Soviet Railways Caps - under construction!

Shown here are caps worn by workers and supervisors of the Soviet Railways. Railroads have always been vital to the functioning of the Soviet State - both militarily and economically. As such, Soviet railroad personnel typically received recognition and respect in excess of their counterparts elsewhere in the world. Once under the Commissariat/Ministry of Communications, the later independent Soviet Ministry of Railways was responsible for the largest railway system in the world; incorporating at its peak 31 separate regional railroads under its umbrella. Cross country and metropolitan (metro) lines were its responsibility - but not streetcars, which fell under the Ministry of Housing & Utilities.

Of all the Non-MOD visor caps, Railroad caps are the most often seen and collected - at least the later ones. As with other non-military ministries, little information has been available in the West concerning the development of Soviet railroad uniforms - although I believe my new expanded site will go a long ways toward describing this history. I have relied greatly upon cap collectors in Russia, who have provided me with photographs of rare caps and copies of original uniform regulations. 1943 was a seminal year in the development of railroad uniforms. In that wartime year, as the military was undertaking a major uniform change itself, Railways uniforms were "militarized", incorporating many of the same features as used by the Red Army. The standard uniform was "midnight/invisible" blue (usually black except for high ranking officials) in color, with light brown (khaki) and white tunic variants for summer/hot wear. These latter colors were, in practice, generally confined to high-ranking personnel and were rarely seen. Shoulderboards denoting rank were also authorized, although these were relatively short-lived, being replaced with sleeve insignia postwar. Uniform caps were also made from very dark blue/black cotton or wool cloth with a black wool or velvet band, piped with "teal" green. A khaki-topped version matching the khaki tunic and a white cover for the dark blue cap for wear with the white tunic also existed. These uniforms remained in use until 1955, when, following the death of Stalin, the military look was toned down and pre-war uniform elements were reintroduced (shoulderboards gone; various piping colors back). Uniforms were simplified in 1963 when piping colors were unified, and smaller changes occurred in 1973 and 1979. The last major changes occurred in 1985, when dark blue replaced black for uniform tunics and cap tops - changes that remained in place through the end of the USSR.

A thumbnail image accompanies each cap description. Clicking on that thumbnail will bring up a larger, higher resolution image.

Not a Cold War period cap, but included here to partially show the evolution of Railways caps from their early days. Unfortunately, the cap appears to be in rather amazing condition inside and out given its reputed age, so I am a bit suspicious of its "total" authenticity. Nevertheless, here's what we have. The crown and band are black (or very dark blue) cotton. There is no colored piping (blue, crimson, green or yellow) - which I would have expected (but can't confirm on caps during this period) given the uniform regulations in use at the time. However, the emblem is authentic and is actually the main means by which the cap is dated. This attractive and unique emblem showing an on-coming engine superimposed on a red enamel star was only in use during the 1932-1943 period. The buttons holding the black oilcloth strap are also embossed with this same emblem. The visor is standard black lacquered fiberboard. Rare

Railways
Worker/Junior Supervisor Service
1943-1955

This cap reflects the "militarization" of railroad uniforms in World War II - as directed by Stalin. The cap has a dark blue top with a black band - all piped in green. Interestingly, although this color combination was revoked in 1955, it returned in 1985. The crossed wrench & hammer symbol on the band and the small red star on the crown marks this as a wartime/immediate postwar issue worn by both "enlisted" workers and junior supervisors. The black oilcloth chinstrap and squared-off fiberboard visor were normal for the period. The chinstrap buttons were also embossed with the railways' crossed wrench and hammer. Rare

Railways (Traction/Locomotion)
Worker/Supervisor
1955-1963

One of a series of related caps introduced after Stalin's death when most Soviet ministries exchanged their military-looking uniforms for more "civilian" ones. Instead of designating branch of service via insignia on shoulderboards, Railways returned to the pre-1943 practice of identifying branches by color - here shown by the piping on caps. Although I can't confirm the post-1955 colors corresponded directly to those used pre-1943, it does seems likely. The blue piping on this cap thus probably identifies the wearer as a "traction" or locomotive worker. The crown is made of faded very dark-blue/black cotton while the band is black velvet. Although this dark blue "midnight" color was the official standard for Railways uniforms, in practice uniforms and caps were usually made from black cloth (especially for workers). The Railways emblem pinned through the band is silver-washed brass while the crossed hammer & wrench embossed buttons are also silver. All ranks wore the same emblem during this period, although the velvet band "may" have indicated supervisor rank. The visor is squared off and made of fiberboard while the strap is black oilcloth. Rare

Railways (Operations)
Worker/Supervisor
1955-1963

From the same period as the cap described above, this one belonged to a Railways "operations" worker, as identified by its magenta (crimson) piping. This cap does vary somewhat in that both the crown and band are made of the same very dark blue/black wool (rather than using velvet on the band - which may indicate the wearer's junior rank). Again, the Railways emblem is brass (probably silvered worn off) with silver buttons holding an oilcloth strap in place. The visor is rounded fiberboard (both squared off and rounded visors were in use at the same time). Rare

Railways (Tracks and Routes)
Worker/Supervisor
1955-1963

This cap apparently represents a "re-used" cap from the 1943-1955 period modified after uniform regulations changed so that it could be worn until 1963. The cap is essentially a more-worn version of the second cap described on this page. The crown is the standard very dark blue/black cotton while the band is black velvet. Piping is bright green, which was standard from 1943-1955, but was only authorized for Railways tracks and route maintenance personnel from 1955-1963. I assume the last owner of this cap was of this group, which allowed him to simply remove the small red star previously pinned to the crown (of which traces can be seen) and continue wearing it until 1963. The crossed wrench and hammer emblem remains unchanged. The buttons holding the oilcloth strap are painted green, probably indicating original wartime use. The visor is rounded fiberboard. Rare

Railways
Worker Service
1985-1991

This represents the most recognized (and available) Soviet railways cap - the one in most collections. It reflects the 1985 uniform regulations, wherein midnight blue (actually black) tunics and cap tops were replaced with a "lighter" dark blue cloth. Although it is nominally a "winter" version, lower ranking personnel seldom (if ever) wore the light gray "summer" version. The cap has a black felt band, dark blue crown and green piping. This 1985 dated cap belonged to a lower grade individual, as delineated by the use of a black chinstrap rather than gold cords. The "crossed wrench & hammer" cockade on a green background is characteristic of Railways from the early 1970's (the particular version shown on this cap was the last version dating from 1979-1991). Before that, Railway personnel wore crossed wrench and hammer badges without the oval background. The "winged wheel" emblem on the crown is a symbol for transportation units used since the time of the Tsars. Embroidered versions of both the cockade and the winged wheel can be found on senior Railroad officials' hats. This particular cap has an unusually small plastic visor that looks remarkably like an older fiberboard one. Common

Railways
Junior Supervisor Service
1985-1991

This is the "summer" uniform cap worn by Railroad supervisors. It retains the black band and green piping of its more commonly seen winter-weight cousin, but the crown is made from light gray fabric instead of dark blue and the black band is "upgraded" to velvet. The cap is a junior officer's or supervisors' model, with gold cords instead of the black chinstrap. The metal cockade and winged wheel emblems are standard for all positions except for senior supervisors (general-equivalent), who typically wore gold wire embroidered versions. Standard metal color of these cap badges is gold, although silver versions existed for technical personnel. Available