Stamp sheet of ESTONIA 2012 - Narva railway bridge. Joint Estonian-Latvian-Lithuanian issue./ 523-25.10.12
The
subject of this joint stamp issue of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania is railway
bridges. The most outstanding of the 440 railway bridges built in the first
period of Estonian independence are reproduced on the stamp, on the first day
cover and the cancellation. In addition to the Narva Bridge, also the Carnikava
Bridge in Latvia and the Lyduvėnai Bridge in Lithuania are featured on the
souvenir sheet. The first railway bridge across the Narva River was built in
1869 and another, stronger one, next to it in 1902. After both the bridges were
destroyed in hostilities a new strong railway bridge, which is also featured on
the stamp, was erected by the early 1920s. Built as the last big iron bridge in
the Republic of Estonia, it was opened for traffic on 12 December 1923 but was
destroyed in the course fighting during World War II. The stamp also shows one
of the new Stadler FLIRT type passenger trains that will arrive on Eesti
Raudtee track at the end of this year. The reinforced concrete Sindi railway
bridge across the Pärnu River that illustrates the cover was festively opened
on February 13, 1928. Train traffic on the Lelle-Papiniidu narrow gauge (750
mm) railway line was launched three days later, and from that day the time gain
of passenger trains was of about ten hours between Tallinn and Pärnu. In fact,
it was not a railway bridge alone, but was designed for crossing the river also
by motor traffic. Traffic of trains and other vehicles across the bridge was
regulated by the bridge guard. The first day cancel features the Ahja Railway
Bridge on the Tartu-Petseri Railway that was considered to be one of the most
beautiful ones in Estonia and was completed in 1931.
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