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Train Sinks Through Lake Baikal Ice
- Soldiers and a locomotive plunged through Lake Baikal's ice during the 1904 winter crossing, killing many.
- The terrifying scene illustrated the railway's early danger and improvisation before safer routes existed.
Railway As Geopolitical Strategy
- Tsar Alexander III saw Siberia as untapped wealth that Russia couldn't exploit without transport.
- A transcontinental railway promised to connect Russia to Asia and boost imperial power and trade.
Engineer Mapping Siberia By Hand
- Engineer Nicholas Mjönninov mapped Siberia as his crews hacked track through taiga by hand.
- He managed convict chain gangs who were punished collectively to prevent escapes while building the line.