Moscow Railway Museum

Moscow Railway Museum

The Moscow Railway Museum is located next to the Paveletsky Railway Station in Moscow, Russia. The museum was closed to the public for nearly two decades because its exhibits included Lenin’s funeral train car — which was off-limits to the general public. In the 1990s, the museum was acquired by an auto exhibition center, then reopened in 2011 but only to private visitors; finally, it opened to the public in January 2012. Opening hours are from Wednesday to Sunday: 10:00–19:00, with Mondays and Tuesdays closed.

The Moscow Railway Museum is part of the Lenin Mausoleum Museum complex and preserves Lenin’s steam locomotive U-127 and his funeral train car, wagon No. 1691. However, the museum’s collection is extensive, featuring a variety of items related to the history of Russian railways, including models, artworks, documents, photographs, and uniforms. Locomotive U-127 is the only surviving U-series steam locomotive in Russia.

The Russian U-series steam locomotives were four-axle mixed-traffic steam engines, first produced in 1906. By 1916, the Putilov Factory (later renamed the Kirov Factory) had manufactured 62 units. Early records from around 1940 showed that 47 units were still in service, with the last of the type being retired in 1952. Locomotive U-127 became famous for having been used to transport Lenin’s body back to Moscow for his funeral, and like Lenin’s remains, it was preserved. Rather than being dismantled, U-127 was maintained in remarkably good condition.

Museum of the Moscow Railway

Why go: The only surviving U-series steam locomotive in Russia

Continent: Europe【Europe】

Country/Region: Russia[Russia]

Province/State: Moscow Autonomous City [Moscow]

City: Moscow [Moscow]