One of the oldest railways in Russia called Kuibyshevskaya is more than 140 years old. For all its years, it has actively served absolutely all regions that were located in the middle part of the Volga region. Since the autumn of 2010, there has been a museum in the marvelous town of Samara, which is completely dedicated not only to the Kuibyshev railway, but also to all the equipment that has served faithfully all these years. This museum is very popular with railway students who come there every summer to practice and improve their professional skills.
Description
The Samara Railway Museum is located not quite in Samara, but not far from it. It is located on the territory of the former training ground of the Samara State University of Communications near the Bezymyanka railway station. During the Second World War, trains arrived at this point, which transported equipment of important enterprises and evacuated people from the western territory of the Soviet Union. In general, the significance of this railway junction during World War II was very important, sincehow the Kuibyshev highway not only allowed to transport people, but also to deliver valuable cargo and food from the Siberian and Ural regions. An idea of these difficult times is given by the exposition of the museum car, which stands right at the entrance.
The territory of the museum is very large and is approximately 1.5 hectares. A unique feature is the administrative building, which is very similar to the railway station. But there are no secrets in this. This building is the former building of the Dashkovo station, which was located in the Penza region. To more accurately convey the spirit of that time, the restoration was carried out from materials of the 19th century. But the Dashkovo station exists to this day, named after the most famous Russian countess Ekaterina Dashkova, who at one time was the head of the Academy of Sciences.
Inside the administrative building of the Museum of Railway Engineering in Samara, you can see the place of the station superintendent. Here you can see historical furniture, samovars and long-familiar glasses with metal coasters, in which tea is still brought on trains. Also here you can see the Morse apparatus, which was previously used by employees of railway stations. The interest of all visitors is also aroused by old paintings, photographs of railways of the 20th century and antique documents. In addition to all this, in some rooms there are models of trains and maps of railways that existed in the 19th century. There is a separate room for viewing rare pictures, which can accommodate a little more than 30 people.
Main exhibition
But the most important exhibits of the Samara Railway Museum are presented on the street and are in the open air. Here are locomotives and wagons from different times. Visitors to the Samara Museum will be interested to see the first steam locomotive produced in Russia. It was created by two brilliant designers - the Cherepanov brothers at the beginning of the 19th century. No less interesting will be: a model of a steam locomotive called “general with stripes” PZ6, created specifically for this museum of the high-speed train “Sapsan” and many other locomotives operating on the territory of the USSR and Russia.
Other exhibits
In addition to trains, the museum displays various road and construction equipment, railcars and wagons from the 19th and 20th centuries. Also presented are traffic lights, arrows, signaling and communication devices, rails and platforms of railway stations. Some models of trains are open to visitors, you can freely enter the control cabins and move around all compartments. Also, guests of the Samara Railway Museum can enter special carriages and see how food was cooked in long-distance trips and emergencies.
Among the rare things there are not only maps, photographs and documents, but also preserved details of the Syzran railway bridge, which was built during the reign of Alexander II. The total number of rare parts here is about 100 units. Many departments of the Russian Railway donated items for the development of this beautiful museum.
Prices
In 2018 pricesin the Samara Railway Museum differ and vary depending on the ordered services. If you come and see the exhibits alone, the cost of the entrance ticket will be 90 rubles for adults and 30 rubles for children. If you hire a guide, then a group of up to 10 people will pay 110 rubles per visitor, and if more than 10, then 100 rubles.
The museum itself is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm. There is also a lunch break, so it's best not to fall into this time interval.
Important information
A visit to the Samara Museum of Railway Engineering will be interesting for the whole family. It is important to choose a day to visit so that it does not rain or snow, because most of the equipment is outside.
The museum, which is located on Litvinova Street, 332a, can be reached in various ways, but the most convenient way is by bus, which stops at the “Railway Museum” stop. If you get by metro or tram, you will have to walk for a very long time. Therefore, it is better to use buses or taxis.
