This is the sixth issue of The Semaphore, a Russian-language magazine for railway enthusiasts. The magazine is published by a group of railway fans. Many materials showing up in The Semaphore originally appear in the Internet forums and mailing lists, such as 1520mm@yahoogroups.com (Russian language) or 5feet@yahoogroups.com (English language). The magazine is also available for download free of charge as a PDF file or as a collection of PDF files at http://parovoz.com/semaphore/, and can be freely printed and distributed, provided that the integrity of the materials is preserved.

RAILWAYS AT MARIUPOL, by A. Gorchakov

— Mariupol (form. Zhdanov) is a Ukrainian industrial city and seaport, the home of "Azovstal" combine and many other enterprises. There is little surprise that the city is stuffed with railways of all kinds. The story invites you for a fan trip along the main line.

INDUSTRIAL RAILWAYS OF SOUTHERN DONBASS, by A. Gorchakov

— Yet another story of the industrial lines of Southern Donbass area.

140 YEARS OF ELECTRIC MASS TRANSIT IN RUSSIA, by D. Zinoviev

— A statistical review of the development of electric urban transportation in Russia and the USSR.

YAKSHANGA AND ZEBLYAKI NARROW GAUGE RAILWAYS, by A. Fetisov

— Yakshanga and Zeblyaki railways in Kostroma region of Russia are two typical logging railways. They meet the wide gauge main line several kilometers apart from each other. They have a connecting narrow gauge line. However, their destiny is very different: one railway is alive, the other is all but dead.

UGNOV FELDBAHN, by W.Wendelin

— A very brief overview of the Ugnov–Vladimir-Volynsky military railway in Western Ukraine and Eastern Poland, built by Austrian troops during WWI. POLISH NOTEBOOKS, by D. Fokin — The author undertook an extensive field study of eastern Polish railways, including the wide-gauge LHS (Sulfur-Steel Line) and several trans-border lines, some of which have been cut in pieces by the border — seemingly forever.

NARROWGAUGE SITES OF KRASNODAR TERRITORY, by A. Vershinin

— The crown jewel of Krasnodar territory is the Apsheronsk narrow gauge railway in the Guamka water gap. The railway used to be the only means of communications for the residents of the remote mountain villages, until it was washed away with a flood. The author takes you to the green mountain world where everything reminds you of the old logging glory.

OERESUND LINK, by I. Kopaysov

— A brief description of the relatively new auto/rail bridge complex between Denmark and Sweden.

CONSTRUCTION HISTORY OF THE AMUR RAILWAY, by V. F. Burkova and S. P. Chuykova

— Russian domination of the Far East was impossible without a reliable rail connection to the "mainland", which the Trans-Manchurian railway could not provide. In 1908–14 the new Amur railway was built under the supervision of Eng. A. Liverovsky, that by-passed the Chinese territory.

GULBENE RAILWAY: 80 YEARS IN TIMETABLES, by D. Zinoviev

— The Livland access tracks on the border of Es- tonia and Latvia (also known as Gulbene–Aluksne narrow gauge railway) have a 100 year long history. This collection of train timetables gives the historical perspective of passenger traffic be- tween Gulbene and Valga.

THEWAY THEY CATCH MOLES, by O. Izmerov

— V. Rezun (also known as V. Suvorov) is an ex-GRU spy and a dissident writer. A good writer, if it were not for numerous technical and other inconsistencies in his books. For instance, the chapter in "The Aquarium" that describes the erection of a railway bridge across the Dnieper river during military exercises, is packed with technical mistakes.

THE TUTUT TALES: HERE AND THERE, by S. Los

— This is a fairy tale, the first from a series, that tells the story of two lit- tle steam locomotives, Tutut ("Here") and Totam ("There"). The locomotives work at a logging narrow gauge railway deep in the Krichal mountains. Good for your kids, but may be fun for you, too.

FLOATING BRIDGES FOR THE "WARSAW BLOCK", by D. Fokin

— In the heartland of Poland, there is a strange railway that would be crossing the Vistula river. If there were a bridge. But there is no one. As it turned out, a floating bridge would be built here in case of "WWIII".

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