Disclaimer: I am well aware of the fact that we probably won’t be getting any Russian content any time soon. This suggestion was made in the hopes that the near future will be more peaceful, and we can enjoy railroads around the world without politics getting in the way. My prayers go out to everyone affected by the war. Overview: The Trans-Siberian Railway needs no introduction. It is the longest rail line in the world, traveling over 5,000 miles (9,000 kilometers) between Moscow and Vladivostok, with some services even crossing the border into North Korea, going as far as Pyongyang. Every last mile is electrified, making it an incredible mega project. Obviously there’s no way we could have the entire route, so I picked the roughly 80 mile (150 kilometer) segment between Inzer and Beloreck. Although it’s a very remote part of the line in the Urals, it’s quite scenic, and has plenty of big rail yards and trackside industries. Rolling Stock: My first choice for locomotives is the VL80. It’s one of the most iconic Soviet era locomotives, and has found its way onto almost every country using Russian gauge track. They were built between the 60’s and 90’s and are still in active use today with both passenger and freight. My second choice is the 2TE116, another iconic Soviet era locomotive still in active use today. Designed for heavy freight, it’s not uncommon to see this diesel locomotive running on electrified main lines. Usually route DLC’s nowadays don’t come with more than two new locomotives, so any others would probably be DLC’s. But I’ll list some extras that would still fit well. The TEM2 is a road switcher based off the design of the American Alco RSD-1. It was also exported to countries with standard gauge networks such as Poland. This would be ideal for shunting, and working in various unelectrified sidings. And finally, I choose the 3TE25K2M. This is essentially a GEVO in a Russian style body. It’s also the most powerful locomotive on the network. There’s also a much more modern looking facelift, but I wasn’t able to find if there are any technical differences between the two. Conclusion: I could go on and on with all the unique locomotives that could be added, but I don’t want to make this suggestion too long. Unfortunately not much information is out there about the route such as timetables and what not. But hopefully one day, a route like this could be a possibility.
I think a russian route would be good to have 1 day. Its no different than having a new american frieght route. However, i reckon it would need to be 3rd party as i doubt DTG would be able to get the licensing, sound recordings or layout on their own.
There are some fascinating routes in Russia for sure, but sadly even if the political situation returned to normal I can’t see access ever being granted for research. Fairly certain the railways are regarded as a military installation.
