Editing Heritage railway (section)

=== Children's railways ===
[[File:ZaporozhskayaDZhD-2004.JPG|thumb|alt=Blue train at a station, with the engineer passing a stick to employee on platform|Token-passing at a children's railway in [[Zaporizhia]], [[Ukraine]]]]
[[Image:Sarganska osmica 2.jpg|thumb|alt=Steam passenger train on a winding, mountainous switchback|Steam train on [[Šargan Eight]]]]
[[File:Kongensgruve_0606.jpg|thumb|alt=Yellow locomotive leaving the basement of a building|Entrance of [[Kongsberg Silver Mines|King’s Mine]] in [[Kongsberg]], Norway]]
[[File:Mogullokomotiv-225-2009.jpg|thumb|Steam engine no. 225 on [[Krøderen Line|Krøderbanen]] heritage railway, Norway]]
[[File:Rothley signal box on the Great Central Railway heritage railway Leicestershire.jpg|thumb|alt=Green trackside building with stairs|[[Signal box]] on the [[Great Central Railway (heritage railway)|Great Central Railway]] in [[Leicestershire]], England]]
[[Children's railway]]s are extracurricular educational institutions where children and teenagers learn about railway work; they are often functional, passenger-carrying narrow-gauge rail lines. The railways developed in the [[Soviet Union|USSR]] during the [[History of the Soviet Union|Soviet era]]. Many were called "Pioneer railways", after the [[Pioneer movement|youth organisation of that name]]. The first children's railway opened in [[Moscow]]<ref>http://www.dzd-ussr.ru/towns/moscow/cpkio.html Children's railways: Gorky Park, Moscow {{in lang|ru}}</ref> in 1932 and, at the breakup of the USSR, 52 children's railways existed in the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ajw.asahi.com/article/globe/feature/trans-siberian/AJ201209090025|title='Children's railway' a training ground for future rail personnel|access-date=2013-11-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141106040618/http://ajw.asahi.com/article/globe/feature/trans-siberian/AJ201209090025|archive-date=2014-11-06|url-status=dead}}</ref> Although the fall of communist governments has led to the closure of some, preserved children's railways are still functioning in [[post-Soviet states]] and [[Eastern Bloc|Eastern European countries]].

Many children's railways were built on parkland in urban areas. Unlike many industrial areas typically served by a narrow-gauge railway, parks were free of redevelopment. Child volunteers and socialist fiscal policy enabled the existence of many of these railways. Children's railways which still carry traffic have often retained their original infrastructure and rolling stock, including vintage steam locomotives;<ref>http://www.gyermekvasut.hu/english/page.php?8 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203013723/http://www.gyermekvasut.hu/english/page.php?8 |date=2013-12-03 }} Budapest Children's railways website: Rolling Stock</ref><ref>http://www.visitkosice.eu/en/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/childrens-railway {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203002217/http://www.visitkosice.eu/en/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/childrens-railway |date=2013-12-03 }} Košice Children's railways</ref> some have acquired heritage vehicles from other railways.

Examples of children's railways with steam locomotives include the [[Dresden Park Railway]] in Germany; the [[Gyermekvasút]] in [[Budapest]]; the [[Park Railway Maltanka]] in [[Poznań]]; the [[Košice]] Children's Railway in Slovakia, and the {{Track gauge|7.25in}} gauge steam railway on the grounds of St Nicholas' School in [[Merstham]], [[Surrey]], which the children help operate with assistance from the East Surrey 16mm Group and other volunteers.<ref>http://www.worldrailfans.info/7.25inch/GalleryMersthamVRConstruction.shtml The only British children's railway that is operational in 2014</ref><ref>http://www.eastsurrey16mm.org.uk/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230425120431/https://eastsurrey16mm.org.uk/ |date=2023-04-25 }} Helps keep the school's railway running, and puts on a number of steam and model train shows at that school</ref>