The village of Kolochava, Mizhhiria district, Zakarpattia region, has had its own railway since the summer of 2009. It is home to one of the unique museums in Ukraine and the only railway history museum in Zakarpattia, the Kolochava Narrow Gauge Railway.

The museum consists of a rare steam locomotive and a train of ten cars. Each carriage recreates the process of transportation under different governments that prevailed in the region. There are three Czech passenger cars, a Soviet freight car, a Hungarian cattle car and a water barrel, and, of course, cars for transporting wood - planers and bokors.

Each museum carriage contains unique exhibits that tell the story of narrow-gauge railways in Transcarpathia, the work and life of railway workers and their passengers. The main pride of the museum, the heart of the echelon, is a unique operating steam locomotive - a beautiful, powerful and environmentally friendly transport. Manufactured in Germany in 1951, the locomotive was in operation until 1973, when it was stored in a locomotive depot in the village of Khmilnyk, Berehove district, and only a miracle saved it from being scrapped.

Now, on major holidays, the locomotive pompously lets out steam, roars to the whole neighbourhood and cheerfully calls out to tourists. At such moments, it seems that it is about to go along the usual route under the green spruce trees along the bank of the Tereblya.

The railway tracks and metal structures of the wagons were also collected in remote corners. The flood of 1998 finally destroyed the narrow-gauge railway, and only high in the mountains, in the village of Lopukhovo, Tyachiv district, did its remains escape the metal hunters. The wagons remained in the water until 2008, and it took a lot of effort to get them to Kolochava. The rusted and warped wreckage was restored by the skilled hands of the museum staff and turned into the Kolochava Narrow Gauge Museum.

The museum's guests can not only learn about the history of the railway industry, but also take a ride on the narrow-gauge railway themselves. Soon, a small carriage that once belonged to Ivan Chus, a logger and hero of socialist labour, will be transporting everyone along the narrow 800-metre-long tracks.

Now the museum has a mechanical trolley, which is enjoyed not only by children but also by many adults.

At the All-Ukrainian competition of public museums held in December 2009, the Kolochava Museum was awarded third place in the nomination "Best exhibition design".

The narrow-gauge railway, which was a brand of the Carpathians only in the last century, cannot disappear forever from the road of our lives. Anyone can take a charter flight back in time by visiting the Kolochava Narrow Gauge Railway Museum.

Information note:

The museum is open every day, without breaks and weekends, from 08:00 to 18:00.

For more information about the Kolochava railway tour, please contact the Old Village Museum in Kolochava

📍 Kolochava village, Mizhhiria district  

📞 +38(031) 462-41-81,  +38(067) 215-09-85

🌎 http://kolochava.com/