Estonian Railways 150 Souvenir Sheet

On November 5, 1870, the broad gauge Baltic Railway, built at the initiative of Alexander Baron von der Pahlen, was opened for traffic and celebrations were held at the Narva Station. That has been considered to be the birth date of Estonian railways. The first private railway lines owned by the Baltic Railway Company developed into a state-owned railway network that, by 1940, had 294 stops and stations and 1,447 kms of main tracks, including 675 kms narrow gauge lines. Todays railway network in Estonia is remarkably smaller but, however, modern and safe. The ´iron horse´ on the stamp is one of the earliest Estonian freight locomotives built at the Louis Schwartzkopff Works in Berlin, Germany. Pulling early passenger cars, it has the Narva Station in the background. Powerful diesel locomotives have replaced such steam locomotives, modern Swiss electric and diesel multiple units provide the passenger service. On the corners of the stamp block you can see the hat badges of Estonian State Railways (EVR) and the Czarist Russian ministry of transportation. They remind of the historic eras when the base for nowadays Estonian Railways was laid. Estonian Railways – for 150 years always on the move.