Circum-Baikal railway. Historical Sketch

 Considerable difficulties in the construction of Trans-Siberian Railroad aroused Circum-Baikal railway construction. Being the shortest in length, yet it was the most difficult of the features of construction mainly because of the nature of the terrain and the complicated geological conditions.

 Survey of the road. Preliminary investigations Circum-Baikal railway engineers were expeditions OP Viazemsky and GV Hadrian. They chose a direction, bypassing Lake Baikal in the south. General AP Protsenko in 1887 issued a pamphlet on the need to build a continuous railroad from Central Russia to Vladivostok with the laying of the Circum-Baikal north of Lake Baikal. A similar proposal put forward engineer NL Mezheninov, who argued that this line will be 550 miles shorter than the south direction, with the best parameters of its construction. The authors of these proposals are no surveys are not conducted, the conclusions were based on maps.In this connection, it took a reality check of their proposals. In 1888 - 1889 years. in these places worked Transbaikalia expedition OP Vyazemsky. All three of her party were literally swamped with work. The results of the exploration carried out by Colonel General Staff, NA Voloshin, showed that: there is no accurate maps of the area that exist have a lot of mistakes, it turns out the general nature of the terrain and climatic conditions of the region. It turned out that the North direction not only shorter than the South, but on the contrary, the 400 miles to its length. However, only in one section of the Angara-Baikal line must cross five major rivers - the Angara, Ilim, Lena, Hand and Kirengu and five Dividing Range - Ilim, Berezovsky, Lenski, Kirengsky and Muya (with notes on water level in rivers 200 - 900 m). Intelligence led NA Voloshin concluded that when choosing the direction north of Lake Baikal "the construction and operation of the road will cause undue hardship and excessive costs." By the way, it's all confirmed in the construction of BAM.
The final survey along the Circum-Baikal railway were carried out in 1899 - 1900 years. led BU Savrimovicha. They involved three geological parties, for which the program was an outstanding geologist Professor IV muskets. He, after a detailed examination of the route in two variants and analysis of the geologists of the materials gave a conclusion. Covered options: Baikal (Irkutsk - Port Baikal - Kultuk) and Irkutny (Irkutsk - the rise in the valley. Irkut - Mountain Pass with tunnels - Kultuk). The trail went along the shore of the lake to the station capes. For each of the two options to Kultuk geologists have established the geological structure "to an extent which is required for the most detailed geological studies and gathered extensive collections of rocks (more than a thousand samples), occurring on the highway.
 Survey of the road. Preliminary investigations Circum-Baikal railway engineers were expeditions OP Viazemsky and GV Hadrian. They chose a direction, bypassing Lake Baikal in the south. General AP Protsenko in 1887 issued a pamphlet on the need to build a continuous railroad from Central Russia to Vladivostok with the laying of the Circum-Baikal north of Lake Baikal. A similar proposal put forward engineer NL Mezheninov, who argued that this line will be 550 miles shorter than the south direction, with the best parameters of its construction. The authors of these proposals are no surveys are not conducted, the conclusions were based on maps.In this connection, it took a reality check of their proposals. In 1888 - 1889 years. in these places worked Transbaikalia expedition OP Vyazemsky. All three of her party were literally swamped with work. The results of the exploration carried out by Colonel General Staff, NA Voloshin, showed that: there is no accurate maps of the area that exist have a lot of mistakes, it turns out the general nature of the terrain and climatic conditions of the region. It turned out that the North direction not only shorter than the South, but on the contrary, the 400 miles to its length. However, only in one section of the Angara-Baikal line must cross five major rivers - the Angara, Ilim, Lena, Hand and Kirengu and five Dividing Range - Ilim, Berezovsky, Lenski, Kirengsky and Muya (with notes on water level in rivers 200 - 900 m). Intelligence led NA Voloshin concluded that when choosing the direction north of Lake Baikal "the construction and operation of the road will cause undue hardship and excessive costs." By the way, it's all confirmed in the construction of BAM.
The final survey along the Circum-Baikal railway were carried out in 1899 - 1900 years. led BU Savrimovicha. They involved three geological parties, for which the program was an outstanding geologist Professor IV muskets. He, after a detailed examination of the route in two variants and analysis of the geologists of the materials gave a conclusion. Covered options: Baikal (Irkutsk - Port Baikal - Kultuk) and Irkutny (Irkutsk - the rise in the valley. Irkut - Mountain Pass with tunnels - Kultuk). The trail went along the shore of the lake to the station capes. For each of the two options to Kultuk geologists have established the geological structure "to an extent which is required for the most detailed geological studies and gathered extensive collections of rocks (more than a thousand samples), occurring on the highway.
 During the drafting and approval of projects has changed significantly the number of tunnels. Originally they planned a total length of 19 in 1793 fathoms (3800 meters) and cost 2,689 rubles, and then the number increased to 34. In fact, 39 tunnels were built a common stretch of 3751.5 fathoms (8004 m) in the amount of 9,291 rubles. Furthermore, it was built 47 galleries, including 33 in tunnels and 14 separate stretch over a kilometer. The significant increase in the cost of tunnels is due not only increase their number and length, but the device just below the two paths, as well as increasing the overall length of lining and fencing of landslides.
 Kultuk Station (79 miles from the station. Baikal) is the boundary of two different sites on the topography of Circum-Baikal railway. The western sector of the total length of embankments was only about 15%, while the longest of them about 450 meters and the average length of about 45 m. The remaining 85% of the lines are laid in the hollows and tunnels. The eastern section (to the station Mysovaya) are dominated by the mound, only a small tunnel (less than 80 m in length) and a single picture. This is due to terrain features shore.
Western section - the rocky ridge (from the ridges of Hamar-Daban to Sayan), rising to 400 m above the lake. Shoreline is extremely tortuous, a series of speakers in the lake is divided headlands jutting deep into the mainland inlets. The slopes of the shore in some places are steep slopes, dissected by deep river valleys (padyami), in other places rise above the lake almost vertically. They often come close to the water, so near the shore is not even a continuous trail (hag) is not only for horses, but also to humans. The river valleys are narrow, short and have a significant slope (8-10 °) towards the lake. These features of the relief demanded application of the minimum curve radius, deep excavations and tunnels, poluvyemok, retaining walls, bridges and viaducts in places to strengthen the shore.
 East Kultuk nature of the coastline changes dramatically. It is little indented, the spurs of the ridge in some places are removed a considerable distance (20 km), there are low-lying damp places and swamps, scree and rock falls.
Ferry across Lake Baikal. The successful construction of the western and eastern sections of the Trans-Siberian Railway and the greater complexity of the construction of Circum-Baikal railway led to the creation of temporary continuous communication between the East-Siberian and Trans-Baikal railways. In February 1894 it was decided to survey the railway line from Irkutsk to Lake Baikal. They instructed the engineer GV Adrianov. A year later he presented a draft line Irkutsk - Baikal length of 68 km (maximum slope 15 thousandth, the minimum radius of curves 255 m) with the device pontoon bridge across the Angara longer than 300 m. The project, although approved, but it was not implemented. Repeated surveys have allowed to find a route along the left bank of the Angara, without crossing its bridge and under the same technical conditions, with reduced length of 4 km.Construction of the line directed the chief works on the road Zabaikalskaya AN Pushechnikovu. It was started in the summer of 1896 and the line put into operation June 1, 1900 to provide greater capacity and duration of continuous messages through Lake Baikal, in addition to surveying the line Irkutsk - Baikal GV Adrianov instructed and finding locations marinas on the lake, and also the definition of possible ways of laying on the ice in winter. The most successful device jetties were larch raid on the west coast and bay Mysovaya on the east.To study the experience of establishing and operating the ferry in the winter 1894 - 1895 years. abroad seconded assistant director of the Office for the construction of the Siberian railway engineer Sokolov. He found that the conditions of Lake Baikal is more suitable experience crossing between the Oz-ramie Michigan and Huron in the U.S., where freight trains through the Strait of width greater than 11 km was carried out using steam-powered icebreaker. To order the ice-breaker had a tender, which was attended by 12 domestic and foreign plants. Order received the British firm Armstrong and K °, and it entered into a contract.
 In the unassembled housing icebreaker arrived in St. Petersburg June 16, 1896, and the machinery in Revel (Tallinn) on December 4. They were then taken by train to Krasnoyarsk, and further along the Angara River and Lake Baikal in Listvenichnoe. To overcome the Angara rapids had to use tuerny way pilotage - cast from the ship forward anchors and winches to pull it. Steam-powered icebreaker, was named "Baikal", was launched on June 17, 1899, and in April 1900 began to make flying across the lake. He had a length of 87 m, width 17 m, capacity 4200 tons, speed 22 km / h and was carrying a single flight 25 loaded wagons and 200 passengers. The eastern and western shores of the lake was built marina and access roads to them. Some time later to help "Baikal" came second ferry Angara, carrying 150 passengers and about 250 tons of cargo. It was used primarily to transport passengers across the lake. But the ferry was unable to fully ensure the continuity of transportation across the lake. Swimming ice-breaking ferry on Lake Baikal in winter was dangerous. After a stable ice cover on the ice was laid railway track and it performed transportation.
Building organization. Chief of operations for the construction of Circum-Baikal railway was appointed BU Savrimovicha (1836 - 1905 gg.). At one time he graduated from military school Konstantinovskoe and spent three years in the 1 st work crew on the device of the railways in the Novorossiysk Territory. Then retired from the army and entered the Institute of Civil Engineers, where he graduated in 1873 participated in the construction Morshano-Syzran, Borovichi, Murom, Catherine, Samara, Ufa and Orenburg railways. On some construction sites has been the chief engineer. In 1893 he was appointed head of the technical department of the Office for the construction of the Siberian road. According to specialists, in the construction of Circum-Baikal railway proved himself as "an excellent prospector, energetic and active man, put a lot of work to clarify the route of the road, found a lot of bold technical solutions to reduce the cost and expedite construction."
 Assistant chief of operations was KN Simberg, a graduate of St. Petersburg Institute of Railway Engineers in 1875, previously worked at the Society Vladikavkaz roads, construction of the Don rail bridge, etc. After the death of BU Savrimovicha in January 1905 he became head of the ending Circum-Baikal railway construction. CTO were engineers, MN Ksirihi and N. Sahlin (since 1903), engineers for receiving and monitoring the construction of bridges K.3.Kovalevsky and Polyakov (since 1904), by construction of tunnels IV Libke, A. Skarbovsky and AI Treskinsky, mining party led by Construction Engineer VA Voznesensky.
On the road construction have created four sections, comprised of 18 distances (6 - first class, 7 - the second and 5 - the third). Section chiefs were SG Krushkol, X. A. Yaramyshev, I. Bernatowicz and NF Dormidontov. All major work was carried out by contractors. On the main road every contractor he has been involved in 4 - 20 km, construction of tunnels passed nine contractors. Among them were a railway engineer. For example, the construction of one of the most difficult areas, the 16-kilometer between the horns and Aslamova Sharazhalgaem, led engineer AV Liverovskii. It was erected 12 tunnels and 4 separate protivoobvalnyh gallery, it was necessary to perform nearly 2.5 million cubic meters of rock work on the construction of the roadbed.

Throughout the road roadbed was erected under the one way, but provides the possibility of turning it into a double track. Entrance recess in the tunnels were designed by two ways. Maximum height of the mound as high as 14 m, maximum digging depth of 30 m. The total volume of earthworks on the main road was more than 13 million cubic meters, with the largest volume reached 215 thousand cubic meters to 1 km and the minimum to 17 thousand cubic meters to 1 km. The overall distribution volume of earthworks following data. Mounds was 28.7% (from 19,8% of ordinary soil, from rocky 8,9%, from frozen 1%). Seizure was 71.3% (in ordinary soil 16.3%, in rock 53%, frozen and wet 2%).
 In developing the rocky recesses spent more than 300 tons of explosives. To strengthen the slopes of subgrade needed to build retaining walls totaling masonry about 92 thousand cubic meters, of which 77 thousand cubic meters in cement mortar. To ensure stability of roadbed in the area Mysovaya - Tankhoy were carried out considerable underground drainage works (5, 12, 29 and 30 second mile). The Commission received from the builders of the site noted that "all the hard work performed quite useful and accurate, the movement has stopped hillside. General state of transmitted plot for construction in all respects considered impeccable and exemplary. "

Local builders almost was not. Therefore, the construction of the Circum-Baikal railway worked by workers from the central provinces of Russia, from the Baikal region, Western Siberia, exiled settlers, Buryat, and the Chinese, Turks, Armenians. Extremely difficult and expensive it was to ensure the construction materials. All except the stone and wood, wanted to bring up from afar, even the sand in place was not. Materials used for the transport of Lake Baikal and the temporary road longer than 170 km. In transportation across the lake during the summer were two boat and barge building, 6 steamers contractors.
On the trail of the road was built about 500 trays, pipes, bridges, viaducts and 39 tunnels, including 6 trays, 15 stone pipes, 411 small metal bridge opening from 2.23 to 19.17 m, 6, viaducts, 29 medium-sized metal bridge opening from 21.3 to 64.2 m and a number of large bridges. Ca-mym largest single-span bridge was 123 m hole through the birch bay deeper than 27 meters to 27 meters kilometers from Baikal station. Deep water made it difficult for the assembly of scaffolding device span. Had to use a longitudinal sliding. Superstructure assembled in a groove on its way from the station Kultuk and partly on the scaffolding (up to the shoreline in the bay). Before you start sliding the coastal end of the superstructure raised on a cart, and under the front set up two pontoons with a superstructure. Then conducted a longitudinal shifting of the span of 150 m and at the expense of the transverse sliding 3 m placed on the axle and lower the support.
Stone viaducts had a length of 35 to 90 m, the total length of 340 m, span sets of 6 to 9 pm Due to the reduced term road construction masonry four viaducts had to finish with the use of the plant.

To work on the construction of the tunnels started asynchronously: December 1, 1902 at 3 tunnels, in January - February 1903 to 6, on the other in April - December 1903 Deadline for works installed within 6 months after punching of the guide, but not later than January 1, 1905 During the construction met great difficulties: the lack of skilled workers was not sufficient grounds for the storage of materials, much of the duration of the winter period (6 months) force to the clutch lining into the plant, the sand had to haul in the summer of steamers, and in winter carting on distance of 30 - 60 km. Required to build more than 22 thousand square meters of residential and nonresidential facilities specifically for the tunnel builders. The complexity of topography and location of the tunnels on the curves significantly complicate their breakdown. For installation support bases used Baikal ice.
 When tunneling was used as a hand drill and pnevmoelektricheskoe and electric. Length of 300 meters had 33 tunnels, rest 6 - more than 300 m. The longest - Convict 538 m, 548 m Habartuy and Half 807 m. In the large tunnels in order to ensure traffic safety and the prevention of railwaymen mounted bell alarm.When tunneling was not without accidents. Thus, at the tunnel Kirkirey III length of about 50 m located in fractured ground in early May 1903 collapsed hillside and obstruction on the part of the western portal. It took two months for cleaning and strengthening the dam slope, and the construction of galleries on the approach very close to the tunnel. However, June 26, 1905 in the final tunnel lining dangerous cracks appeared. We had to reconstruct it - to arrange a new veneer thickness from 1,5 to 2,0 m with an expenditure of more than 180 thousand rubles. When tunneling double lip length of 320 m from the portal on the west side collapsed large boulders that destroyed part of the masonry lining, 3 May 1904 after heavy rain - again with the collapse of about 3000 m. The works were suspended for 10 days. To increase the scope of work at a distance of 130 m from the eastern portal staged lateral tunnel 15 m long, and after 150 meters of it - vertical shaft section 2.5 x2, 5 meters and a depth of about 5 m to supply materials for the lining. On both sides of the tunnel to it joined the gallery in length and 25 m in the half tunnel had to contend with a large influx of water.
 Russian-Japanese War 1904 - 1905 years. require reductions in terms of building tunnels for 6 - 8 months. compared with the treaty. For it had to pay contractors in addition to 500 thousand rubles.
Permanent way Circum-Baikal railway was more powerful than the adjoining sections of Trans-Siberian Railway. In the path laid 24-pound rails (32,2 kg / m) against the 22-pounder. Much of the work on the construction of superstructure was carried out during the winter - every distance carried out work on their own. Water points were opened on 12 stations in 7 of them performed water withdrawals from the lake.Circum-Baikal railway rolling stock consisted of 40 locomotives, 82 passenger and 776 freight cars. Temporary movement of trains on the open sections of the Trans-Baikal road: Mysovaya - Mishikha April 21, 1901, Mishikha - Tankhoy in April 1902, Tankhoy - Kultuk April 1, 1904 and Kultuk - Baikal September 18, 1904 The permanent road maintenance passed Oct. 16, 1905, however, before that, June 30, 1904, ICS required to increase its capacity up to 15 pairs of trains instead of the originally installed 7 pairs. To solve this task the builders had to build 8 new sidings, to lengthen the path at some stations, to add one wire to the lines of communication and build a number of buildings. The total cost of the work amounted to about 1,5 million rubles.Circum-Baikal railway was the most difficult segment of the Great Siberian Road. Only the earthworks on the one mile here had to do 65 thousand cubic meters to 13 - 25 thousand cubic meters to other routes. Quite a few were built and man-made structures. The total cost of a mile of the road amounted to 257 thousand rubles., Whereas in the West Siberian she was 35 thousand rubles. On the Trans-Baikal 74 thousand in the North-Ussuri 65 thousand rubles.
Completion of construction of the road marked the creation of original monument - a marble station. It was built at the station Slyudyanka folding of the outer walls of the local white marble. He was crowned with a unique creation of the builders.
 Shortly after the Russian-Japanese war in 1905 on the Trans-Siberian Railway from Omsk station Karymskaya began to build the second path. All work, including at the Circum-Baikal railway, finished in 1914
 To preserve for posterity. In connection with the construction of powerful hydroelectric power station on the Angara Irkutsk near the level of water in it up to 30 m. The railway line Irkutsk - Port Baikal, built in 1900, was in the flood zone and had to be dismantled. Replace it in 1957 built a line of Irkutsk - Kultuk. The most complex and unique in the engineering section for the former Circum-Baikal railway turned into a dead-end length of 85 km and lost operational significance. According to him, turned back into a odnoputku, every day is a working train, collecting a few passengers.
However, in saturation unique engineering structures (38 tunnels, numerous galleries, viaducts, bridges), the beauty of the surrounding landscape, this impasse has no equal in the world. After all, no wonder it was called "gold buckle in steel belt" of Russia. However, unfortunately, this site is dilapidated, is in decline.
One can not disagree with the honored worker of Transport of the RSFSR, doctor of technical sciences, professor LIIZhTa MI Voronin, who wrote about the fate of this region in the Journal of Transport building: "It must be saved. Otherwise, the descendants will never forgive us another mistake ... Here, nature and art is destined to make a place for mass tourism and recreation. Comfortable trains with steam traction will again see a cloud of smoke and hear sirens and lulling chugging locomotive. Establishment of recreation area here with all the trappings of modern service - campsites, shelters, railway museum, a must. Delaying the decision of preservation for posterity engineering masterpiece of domestic engineers and construction workers is unacceptable.

Blog Archive