SOVIET INSTALLATIONS FOR CHANGING THE GAUGE OF RAILROAD CARS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A001200570006-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 6, 2009
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: May 22, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2009/04/06: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA001200570006-0
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
This Document contains Information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S. code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person Is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
SECRET/CONTROL-US OFFICIALS ONLY..
DATE OFiNFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
Soviet Installations for Changing
the Grau$e of Railroad-Cars
REPORT
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
aka 1953
1. There are installations at three points on. the Soviet side of the Soviet-
Polish border where the wheelspan of railroad cars can be changed easily
and rapidly. These points are Cherriyakhovsk (N54-38,E21.49)1 Brest (N52-07,
E23p1i.2), and Medyka (X49-49,M'2-57) 9 the latter,,' located east. of Przemyslp'
on the Krakow--Przemysl~Lvov magistral line, is the largest of these points.
Wheels can be changed only on those-cars which have been built in Breslau
since 1949. The majority of these cars, which are mostly between '20-and
30-ton capacity, havefo aarles.laced in airs near the front and back
of the- ca-~
2. At. these three frontier points are numerous branch lines, under which have
been built tunnels about 2.2 meters deep and 250-300 meters long.. The
tunnels are connected so that workers can pass from one tunnel to another;
is not certain that there are walls between the tunneYaa; but,, if there
ar,e they do not extend the length of the tunnels. Concrete pillars. similar
in construction to steel railroad bridges support the surface railroad
tracks; -the tracks on.. the surface correspond to those on the floors of the,
tunnels, in that the gauges are identical and both have three rails, arranged-
as shown in the attached diagram.
`the equipment at these points is complicated but the work proceeds somewhat
is follows-. The railroad cars are stopped with the wheels resting on a section
of track which can be lowered by an elevator to the tunnel below the tracks;
a hydraulic hoist is raised; into position to support the care while the wheels
are changed; the wheels are, unfastened and lowered to. the tunnel floor on the
rail elevator, wheels and axles of the desired. width being returned to the
surface on the elevators, and"attached to the chassis. The hydraulic hoist is
then lowered and the car is ready. The.entire.process requires five to seven
minutes per car and 10 to 15 minutes for an entire train, no more time being
consumed-than would be needed for.uncoupling or switching a locomotive. The
crew is divided into groups of five, one group usually handling . two. cars.
in the last paragraph are comparatively much too high.
.. AROWn /CONTROL-US OFFICIALS ONLY
STATE fx, ARMY X NAVY X IAIR X FBI . AEC
(Note: Washington Distribution Indicated By "X"; Plaid Distribution By "#".)
Approved For Release 2009/04/06: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA001200570006-0
 Approved For Release 2009/04/06: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA001200570006-0
SECRMT/C0NTRO7 (JS OFFICIALS ONLY
Illustration of Installation for Changing the Gauge of'Railroad Cars
Mplanations
1. Elevators for raising and lowering the wheels
2. Hydraulic hoist which supports the car, during the operation ,i
A,B, and C are the surface rails. A-C represent Soviet?,gauge,, B-.C standard \,
gauge. A',B', and Ct are the corresponding rails on the floor of the?-tunnel.
3ECRZT/CON*OL.4JS OFFICIALS ONLY
Approved For Release 2009/04/06: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA001200570006-0