Riding the Trans-Siberian Express eastward out of Irkutsk we were awakened one night by a terrible clatter. The car shook, and it sounded like people were hammering on the outside. Later we found that that was precisely what was happening. It seems that when the train crosses the Mongolian border it pulls into a shed where the cars are jacked up and the wheels are changed. This is necessary because of a difference in track gauge. This is but one of the reasons the Trans-Siberian is noteworthy. It traverses the expanse of Siberia, swings around scenic Lake Baikal, winds through beautiful terrain in Northern Mongolia and then ... [Read More]