Page 13 - NMRA Roundhouse September-October 2019

YEKATERINBURG
Our next stop was Yekatinburg, which was the Romanov’s city of exile.When the White Russians (royalists) appeared to be closing in on the city it was feared that the Czar would be an inspiration to them.The entire family was taken
to a cellar and shot and their bodies disposed of in the forest.Years later, DNA evidence of the remains proved that the remains were of the Czar and his family.A cathedral was built on the execution site.
NOVOSIBIRSK
On our way to a museum, we were stopped at what looked like a check- point.The lady next to me panicked, because she did not have her passport. It turned out that the point was at the divi- sion of the continent between Europe and Asia.We were treated to champagne and chocolates.
There was a monument there showing the division, so I had the obligatory picture taken of me with one foot on each side.
From the museum we went to the Op- era House, which is one of the largest in the world. And then one of the high- lights of the trip was the Railroad Muse- um. It was quite fascinating to see all the steam locomotives painted and shiny.
There were also some unusual cars
there, especially one that looked like a submarine. I turns out it was a molten iron retort for moving iron as it came out of the blast furnace.The car was filled from the top, moved to a sluice to pour the metal into molds, and the en- tire retort rotated to pour out the met- al.There was also a fourth class coach. Heat was supplied by a stove in the corner, and baggage was stowed under the seats. Food was either brought on by the passengers or bought at various stops along the railway.
We were then shown some of the old wooden houses that were museums, which were built that way because wood was so plentiful.The problem was that there were some terrible fires that destroyed most of the city and an edict went out banning wooden construction.
IRKUTSK
One of the people I met on this trip was a very interesting lady that owned a
business that sold DVD’s of steam loco- motives to a niche market of enthusiasts. She was trying to get a cab ride on one of the engines; however they were un- able to accommodate her. However, we did get up into the cab of the locomotive and I was able to take some pictures.
They would not let us ride there, howev- er, because of regulations.
We then went to visit another cathedral, and on the grounds there was a statue of Alexander III, commemorating the con- struction of the Trans-Siberian Railway.
After lunch at a local restaurant, we were treated to what I considered one of the absolute highlights of the trip.
We were taken to the former home of Prince Volkonsky, which has been turned into a museum. He was one of the no- bles involved in the December Rebellion against Czar Nicholas I, who was exiled to Siberia. Even though his fortunes were forfeit, he had enough wealthy relatives to allow him to live in some sort of comfort. One of the most interesting rooms was his daughter’s, which had a beautiful desk and a most unusual trian- gular piano.
Since there was no facility in the town at the time for performances, the Prince had a parlor large enough to accommo- date a large number of people. He invit- ed artists from all over to perform for the local residents as this was his way of bringing culture to the town.
The parlor comfortably accommodated our group of about 60, and there was a 150 year old grand piano that was still in use.
LAKE BAIKAL
Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater lake in the world.The train left the main line and took the old route to Port Baikal. Before the new route was blasted out, a railroad ferry had to be used to trans- port cars and people across the lake. In our daily program there was a notice that we could ride on the outside of the locomotive for a nominal fee. Needless
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