The Сongresses of representatives of Russian railways are one of the first branch representative organizations of the Ministry of Communications in tsarist Russia. These congresses united the commissioners of private and state railways. Various congresses began their work in 1869. At general congresses, issues of railway operation were discussed, rules and agreements common to all railways were adopted. Railway congresses ceased its activities in 1917.

O. P. Borodin took an active part in the work of advisory congresses, at which he was repeatedly elected as chairman, and also acted as a speaker on a number of important issues of the development of transport technology. At these congresses, O. P. Borodin gave the following reports and messages: about the construction of devices for lifting and loading tenders with coal by the steam locomotive itself; on determining the quality of lubricants when receiving them in large batches; about locomotive research stations and about the research station for testing materials; about broken wagon axles and tires on Russian railways; about fuel consumption; about the cost of heating locomotives; about regulations, regulations and premiums for fuel; on the use of permanent brakes on railways; about the smallest diameter of wheel rims, etc.

We are convinced that even a surface analysis of Borodins speeches at railway workers; consultative congresses gives an opportunity to see a multifaceted picture of the activities of this scientist-engineer-practitioner. The decisive role of O. P. Borodins work in advisory congresses (and he was a participant in 20 such congresses) is undeniable. In fact, at each of them, Oleksandr Parfeniyovych offered his original idea for improvement and improvement of the rolling stock, and sometimes he expressed pioneering ideas in the development of this or that problem. As we make sure, every report of O. P. Borodin caused a lively discussion.

1. Grinevskiy, A. (1900). Istoricheskiy ocherk tehnicheskih soveschatelnyih s’ezdov russkih zheleznyih dorog 1879-1898 [Historical sketch of the technical deliberative congresses of Russian railways 1879-1898]. Inzhener – Engineer, no. 2, pp. 63-67 [In Russian].
2. (1872). IV-y Obschiy s’ezd predstaviteley russkih zheleznyih dorog [IV-th General Congress of representatives of Russian railways]. Sankt-Peterburg [In Russian].
3. (1873). V-y Obschiy s’ezd predstaviteley russkih zheleznyih dorog [V-th General Congress of representatives of Russian railways]. Sankt-Peterburg [In Russian].
4. Borodin, A. P. (1894). Otlichitelnyie uspehi amerikanskih zheleznyih dorog I vyivodyi iz takovyih [The Distinctive Successes of the American Railroads, and Insights from Them]. Kiev [In Russian].
5. (1885). ІХ–y Tehnicheskiy soveschatelnyiy s’ezd inzhenerov sluzhbyi podvizhnogo sostava i tyagi russkih zheleznyih dorog [IX-th Technical Consultative Congress of Engineers of the Rolling Stock and Traction Service of Russian Railways]. Sankt-Peterburg [In Russian].
6. (1882). V-y Tehnicheskiy soveschatelnyiy s’ezd inzhenerov sluzhbyi podvizhnogo sostava i tyagi russkih zheleznyih dorog [V-th Technical Consultative Congress of Engineers of the Rolling Stock and Traction Service of Russian Railways]. Sankt-Peterburg [In Russian].
7. (1885). ІХ–y Tehnicheskiy soveschatelnyiy s’ezd inzhenerov sluzhbyi podvizhnogo sostava i tyagi russkih zheleznyih dorog [IX-th Technical Consultative Congress of Engineers of the Rolling Stock and Traction Service of Russian Railways]. Sankt-Peterburg [In Russian].