Trans-Siberian Railway because the swampy banks of the Ob River near it were considered inappropriate for a bridge. The railway was laid to the south (instead crossing the Ob at Novonikolaevsk, later renamed Novosibirsk); just a dead-end branch line connected with Tomsk, depriving the city of the prospective transit railway traffic and trade. In March 1890, the Tsarevich (later Tsar Nicholas II) personally inaugurated the construction of the Far East segment of the Trans-Siberian Railway during his stop at Vladivostok, after visiting Japan at the end of his journey around the world. Nicholas II made notes in his diary about his anticipation
Trans-Siberian Orchestra touring lineups Plate - Drums<br> Roddy Chong - Violin<br> Vitalij Kuprij - Keyboards<br> Mee Eun Kim - Keyboards<br> Bryan Hicks - Narrator<br> Rob Evan - Vocals<br> Andrew Ross - Vocals<br> Jeff Scott Soto - Vocals<br> Georgia Napolitano - Vocals<br> Kayla Reeves - Vocals<br> Chloe Lowery - Vocals<br> Paul O'Neill - Guitar (selected shows only)<br> Trans-Siberian Orchestra touring lineups The following is a list of Trans-Siberian Orchestra touring members, past and present. This list does not contain guest members. Chris Caffery - Guitar<br> Al Pitrelli - Guitar, music director<br> Johnny Lee Middleton - Bass<br> Jeff Plate - Drums<br> Asha Mevlana - Violin<br> Vitalij