This post is dedicated to our dear Estonian friend Peter.
Ben and I were in Estonia for two days – April 1 & 2. We travelled by bus to Parnu, just over the Latvian border, and took a cab to the Estonian Train Museum near Lavarraase. A private collection, the museum was started forty years ago by Mehta, a retired train engineer. He has a small indoor collection of rail tools, station gear and old photographs, and a huge outdoor display of vintage Baltic and Soviet locomotives and rail stock. The equipment includes very low profile pieces used in underground mines, steam, electric and diesel locomotives and railcars, crew carriers, passenger cars, a snow blower, and a maintenance crane. Definitely the largest and most diverse collection I’ve ever seen.
The museum is financed by donations, and all help is from about fifteen volunteers. Tima took us on a narrow gauge train ride – two kilometres into town and back. The rails are original, from the once operating onsite peat mine. The museum is gradually upgrading the old ties to concrete, using ties salvaged from abandoned rail lines. We were fortunate to have had Mehta and Tima make special trips from Tallinn to open up the museum, just for us.
We had a nice lunch in Parnu, a Baltic seaside town popular in the summer with lovely beaches, and boarded a bus for Tallinn, about two hours up the road.
Next morning we toured Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. Tallinn has a long difficult history. Its excellent harbour and central Baltic Sea location attracted attacks from all around. The city was destroyed by the Soviet Air Force in 1944 as the Soviets worked to expel the occupying Nazis. The Lower and Upper parts of the Old Town have been beautifully restored, with impressive walls and gates, fantastic church steeples and towers, and terrific viewing panoramas.
Here’s a short video of an organist practising in the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Mary.
One of the highlights of our visit was the Bastion tunnel. Dug in the late 1600s by the Swedes for defense, the tunnels lay unused (and forgotten) until the Germans used them as bomb shelters, and then the Soviets as a military bunker.
We finished up the day with a tram ride. We saw at least four different eras of trams, from vintage 1940 style to long modern articulated vehicles. They run fast, often, smooth and quiet. Makes one wonder about Toronto …
How very kind of them to open the museum for you. Definitely Russian engineering at work. Neat stuff and what a network of rails they have available just a great play ground. I am surprised you did hand around to help restore something. The pictures are extraordinary please keep them and the historical context coming it is quite fascinating. Have fun.
here is something sent to me from ASME thought you might find it interesting narrator could use some training on trains………https://youtu.be/iqDojd-NHjc?si=ZQomgdTRLcGtutuU
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Hi Wes
Fantastic railway museum, huh? Super-nice guys, and really creative. They made a little locomotive to pull a tour car. It has a small lawnmower engine driving a hydraulic pump to turn the wheels. It’s about 4 feet long – just enough space for the driver. When we got to the end of the line, he backed the tour car onto a siding, moved the little loco in front, jacked the loco up and spun it 180 degrees so that it faced forward for the return. Friggin’ clever as hell, and took about three minutes.
You’re right about wanting to tinker. It’s like having a 1:1 scale model railroad, with working vintage Soviet locos and railcars. Diesel, steam and battery.
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Thankyou again John love the pics. So interesting. Pete would have love to see them
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Great photos, and so colourful. Could the sky be any bluer in those first ones.
Curious little houses inside the church.
Thanks John
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Yes all well and good but are you having any fun!? Looks incredible from afar. Great pictures!! As always.
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