Pictures Show Abandoned Soviet Jet Train Capable Of Reaching 160mph

How memories fade. How dreams die. How everything we love rusts like an abandoned train.

When this was first built in the 1970s the Soviet 'turbojet railcar', capable of reaching an astonishing 160mph, was a futuristic, space-age mode of transport.

Now a Russian photographer has captured the carriages of the train left derelict.

Credit: tihomirov.su

The huge jet engines positioned on its roof enabled the train to reach breakneck speeds, but also meant that it had an extremely inefficient rate of fuel consumption.

The first turbojet trains were developed in the US by Don Wetzel, an engineer for the New York Central Railroad, tasked to make trains safer, less expensive and faster.

His double jet engine solution remains the fastest locomotive to have been used in America, reaching speeds of 183 mph.

Credit: tihomirov.su

The idea was then taken by the Soviet Union, leading to the SVL (High-speed Laboratory Railcar), captured by the photographer, two of which were built.

It had a mass of 54.4 tonnes (including 7.4 tonnes of fuel) and was 28 metres (92ft) long.

The power train was planned to be used as part of the high-speed 'Russian troika' express route running through the country, but the project was eventually scrapped.

And here we have the remnants.

Featured image credit: tihomirov.su

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Topics: Train

James Dawson

James Dawson is a Journalist at LADbible. He has contributed articles to LADbible’s ‘Knowing Me, Knowing EU’ series on the EU referendum, the 'Electoral Dysfunction' series on the 2017 general election, the ‘U OK M8?’ series tackling mental health amongst young men, and for its ‘Climate Change’ initiative in partnership with National Geographic.

@thejaytoday