In 1980 the Tashkent pioneer railway had TU2-114 and TU2-064 at its disposal.
Photo: Mehis Helme.
In 1980 the Tashkent pioneer railway had TU2-114 and TU2-064 at its disposal.
Photo: Mehis Helme.
The only narrow gauge railway in Uzbekistan using class TU2's is the pioneer railway in the capitol of Tashkent. The line runs through the Alishera Navoi Park is 2 km long and opened in 1940.
In 1957 the line was dieselised. The railway obtained TU1-002. This is one of the experimental locomotives built by Kaluga in 1954. It seems to have functioned quite well on this pioneer railway. After all, hauling light trains and running at low speeds was not a real problem for a TU1. The malfunctions of the class TU1 only became evident when hauling heavy trains and while running at high speeds. However, the pioneer railway was faced with a lack of spare parts for the TU1. (In detail, the parts differed from those used in the serie-produced class TU2).
Between 1954 and 1973 TU1-002 worked on the Tashkent pioneer railway. Here it is seen in the station Solnechnaja in the 1960s. Note the two-colored livery of the engine.
Photo: Ildar Basyrov.
Already in 1964 the motive power fleet was reinforced by TU2-114. It might have worked on the Alapaevsk forestry railway in the Ural Mountains, but this could not be confirmed. A few years later the experimental TU1 was dumped. In 1973 it was replaced by TU2-064 (ex-Panevežys MPD).
In 1988 two new class TU7A diesel locomotives were supplied to the Tashkent pioneer railway. Following their arrival, TU2-064 was send to the Tashkent locomotive depot, where it was to be overhauled. But instead the TU2 transferred to the Tashkent railway museum, which is an annex of the pioneer railway. TU2-064 has only worked on the museum railway for one year and had to be taken out of service due to its poor technical condition. Afterwards it has been displayed at the museum, where it is still standing in the open air today.
TU2-064 is preserved in the Tashkent railway museum. When photographed in Summer 2004 it had already lost its red star on the front of the cab but further it seemed to be in a relatively good condition.
Photo: Ildar Basyrov.
In 1989 two more class TU7A diesel locomotives were allocated to the Tashkent pioneer railway (numbers 3142 and 3143). These replaced the last remaining TU2. TU2-114 was scrapped in Solnechnaja station in 1989.
