Kolochava is the largest Transcarpathian village located in the picturesque valley of the Kolochavka River between the high mountain peaks Strimba, Barvinka, Krasna. This village is famous for its unique museums and attracts tourists from all over Ukraine and abroad. One of the most interesting museums in Kolochava is the railroad museum, which is called Kolochava narrow gauge.
The young museum — its opening took place in 2009 as part of the 100th anniversary of the Transcarpathian narrow gauge railroad — is already known far beyond the borders of Mezhigorsky district. Here you can see and learn a lot of interesting things and even take a ride on the ancient railroad.
The narrow gauge railroad was built in Transcarpathia in the early XX century to transport timber and went high into the mountains. Having served for just over 60 years, it became dilapidated because it was no longer needed — timber transportation stopped playing such a big role in the region. It was only after another half a century that the old railroad took on a new life.
Museum Kolochava narrow gauge is a whole railway complex, offering to become a traveler in the world of the ancient railroad. It is the only museum of its kind in Transcarpathia. Here you can see many relics collected from narrow gauge railroads of Tereblyanska, Teresvyanska, Borzhava valleys, rivers Rika, Tisa and Latoritsa.
The main exhibits of the museum are a rare German steam locomotive from 1951, to which is attached an echelon of 10 cars: a Czech passenger car, a Soviet freight car, a Hungarian cattle car, a water barrel, a car for transporting wood. Each museum car tells its own interesting story: there are exhibits about the life and work of railroad workers of Transcarpathia, passengers. On holidays, the rare steam locomotive once again cheerfully releases steam and rumbles solemnly.
The most interesting event in the museum all its guests call the opportunity to ride in the ancient cars on a mechanical trolley. And soon it will be possible to take a ride on the ancient narrow gauge railroad almost a kilometer long. Guests of the museum can feel themselves not only as passengers, but also as stokers, conductors and even station duty officers.
At the end of 2009 the Kolochava Narrow Gauge Railway Museum won the All-Ukrainian competition of public museums in the nomination «The best exposition design» and took the third place.
Having visited this museum, not only children, but also adults remain full of impressions and delight. In the village a part of the past attractions of Transcarpathia — narrow gauge railroad is recreated accurately and very successfully, today such railroads are considered rare and of great interest all over the world. Having visited the village of Kolochava and the famous attractions of Ukraine — Kolochava narrow gauge railroad, you can not only get a lot of impressions, but also plunge back into childhood, touch that part of history, which several decades ago went into the past, make a lot of interesting photos. For all these reasons Kolochava narrow gauge railway is becoming more and more famous and visited by tourists from year to year.