Jump to content
News Ticker
  • I am now accepting the following payment methods: Card Payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal
  • Latest News

    Honored Railwayworker Badge


    Guest Rick Research

    Recommended Posts

    Guest Rick Research

    I've been looking for one of these--the highest professional badge for Soviet railways personnel-- for ages, and finally got this one:

    a late WW2 or immediate postwar issue, made with the banner at top struck as one piece with the badge (earlier ones were a second piece), the hammer and sickle still pinned on, serial numbered, and what makes this one interesting is its HUGE screw back, made by the Sh. M. Z. factory for the N.K.P.S.

    "NarKomat" or "Peoples Commissariat" was changed to "Ministry" on 15 March 1946 for all such "State Organs."

    The SECOND disk under this one is unusual-- apparently for a smoother, wrinkle free fit. The underside of the maker marked screw disk and the top of that second loosely fitting holed disk are silvered. The maker marked disk is actually steel.

    I suspect VERY strongly from the reverse evidence that this badge-- and all such "brass" badges-- originally were completely silvered like the earlier badges-- and that (as is almost universal on WW2 shoulder board stars), the silvered finish has simply EVAPORATED off all parts exposed to air. This has NOT been polished off, it simply vanishes, like the German WW2 zink badges with no surviving finish.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    • Replies 156
    • Created
    • Last Reply

    Top Posters In This Topic

    Guest Rick Research

    As with many Soviet awards, this could be bestowed more than once.

    Railways "Lieutenant Colonel" N. D. Yerokhin in 1948 (local Veterans Commissariat file photo as Captain of the Reserve) is wearing TWO over the right breast pocket of a white summer Kitel only distinguishable as railways and not army by his distinctive narrow shoulder boards.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    • 2 months later...
    Guest Rick Research

    Now you guys know my obsession about trying to date numbered awards in the absence of documentation, based on other known serial numbers...

    so far I am having a very tough--indeed, surprisingly tough-- time getting some solid dates/numbers matches on what SHOULD be-- but is NOT-- a fairly common badge:

    1) Miniature real silver version: Highest number seen #3,015. Award #1 was bestowed on 1 October 1934.

    2) Full size real silver type:

    #6,251 was bestowed on 12 October 1941 BUT (see page 2+ of this thread)

    #6,552 =

    #8,596 was awarded 7 May 1940

    3) Brass/bronze mirror reverse(mr) or indented train & banner smooth (itb/s) type (nickled finish may have evaporated away):

    #15,403 (mr) =

    #28,228 (itb/s) = 25 March 1944

    #30,566 = "1944"

    #36,684 (itb/s) =

    #40,477 = 2 October 1944

    #45,826 (itb/s) = 15 September 1943

    #55,089 (itb/s) = 10 June 1941 (!!??!!)

    #66,580 (mr) = my badge above, pre-March 1946 "NKPS" screw nut

    #69,317 = 1946 but can't read date from tiny book illustration, but "MPS" stamp

    "Peoples' Commissariat" (NK) designations were changed to "Ministry" (M) in March 1946

    #77,124 (mr) = 26 July 1946

    #80,177 (itb/s) = 26 July 1946

    #80,905 (itb/s) =

    highest number observed #108,752

    (lowest number of the post-Stalin engine type #112,050 suggests change here)

    Now Lapin's book-- see

    http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=1786...ost&p=14239

    states that on average annually 2,000 to 4,500 badges were awarded BUT note the October 1941 number above. His book also says that "during the years of the Great Patriotic War 28,259" badges were awarded BUT also states that the bulk of ALL awards--- some 44,000, were bestowed from 1944 to 1946. That does not tally with the 6X,XXX numbered badges above.

    Any contributions to dated serial numbers, NK versus M screw nuts etc gratefully appreciated. Please note that such information added in on following pages of this thread Magically Appear above so the numbers are all together in one easy to see list. :rolleyes:

    Edited by Rick Research
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Rick

    I agree, very nice badges indeed, considering the size of the railways and all its associated troops I think the badge is quite hard to get hold of, the silver ones in particular.

    These are two of mine in silver and bronze, the silver are hallmarked and the bronze ones like many badges down graded in materials had a silver finish and like you say, worn off in time.

    Chris

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Guest Rick Research

    Ah! VERY nice, thanks!!! :beer: Another set of variants to track down, between smooth reverses and mirror relief reverses.

    There should be about 110,000 of these in all, all types, out there... yet I doubt I see three a year show up over here. It's been years (years!) since the last time I saw a set of numbered badge with same numbered award booklet. They are very well made, which lets out breakage. The "Stalin" engine name is so small you need a magnifying glass to see it, which lets out tossed away for political reasons...

    so where are all these nice badges?????

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Rick,

    one more date to complete the time-table.

    regards

    Andreas

    Number 5.282 - 16.01.1938

    silver type with two screwplates (sadly it?s not mine, I only have a picture)

    Edited by Alfred
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Guest Rick Research

    Yes, the exact year would be very important. Lapin is quite vague about this, but it seems the badge with "Stalin" locomotive ceased being awarded-- possibly for decades-- before the later version (emerging from a tunnel, under a red "ribbon" suspension) came out.

    This is just "bugging" me, because there should certainly be over 100,000 of the "Stalin" locomotive types "out there" and yet these badges do NOT show up very often at all!!!

    As far as I can actually tell, the "suspension" version badge began to be awarded in 1978, though Igor Moiseyev listed one some years ago (no serial number in the description) with a booklet dated 1971. So it seems that NO badges were bestowed from about 1957 right into the 1970s...

    ???

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    An first attempt to classify the military railroad badges:

    1st version: small silver one

    bestowed 1. Oktober 1934 - possible charge 4.200

    lowest number observed: 1.748

    highest number observed: 4.177

    s/n 1 - 1. October 1934

    2nd version (silver variant): large silver one (STALIN)

    bestowed 1935? - possible charge 8.000

    lowest number observed: 5.282

    highest number observed: 11.877

    s/n 5.282 - 16. January 1938

    s/n 6.251 - 12. October 1941

    2nd version (brass variant): large brass one (STALIN)

    bestowed 1940? - possible charge 100.000

    lowest number observed: 12.422

    highest number observed: 111.591

    s/n 30.566 - "1944"

    s/n 40.477 - 2. October 1944

    s/n 66.580 - pre-March 1946 "NKPS" screw nut

    s/n 69.317 - 1946 but can't read date from tiny book, but "MPS" stamp

    s/n 106.771 - 29. May 1957 (1957 likely 99%)

    Maybe they stopped to award the stalin version (2nd version) short after the secret speech of Chrustchow at the XX party congress at the end of 1956. To stop the personal cult around Stalin.

    3rd version : red suspension

    bestowed ? - possible charge ?

    lowest number observed: 112.050

    highest number observed: 135.164

    s/n 128.808 - 25. February 1974

    remarks to 3rd version: I think there are two variants: one with a more green and one with a more blue coloured enamel at the trolley

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Any other dates and comments are welcome!

    Edited by Alfred
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    • 2 months later...
    Guest Rick Research

    More "in wear"-- Colonel Vladimir Nikolaevich Podozerov in 1947 at the Military Transportation Academy "in the name of L M Kaganovich"--

    Both his railways badges were awarded after 1940 (I have portraits of him 1935, 1937, 1940, 1947)

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Guest Rick Research

    Hmmm... nothing on the congratulatory notification with the number of the badge-- but methinks I still see that little "Stalin" on the engine! :speechless1: Is this one you can put your paws on, or a scan of an item that is gone? I'm wondering about the number.

    THIS badge is very definitely bronze (and some gilt details) and not something that the silver has evaporated off of.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now



    ×
    ×
    • Create New...

    Important Information

    We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.