The Mikhailovka sugar railway was one of the few industrial railways using TU2s. The V-shaped system had two lines, which run from Mikhailovka northwest to Nosikovka and southwest to Gororovka. The narrow gauge system has a length of approximately 100 kilometres and opened in 1932. Apart from six sugar factories the narrow gauge lines also served the needs of other factories along the line. There was no public passenger traffic. Mikhailovka is connected to the main railway network via the 16-km long broad gauge line Yaroshenka - Mikhailovka.
Mikhailovka MPD has had 5 TU2s in stock. The first two arrived in 1958/1959, probably straigt from the factory: TU2-177 and TU2-255. In the 1960s and 1970s also three second-hand TU2s came to Mikhailovka, respectively TU2-002 from the Vilnius pioneer railway (?), TU2-015 from the Margutsek system and TU2-176 from Aperonsk.
The diesels worked alongside class GR and Kv steam engines. In the late 1970s and 1980s modern TU7, TU7A and TU8 locos were assigned to the Mikhailovka sugar railway. These replaced the steam engines as well as two older diesels. TU2-015 was handed over to the Rovno pioneer railway in 1985 and TU2-002 was dumped.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union the sugar railway lost most of its freight traffic. The remaining three TU2s (TU2-176, 177 and 255) were dumped in the mid-1990s. In Summer 1996 TU2-177 was still operational. TU2-177 was last used for photo-specials for railway enthusiasts in Summer 1998 and Symmer 1999. But by then it could not run on it's own anymore and had to be pulled by another loco.
TU2-177 with a railway enthusiasts special between Mikhailovka and Volodiyevtsy in June 1996. This might have been the last event were TU2-177 has come in action.
Photo: Helge Harling.
This photo from August 1999 is not what it seems. TU2-177 was not operational anymore and had to be pulled by a TU7, which was uncoupled during photos stops.
Photo: Marcel Schuring.
In 1999 the last sugar factory closed and together with it the sugar railway. In May 2001 the sugar factory reopened under a new management. However, the new company dismantled the narrow gauge railway and scrapped almost all rolling stock, including the TU2s.
The history of the Teresva forestry railway dates back to the time when this part of the Carpathian Mountains was still a part of the Hungarian Empire. On 23rd June 1887 a 750-mm gauge local railway was opened from the standard gauge railway station of Taraczkoz (Teresva) via the village of Nyeresháza (Neresnice) to Kobila. The line was 34 km long and operated both freight and passenger trains. The latter only commuted between Teresva and Neresnice.
Between the two World Wars the region was a part of Czechoslovakia. The CSD took over the line and converted it to 760-mm gauge. In 1922 the 15 km long line from Teresva to Neresnice was reopened. The rest of the line was abandoned.
The local railway opened up the first part of the valley, but the rich timber supplies in the Carpathian Mountains were not reached. Therefore the State Forestry decided to built a forestry railway, based in Ust'Corna, which was to be connected to the narrow gauge local railway in Neresnice. Via the forestry railway and the local railway the timber could be transported to Teresva, where it could be loaded onto standard gauge wagons for further transportation. The first part of the forestry railway was opened in 1928. In the following years more and more lines were built, opening up the forests north of Ust'Corna.
In 1936 the local railway Teresva - Neresnice was incorporated into the forestry railway network. The whole system was 138 km long, making it the most extensive forestry railway in Czechoslovakia.
Sketch of the Ust'Corna forestry railway in 1990.
(Click on the map to enlarge).
After the Second World War the railway found itself on Ukrainian territory. Some years after the War the whole network was converted (back) to 750-mm gauge. Also many new lines were built. In 1965 the forestry railway reached a length of 250 km. Apart from the timber traffic also a public passenger service was operated on the Teresva - Neresnice - Ust'Corna section.
Since the regauging of the network to 750mm the old Hungarian and Czechoslovakian steam engines have been replaced by standard Soviet types. In 1959 also two class TU2 appeared on the line: TU2-266 and TU2-268. Due to their high axle load they were not very beloved on the forestry railway with its light tracks. They probably only ran on the 'main-line' between Teresva and Ust'Corna.
TU2-266 in an unknown station somewhere on the Teresva - Ust'Corna line in 1982.
Photo: Mehis Helme.
TU2-268 inside the shed in 1982.
Photo: Mehis Helme.
In 1959 also two class TU3 were stationed at Teresva MPD. They had number TU3-044 and TU3-045. Their high axle load (4 tons, the same as the class TU2) restricted them to the Teresva - Ust'Corna section as well. They were taken out of service in 1972 due to a lack of spare parts and scrapped ten years later, in 1982.
Since 1969 a number of light class TU4 diesel engines have been working on the forestry railway. Apparently these could not replace the class TU2's. TU2-266 and TU2-268 were taken out of service in 1992 and subsequently dumped at the depot. They were still present there in October 1995, but have probably been cut soon afterwards.
TU2-268 (and in the background TU2-266) dumped in Teresva in 1999.
Photo: Michael Friedrich.
The railway remained in service until 1998. In that year large parts of the already much neglected railway were washed away by a flood. The damage was to heavy and it was decided not to reopen the forestry system.
The Vygoda system is one of the last active forestry railways in the former Soviet Union. Between 1900 and the 1960s a 180-km long network with dozens of branches developed. It opened up the rich timber resources in the north of the Carpathian Mountains. The timber was transported to one of the sawmills in Vygoda.
According to Wolfram Wendelin's book Karpatendampf the Vygoda forestry railway has used two class TU2s and one TU3. But unfortunately their running numbers are not known. It is speculated that these heavy locos could hardly be used on the light forestry railway tracks. Also the many wooden bridges might have restricted these diesels from running on the line. Hence they were soon dumped or diverted to other lines, which explains why their exact identity could not be determined.
This sugar railway is situated 100 km north-west of Kharkov, in the north of the Ukraine. It opened in 1940 and connected the Chupakhova sugar factory to the Akhtirka broad gauge railway station (32 km). It used parts of the never finished broad gauge line to Gadyach. Another line ran from the sugar factory south to Zenkiv (24 km). The depot is of course situated at the sugar factory.
In the season sugarbeets were transported to the factory and beet-chips from the factory to Zenkiv. This station also has a siding to an industrial complex, which does not belong to the sugar factory. Occasionally the narrow gauge railway transported goods to and from this and other complexes, also outside the sugar beet season.
The railway has used different classes of steam and diesel locomotives. Also TU2-183 worked here until the 1990s. The remains of the scrapped TU2-183 could still be observed in 1999. The railway probably closed around the same time.
In 1999 the remains of TU2-183 were found dumped in Akhtirka, together with the remains of other class TU4 and TU6 diesels.
Photo: Michael Friedrich.
Smiga is a station on the broad gauge branch line to Kremenc, in the Rovno oblast in the northwest of the Ukraine. It is the starting point of two peat railways. One brings the peat to the eastern side of Smyga station, where the wagons are unloaded. The peat ist transported to the western side of the railway station. There it is again loaded in narrow gauge railway wagons, which transport the peat to the factory. In the 1980s a one or more class TU2's used to work on the railway. Nowadays lighter class TU4, TU6, TU7 and TU8 diesels are used.
Pota is a station half way the Vapnjarka - Smela broad gauge line, roughly 20 km north of Uman. From here a 49 km long 750mm gauge industrial line ran north, to the white spirit factories in Ivanky and Chervony Kut. The line opened in 1933.
It is believed an unknown number of TU2's have worked on the system until the 1980s. In recent years class TU6, TU7 and TU8 diesels were used. The line has been closed and lifted in 2003. Some tracks still remain inside the premises of the white spirit factory in Ivanky, where the depot used to be situated.
