H0e Coaches From Ukraine

Once again the workshop in at Miniland Kyiv has produced a couple of excellent 1/87 scale models and shipped them northwest to Denmark. The coaches are part of a larger order being gradually delivered as the models are finished. So far I have received two bogie platforms and a refrigerator wagon and I'm still expecting the arrival of some tank wagons and two PV40 coaches.

Another addition to my collection of Soviet narrow gauge rolling stock: Miniland built models of Ukrainian Pafawag coaches.

A total of 600 3Aw 750 mm narrow-gauge passenger cars were built between 1957 and 1960. 560 units were officially imported by the USSR. The coaches were almost exclusively known by the name of their manufacturer Pafawag (Państwowa Fabryka Wagonów) in Wroclaw, Poland. The factory opened in 1833 as Linke-Hofmann-Werke, in 1953 the company was renamed Pafawag and is today a part of the Bombardier group.

While most Pafawag coaches were standard passenger cars, the order also included variants used as VIP and dining cars. Most of the coaches, however, were fitted as 'Жесткий' (hard class) with simple, robust wooden slatted benches to maximize capacity and withstand wear from industrial and agricultural commuter traffic. 

The variants of the Pafawag wagons also included post and baggage wagons. Worth noting that this mention of the wagons is also simply naming them 'Pafawag' and not by any more specific type. 

Once the carriages reached the Soviet Union, local railway workshops soon carried out customizations to local needs. Several long-distance narrow-gauge lines in the Soviet Union required overnight accommodation, and workshops added internal bulkheads to convert the open coaches with seats to sleepers with simple, stacked longitudinal wooden berths.

Interior view of a Pafawag 'sleeper'. A sleeping passenger can just be seen lying in one of the upper berths. Most likely an image from the 1990's. The line's rural character is easily betrayed by the abundance of baggage in the top berths.

The 3Aw was the final development in a process that ironed out shortcomings in the original design. Soviet industry had begun to produce the PV40 coach in 1955, but the need for a larger and more technically advanced carriage seems to have prompted the need for assistance from the Polish railway industry. The original design 1Aw suffered from unstable running at higher speeds and the 2Aw sought to improve running and was built in almost 100 examples. The 3Aw was the final and most numerous version with final deliveries in 1960. 

Drawing of a standard 3Aw. Interesting to note that the drawing is printed in Russian, but the Polish company has signed and stamped in Polish. The Pafawags were long (almost 15 m) and became popular due to their better running compared to the shorter and more primitive PV40.

In model form my Pafawag carriages are built by modellers associated with Ukraine's largest model railway 'Miniland' in Kyiv. Some very talented modellers, fast and safe shipping as well as reasonable prices have made me a faithful customer. The wagons are most likely built from kits manufactured by another Ukrainian company Retro Trains Models. The carriages were shipped in a sturdy cardboard box in record time: only five days passed from receiving a notice that the wagons were sent to they were delivered on my doorstep.  Each coach is individually packed in a cardboard box lined with foam. Opening the box and removing a foam lid gives access to the model. I paid ca. 220 € for two coaches and considering the excentric prototype and quality provided I find that most reasonably.

Long and sleek with toilet in one end and a stove in the other. A modern coach by Soviet narrow gauge standards in the late 1950's.

The models have fully detailed interiors. Hard to see from my photos.  

My two 3Aw are finished in different liveries: the original green and blue as currently used by several of the 'childrens' railways' having replaced the old Soviet 'pioneer railways'. Both models are with Ukrainian Railways' lettering. If you wish to display green coaches with Soviet markings, I think you are best advised to reletter yourself by ordering a decal sheet form RTM. The wagons display a full interior, but I haven't yet had the courage to find out if I can gain access to the interior to install passengers.

The 3Aw bogies are remarkably detailed their small size considered. They are difficult to appreciate when seen from usual viewing angles on a layout, but in a close up they look really good. Compare with the image of a prototype bogie below.

A prototype bogie with decorative white painted wheel rims.

The underside of the Pafawag carriages is less detailed than the freight wagons in my collection. As I don't display my models on their sides it really doesn't matter. What can be seen from the side is present.

The steps are etched metal with 'see through effect' and the bogies are equipped for power pick up for internal lighting.

As usual the assembly of the wagons has been done with excellent workmanship, and the painting is of no less quality. The company logo of Ukrainian Railways and lettering looks painted through a stencil resembling the style used on the real carriages perfectly.

A good representation of the usual stencilled lettering between the central pair of windows.

The length of a Pafawag is clearly visible when coupled to a TU4 locomotive.

Both Pafawags are packed safely away in their boxes again. The summer of 2026 is dedicated to 1/19 scale modelling.