Irkutsk to Moscow

I got on the train about 1:00 on Sunday afternoon. I had a first-class compartment. That meant only two people instead of four. No upper bunks. The schedule revealed that it would be a three night and four day journey to Moscow. The first person I met was my new neighbor -- Jim McGumm. He and his wife (Barbara) and son (Sean) were on the way home to Virginia from Singapore. Barbara lent me a paperback book --Jurassic Park to read during the trip. I had neglected to buy a novel while still in Japan. I did however have my Dell Logic Puzzle magazine and lots of post cards to write. 5191 km from Irkutsk to Moscow. I can't imagine why the people on the train arriving to Irkutsk two nights ago opted to continue on for four more days without a break.

I was reading in Jim's book -- Trans-Siberian Handbook -- that the Russian track was laid from Mongolia to Beijing in the 1950's. Upon the breakdown of Sino-Soviet relations, the Chinese changed their track gauge to the European standard width of 1,435 mm. The Russian width is 1,524 mm.