MPS-lines in the Carpathian-Ukraine

Beregovo

At the time this line was build, Beregovo was still a part of the Hungarian Empire. Hence the narrow gauge railway of Beregovo was build by a private Hungarian company called Borsza Valley Development Railway (BGV). On December 23rd, 1908 it opened the 67-km long line from Beregszász (Beregovo) to Dolha (Dowge) with a 19-km long branch from Komlós (Hmelnik) to Nagyszollos (Vinogradov). The main line was extended to Kovácsrét (Kusnitsa) on May 22nd, 1909. Finally in 1910-1911 the BGV built another branch line from Ilosva (Iršava) to Gyilalja (Kamjanka). The network had an extension of 106 km. The gauge was 760 mm, the standard narrow gauge in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Sketch of the Beregovo system.
(Click on the map for more details and a larger view).

After the First World War the Beregovo region found itself in the newly founded State of Czechoslovakia. In 1923 the private BGV was nationalised and has since been operated by the Czechoslovak State Railways (CSD). After the Second World War Beregovo came under Ukrainian control and thus became part of the Soviet Union. Since 1944 the MPS have operated the narrow gauge system.

A large part of the original rolling stock has been transported away during the war. In 1948-1949 the complete network was regauged from 760 to 750 mm, the standard narrow gauge in the USSR. Afterwards the line could be operated using standard USSR narrow gauge rolling stock. The remaining old 760-mm gauge rolling stock was replaced by 750-mm gauge UNRRA steam locos, built by Davenport in the USA. These were probably not successful and were soon replaced by 12 class GR steam locos (GR-132, 255, 285, 323, 324, 334, 335, 338, 339, 340, 341 and 342).

The first class TU2 appeared in Beregovo only in 1970. Until 1975 ten engines were allocated to Beregovo MPD. They replaced the class GR steam engines. Since 1972 the 10 class TU2 have been the only motive power on the Beregovo system:

number	year	previous depot
TU2-018	1972	Margutsek (Russia)
TU2-020	1972	Margutsek (Russia)
TU2-026	1972	Margutsek (Russia)
TU2-034	1972	Margutsek (Russia)
TU2-035	1972	Gajvoron
TU2-066	1972	Margutsek (Russia)
TU2-074	1972	Svobodnij pioneer railway (Russia)
TU2-097	1971	Tallinn (Estonia)
TU2-098	1971	Tallinn (Estonia)
TU2-248	1978	Valmiera (Latvia)

Beregovo's class TU2s are officially allocated to the depot of Chop (40 km west of Beregovo).

The class TU2 were used quite intensively because there was a lot of passenger and freight traffic. Freight trains mainly ran on the main line from Beregovo to Kusnitsa, where there were four freight train pairs a day.

The branch line from Iršava to Kamjanka was also used for freight traffic (4 pairs a day) and has in fact been freight-only since 1960. The most important customers where the limekiln in Priborzavskoje, the container terminal in Iršava and the Kušnitsa state forestry. The latter company took over the northern section of the main line (Priborzavskoje - Kušnitsa) in 1985.

The green TU2-248 and the blue (thus recently overhauled) TU2-035 with a freight train carrying lime stone from Priborzavske to Beregovo, seen here at Beregi station in 1982.
Photo: P. Klaus.

TU2-248 shunting at the Beregovo freight yard (between the depot and the broad gauge station).
Photo: Mehis Helme.

TU2-018 at Beregovo MPD.
Photo: Mehis Helme.

TU2-066 in front of the shed of Beregovo MPD.
Photo: Mehis Helme.

Two TU2s at Hmelnik Junction.
Photo: Mehis Helme.

Until the early 1980s passenger trains also ran on the main line between Beregovo to Kušnitsa. But then the passenger service was restricted to the branch line from Hmelnik to Vinogradov. Because there was no parallel road the passenger trains were well frequented here. No less than eight train pairs a day ran here and the trains were composed of up to seven coaches. Such heavy trains were however no problem for the class TU2, because the line traverses the flat countryside of the Hungarian Plain and therefore has no steep gradients.

In 1988 a new diesel locomotive (TU7A-3094) was allocated to Beregovo MPD. It was mainly used for shunting in Beregovo, but has also been spotted with passenegr trains on the line.

The number of TU2s was sufficient for the freight traffic to Proborzavske and the passenger traffic on the branch to Vinogradov. But in the early 1990s an ambitious plan was launched to renovate and modernise the narrow gauge system and to reopen the Beregovo - Hmelnik - Iršava section for passenger traffic. Following the plan the Hmelnik - Iršava section was renewed in 1992 and since December 1st three passenger train pairs a day have run here. The track of the Beregovo - Hmelnik line was renewed in February 1994 and the line was subsequently also reopened for passenger transport. However this was only for a short period; the passenger service ended the same year already.

The planned reopening of different parts of the network would have required more locomotives. Thus in 1992 five brand-new class TU7A (3278 - 3282) came to Beregovo. These were probably also intended to (partly) replace the old class TU2. But due to bureaucracy they could not be taken into service before 1994. In fact it is uncertain if all of them have really been used, because the number of class TU2 was sufficient for the meanwhile low-frequent train services.

The railway needed fewer locomotives than expected. Two locomotives were needed for the passenger services and in addition two for the freight traffic. In theory the class TU2s could be taken out of service because enough class TU7A-s were available. However the new locos were not very beloved. The class TU7A are of very poor quality, which is typical for the Soviet production in the 1980s and early 1990s. The depot master of Beregovo preferred the old TU2s over the modern class TU7A-s because if properly maintained class TU2-s are more reliable. He also mentioned, that contrary to TU2-s, the TU7A-s tend to derail in the snow. For more reliability, the enormous oil and fuel consumption of the old class TU2 was taken into bargain. Eventually, the modern locos were not used and the old TU2s remained in service.

In fact the class TU2 remained the backbone of the passenger and freight traffic on the line. But their number was reduced. Already in 1992 four class TU2 were standing outside the shed, dumped on a sidetrack at the depot. Eventually seven class TU2 were dumped or diverted to other lines:

number	year	reallocated to
TU2-018	1993	Užgorod pioneer railway
TU2-035	1996	Antonovka
TU2-066	2002	Antonovka
TU2-074	1992	Užgorod pioneer railway
TU2-097	1995	Lutsk pioneer railway
TU2-026	1992	(burned out)
TU2-248	1998	dumped at the depot (observed 1999 and 2002)

One source claims that TU2-192 was transferred from Šilda to Beregovo in 1991. But it never ran on the line.

TU2-034 with a Hmelnik-Vinogradiv passenger train stops at Oleshnik station on 27 February 2001.

TU2-020 with the afternoon Irshava - Hmelnik passenger train in the station of Kamenskoje on 27 February 2001.

TU2-034 with a luggage wagon and 4 class 3Aw passenger coaches on the Vinogradiv - Hmelnik line. Oleshnik, 27 February 2001.

TU2-020 at Irshava station on 27 February 2001.

Since 2003 the Beregovo depot has had only three TU2's in stock: 020, 034 and 098. The TU7A-s, which used to run on the Hmelnik - Vinogradov branch line, are hardly used anymore. For the normal traffic only two locos are needed: one for the passenger service Vinogradiv - Hmelnik and one for the passenger service Hmelnik - Iršava. Freight traffic has ended in 1998.

On the Vinogradov - Hmelnik line Pafawag coaches from the 1950s are still used. Together with a class TU2 and a closed freight wagon for bicycles and luggage it makes a wonderful classic train composition. Normally 3 coaches are used and these are well frequented. But on Thursdays and Sundays the narrow gauge train is used by many people to travel to the market on the square in front of Vinogradiv station. On market days a 4th Pafawag couch has to be coupled to the train.

TU2-098 on the Sunday market in Vinogradiv, May 2006.
Photo Coen Boerma

On the line to Iršava the TU2's are hauling short trains with 2 or 3 modern class PV51 coaches. The trains on this section run almost without passengers.

The TU2s have been stripped from their red star on the front of the loco in 1993 already. In the late 1990’s the TU2s were painted in a typical livery for the line: the bottom half was bright red and the rest dark green or blue. The passenger coaches received a similar red/green livery.

On 28 June 2003 TU2-020 encounters TU2-098 in Hmelnik station. TU2-098 had recently been repainted in its original dark green livery, though with a black roof. The only thing that is missing is the red star on the front of the loco.
Photo: A. Porev.

Around 2002 TU2-034 received this light blue livery. The colour is much lighter than previously used by the Gajvoron main repair workshop. Irshava, 28 June 2003.
Photo: A. Porev.

Timetable Summer 2005

train number	departure	arrival
6601 Hmelnik - Vinogradiv	02:23	03:33
6602 Vinogradiv - Hmelnik	04:05	05:15
6603 Hmelnik - Vinogradiv	05:30	06:40
6604 Vinogradiv - Hmelnik	08:20	09:30
6605 Hmelnik - Vinogradiv	09:40	10:50
6606 Vinogradiv - Hmelnik	12:40	13:50
6607 Hmelnik - Vinogradiv	14:40	15:50
6608 Vinogradiv - Hmelnik	16:10	17:20
6609 Hmelnik - Vinogradiv	17:30	18:40
6610 Vinogradiv - Hmelnik	20:05 *	21:15 *
6921 Irshava - Hmelnik	04:45	05:35
6922 Hmelnik - Iršava	06:30	07:20
6923 Iršava - Hmelnik	13:30	14:20
6924 Hmelnik - Iršava	14:50	15:40
6925 Iršava - Hmelnik	16:30	17:20
6926 Hmelnik - Iršava	20:55	21:45

* Train 6610 runs 35 minutes earlier on Fridays.

Three gauges on one picture of Vinogradiv station: left the 750mm gauge line to Hhelnik with a TU2, in the front the dual gauge (standard & broad gauge) with a broad gauge class D1 DMU.

TU2-020 in Chornij Potok (Feketepatak) station. The green building left used to be the station building. 9 July 2005.
(No, I did not forget to keep the camera straight; the tracks are really that bad...)

By October 2005 all TU2s of Beregovo MPD had received a blue livery. The light and dark blue colors are the same but the design of each loco is unique.

TU2-020 in its current dark blue livery in Oleshnik on 27 October 2005. Only 3 months ago this engine was still painted red/green (see above).

TU2-034 and TU2-098 beneath each other in Hmelnik station. The train on the left has arrived from Vinogradiv; the one on the right is the train to Irshava. Photograph from 26 October 2005.

TU2-98 arrives at Hmelnik Junction with the Irshava-Hmelnik train, 26 October 2005.

The most important landmark along the Beregovo system is the new orthodox church of Irshava, which is passed by TU2-034 on 28 October 2005.

On 26 October 2005 TU2-248 could be phoptographed outside the depot of Beregovo. It is out of use and still has its livery from the mid-1990s. In the background 4 dumped class TU7(A).

By April 2008 only two TU2s were still operational: TU2-034 and TU2-098. TU2-020 had been dumped at the depot. The passenger service has been limited to 5 pairs Vinogradiv-Hmelnik ; one of the runs further to Irshava. That is the only train still reaching Irshava. For the passenger service only one train composition is required. The locomotive starts at Beregovo MPD around 2 o'clock at night and returns there sometime after nine o'clock in the evening (thus in June/July one can see traffic on the line to Beregovo in the last daylight). Since 2008 the timetable has not been published on the UZ-website anymore but it actually is as follows (July 2008):

train number	departure	arrival
Beregovo MPD - Hmelnik	?	?
Hmelnik - Vinogradiv	03:10	04:20
Vinogradiv - Hmelnik	04:30	05:40
Hmelnik - Vinogradiv	05:50	07:00
Vinogradiv - Hmelnik	08:20	09:25
Hmelnik - Iršava	09:26	10:20
Iršava - Hmelnik	10:30	11:20
Hmelnik - Vinogradiv	11:21	12:30
Vinogradiv - Hmelnik	12:50	14:00
Hmelnik - Vinogradiv	14:30	15:40
Vinogradiv - Hmelnik	16:20	17:30
Hmelnik - Vinogradiv	17:40	18:40
Vinogradiv - Hmelnik	19:30	20:40
Hmelnik - Beregovo MPD	?	?

Užgorod

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