instructions for trams either. The mechanics themselves came to the depot recently: one from a mine, the other from electric locomotives. No one had dealt with trams before, but it seems like electric locomotives have a lot in common with them..

Therefore, even basic problems that are usually solved in 5 minutes in other cities can lead to a complete stop in the movement of a single carriage. It's just that no one knows how to eliminate them. And if they do, then they may not have the necessary parts or diagrams. They need to be ordered from Yekaterinburg or somewhere else.

The depot director does not want to spend much on calling qualified specialists or even on instructions for the cars. His approach is “drive and normal”.

Having learned that I was from Moscow and was interested in trams, the mechanics began to try to find out from me how to connect which resistors. Maybe I know. But alas, my level here is purely amateurish, I have no idea how the tram works inside, shame..

The depot has several non-working cars, including a recently purchased new KTM-19. It has been standing for almost a year due to a burnt-out microcircuit. It's painful to watch.

The only operating car KTM-8 No. 1 is called “Rossel”. After the name of the governor who gave it. It is, of course, conditional. The locksmith checks it after each flight, if it ends successfully.

In general, the carriage breaks down almost constantly, almost every trip. But if the damage is minor, then it is usually fixed by a driver with a sledgehammer. Nevertheless, every departure of the carriage is like going to war. It is unknown whether he will return?

People stopped using the tram altogether. Did you see how many people were riding on it? They launched the bus, and everyone started riding on it. Previously, when the tram ran smoothly, people rode. And now who wants to hunt through the forest through snowdrifts for several kilometers. It’s still nice to take a walk now when the weather is nice. Can you imagine what it’s like in winter, or in the rain?

Almost every 2-3 days a carriage breaks down somewhere. We go out with a technical vehicle, repair it on site, or haul it to the depot. And it’s good if the carriage reaches residential areas, otherwise if it gets stuck in the forest, you have to call a tractor. This is how everyone spent January 1st with him. We used to dream about electric locomotives, but now we dream about trams.

While I was inspecting the depot, the tram left for another trip. I went to meet him, thinking I would catch him in the forest.

On the way, I examined the southern part of Volchansk. The street along the line is practically the entire city! Think about the scale!

Also German houses. Please note that there are few people and few vehicles. It's really very quiet and sparsely populated. And a tram!

But the tram traveled the route faster, and I met it before leaving the residential area. The tram did not go to the next round because... needed repairs.

I decided to wait, there was hope that the carriage would be repaired - I wanted to take another ride to the northern part. The tram was being repaired for about an hour, and when I was about to leave Volchansk, it finally left!

There was also an emergency stop on the way, when the driver had to hit the contacts with a sledgehammer. And I got to the northern part, where there is still a tram railway. moving!

How many places do you know where trams allow cars to pass at railway crossings? In general, we need to do this everywhere so that gas guzzlers are discouraged from disrespecting trams. :))

And here is another confirmation that the tram in Volchansk was laid along the railway line!

Coming out in the same clearing where I sat down, I decided to walk along the rest of the line. And if in the part that I walked to the line during the day there is a road running parallel to it, then here it’s really a dense forest.

Once upon a time there were sidings in the forests and several carriages ran on the line. And even earlier there was a second line for the 5th cut. And in Soviet times, in the 50s, there was an intercity line to Karpinsk. I think that a large agglomeration of three cities with a single tram network could grow here. It would be cool :) But what happened was what happened.

The mechanics from the depot intimidated me with activated ticks, so I walked along these paths with caution.

By the way, I mentioned at the beginning that Volchansk is the smallest CITY with a tram in Russia. However, it is the city! Not a populated area. Because there is an even smaller village than Volchansk Cheryomushki

In general, tiny electric transport enterprises always captivate with such sincerity. A small depot, sometimes not guarded or fenced at all. Where you can calmly go and chat with employees - drivers, mechanics. They are often friendly in such places - they will tell and show you everything. Lines passing through some incredibly remote places that are completely atypical for this type of transport. And you’re impressed how it even got here and works?

The Volchansky tram left me with a very mixed feeling... On the one hand, it’s such a unique system, how can you not preserve it, at least for the sake of heritage?

On the other hand, it is certain that if the tram in Volchansk disappears tomorrow, there will be no transport collapse in the city. Volchansk will just lose a very cool feature. But this will already be the end of bullying by a few employees and drivers.

I really feel sorry for the driver, for whom this constantly breaking down carriage seems to be eternal torture... And it would be nice if it still carried people. But no one uses the tram. Now it turns out that this is really a “tram for the sake of a tram”...
However, I believe that Volchansk needs to preserve this type of electric transport by investing in modernizing its infrastructure. At least for the sake of legacy.

So, hurry up to see the Volchansky and Krasnoturinsky trams! I think it's better to come on a weekday. And, of course, if you are traveling, it is logical to visit both cities and go around both lines. Between cities there are about 20-25 km. With successful logistics, visiting both trams can be done in one day. But if Karpinsky still existed, it would be more difficult.