600mm narrow gauge railways in Sēlia

The First World War was also a time when railways played a major role in the redeployment and supply of troops, as road transport was not yet sufficiently developed, and horse-drawn vehicles were unable to provide sufficient speed and volume of cargo and people transportation. The Moscow-Ventspils broad-gauge railway line, which was put into operation in 1904, crossed Sēlija, and to a small extent the Daugavpils-Vilnius line. Tsarist Russia also practiced a strategy that envisaged limiting the expansion of the railway network in the western regions of the empire in order to hinder the enemy's advance in the event of war. Taking this into account, units were created in the great powers for the construction and operation of military railways. At the beginning of the war, the number of such specially trained military personnel in the German army reached 26,000. During their service, they were trained in specially equipped training grounds, where they had to build sections of track within a certain time, train accidents and damage to the tracks were also simulated, which they had to eliminate on their own. At the end of the training, an entire railway line had to be built in an unknown area within a few days, which had to be dismantled again after the training. As a result, the German army had access to well-prepared and trained specialists in the construction and operation of military railways.

During the war, military railway directorates (MED) were organized in the occupied territories. In the territory of Latvia and Lithuania, this was MED 8. Both railway construction and operation companies were under the control of such a directorate. The directorate was supervised by the Chief of Military Railways, who in 1918 already had more than 441,000 people at his disposal, of which only 40% were German military personnel.

The field railways themselves in Germany were divided into two groups – field railways (Feldbahn) and support railways (Forderbahn). Both had the same track gauge – 600mm, but their infrastructure elements differed. Field railways were more capitally designed, they were intended to operate with steam locomotives. In order for the steam not to give the enemy the approach of the train, support railways were built closer to the front, which were lighter, but on which smaller motor locomotives moved, horse traction was also widely used and in the immediate vicinity of the front, wagons were often pushed by hand. The rails were the lightest, which was allowed by the regulations – 9.5 kg/m for field railways and 4 kg/m for support railways. The track surface of the field railways was industrially produced in 5-meter long sections with iron sleepers. The weight of such a section was 220 kg, which made it movable by a team of several men. 2 m long sections were used in the support railways, which weighed 40 kg. This means that such tracks could be laid and prepared in a relatively short time. Field railways, on which steam locomotives ran, were intended to be built at a speed of 3-5 km per day (a week was allocated for the actual laying of the track for a 100 km section). Support railways could be built faster – even 6-10 km per day. The terrain was of great importance – field railways allowed for large gradients and radii, however, if overpasses and bridges had to be built, the work took longer.

The steam locomotives weighed 12 tons, while the diesel locomotives only 5 tons. They were powered by an internal combustion engine, which was not very powerful, but considering the recent appearance of the internal combustion engine, it proves that the German army was technically very modern.

It is possible that one of the support railway lines in the immediate vicinity of the front was built already at the end of 1915, but in Sēlija, the first field railway line for steam traction was the Skapišķi-Birži line, built in the spring of 1916. It was built relatively qualitatively and was already planned in advance for local traffic needs. This is also confirmed by the later operation of this railway in Latvia and Lithuania. However, the railways built in Sēlija were planned purely for military needs. It is not correct to believe that the Germans built these lines for the export of timber, although after the 1917 offensive, when the front moved much further east, they were used for this purpose, when the preparation of timber for the needs of the front was most likely replaced by its export to Germany. At the end of 1917, the status of the Sēlija narrow-gauge railway network was changed from field railways (Feldbahn) to small railways (Kleinbahn). Hence the name mazbānītis. Respectively, Feldbahn served the needs of the army, while Kleinbahn was for civilian traffic. It is also known that in 1918 the Germans began to organize the transportation of civilians along the Sēlija narrow-gauge railway network. They also demolished certain sections after the front moved forward, for example, the Ābeļi-Kaldabruņa railway is no longer shown on the maps of October 1918 and there is no information about its use. Such was the nature of the quickly built army narrow-gauge railways. The fact that most of this network remained in the territory of Latvia after the end of the First World War is more a coincidence of circumstances and Germany's defeat in the war with the subsequent proclamation of the state of Latvia.

In total, there are 5 rural railway lines in Sēlia:

Skapišķi-Jēkabpils line. This 110km long line can be considered the primary railway network of the Sēlija Karalauks, and Viesīte station - the most important railway junction. The line began in Lithuania at the Panevezys - Daugavpils broad gauge railway and crossed Latvia at Nereta;

Viesītes-Daudzevas-Seces line. Traffic on the line was opened on June 14, 1916. The line connected the Viesītes railway junction with the Maskava-Ventspils broad gauge line, connecting it to Daudzevas and continuing further to Seces. This connection actually also connected the Daugavpils-Paņevežas and Masakvas-Ventspils broad gauge lines, relieving the load on the Jelgava-Daudzevas broad gauge railway. The first station on this line, Baznīckrogs, served only for train change operations. The second station, Vilciņi near Piksteres Lake, was not intended for either freight operations or the transportation of people - it connected here with a light support railway branch, which ended near the front line in an uninhabited area - today's Rožu purva swamp at the End of the World. This line has preserved accurate information about another support railway branch - the railway enthusiast Imants Dreimanis in the 60s-70s. In the 1920s, he investigated that a dirt road had been built from Daudzeva II station to the Silnieki forester's house and further to Pagrabkalnie, along which movement took place by horse-drawn carriages, and along this 12km-long road, the Germans maintained traffic with warehouses at Jorgelani and Silnieki, as well as brought in timber. Another interesting moment is the 200-meter-long wooden structure overpass built in Viesīte itself. To save time and materials, the Germans did not build embankments where it would have been necessary, but instead arranged the lines on low wooden overpasses. Since wood impregnation technologies had not been discovered at that time, such overpasses and bridge structures ceased to serve in the first half of the 1920s and had to be replaced.

Rokišķi-Zasas-Siliņi line. The line began in Lithuania at the Daugavpils-Paņevežas broad gauge railway, entering Latvian territory near Aknīste and continuing to Geidāni and Zasa, where the support railway line towards the front began. Presumably, the purpose of this line was to improve supplies in the Jēkabpils and Dviete areas. Of particular note on this line is the impressive 15-meter-high wooden bridge over the South Sūsēja at Aknīste, which consisted of two sections and is often seen in pictures related to field-gauge railways during the war. After the war, it was no longer used.

Lines in the Eglaine area. As the front line at Dviete and Ilūkste bent away from the Daugava and went inland, there was a need for more intensive supply. The Daugava was no longer a natural obstacle here and both sides had wider opportunities for maneuver. Eglaine (Jelovka) station was located on the Daugavpils-Paņevežas broad-gauge railway and was chosen as the main node for the narrow-gauge network in this area. Both rural railway lines and support railway lines departed from this station. Extensive transshipment operations also took place here. A separate station was built next to the broad-gauge station to service the narrow-gauge railways. The broad-gauge railway could be safely crossed here, as further broad-gauge railway movement in the direction of Daugavpils no longer took place. Two rural railway lines departed from Eglaine – Eglaine-Visagina (to the south) and Eglaine-Bebrene (to the north). The line from Eglaine to Visaginas (Čornij Brod) was built thoroughly, using embankments instead of wooden trestles. Commercial train traffic was also provided from Visaginas to Zarasai on June 1, 1916. The regular arrangement of stations every few kilometers suggests that this line was used intensively. The line was also important during the War of Independence, when supplies of military equipment were even provided from Poland. After 1920, the line was discontinued. The other line – Eglaine-Bebrene – was used for only a year longer. It is believed that the reason for the closure was the many temporary wooden structural elements – trestles, which were widely used on these lines due to the marshy terrain and had served their time. Another reason may be the low demand for the relatively slow journey.

Obeli-Bebrene-Dviete line. The line began in Lithuania from the Daugavpils-Paņevežas broad-gauge railway, entered Latvian territory at Subate, continued to Kaldabruņa, then Bebrene and further to the front line near Dviete. Construction took place in January 1917. Such a period was chosen for construction, probably to make it easier to secure wooden trestles in the frozen swamp, which would be more difficult in warm weather. After the war, the sections of the line from Obeli to Kaldabruņa and from Bebrene to Dviete were no longer used, but the Kaldabruņa-Bebrene section was operated for a long time.

In addition to these main lines, there were a few separate shorter lines and several light support railway lines for horse traction, sometimes running parallel to the field railway lines, where steam traction locomotives ran.

A large part of the narrow gauge lines continued to be operated after the First World War, being completely closed only in 1971-1972. During the interwar period, the track network was liquidated in economically unviable places, but in places it was also expanded and additional lines were built. In 1919, the German army railway in Jēkabpils was extended by 7 km to reach the banks of the Daugava. This line was used to transport trees for floating on the Daugava. In turn, for example, Eglaine station (the term station refers not only to the station, building, but also to the track surface, adjacent territory, auxiliary buildings), which was one of the largest on the front and where both cargo exchange and rolling stock repair were provided, was no longer used after the war and was completely liquidated in 1927. The construction of the railway provided work for workers, but the railway itself was an important transport artery for logging, transporting both prepared materials and workers. In the 1930s, the 600mm railways in Sēlija were organized in such a way as to ensure the widest possible accessibility for local residents, but freight operations were maintained at the largest centers and terminal stations. Traffic in the region was provided by three lines – Viesīte-Daudzeva, Nereta-Jēkabpils and Aknīste-Siliņi. The Viesīte-Daudzeva line gave passengers the opportunity to transfer to the broad-gauge railway. Since only on certain sections of the lines trains ran every day (Jēkabpils-Daudzeva, Viesīte-Daudzeva and Jēkabpils-Aknīste), but on other sections only on certain days of the week, starting in 1936. The Latvian Railways Board also provided bus traffic, which was with daily regularity. The advantage of buses was their higher speed, so after the arrival of buses in the region, the main role of the railway remained the transportation of local agricultural products. However, passengers continued to travel by rail. In the winter of 1938, even bus traffic temporarily stopped due to the dusty roads, and the railway remained the only means of transport. Built for wartime needs and the corresponding regulations, the 600mm railway was slow. Passenger complaints persist that the 60km section from Jēkabpils to Nereta took 8.5 hours to travel, which means an average speed of 7 km/h, and in addition, there was a need to make a transfer. Of the total number of passengers, only 10% transferred to broad-gauge trains at the final stations, while the rest used the 600mm railway for movement within the region. In the second half of the 1930s, a significant decline in the number of passengers transported was observed, passengers preferred buses. After World War II, transport resumed. In parallel, bus traffic also continued to develop, but the narrow-gauge railway did not lack passengers, maintaining an important role in the mobility of the local population. In the late 1950s, rail transport reached its highest levels, unable to even cover all demand. Unlike the 1930s, when local residents mostly used the railway to transport agricultural products to the market and purchased products back home (essentially individual trade), after World War II the railway enabled forest workers to get to their workplaces and students to educational institutions, its importance was determined by the planned economy and ensuring the operation of collective farms. Returning to the 1930s, an interesting fact is that markets in the region were often organized near the railway station to facilitate the movement of goods. It was also possible to transport livestock from several stations, requesting wagons in advance. Analyzing cargo transportation by groups, in the 1920s and 1930s, the largest group was made up of timber and firewood, building materials, cereals, artificial fertilizers and livestock. An important role was also played by household goods, which made up a smaller percentage, but were integrally important for economic and everyday life. During the Soviet years, bases for handling timber were established at stations, the largest of which was near Daudzeva and in 1958. more than 150 employees worked there. From 1932. A sugar factory began operating in Krustpils and sugar beet transportation became another important category of goods, which the 600mm railway served until its closure.

The locomotive depot operated in Viesīte, which was one of the few electrified places. Most stations and stops did not yet have electricity connections in the interwar period. Communication equipment was also very modest, initially there were only three semaphores for the entire railway network.

As for rolling stock, the main type of rolling traction became steam locomotives equipped with four pairs of driving wheels, which were called brigade locomotives (Brigadelokomotive). Steam locomotives with three or two pairs of driving wheels were also used. Steam locomotives were the so-called tank locomotives, whose tanks (lighthouses) had space for a water reserve. They were also equipped with ejectors that could replenish water from water bodies or wells. Light-duty constructions were used on support railways by the company "Deutz" with two pairs of wheels (Forderbarhnen), and in some places "Oberursel" three-axle motor locomotives also appear in photographs. Such locomotives were equipped with an internal combustion engine and used kerosene as fuel. Taking into account their value, the German army withdrew all motor locomotives from the territory of Latvia. The most common of the wagons were brigade wagons (Brigadenwagen) with a carrying capacity of 5 tons. They were open-type four-axle gondolas, which had two two-axle bogies equipped with a hand brake. The use of the wagons was universal - they transported people, weapons, cargo, ammunition. Sometimes only two bogies were used to transport timber, which contained a wooden load between them. Such a solution was considered sufficiently safe for the specified operating conditions. Steam locomotives were manufactured from 1905 to 1919 in German factories Henschel, Borsig, Jung, Krauss, Orenstein & Koppel and others. It is known that after the First World War Latvia continued to operate 70 such locomotives, including other regions. In turn, the wagons were manufactured from 1894 to 1917 in various enterprises. After the war, a large part of them were rebuilt from gondolas into closed wagons for the transportation of passengers and cargo. German army wagons were used for passenger transport until 1962, and for freight transport until 1972. Lighter 2.5t four-axle wagons were used for horse-drawn sections, as well as various wagons called artillery supply railway wagons (Artielerie-Folderbahnwagen). Simpler constructions were also used.

Track sets were manufactured according to a certain standard mainly in the factories of the Krupp company in Germany. The track gauge was 70mm. Track sections were produced both straight and with radii of 30m and 60m. The rails and sleepers served a long time – on some rural-gauge railways, track material left by the German army was used throughout their operation. In 1946, the Latvian Railway Road Service report noted that the original rails on iron sleepers were still used on 93.9% of all 600mm railways in operation, but on the Viesīte railway network this figure was 99%.

After the closure of the narrow gauge railways, almost all the metal parts of the locomotives and wagons were scrapped, and the tracks were dismantled. Some locomotives and wagons ended up in museums. The last small-scale railways ceased operations in 1973, a few years after the official closure. Quite simple trains were used to dismantle the track - the railway demolished itself.

One of the proofs of the strong roots of the narrow-gauge railway in the culture and socio-economic processes of the region is the Railwaymen's Day, celebrated in early August at the Viesīte Museum "Sēlija", where people gather in the flower-decorated locomotive depot, even though trains have not stopped here for more than 50 years.

Today, the evidence of the narrow-gauge railway in the region may not be obvious to the uninitiated, but they are numerous and can still be found. In places, the embankments of the lines have survived, as well as trenches where they crossed lower places. From Eglaine station in the direction of Ilūkste, there is even a supporting railway embankment that is two horses wide and where the wagons were pulled by horses. In Pilskalnes Siguldinė, parts of the railway line have been turned into walking paths. Station buildings have survived, which in some places have been converted into residential buildings, in others abandoned, and goods barns. The names of the stations are still visible in some of the station and stop buildings. The Vārnavas station complex is the best preserved to this day. The Sēlija Museum is located in the Viesīte railway junction – it includes a brick locomotive depot built in 1927 and a wooden carriage workshop built in 1934. The preserved steam locomotive Ml-635, a closed freight wagon and platform, as well as a motorized trolleybus with a trulli and a service wagon can also be viewed here. The Mazbānītis can be seen in action at the Ventspils Seaside Open-Air Museum, where two operational lines of 1.4km and 3km in length have been created from sections of the original track.