In the countries of the former USSR (and Cuba !), most of the large cities has a small rail network, which to the untrained eye, is to halfway between a tourist train and a toy train.
Yet, during the Soviet period and still nowadays, детская железная дорога (literally “Railway children”) are an extra-curricular activity where many children and teenagers manage their network rail under the supervision of adults, often retired railway. There are all the trades of “real” Russian railways : driver (and driver, the business is becoming), switcher(-is), Station Manager, “provodnitsa” (Head of car), sale of tickets… and all procedures are strictly adhered, as the announcement of the departure or when the locomotive along the wharf to manoeuvre… As for most networks, the rolling stock is used “in true” on the secondary narrow gauge lines. And for special occasions, a steam locomotive is sometimes output, as in Rostov or Kiev.
More information and full list of networks (in Russian) : http://www.dzd-ussr.ru/
