RAILROADS FUSE WINTER PREPARATIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600350868-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 23, 2011
• Sequence Number: 868
• Publication Date: November 2, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600350868-0
CLASSIFICATION SECRET
SECRET
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS
COUNTRY USSR
SUBJECT Transportation - Railroads
HOW
PUBLISHED ' Semiweekly newspaper
WHERE
PUBLISHED' Moscow
DATE
PUBLISHED 25 Jun - 6 Aug 1950
LANGUAGE Russian
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF ESPIONAGE ACT ^
U. S. C.. $I AND SS. AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION ON THE REVELATION
OF ITS CONTENTS IN AMT MA.MER TO AN UNAUTHORIEID PERSON IS PRO-
.10111. ST LAW. REPRODUCTION OF THIS FORM IS PROHIBITED.
REPORT
CD NO.
DATE OF
DATE DIST. .%J Nov 1950
NO. OF PAGES 3
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
RAILROADS PUSH WINTER PREPARATIONS
MINISTRY CONSIDERS PROBLEMS, PAST FAULTS -- Gudok, 21 Jul 50
The collegium of the Ministry of Transportation has heard reports from
the directors of the main administrations of traffic, locomotives, track, and
railroad cars, and has established that some managers of administrations, rail-
road okrugs, and railroad systems are not carrying out winter preparations
with the necessary energy. These managers have forgotten the lessons of the
previous winter, when a similar negligence led to serious difficulties. This
applies especially to the railroad systems of the Ural-Siberian, Donets, and
Caucasus railroad okrugs.
One reason for the serious deficiencies last winter was that with the
onset of cold weather, operations became immediately worse. On the railroad
systems of the Caucasus Railroad Okrug, especially on the Azerbaydzhan System,
train movement was disrupted because of the poor organization of snow-removal
operations. On the Astrakhan' line, some of the most important railroad centers
were not protected with snow fences.
Serious shortcomings were noted in the locomotives enterprises of many
railroad systems. In January, disruptions in the work of locomotive crews in-
creased sharply, many, locomotives were forced to go into extra repair, and in
some depots there were delays in providing locomotives for trains.
Because of failures on the part of railroad car workers on some railroad
systems, instances of cars having to be uncoupled from trains and delays of
trains became more frequent. Many unfit railroad cars accumulated in railroad
centers.
The collegium noted that at present not all the main administrations have
taken measures to protect transport from a repetition of last year's mistakes.
Many directors cannot see the serious shortcomings in various links of their
organizations because of the favorable "average" figures.
Winter preparations, it was indicated at the meeting, should be based on
the increase of the level and quality of all operational work. The state plan
for carrying was exceeded in the first_44;garter, and carloadings increased dur-
ing the first half in comparison with * like period of 1949. However, during
,the first half year, freight car turnaround time exceeded. the established norm,
HSRB
XJFB1
SECRET SECRET
DISTRIBUTION
50X1-HUM
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600350868-0
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600350868-0
SSECRET
and the assignment for average speed including stops was not met. Average
daily locomotives runs were below the norm, The Caucasus, Central Asia,
and Far Eastern railroad okrugs are still not meeting the norm for freight
car turnaround time. The collegium demanded of the directors of these okrugs
and of the lagging railroad systems that the sectors in which delays are tak-
ing place be determined'and measures taken to improve operational work and to
meet the assignment for car turnaround time.
Railroad transport will go into the winter this year with a reserve of
cars exceeding that of last year. However, at some places, such as the Pechora,
Northern, and Karaganda railroad systems, a reserve has not yet been created.
In the Central Okrug, delivery of cars destined for the reserves of other okrugs
is lagging. The collegium ordered the heads of all okrugs to disperse cars to
the appointed places during July and August.
The Main Track Administration is permitting a lag in winter preparations.
Although the plan for repair operations is being carried out on a higher level
than last year, the schedules for reconstruction and medium repair of track
are not being met. Preparation and repair of snow-removal equipment are going
slowly. Because of poor running maintenance of track on the railroad systems
of the Ural-Siberian Okrug, the number of speed restrictions has increased.
The directors of the Main Track Administration have been ordered to improve
running maintenance, execute the summer work program, eliminate restrictions,
and prepare all the basic snow-removal equipment for winter.
The Main Locomotive Administration has not given the necessary attention
to promoting the mass development of the movement of 500-kilometer daily loco-
motive runs. Up to now, layover of locomotives in repair of all types has not
been reduced to the norm, and repair of coaling facilities, turntables, boilers,
and turbines is going slowly.
The collegium charged the Main Railroad Car Administration with accelerating
the repair of rolling stock, improving the quality of inspection in the receiv-
ing yards of marshaling stations, and improving the technical maintenance of
railroad cars. Special attention should be given to the immediate improvement
of the condition of the passenger car inventory. The collegium criticized the
Administration of Railroad Car and Locomotive Repair Plants for its failure to
meet the plan for capital repair of passenger cars.
The collegium noted that the main construction administrations are execut-
ing the plan for strengthening the traffic capacity of the railroads unsatis-
factorily. It is necessary to accelerate the laying of second tracks and the
development of stations and to force the capital repair and change the roofs of
locomotive depots. Up to now, these operations have not been begun in 27 im-
portant depots, and in 63 depots only 12 percent of the plan has been completed.
The housing program is also lagging.
The locomotives and locomotive facilities of railroad transport are not
being satisfactorily prepared for winter. The Main Locomotive Administration is
satisfied itself with cuantitative fulfillment of-the plan for repair of loco-
motives, while layover of locomotives in all types of repair is 50-100 percent
higher than the norm. The number of locomotive breakdowns in June in comparison
with May not only did not decline, but even increased somewhat.
The situation in reagard to repair and construction of depot installations
and facilities for servicing locomotives is exceedingly poor.
On many railroad systems, work in track reconstruction, medium track repair,
and reinforcement of curves is lagging behind the schedule.
50X1-HUM,
- 2 -
SECRET
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600350868-0
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600350868-0
SECRET
All winter preparations on the Ural-Siberian and Far Eastern railroad okrugs
and on the Pechora, Northern, Kirov, Turkestan-Siberian, Ufa, Kuybyshev, and Oren-
burg railroad systems are to be finished by 1 October. Winter preparations the
other railroad systems are to be completed by 15 October.
Last winter, the first really cold weather rendered the Chelyabinsk rail-
road center almost inoperable. Many tracks remained underneath snowdrifts for
2- months, For 3 months thousands of cars waited on the Omsk, Tomsk, Karaganda,
and Ufa railroad systems to be passed through the Chelyabinsk center.
At present, operations are no better than they were at the beginning of last
winter. The rail center continually receives an excessive load. While during
all of April there arrived in the center 546 cars whose direction was to be changed
(from north-south to east-west or vice versa), the number of such cars arriving
at present is 600-650 every 10 days. All of these cars must be processed first
in one yard and then in another. At the same time, the southern by-pass up to
now has been loaded to only half of capacity.
Only half of the trains are being made up in hump yards, and many of'these
trains are then further processed. The number of trains dispatched has dropped
almost one-third in comparison with April and May. The norms are not being met
for any operation in the *processing of through freight. Every day 15-20 cars
are uncoupled from readied trains because of defects.
ORE FREEZING STILL A PROBLEM -- Gudok, 25 Jun 50
Combating the freezing of iron ore and manganese ore during loading and un-
loading in the Krivoy Rog Basin is a forgotten phase in ore shipping. The freez-
ing of this freight causes the national economy great losses. In winter, iron
and manganese ore arrive at metallurgical plants frozen solid and frozen to the
floor and walls of the cars. As a result, layovers of cars in unloading opera-
tions on the sidings of the "Azovstall" Plant, plants in the Dnepr region, and
in the Donbass are five to ten times the norm. The metallurgical plants have
paid the railroads huge sums in fines for holding cars too long. However, no
fines can reimburse the railroad systems for the loss: according to the most
modest calculations, more than 25,000 cars were lost because of excess layover
in unloading during 3 winter months.
In the mines of the Krivoy Basin, empty cars arrive as a rule with remnants
of frozen lading -- coal, ore, and ballast. Last winter it was necessary to
assign up to 500 workers to cleaning the cars every day.
Methods of preventing the freezing of ore used in the Krivoy Rog Basin and
at Marganets are imperfect. Expensive unslaked lime -- from 600 to 1,200 kilo-
grams per car -- is used as a preventive measure. Last year, more than 30 mil-
lion rubles were expended for this purpose.
In addition, the process of liming ore slows up freight car turnaround time
and occupies a large number of workers. Sawdust, salt, and straw have also been
tried, but they do not give the desired results.
Soviet scientists should find an economically effective way of removing the
water from manganese ore and reducing the moisture content of Krivoy Rog ores
at the point of extraction. The effectiveness, depending on temperature, time
of year, and time spent en route, of the existing preventive measures such as
lime, salt, and sawdust should be determined. The effectiveness of removable
installations, such as heaters for warming the ore in cars both en route and at
unloading points, should be tested and calculated.
SECRET
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600350868-0