The Trans-Siberian Railway: the Unsung Hero of a Historic Car Race
In 1907, the Le Matin newspaper issued a daring challenge: “Who would be brave enough to drive a car from Beijing to Paris?”
Several adventurers took the risk, and some even made it to the finish line, which, generally speaking, was a challenging task. No cars had yet been seen in Siberia, and there were almost no roads.
Upon reaching the eastern shore of Lake Baikal, Italian aristocrat Scipione Borghese and his driver, Ettore Guizzardi, found themselves at a standstill. How could they continue?
The Irkutsk Governor-General came to the rescue, allowing the use of the Circum-Baikal Railway (part of the Trans-Siberian at the time) for the race. Despite the unusual request, railway officials were resolute; they wouldn’t halt the regular train traffic for the race.
It was almost as if the builders of the Circum-Baikal Railway had anticipated a car rally. The sleepers were embedded into the ground, not protruding above, providing Borghese a surprisingly smooth path, as detailed by Christian Wallmar in his excellent book To the Edge of the World: The Story of the Trans-Siberian Express, the World’s Greatest Railroad.
The remarkable design of the railway wasn’t lost on Borghese. He later reminisced, “The excellent level road is quite attractive after the potholes and ditches elsewhere,” though he did find the narrow bridges without guardrails slightly daunting.
Thanks in part to the advantages provided by the Trans-Siberian Railway, Borghese clinched first place, finishing the race in just two months.
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Elia Kabanov is a science writer covering the past, present and future of technology (@metkere)