SS ''Baikal'' was an ice-breaking train ferry that linked the eastern and western portions of the Trans-Siberian Railroad across

Lake Baikal Lake Baikal (, russian: Oзеро Байкал, Ozero Baykal ); mn, Байгал нуур, Baigal nuur) is a rift lake in Russia. It is situated in southern Siberia, between the federal subjects of Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Repu ...

Ship history

In early 1895 the construction of a ferry across the

began, following the proposal of the Minister of Transport Mikhail Khilkov. On 30 December 1895 a contract with

Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. With headquarters in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth built armaments, ships, locomotives, automobiles and ...

was signed for the parts of the icebreaking ferry (without woodwork and in disassembled state). By June 1896 the icebreaker had been delivered for assembly to the village of Listvenichnoye. After three years it was completed and launched on . Before the Circum-Baikal Railway was opened in 1905, ''Baikal'', and later also the ''Angara'', carried two loads a day between piers at Baikal and

Mysovaya Babushkin (russian: Ба́бушкин), known as Mysovsk () before 1941, is a town in Kabansky District of the Republic of Buryatia, Russia, located on the southern shore of Lake Baikal on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Population: 9,000 (1967 ...

. After the railway was completed, both ships continued to operate in reserve. When the Civil War broke out ''Baikal'' was equipped with machine guns and cannons by the Red Army. When

Irkutsk Irkutsk ( ; rus, Иркутск, p=ɪrˈkutsk; Buryat language, Buryat and mn, Эрхүү, ''Erhüü'', ) is the largest city and administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. With a population of 617,473 as of the 2010 Census, Irkutsk is ...

surrendered to the White Army, ''Baikal'' sailed to the Mysovaya pier, the location of the Red Army headquarters. In August 1918 the icebreaker was damaged by field artillery fire by Czechoslovak Legion troops during the

Battle of Lake Baikal The Battle of Lake Baikal was a naval battle undertaken by Czechoslovak forces. Background In August 1918, the Czechoslovak legion, under the leadership of Gajda, fought the Red Army for control of the mountain passes around Lake Baikal which ...

. It was burnt at the

pier. In 1920 the damaged hull was refloated and towed to Port Baikal. It remained untouched until at least 1926, and was later dismantled. There is a possibility that its lower hull, bow propeller, and part of the engines are still at the bottom of the lake at the mouth of the Angara River.

References

External links

Great ice-breaker of a sad destiny

1899 ships Ferries of Russia Icebreakers of Russia Maritime incidents in November 1939 Ships built by Armstrong Whitworth Ships built in the Soviet Union Ships built on the River Tyne Train ferries Trans-Siberian Railway World War II merchant ships of the Soviet Union {{ferry-stub