Text 3b The beginning of railway construction in Russia

Read and translate the text.

The stationary steam eng^ine invented by I.I.Polsunov in 1763 and installed at some plants paved the way for the introduction of steam as tractive power on railways.

The first steam locomotive in Russia was constructed by the Cherepanovs, father and son, who were considered to be the most skilled and most talented workmen of their time.

The first railway in Russia using steam traction was put into operation at the Nizhni Tagil metallurgical works. It was a short distance line covering only 854 metres, it is to the Cherepanovs that Russia owes the right to be placed among the countries which were the first to use steam as tractive power.

Some four years later, in 1838, the inauguration of the St. Pe­tersburg – Tsarskoye Selo railway took place. That very Important railway line, which was 27 km long, was soon followed, in 1851, by the construction of the Warsaw – Austrian Border railway and later on, in 1851, by the' building of the St. Petersburg – Moscow line 644 km long. That was a first class double – track railway line, which linked two large industrial and cultural centres – Mosoow and St. Petersburg!_:185 bridges and 19 viaducts were erected to make the line as straight and level as possible. P. P. Melnlkov and N. O. Kraft, prominent engineers, were in charge of the construction work.

After the abolition of serfdom in 1861, capitalism in Russia advanced at a still swifter pace and thus railway construction was greatly stimulated.

The Petersburg – Warsaw railway which had been under construction since 1851 was inaugurated in 1862. The second half of the sixties and the beginning of the seventies of the last century are notable for an intensive development of railway construction in Russia. It was at that period that the most important lines connecting towns and industrial centres of the European part of Russia came into being. In the following years there appeared railways in the Donbas, in Siberia, in the Urals, in the Caucasus and within the industrial districts of Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Huge bridges designed by N. A. Belelubsky were erected to span the – Volga at six points, and the Dnieper near the town of Ekaterinoslav.

The construction of the Great Trans – Siberian Railway 7,416 km long, was started in 1891 and proceeded from two opposite ends, i.e. from Vladivostok towards Khabarovsk and from Chellabinsk to­wards Novosibirsk. It was a gigantic line with a great number of bridges across the Ob, the Yenisei, the Irtish, the Amur, and many other rivers

By 1917 70.5 thousand kilometres of railway lines were in operation in Russia.

World War I and the intervention period badly damaged the rail­way system of the country.

Great efforts were made by the government to restore the old and wrecked lines and to, warrant regular operations of the country’s whole transportation system, which may now be ranked among the most efficient railway systems in the world.

Exercise 1. From the right column select the word combinations to complete the sentence according to the contents of the text.

1 The Cherepanovs, father and son, are known…	1 a) to have introduced steam as tractive power on railways. b) as skilled engine drivers. c) to put into operation the Nizhni Tagil works.
2 The most important lines connecting towns and industrial centres in Russia appeared…	2 a) after abolishing serfdom. b) before abolishing serfdom.
3 The construction of Great Trans –Siberian Railway started…	3 a) from two opposite ends. b) in one direction only.
4 The atationary steam engine invented by I. I. Polsunov…	4 a) was introduce in agriculture. b) was introduce at some. c) was installed on railways.

Exercise 2. Read the text again and say whether the sentences given in the exercise correspond to the contents of the text or not.

1 The stationary steam engine was invented in 1763.

2 The first steam locomotive in Russia was constructed by I. I. Polsunov.

3 The first railway in Russia using steam traction was put into operation at the Nizhni Tagil metallurgical works.

4 The inauguration of the St. Petersburg – Tsarskoye Selo railway took place in 1890.

5 The St. Petersburg – Moscow line' was a first class double track railway line.

6 The Petersburg – Warsaw railway was inaugurated in 1890.

7 The construction of the Great Trans – 3iberian Railway was started in 189Д.

8 The length of the Great Trans – Siberian Railway is 6,000 km.

9 World War I and the intervention did not damage the railway system of the country

10 Great efforts were made by the government to restore the old and wrecked lines.

Exercise 3. Find key sentences in each paragraph of the text.

Exercise 4. Answer the following questions:

1 Who invented the stationary steam engine?

2 Who constructed the first steam locomotive?

3 Where was the first railway in Russia using steam traction put. into operation?

4 When did the inauguration of the St. Petersburg – Tsarskoye Selo railway take place?

5 Hon long was the St. Petersburg – Moscow line?

6 When was the Petersburg – Warsaw railway inaugurated?

7 What are the second half of the sixties and the beginning of the seventies of the last century notable for?

8 What did you learn about the Great Trans – Siberian Hallway from the text?

Exercise 5. Say what facts from the text prove the following statements:

1 The St. Petersburg – Moscow line was a first class railway line.

2 The second half of the last century is notable for an intensive development of railway construction in Russia.