SOUTHERN DON BASIN RAILROAD - KHARKOV-ROSTOV LINE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000500230068-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 4, 2013
• Sequence Number: 68
• Publication Date: October 20, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/04/04: CIA-RDP80-00809A000500230068-9
F
Utt.. 15101
U.S. O'ficials Only
CONFIDENTIAL
SECUR I TY i ?WORK% T i Os
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
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COUNTRY USSR
SUBJECT- Southern Don Basin Railroad
- Kharkov-Rostov Line
REPORT
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DATE DISTR. 3.4) Oct 1953
NO OF PAGES 4
NO. OF ENCLS.
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LATIOn 0, ITS CONT.'S TO O. 010CIPT It AN whAuTNOPI/TO ,I400N II
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
SuPP. TO
R 'SR
L 0
Laboi
3. The even-see 'section gang .0: made .11 of from men. Thy mon are ueually old
handy at section wor4. Row4ver, a great Amount or training is not necessary, A6
the work la mainly ozily labor.
All caution hand o were paid empAoyeeo and worked eight-hour shifts.
Roadbe-1.
4. The Kharkov-Rostov Line was all double track. The general condition of the roadeed
was pour. The line yes an old one and had not received proper maintenanoo. Rails
were old and worn. BecauA0 of t3hortages of steel it was hard to get replacements.
U.S. Officials Only
CONFIDENT=
SECuRITY 04,.)RMAT ;ON
DISTs sui?top4 4 STATE I 1A.vY ! Y I IA IR ?7-177,,
I f.'! -I
This report is for the use within the UfiA. of the Intelligence components of the Departmentt or
Agencies indicated above. It Is no to be transmitted overseas without the concur). ance of the
originating office through the Assistant Director of the Office of Collection and Dissemination, CIA.
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Idas npdassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/04/04 : CIA-RDP80-00809A000500230068-9
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/04/04: CIA-RDP80-00809A000500230068-9
CONFIDENT-1AL., SECURITY INFOREAT OFF1- TAL.S 0:1L1'
Fasteninge
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5,
These were the usual spike and coupling, similar to those used
in Germany and the
US. sufficient spikes and couplings for replacements, which
were made as
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needed.
Ties
6.
.
Ties, or sleepers, Isere usually of treated pine. There yasi no
and they were replaced as needed.
scarcity of ties
Ballast.
7.
Generally, a gravel or small pebble and sand mixture was used for
ballaat.
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required to have a depth of about 30 centimeters of ballast under
the ties. However,
there were many spots on the road where proper ballast was not
with the result that the rale dipped or sank in thesespots.
maintained in the past
J.
Kuteynikovo and 50X1 -HUM
There were only two small briageo between
Amroeicuka. Both vex* over email gulleys and were about six meters
in length. One
was concrete and the other one was metal.
There were, however, three major bridges on the Kharkovehontov Lane:
ft. 15etween the stations of )(barmy and Martynovo there is a threeeepan stool
bridge over the Donets River. 1! wee Wilt about 1935 and accommodatco a
ft double truck. It is approximately 50 meters in length. It wee in
excellent condition in 1941.
b. Betwec$ Zahodydnaya and MetveyvveKurgen, over the Niue River, is a threw.,
span steel bridge. It is anont no meters in length au4 10 in good condition.
c. Over the Don River near Rostov, there lei 4 brAge one kilOmster in lengths
rt i. a draw bridge, wit4 the two mldn.le sections rising to permit river
traffic to vase, it cerries A double traek.
Tunnelt
9. Thera are no tunnels on this particular line.
Clatieification 'Yard'
? . ? ?
10.*
a.
Of =Jot Importftnce is the Yelovaysk Yard. It usee the hump Method and can
accommodate 50 tr.iins.
b. Marteevo likewise is a hump yard and can accommodate about 12 trains.
C. Taganrog is the Aeme as Marteevo.
Sidings
11. Been the emalleat stations have four or five sidings for checking, refuelIng,
watering, unloading, etc.
Stations
1 Starting at Kharkov, following stations en route to Rostov:
1. Kharkov
2. Osnova
3. Ohuguev
4, Svyatogorsk
5. Nikitovka
6. Putiprovod
CONFIDEAT1AL/SECURITY INFORMATLnw/OS OFFICIALS ONLY
cnyi Inn
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/04/04: CIA-RDP80-00809A000500230068-9
CONFIDENTIAL/SECURITY INFORMATION/US OFFICIALS ONLY
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7. Khanzhonkovo
8. Khartaiek
9. Islavayek
10. Kutevnikovo
U. Amvretsiovka
12.. Matvecv Kurgan
13. Niklinovka
14. Marteevo
Beeeergenouka
16. Mtrakeya
17. 81:1yevekaya
18. Kbapry
19. Rostov
There are three connecting spurs:
a. From Kharkov to 81aT4snek, Krematorlika K.metantinovao, and joining the main
line at Rikitovka.
b. The lisl splito at Martsevo, one spur going into Tegenrcg end then across to
Bessergeavka, thc other cutting across from Martmovo to Bessergeevka. This latter
spur- is tospeed up passenger trains.
ca. At Khapry the lino splits again, one spur going south and east to
anilovakaye and thence into Rostov. The other outs straight from Khapry to Rostov
and is Unown as the Dcapodhod cut-off. Its purpose is again to speed 'Ay passenger
trains.
The following sketch will aamist:
. Ki kew
illavyensk Cenova
Kramatrn
KonotAnClnovka
Taganrog
Mvyatogorta
Nlititovka
Nteprovcd
Khanshonkovo
Khartsisk
Yelovayek
Kutwynikova
AWCsievka
matvsev Kurgan
Niklinovka
Marteevo
Bessergeevka
Sinyakoveks
Khapry
G.Iilovakaya
? CONFIDERTIAL/SECORITY INFORMATION/US OFFICIALS ONLY
Rostov
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uOWTDENTTAL/SECURITY INFORMATION/US OFFICIALS ONLY
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'itaffic
13. This particular line had very heavy traffic. There were about 24 freight trains and
10 passenger trains a day on through schedules plus numeroua local trains. The flow
of traffic friNclio'ihe south consisted of oil and coal while machinery moved from the
north.'
Warehouses
14. Kharkov, Yelovayak, and Rostov were the key centers. At Kharkov there were numerous
warehouses and coal yards. The main product at Yelovgyak was anthracite coal. This
was stored in the open. There were also military warehouses for mmnitions and gun-
powder. At Matveev Kurman, Niklinovka and Khapry there were grain elevators.
Rostov had numerous warehouses of all types.
Tank Farms
15. There is a pipe line from the Grozny oil fields to Rostov. A branch of this leadsto
telovayak where the is a large tent farm.
.Constractior
16. There was no construction in progress on this line up to 1941. However, a new
automatic sienslling system was in the process of being installed.
Motive Plover
17. Steam engines only were used on the line. The most powerrul type was the FD
(Felix Dsershinshy). There wore only a few, however, for the teohnioal division of
the line would not allow more because of the poor condition of the road; the FD
being a vary heavy engine. Thio divisicn retain(' to permit wide usage of the FD
unless new rails and a better bed were installed.
Lmmtla.211411
10. Thera were four large locomotive dopotop Kharkov, 1.1ove4psk, Taganrog, and Rostov.
1.414Ste...taLt2e.a..Mat
19. Capital gavotte were made at Chuguyev. Othortapaire were made at Kharkov, TelOwnyek,
Taganrog. oral Roatov. Naoh had about 09 employgoe and worked on n 04 hOur belie.
Er.tuaLautzsks..Libm
2b. Thus were freight oar repair Mono at Yolovoyek and Martaevo. There was also a
freight oar manufacturing plant at Marlow), turning out mall freight oars only.
21, ?cods moved rattly W011 On the line. However, there was a look of leading equipment.
Most goods, ottept rflu very heavy item) and grAtn,wero moved by hand. !or example,
all coal %deo loadod and unloaded by hand. It took six men from five to Rix houra to
load a6o ton ()eel ow. The 'ark of prope2' equipment Was made up by inorganins an
hours. Working on 4 A hour hosico the rood WQ41 able to handle all items coneigaed
fairly wall,
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