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122-564: When the Siberian railway, later called the "Trans–Siberian Railway" was being designed, it was divided into seven sections. Circum–Baikal railway was one of these, being the section from Irkutsk to Mysovaya wharf (now the town of Babushkin on the South-Eastern shore of Lake Baikal. The first survey of a possible route for the first section of the Circum–Baikal, from Irkutsk to Lake Baikal,

244-776: A branch in Irkutsk. Additionally, there are R&D institutes including GAZPROM R&D Institute (a Branch of a Moscow-based institute), the Irkutsk Institute of Rare and Precious Metals and Diamonds (Irgiredmet) , part of the Petropavlovsk Group of Companies., and the Vostoksibacademcenter of the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences that publishes the Project Baikal journal. Irkutsk plays

366-726: A crucial role in Jules Verne’s 1876 novel Michael Strogoff . In the novel Strogoff is the heroic courier of the Czar Alexander II entrusted with delivering a critical dispatch to the Czar’s brother in Irkutsk with vital information about a rebellion brewing in Siberia. Irkutsk was home to Russian writer Valentin Rasputin ; many of his novels and stories take place in the Angara Valley. An essay on

488-607: A fire burned out of control, destroying the palace of the Governor General, and the principal administrative and municipal offices. Many of the other public buildings, including the government archives, the library, and the museum of the Siberian section of the Russian Geographical Society , were completely ruined. Three-quarters of the city was destroyed, including approximately 4,000 houses. The city quickly rebounded, installing electricity in 1896. The first theater

610-544: A further three-year order in 2015, but then Axion filed for bankruptcy in December 2015, though it continues to trade. These ties are developed by Dr. Nosker at Rutgers University. Composite sleepers, manufactured from various recycled plastics, were introduced in Wiltshire , United Kingdom, in 2021. They were installed as an alternative to wooden sleepers, on a bridge where concrete sleepers would have been too heavy. Although it

732-489: A greater acoustic sharpness on straight stretches of track. Concrete ties were however shown to be quieter than wooden ties almost universal across the audible frequency band on curves. This causes train noise when over concrete ties to potentially be subjectively perceived as louder than train noise over wooden ties. On the highest categories of line in the UK (those with the highest speeds and tonnages), pre-stressed concrete ties are

854-401: A joint may be 12 inches (305 mm) wide where the formation is soft or the traffic is heavy and fast. Sleepers are mostly spaced 2 ft 7 in (0.79 m) apart (centre-to-centre) but are closer adjacent to fishplated rail joints where the spacing sequences are as follows with the spacing at the fishplate highlighted . The fractional inch spacing at the fishplate corresponds to

976-523: A large amount of scree . The demolition of the hillside and the steep slopes during the construction of the trackbed provoked a catastrophic intensification of geodynamic processes. Severe landslides occurred during the construction of roads, in particular at Tunnel 5 in April 1904 a collapse of about 3000 m occurred, and a month before the end of the construction a collapse occurred in Tunnel 9 of about 1000 m, damaging

1098-494: A longer service life and require less maintenance than timber due to their greater weight, which helps them remain in the correct position longer. Concrete ties need to be installed on a well-prepared subgrade with an adequate depth on free-draining ballast to perform well. It is a common misconception that concrete ties amplify wheel noise. A study done as part of Euronoise 2018 proved this false, showing concrete sleepers to be an average of 2dB(A) quieter than wooden ones, however with

1220-661: A military hospital and the crown factories are among the public institutions and buildings. The Aleksandr Kolchak monument, designed by Vyacheslav Klykov , was unveiled in 2004. On July 27, 2004, the Irkutsk Synagogue (1881) was gutted by a fire. In December 2016, 74 people in Irkutsk died in a mass methanol poisoning , after drinking this toxic alcohol substitute. In 2018, the BBC reported that men in Irkutsk had an average life span of only 63. The society had declined and their health had suffered markedly. In October 2021, it

1342-483: A new house, the owners usually adhered only to the orientation of the windows to the south side. This is how the layout of the oldest part of the city took shape — from Angara to modern Karl Marx Street: the main directions of the streets repeat the outlines of the coastline, which, in turn, are crossed by transverse passages connecting the outskirts of the city with the center and overlooking the Angara bank. The curvature of

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1464-670: A number of private colleges: Siberian Institute of Law, Economics and Management (since 1993), Institute of Economics of ISTU (since 1996), and others. As Irkutsk is within the influence of the Siberian Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences , there are nine research institutes located in the Irkutsk Academgorodok suburb: the Institute of Geography , the Energy System Institute , the Institute of Geochemistry ,

1586-507: A service life longer than wooden ties with an expected lifetime in the range of 30–80 years, that the ties are impervious to rot and insect attack, and that they can be modified with a special relief on the bottom to provide additional lateral stability. In some main track applications the hybrid plastic tie has a recessed design to be completely surrounded by ballast. Aside from the environmental benefits of using recycled material, plastic ties usually replace timber ties soaked in creosote,

1708-562: A single monolithic concrete casting. This system is in use in Austria ; in the Austrian system the track is fastened at the four corners of the frame, and is also supported midway along the frame. Adjacent frame ties are butted close to each other. Advantages of this system over conventional cross increased support of track. In addition, construction methods used for this type of track are similar to those used for conventional track. In ladder track,

1830-427: A tie rod are somewhat similar. Historically wooden rail ties were made by hewing with an axe, called axe ties , or sawn to achieve at least two flat sides. A variety of softwood and hardwood timbers are used as ties, oak , jarrah and karri being popular hardwoods, although increasingly difficult to obtain, especially from sustainable sources. Some lines use softwoods , including Douglas fir ; while they have

1952-506: A tunnel through cape Polovinnyj, is 777.5 m long). There are also 15 stone galleries with a total length of 295 m and 3 ferro-concrete galleries with apertures, 248 bridges and viaducts, and 268 retaining walls. The Circum–Baikal has no equal in Russia as to the richness of engineering constructions. The tunnels and stone galleries of the Circum–Baikal are unique in that they were constructed atypically and have not been reconstructed since, conserving

2074-696: Is Irkut , the Irkutsk Aviation Industrial Association, which was set up in 1932 in the Transbaykal region of the Soviet Union . It is best known as being the manufacturer of the Su-30 family of interceptor / ground-attack aircraft . The Russian government has merged Irkut with Ilyushin , Mikoyan , Sukhoi , Tupolev , and Yakovlev into a new company named United Aircraft Building Corporation . The Irkutsk Aluminium Smelter which belongs to

2196-483: Is 3,250 wooden crossties per mile (2,019 ties/km, or 40 ties per 65 feet) for wood ties or 2,640 ties per mile for concrete ties. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway specified 18 sleepers per 45-foot (13.72 m) rail and 24 sleepers per 60-foot (18.29 m) rail, both of which correspond to 2,112 sleepers per mile. Sleepers are 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) long, 10 inches (254 mm) wide and 5 inches (127 mm) deep. The two sleepers adjacent to

2318-464: Is a pair of two pre-stressed concrete ties longitudinally connected by four steel rods. The design is said to be suitable for track with sharp curves, track subject to temperature stress such as that operated by trains with eddy brakes , and bridges, and as transition track between traditional track and slab track or bridges. Concrete monoblock ties have also been produced in a wider form (e.g. 57 cm or 22 + 1 ⁄ 2  in) such that there

2440-460: Is a rectangular support for the rails in railroad tracks . Generally laid perpendicular to the rails, ties transfer loads to the track ballast and subgrade , hold the rails upright and keep them spaced to the correct gauge . Railroad ties are traditionally made of wood , but prestressed concrete is now also widely used, especially in Europe and Asia. Steel ties are common on secondary lines in

2562-415: Is being employed by major US railroads in a dual treatment process in order to extend the life of wood ties in wet areas. Some timbers (such as sal , mora , jarrah or azobé ) are durable enough that they can be used untreated. Problems with wooden ties include rot, splitting, insect infestation, plate-cutting, also known as chair shuffle in the UK (abrasive damage to the tie caused by lateral motion of

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2684-478: Is characterized by an extreme variation of temperatures between seasons. It can be very warm in the summer, and very cold in the winter. However, Lake Baikal has a tempering effect, giving Irkutsk temperatures that are slightly less extreme than at similar latitudes elsewhere in Siberia. The warmest month of the year is July, when the average temperature is +19 °C (66 °F); the highest temperature recorded being +37.2 °C (99.0 °F). The coldest month of

2806-550: Is included in UNESCO's tentative list of World Heritage Sites . Irkutsk was named after the Irkut River . Its name was derived from the Buryat word for "spinning," and was used as an ethnonym among local tribes, who were known as Yrkhu , Irkit , Irgit , and Irgyt . The city was formerly known as Yandashsky , named after the local Tuvan chief Yandasha Gorogi. The old spelling of

2928-589: Is no ballast between the ties; this wide tie increases lateral resistance and reduces ballast pressure. The system has been used in Germany where wide ties have also been used in conjunction with the GETRAC A3 ballastless track systems. Bi-block (or twinblock) ties consist of two concrete rail supports joined by a steel bar. Advantages include increased lateral resistance and lower weight than monobloc concrete ties, as well as elimination of damage from torsional forces on

3050-518: Is often limited due to rot. Some entrepreneurs sell new ties. Due to the presence of wood preservatives such as coal tar , creosote or salts of heavy metals , railroad ties introduce an extra element of soil pollution into gardens and are avoided by many property owners. In the UK, new oak or pine beams of the same length (2.4m) as standard railway sleepers, but not treated with dangerous chemicals, are available specifically for garden construction. In some places, railroad ties have been used in

3172-528: Is reflected in the first of the known plans of Irkutsk in 1729. Its main advantage is the fixation of the city's borders, which ran along the line of the modern Karl Marx Street. Between 1729 and 1768 in the space between Angara and Ushakovka, the first "zapalisadny" row of blocks is formed. A spontaneous settlement appears near the soldiers' barracks, first along the roads that approached the Mill and Overseas gates, and then between them. The development proceeded unevenly,

3294-569: Is the largest city and administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast , Russia . With a population of 587,891 as of the 2010 Census, Irkutsk is the 25th-largest city in Russia by population , the fifth-largest in the Siberian Federal District , and one of the largest cities in Siberia . Located in the south of the eponymous oblast, the city proper lies on the Angara River , a tributary of

3416-475: Is typical in Eastern Siberia. The population has been shrinking since the late 1980s: 587,891 ( 2010 Census ) ; 593,604 ( 2002 Census ) ; 622,301 ( 1989 Soviet census ) . . According to the regional plan, Irkutsk city will be combined with its neighboring industrial towns of Shelekhov and Angarsk to form a metropolitan area with a total population of over a million. The center of

3538-524: The Angara River , a tributary of the Yenisei , 72 kilometers (45 mi) below its outflow from Lake Baikal and on the bank opposite the suburb of Glaskovsk. The river, 580 meters (1,900 ft) wide, is crossed by the Irkutsk Hydroelectric Dam and three other bridges downstream. The Irkut River , from which the town takes its name, is a smaller river that joins the Angara directly opposite

3660-607: The Armorial of the Russian Empire . Furthermore, the tigers became extinct in this part of Siberia. In the 1870s, a high-placed French heraldist with a limited command of Russian assumed that "babr" was a misspelling of "bobr", the Russian word for " beaver ", and changed the wording accordingly. This modification engendered a long dispute between the local authorities, who were so confused by the revised description that they started to depict

3782-565: The Hejaz railway in the Arabian Peninsula where the dry, hot climate made wood ties unsatisfactory. Modern steel ties handle heavy loads, have a proven record of performance in signalized track, and handle adverse track conditions. Of high importance to railroad companies is the fact that steel ties are more economical to install in new construction than creosote-treated wood ties and concrete ties. Steel ties are utilized in nearly all sectors of

Circum–Baikal railway - Misplaced Pages Continue

3904-786: The Institute of System Dynamics and Control Theory , the Earth's Crust Institute , the Solar-Terrestrial Physics Institute , the Institute of Chemistry , the Limnological Institute (formerly located on Lake Baikal's shore), the Institute of Plant Physics , Laser Physics Institute (a Branch of the Institute of Laser Physics in Novosibirsk). A number of institutes conduct research within Irkutsk State University :

4026-599: The Rusal Company. Important roads and railways like the Trans-Siberian Highway (Federal M53 and M55 Highways) and Trans-Siberian Railway connect Irkutsk to other regions in Russia and Mongolia . The city is also served by the Irkutsk International Airport and the smaller Irkutsk Northwest Airport . The Federal road and railway to Moscow and Vladivostok pass through the other side of

4148-668: The Siberian Route , was built in 1760, and benefited the town economy. Many new products, often imported from China via Kyakhta , became widely available in Irkutsk for the first time, including gold , diamonds , fur , wood , silk , and tea . In 1821, as part of the Mikhail Speransky 's reforms, Siberia was administratively divided at the Yenisei River . Irkutsk became the seat of the Governor-General of East Siberia. In

4270-627: The Yakutsk customs office from about 1642. It has its origin in a seal of the Siberia Khanate representing a sable and showcasing the fact that Siberia (or rather Yugra ) was the main source of sable fur throughout the Middle Ages . (Actually, the English word "sable" is derived from the Russian "sobol"). By the mid-19th century, the word "babr" had fallen out of common usage, but it was still recorded in

4392-464: The Yenisei , about 850 kilometres (530 mi) to the south-east of Krasnoyarsk and about 520 kilometres (320 mi) north of Ulaanbaatar . The Trans-Siberian Highway (Federal M53 and M55 Highways) and Trans-Siberian Railway connect Irkutsk to other regions in Russia and Mongolia . Many distinguished Russians were sent into exile in Irkutsk for their part in the Decembrist revolt of 1825, and

4514-429: The chairs holding the rails fixed to those blocks. One advantage of this method of construction was that it allowed horses to tread the middle path without the risk of tripping. In railway use with ever heavier locomotives, it was found that it was hard to maintain the correct gauge . The stone blocks were in any case unsuitable on soft ground, such as at Chat Moss , where timber ties had to be used. Bi-block ties with

4636-451: The districts . As a municipal division , the City of Irkutsk is incorporated as Irkutsk Urban Okrug . The coat of arms of Irkutsk features an old symbol of Dauria : a Siberian tiger with a sable in his mouth. When the coat of arms was devised in 1690, the animal was described as a tiger ("babr", a bookish word of Persian derivation) with a sable in his mouth. This image had been used by

4758-407: The "Reds". In 1920, Aleksandr Kolchak , the once-feared commander of the largest contingent of anti-Bolshevik forces, was executed in Irkutsk. This effectively destroyed the anti-Bolshevik resistance. Irkutsk was the administrative center of the short-lived East Siberian Oblast , from 1936 to 1937. The city subsequently became the administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast , after East Siberian Oblast

4880-455: The "Silver Key" at 80 km. Along with actual railway sights, tourists on the Circum–Baikal route are attracted by the numerous nature reserves, including the rocky formations such as "Белая выемка". In the settlements along the Circum–Baikal, especially in Maritui, a number of early twentieth-century items in the modernist style are preserved. The following establishments are also located on

5002-457: The "babr" as a fabulous animal, half-tiger and half-beaver. The Soviets abolished the image altogether, but it was restored following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The 662.4 MW Irkutsk Hydroelectric Power Station was the first cascade hydroelectric power station in the Irkutsk region. The construction of the dam started in 1950 and finished in 1958. The largest industry in Irkutsk

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5124-452: The 1980s and 1990s, measures were begun to reconstruct and strengthen the railway. Currently, normally one train a day (a diesel locomotive and two cars) runs on the railway. The duration of the trip from Slyudyanka to the Baikal station is four hours and forty minutes. The inhabitants of the trackside settlements call the train a передача, or "transfer", reflecting the value of this transport for

5246-406: The 1999–2000 period. Although the epidemic, which started in 1999, is reported to have slowed down, Irkutsk will lose tens of thousands of its working age population from 2010 onwards. This is one of the reasons Irkutsk's male life expectancy, at 53 years, is one of the lowest in all of Russia. Preventive measures are in place to prevent the spread of the epidemic to the generation which was born after

5368-509: The Angara River from central Irkutsk. Trams are one major mode of public transit in Irkutsk. Other modes are trolleybus, bus, fixed-route taxi ( marshrutka ) and cycling. Despite its remoteness, Irkutsk was reported in 2004 to have the highest HIV infection rate in Russia. Tens of thousands of drug addicts, mostly ethnic Russians in their mid to late teens are infected. The number of reported AIDS cases increased by more than 10,000% during

5490-533: The Circum-Baikal as exciting but dangerous. At the present time, the Circum–Baikal Railway is the name of an 89-km–long branch covering the route Slyudyanka-2–Kultuk–Maritui–Baikal. Four stations are currently in operation: Kultuk, Maritui, Ulanovo, and Baikal, with one section of double track at 137 km. The Circum–Baikal contains thirty-eight tunnels with a total length of 9063 m (the longest of them,

5612-413: The Circum-Baikal was finished, it was decided to link the shores of the lake with a train ferry . Trains were carried on the special ice breaker -ferry "Baikal" which had three parallel tracks on its train deck. Another, smaller icebreaker-ferry, the "Angara", was also built which carried passengers and goods, but not trains. In the cold winter of 1903/04 when the icebreakers were not strong enough to break

5734-565: The Circum–Baikal Railway. Owing to the start of the Second World War , the work was completed only by 1947. The group in charge of development came to an unexpected conclusion and, citing the enormous cost, proposed not to carry out any work on the railway alongside Lake Baikal. Instead, they proposed to transform the single track from Irkutsk to Slyudyanka across the mountains into an electric double track. From 1947 to 1949 an electric transfer railway from Irkutsk via Bolshoy Lug to Slyudyanka

5856-545: The Circum–Baikal railway was about 130 thousand rubles (compared to 93 thousand rubles on the other sections of the Trans–Siberian Railway). When the Circum–Baikal railway was put into operation, the Trans–Siberian railway on either side of Baikal was linked and began to be used to transport goods and passengers. The Circum–Baikal was called the "golden buckle on the steel belt of Russia". Initially, only one track

5978-521: The Circum–Baikal: The 100th anniversary of the railway was celebrated in the autumn of 2005. For this event the Baikal station was reconstructed, in which an exhibit was opened, devoted to the Circum–Baikal. The Sludyanka station was also rebuilt. Irkutsk Irkutsk ( / ɪər ˈ k u t s k / eer- KOOTSK ; Russian: Иркутск , IPA: [ɪrˈkutsk] ; Buryat and Mongolian : Эрхүү , Erhüü , [ɛrˈxuː] )

6100-727: The Institute of Biology, the Institute of Oil and Coal Chemistry and Synthesis, the Laboratory of Quantum Chemistry, the Institute of Applied Physics, the Interregional Institute of Social Studies, the Astronomical Observatory, and the Botanical Gardens. The East-Siberian Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences is also located in Irkutsk and is represented by the following research organizations:

6222-469: The Kirkidaysky tunnel (No. 39, past Slyudyanka on the way to Mysovaya) on July 23, 1918. The tunnel was later restored, but there was no movement on the line for almost 20 days. In the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, the villages were actively developed, and homes, barracks for the troops, and power plants were built. In 1940, exploration work was initiated to strengthen the track and ensure the safety of traffic on

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6344-607: The Scientific Center for Medical Ecology, the Institute for Paediatrics and Human Reproduction, the Institute for Microbiology and Epidemiology, the Institute for Medicine of the Workplace and Human Ecology, the Institute of Reconstructive and Restorative Surgery, the Institute of Surgery, and the Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics. Also, the Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Scientific and Technical Center has

6466-457: The Siberian winter falls as fluffy, dry snow. Irkutsk is the administrative center of the oblast and, within the framework of administrative divisions , it also serves as the administrative center of Irkutsky District , even though it is not a part of it. As an administrative division, it is incorporated separately as the City of Irkutsk —an administrative unit with the status equal to that of

6588-570: The UK; plastic composite ties are also employed, although far less than wood or concrete. As of January 2008, the approximate market share in North America for traditional and wood ties was 91.5%, the remainder being concrete, steel, azobé (red ironwood) and plastic composite. Tie spacing may depend on the type of tie, traffic loads and other requirements, for example 2,640 concrete ties per mile on North American mainline railroads to 2,112 timber ties per mile on LMS jointed track. Rails in

6710-448: The US may be fastened to the tie by a railroad spike ; iron/steel baseplates screwed to the tie and secured to the rail by a proprietary fastening system such as a Vossloh or Pandrol which are commonly used in Europe. The type of railroad tie used on the predecessors of the first true railway ( Liverpool and Manchester Railway ) consisted of a pair of stone blocks laid into the ground, with

6832-408: The advancement of Russian explorers in the Angara region, soon ceased to be only a defensive structure due to the advantage of its geographical position. According to historical documents, 10 years later, in 1671, here, in addition to servicemen and yasak people, lived "plowed peasants with their wives and children." A posad appeared, which gave rise to residential quarters of the future city. As for

6954-490: The advantage of accepting treatment more readily, they are more susceptible to wear but are cheaper, lighter (and therefore easier to handle) and more readily available. Softwood is treated, with creosote being the most common preservative for railway ties. Other preservatives used include pentachlorophenol and chromated copper arsenate . Sometimes non-toxic preservatives are used, such as copper azole or micronized copper . New boron -based wood preserving technology

7076-512: The ballast. This is due to better damping properties of hybrid plastic ties and composite ties, which will decrease the intensity of vibrations as well as the sound production. In 2009, Network Rail announced that it would begin replacing wooden ties with recycled plastic. but I-Plas became insolvent in October 2012. In 2012, New Zealand ordered a trial batch of "EcoTrax" brand recycled composite ties from Axion for use on turnouts and bridges, and

7198-421: The barracks of the local garrison were taken out. The construction of the palisade changed the process of the spontaneous evolution of buildings and influenced the formation of the city's layout in the most significant way. After the fortification was dismantled in 1790, a complete mismatch of street directions in the old and new parts of the city was revealed. The state of development of the "pre-palisade" period

7320-938: The breakup of the USSR. There are state-owned and privately owned television stations in Irkutsk, including state company IGTRK and private ones, such as AS Baikal TV, TV company AIST, TV company Gorod, and also other media outlets, like the VSP Newspaper Agency. There is also a live webcam broadcasting from the city center. Irkutsk is home to the East Siberian Education Academy (since 1909), Irkutsk State University (1918), Irkutsk State Medical University (1918), Baykalsky State University of Economics and Law (since 1932), Irkutsk State Technical University (since 1939), Irkutsk State Academy of Agriculture , Irkutsk State Linguistic University (1948), Irkutsk State Railway Transport University (since 1975), and

7442-570: The center of the largest region in Russia—Eastern Siberia, which included Transbaikalia, Yakutia, the entire northeast to the Pacific Ocean. Irkutsk needed to expand, and by that time there were no enemies ready to lay claim to the city. The palisade was dismantled, and in its place appeared Bolshaya Preshpektnaya Street, now Karla Marxa Street, the only straight street in modern Irkutsk. The devastating fire of 1879 made its own adjustments to

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7564-544: The central streets and the disparity of the quarters formed by them, shows the spontaneous process of their formation. This is especially noticeable in the example of Basninskaya Street (now Sverdlova Street), which they tried to straighten with each new attempt to streamline the development. And it simply repeated the outlines of the log that once was here, formed, possibly, by the old lady of the Gryaznushka river, which connected Ushakovka and Angara. In 1726, defensive fortifications (palisade) were built in Irkutsk, behind which

7686-457: The city became an exile-post for the rest of the century. Some historic wooden houses still survive. When the railway reached Irkutsk, it had earned the nickname of "The Paris of Siberia." The city was the center of bitter fighting in the Russian Civil War of 1918–20. Afterward, in the Soviet period, its architecture was dominated by the mandatory squared-up style. The city became a major centre of aircraft manufacture. The historic centre of Irkutsk

7808-477: The city's name was «Иркуцкъ». Before the revolution, the city was called "East Paris", "Siberian Petersburg", "Siberian Athens". In 1652, Ivan Pokhabov built a zimovye (winter quarters) near the site of Irkutsk for gold trading and for collecting fur taxes from the Buryats . In 1661, Yakov Pokhabov built an ostrog (a small fort) nearby. The ostrog gained official town rights from the government in 1686. The Irkutsk prison, founded in 1661 as an outpost for

7930-418: The city. The main portion of the city is separated from several landmarks—the monastery, the fort and the port, as well as its suburbs—by another tributary, the Ida (or Ushakovka) River. The two main parts of Irkutsk are customarily referred to as the "left bank" and the "right bank", with respect to the flow of the Angara River. Irkutsk is situated in a landscape of rolling hills within the thick taiga that

8052-431: The closest to the current state at that time were the fragments of buildings located in the area of Zamorskaya (Lenin st.) And Institutskaya (Oktyabrskaya Revolyutsii st.) Streets. Now it is, roughly, quarters No. 90, 91, 92. The last third of the 18th century was significant both for the history of the city as a whole and for the formation of its buildings. With the formation of the Irkutsk province in 1764, Irkutsk became

8174-428: The construction laws as it was from here that the border began, beyond which it was forbidden to build from wood. This has divided the old Irkutsk into two parts: closer to the Angara river, mainly stone buildings remained, and on the other side, where there were once outskirts, the wooden Irkutsk grew. Irkutsk has a borderline humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dwb , bordering Dwc ). Irkutsk

8296-524: The construction of homes, particularly among those with lower incomes, especially near railroad tracks, including railroad employees. They are also used as cribbing for docks and boathouses . The Spanish artist Agustín Ibarrola has used recycled ties from Renfe in several projects. In Germany, use of wooden railroad ties as building material (namely in gardens, houses and in all places where regular contact to human skin would be likely, in all areas frequented by children and in all areas associated with

8418-589: The cultural history of Irkutsk (and another one about the nearby Lake Baikal) is included in Rasputin's non-fiction collection Siberia, Siberia , which is also available in an English translation. Irkutsk also figures prominently in descriptions by foreign travelers, including the so-called British "Blind Traveler" James Holman , who was suspected of spying and conducted back forcibly to the frontiers of Poland . Railroad tie A railroad tie , crosstie ( American English ), railway tie ( Canadian English ) or railway sleeper ( Australian and British English )

8540-465: The destruction of several bridges and tunnel entrances, as well as the foundations of a track on the Circum-Baikal (the interruption of traffic lasted almost a week). Another unusual natural phenomenon occurs on the south side of Baikal: the deposition of ice sometimes causes a several-metre heap of ice blocks on the coast, covering the railways with ice. In 16 years alone, from 1932 to 1947, 721 collapses occurred, of which 502 were without consequences for

8662-441: The development work of stations and towns in the path of the line did not take place. Works trains began to run on the railway on October 1 [ O.S. September 18] 1904 and on October 29 [ O.S. October 16] 1905 the line was brought into permanent operation. The length of the railway in its final form from Baikal station to Mysovaya was 244 versts (260 km). The aggregate value of one kilometer of

8784-449: The early 19th century, many Russian artists, officers, and nobles were sent into exile in Siberia for their part in the Decembrist revolt against Tsar Nicholas I . Irkutsk became the major center of intellectual and social life for these exiles, and they developed much of the city's cultural heritage. They had wooden houses built that were adorned with ornate, hand-carved decorations. Many still survive today, in stark contrast with

8906-654: The eastern wall of the fortress and also preserved to this day, this is one of the oldest stone buildings in Siberia. The protective palisade and the moat, which once defended the Irkutsk fortress from the south, from the Angara bank to the Ushakovka River, existed until the middle of the 18th century. In early Irkutsk there were no streets at all, the buildings approached the driveways with random turns and only with subsequent alterations were turned around with front facades. The first settlers did not orientate their houses in relation to neighboring buildings either. When building

9028-716: The existing ballast, unlike concrete ties which require a full depth of new ballast. Steel ties are 100% recyclable and require up to 60% less ballast than concrete ties and up to 45% less than wood ties. Historically, steel ties have suffered from poor design and increased traffic loads over their normally long service life. These aged and often obsolete designs limited load and speed capacity but can still be found in many locations globally and performing adequately despite decades of service. There are great numbers of steel ties with over 50 years of service and in some cases they can and have been rehabilitated and continue to perform well. Steel ties were also used in specialty situations, such as

9150-433: The historical part of the city is Kirov Square. In that place on July 6, 1661, Yakov Pokhabov laid a prison for collecting Yasak , a tax collected from the local population with fur. The architectural appearance of present-day Irkutsk has been born since the days of the wooden prison. The historic center of the city is now in its place. By the beginning of the 18th century, it had turned into a wooden fortress, which protected

9272-511: The ice, a railway line was laid on the ice, and railway wagons were pulled by draft animals. Meanwhile, the construction of another section of track, intended to fill the gap in the Trans–Siberian Railway, was carried out. The routing of its eastern section, from Mysovaya to Kultuk (at the lake's southwestern tip), passing along the flat southern coast of the lake, did not cause difficulties. The greatest complexities were encountered on

9394-590: The inhabitants from the raids of nomads. A major fire of 1716 almost completely destroyed the fortifications, but in just a year new ones were built, already made of stone. Of the buildings on the territory of the Irkutsk Kremlin of that time, the Savior Church has survived, the stone building of which was laid in 1706 in the north-western corner of the fort. Along with the Epiphany Cathedral, erected behind

9516-567: The initial plan of architects and engineers of the beginning of the century. Kilometers on the modern Circum–Baikal are traditionally measured from the Irkutsk exchange station, which until 1934 was the administrative border between the Tomsk railway and the Transbaikal Railway. The Baikal station is thus located 72 km from this datum point, and the Slyudyanka-2 station, at 161 km. In

9638-709: The latter being a toxic chemical, and are theoretically recyclable. However, plastics may shed microplastics and leach other possibly toxic chemicals such as ultraviolet inhibitors. Hybrid plastic railroad ties and composite ties are used in other rail applications such as underground mining operations, industrial zones, humid environments and densely populated areas. Hybrid railroad ties are also used to be partly exchanged with rotten wooden ties, which will result in continuous track stiffness. Hybrid plastic ties and composite ties also offer benefits on bridges and viaducts, because they lead to better distribution of forces and reduction of vibrations into respectively bridge girders or

9760-439: The majority of the construction by manual labour. Every kilometer of the line required the expenditure of about one wagon of explosives. Earthwork was carried out in volume, approximately equal to 400 wagons. Embankments amounted to 28.7% of the length of the road, and cuttings to 71.3% (with a great deal in rocky soil). The construction of the railway track itself had to be made heavier, using stronger, heavier track and increasing

9882-425: The masonry of the tunnel. The results of further studies of the rocks along the way showed that they were not as robust as the initial surveys had expected. Moreover, the work associated with the construction of the railway (particularly the work using explosives) had led to the formation of numerous cracks in the rocks below. Having recognised this danger, the authorities agreed on the construction of retaining walls,

10004-606: The most complicated sections of railway in the country. In 1939 on the Western Siberian Railway the Travelling Machine Station was built, which was carried out by anti-landslide workers (including even rock-climbers). The levelling and clearing of dangerous slopes has continued to the present day. Among other natural phenomena, mudflows and floods have had a negative influence on Circum–Baikal traffic safety. The greatest activity in this respect has occurred on

10126-469: The number of ties . Because of the difficult terrain the minimum radius of the turns was reduced. The onset of the Russo-Japanese War in 1904 caused an acceleration in the construction of the railway. From 1901 to 1902 about 9,000 workers were employed on the railway, while in 1903–1904 the number rose to 13,500. The main efforts were focused on the construction of the railway line itself; therefore,

10248-401: The only ones permitted by Network Rail standards. Most European railways also now use concrete bearers in switches and crossing layouts due to the longer life and lower cost of concrete bearers compared to timber, which is increasingly difficult and expensive to source in sufficient quantities and quality. Steel ties are formed from pressed steel and are trough-shaped in section. The ends of

10370-403: The possible negative impact caused by the lake water, the minimum necessary height of the track route over the water of Baikal was calculated to be 2.5 sazhens (5.33 m). Technical conditions during the arrangement of the double-track sections fixed the capacity of the line at 14 pairs of trains per day. Owing to the lack of a flat shoreline all the materials (with the exception of stone mined at

10492-425: The prison itself, as its influence in the region grew, it was completely rebuilt twice (in 1669 and 1693), expanding in size. The fate of the prison was such that its military-defensive significance was less noticeable than other previously erected forts near the Angara, for example, Bratsk (1631) or Verkholensk (1644). However, its location at the crossroads of colonization, trade and industrial routes predetermined

10614-691: The provincial chancellery, the house of the vice-governor (former voivodship) with barns and cellars, the Church of the Savior. "Small town" was the administrative center of the vast Irkutsk province since 1731. In the "big city", as the posad was called, the commercial and economic life of Irkutsk was concentrated. It was inhabited mainly by people from the northern regions of Russia: Veliky Ustyug , Yarensk , Pinega , Solvychegodsk , Pereyaslavl-Zalessky , who brought their traditions, customs, and culture to Siberia. The first road connection between Moscow and Irkutsk,

10736-425: The railway from Irkutsk along the left bank. The construction of the railway along the Angara from Irkutsk to Cape Baranchik ( Port Baikal ) on Lake Baikal was carried out in 1896–1900, at a total cost of 3.47 million rubles. In the meantime, East of the lake the railway from Sretensk was completed up to Mysovaya on the east shore of Lake Baikal. With the purpose of establishing a through railway connection, before

10858-516: The railway, 201 closed off a single stage and disturbed the top structure of the railway, and 18 caused train wrecks and the destruction of the embankment. According to the data of the Eastern Siberian Engineering Service, between 1930 and 1984 about 1200 collapses and mud-flows were recorded. Besides this, about 500 cases of the falling of individual rocks caused damage to the railway and rolling stock. Engineers described trips on

10980-501: The resistance to track movement is very good. For curves the three-point contact of a Y steel tie means that an exact geometric fit cannot be observed with a fixed attachment point. The cross section of the ties is an I-beam . As of 2006, less than 1,000 km (621 mi) of Y-tie track had been built, of which approximately 90 percent is in Germany . The ZSX Twin tie is manufactured by Leonhard Moll Betonwerke GmbH & Co KG and

11102-468: The river Slyudyanka, which runs into Baikal near station 1. On July 29, 1934, a mudflow on this river had catastrophic consequences, carrying off in its wake several apartment houses and covering the station with a thick layer of silt and sand. In 1960 a mudflow on the Slyudyanka again washed away train tracks and destroyed a series of dams. Powerful downpours in 1971 caused the most severe floods, which led to

11224-418: The role of Irkutsk in the history of Eastern Siberia. In 1682 it became the center of an independent region, and in 1686 it received the status of a city. Irkutsk at the beginning of the 18th century was divided into two parts: "small town", or the prison itself, and "big city". The first one started from the bank of the Angara and was a wooden fortress with adjacent buildings. These included the stone building of

11346-470: The section from Baikal to Slyudyanka alone ten stopping points were set up. Measures were taken to improve traffic safety and protect against landslides. During the revolutionary events of 1917 and the subsequent civil war the Circum-Baikal was the scene of intense fighting, as evidenced by the mass graves of victims of those events. The Red Army, retreating from the Czechoslovak Legions , blew up

11468-629: The section of the Circum–Baikal from Baikal station to Kultuk station was declared an architectural and scenic reserve (it is now part of the Baikal National Park) and put under State protection. Beginning in the early 1980s the tourist potential of the Circum–Baikal Railway began to come into its own (the stations, however, were used to a limited degree since the railroad's inception as an area for dachas and recreation). A series of tourist areas are in operation ("Taiga" at 134 km, "Sensation" at 102 km, "Coniferous" at 98 km, "Retro" and

11590-444: The site) were brought by water to the site of construction (by barge during the summer, by animal-drawn carts in the winter). The complex terrain of the rocky shore compelled the builders to lay the majority of the route in tunnels or on artificial platforms cut out of the rock; the sides of the railway were strengthened with retaining walls. The workers, already suffering under the hot summers and harsh winters, were required to carry out

11712-609: The standard Soviet apartment blocks that surround them. By the end of the 19th century, the population consisted of one exiled man for every two locals. People of varying backgrounds, from members of the Decembrist uprising to Bolsheviks , had been in Irkutsk for many years and had greatly influenced the culture and development of the city. As a result, Irkutsk became a prosperous cultural and educational center in Eastern Siberia . From 1848 to 1861, Count Nikolay Muravyov-Amursky

11834-423: The stated section of the line was 52.52 million rubles. The transportation engineer Boleslav Cavrimovich was appointed as director of construction. The construction of the Circum–Baikal railway began in late 1899. Originally the efforts of the builders were concentrated on the section from Mysovaya to Tankhoy . Beginning in 1901, the section from Tankhoy to Slyudyanka was laid. The construction of these sections

11956-459: The stripping of the hillside, and other measures. In some places dangerous sections were rerouted with new tunnels. Nevertheless, in spite of the work to prevent natural hazards, landslides were a frequent and dangerous phenomenon on the Circum-Baikal, often leading to crashes and interruptions in traffic. For example: In 1936, the Marituiskaya section was built for safety purposes. It was one of

12078-471: The supply of necessary articles such as bread, salt, matches, vodka, and tobacco. Another name given to the train is мотаня (so called because the train rushes or мотается between stations). In addition, tourist trains periodically pass along the Cicum-Baikal, including steam locomotives and retro-style cars. Tourists can also rent handcars . By a decision of the Irkutsk regional council on December 21, 1982,

12200-430: The thermal expansion gap allowed between the rail ends. Interurban railways of the late 1800s and early 1900s generally ran lighter rolling stock than mainline steam railways, but roadbeds were built to similar standards. Wooden ties were placed at approximately 2-foot (0.61 m) intervals. Various methods exist for fixing the rail to the railroad ties. Historically spikes gave way to cast iron chairs fixed to

12322-507: The tie are shaped to form a "spade" which increases the lateral resistance of the tie. Housings to accommodate the fastening system are welded to the upper surface of the tie. Steel ties are now in widespread use on secondary or lower-speed lines in the UK where they have been found to be economical to install due their ability to be installed on the existing ballast bed. Steel ties are lighter in weight than concrete and able to stack in compact bundles unlike timber. Steel ties can be installed onto

12444-478: The tie plate) and spike-pull (where the spike is gradually loosened from the tie). Wooden ties can catch fire; as they age they develop cracks that allow sparks to lodge and more easily start fires. Concrete ties are cheaper and easier to obtain than timber and better able to carry higher axle-weights and sustain higher speeds. Their greater weight ensures improved retention of track geometry , especially when installed with continuous-welded rail. Concrete ties have

12566-440: The tie, more recently springs (such as Pandrol clips ) are used to fix the rail to the tie chair. In recent years, wooden railroad ties have also become popular for gardening and landscaping , both in creating retaining walls and raised-bed gardens, and sometimes for building steps as well. Traditionally, the ties sold for this purpose are decommissioned ties taken from rail lines when replaced with new ties, and their lifespan

12688-411: The ties are laid parallel to the rails and are several meters long. The structure is similar to Brunel's baulk track; these longitudinal ties can be used with ballast, or with elastomer supports on a solid non-ballasted support. The crosstie spacing of mainline railroad is approximately 19 to 19.5 inches (48 to 50 cm) for wood ties or 24 inches (61 cm) for concrete ties. The number of ties

12810-457: The ties center due to the more flexible steel connections. This tie type is in common use in France, and are used on the high-speed TGV lines. Bi-block ties are also used in ballastless track systems. They are gauge-convertible by cutting and welding the steel bar to the dimension that suits the new gauge. Frame ties ( German : Rahmenschwelle ) comprise both lateral and longitudinal members in

12932-454: The ties, steel ties may be used with track circuit based train detection and track integrity systems. Without insulation, steel ties may only be used on lines without block signaling and level crossings or on lines that use other forms of train detection such as axle counters . In more recent times, a number of companies are selling composite railroad ties manufactured from recycled plastic resins and recycled rubber. Manufacturers claim

13054-415: The tunnels and bridges. Because it was no longer needed, the second track of the Circum–Baikal line was dismantled. In the early 1980s, some even proposed the closure of the line, or that a road be constructed in its place. The villages along the road gradually deteriorated, and people began to abandon their houses. Virtually the only means of communication with the heartland for the residents of these places

13176-629: The western section, meant to connect Irkutsk and Kultuk. A group of researchers under the direction of the professor Ivan Vasilʹevich Mushketov studied four options for routing this section of the railway: According to the results of the work of mountain engineering parties, on June 29, 1889, the Committee for the Construction of the Siberian Railway chose the first and third options from these four initial proposals. From 1899 to 1900 final survey work

13298-419: The worldwide railroad systems including heavy-haul, class 1s, regional, shortlines, mining, electrified passenger lines (OHLE) and all manner of industries. Notably, steel ties (bearers) have proven themselves over the last few decades to be advantageous in turnouts (switches/points) and provide the solution to the ever-growing problem of long timber ties for such use. When insulated to prevent conduction through

13420-400: The year is January, when the average temperature is −17.6 °C (0.3 °F), and record low of −49.7 °C (−57.5 °F). Precipitation varies widely throughout the year, with July being the wettest month, when precipitation averages 107 millimeters (4.2 in). The driest month is February, when precipitation averages only 9 millimeters (0.35 in). Almost all precipitation during

13542-518: Was built in 1897 and a major train station opened in 1898. The first train arrived in Irkutsk on August 16 of that year. By 1900, the city had earned the nickname of "The Paris of Siberia." During the Russian Civil War , which broke out after the October Revolution , Irkutsk became the site of many furious, bloody clashes between the " White movement " and the " Bolsheviks ", known as

13664-478: Was built, noticeably shortening the distance compared with the Circum–Baikal branch line. The main route of the Trans–Siberian Railway was therefore transferred to the new section. In 1950, construction on the Irkutsk Hydroelectric Power Station plant was begun. In connection with this, the part of the Circum–Baikal railway from Irkutsk to the town of Baikal that passed along the Angara River

13786-400: Was built; from 1911 to 1914 the construction of a second track was undertaken, which increased the capacity of the Circum–Baikal to 48 pairs of trains a day. In this stage of the construction of bridges and other engineering structures reinforced concrete was introduced as new material. As part of these works, considerable attention was paid to the construction of stations and station towns. On

13908-499: Was carried out chiefly by the inmates and hard labourers of the Aleksandrovsky prison . Workers began construction on the most complex section, from Slyudyanka to the Baikal station, only in the spring of 1902, with the aim of finishing it by 1905. The original plan required the construction of 33 tunnels , at a cost of 5.3 million rubles, a retaining wall for 3.7 million rubles, and viaducts for 1.6 million rubles. With regard to

14030-431: Was carried out in 1894. Initially, the surveyors proposed to build a pontoon bridge and have the railway go down the right (east) bank of the Angara River (the left bank was too built up); however, later this variant was found to be inexpedient, as the level of water in the Angara was subject to fluctuations, and during spring thaws, crossing the river would have been difficult. Therefore, the planners decided to establish

14152-461: Was disassembled and in 1956 flooded during the filling of the Irkutsk reservoir (only remnants of dams remained on the shore of the Angara near the town of Baikal). In the end, only a "dead-end" route of the Circum–Baikal (from Slyudyanka-2 to Kultuk, Marituy, and Baykal) was left. The railway lost its strategic importance, the number of trains on the road dropped sharply, and security was withdrawn from

14274-405: Was divided into Chita Oblast and Irkutsk Oblast. During the communist years, the industrialization of Irkutsk and Siberia in general was strongly encouraged. The large Irkutsk Reservoir was built on the Angara River between 1950 and 1959 in order to generate hydroelectric power and facilitate industrial development. The Epiphany Cathedral, the governor's palace, a school of medicine, a museum,

14396-485: Was done, and the engineers preferred to lay the line along the lake shore (i.e., the third option). Despite the difficult terrain along the shoreline, which consisted of a rocky ridge with abrupt slopes, towering 270 to 400 m above the shore, calculations showed this option to be the most economical. The final decision on the line was made by the Committee for the Construction of the Siberian Railway on June 22 [ O.S. June 9] 1901. The cost of construction of

14518-499: Was reported that armed Russian OMON (Special Purpose Mobile Unit of the Russian National Guard) officers physically assaulted and tortured two Jehovah’s Witness couples as part of a round up of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the city. Irkutsk is located about 850 kilometres (530 mi) to the south-east of Krasnoyarsk , and about 520 kilometres (320 mi) north of Ulaanbaatar , the capital of Mongolia . The city proper lies on

14640-506: Was the Governor-General. He annexed the Amur Territory to Russia, however, on the spot he showed unbridled despotism and extreme cruelty. Since the opening of communication along the Amur in 1854, on the way from St. Petersburg to the Pacific Ocean, the old Yakutsk tract began to decline. The population of the city is 28,000, of them there were 3,768 exiles. In 1879, on July 4 and 6,

14762-522: Was the first instance of plastic sleepers being installed on mainline track in the country, they have previously been used on narrow-gauge railways . Ties may also be made from fiberglass . An unusual form of tie is the Y-shaped tie, first developed in 1983. Compared to conventional ties, the volume of ballast required is reduced due to the load-spreading characteristics of the Y-tie. Noise levels are high but

14884-417: Was the rarely running diesel locomotive, and later a locomotive connected Slyudyanka, Kultuk, and Baykal (Port Baikal is linked to the village of Listvyanka on the opposite shore of the Angara by an automobile ferry). The greatest challenge for the Circum–Baikal Railway was and still is frequent landslides and mud flows. Even at the time of surveying, engineers noted a strong weathering of the rock layers and

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