Amazing Pictures from the former USSR

I stumbled onto this site in another forum. When the USSR fell apart in the 80's it appears that a good part of the state run railroads where just abandoned as and where is.

http://englishrussia.com/?p=1240

trainwayne1 wrote:I stumbled onto this site in another forum. When the USSR fell apart in the 80's it appears that a good part of the state run railroads were just abandoned as and where is.

http://englishrussia.com/?p=1240

Abkhazia is a special case. Stalin added the territory to his home state of Georgia (Gruziya, Sakartvelo). But the people did not want to be dominated by the Georgians who speak a different language. So, when Georgia became independent they demanded to separate from Georgia. Now they are dominated by Russia but their international status is ambiguous. Clearly the trans-border rail system cannot operate in these conditions.

Some other lines, such as those in Armenia, are also not operating.

I note that that site includes an unmoderated discussion forum with rather disgusting comments.

It's a bit like the collapse of many rail systems in Africa. The new governments have other priorities. Some of the states probably see the rail systems as benefitting Russia rather than the local people.
http://www.angelfire.com/mac/egmatthews ... hasia.html

I like the interior cab shot of on one of of the locos which clearly shows a cab signal display unit along with a subway style spring loaded controller.

with the price of scrap metal lately , i bet alot of it has gone now . specially the cantenary wire .