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The Magic of Poland


EddieB

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Just a note to the unintiated: WARS is not wars (as in conflict). It is pronounced 'Varsh' (a King of Poland).

It threw me a bit, when I first came here and saw carriages labelled 'Bar Wars': thought there might be a place sepecially for drinkers to have a punch-up!

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Just a note to the unintiated: WARS is not wars (as in conflict). It is pronounced 'Varsh' (a King of Poland).

It threw me a bit, when I first came here and saw carriages labelled 'Bar Wars': thought there might be a place sepecially for drinkers to have a punch-up!

 

Yes, as I understand it WARS is a luxury brand name for sleeper and restaurant cars, similar to MITROPA in pre-war Germany (and post-war East Germany).

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A kind of random selection from May 1999, which I hope will be found of interest.

 

Across from the former Soviet frontier, PKP had a number of transfer lines of mixed or Russian gauge, which in steam days were operated by Ty23 locomotives.  With the onset dieselisation, the steam locomotives were replaced with ST44 diesels (equivalent to the familiar M62 Soviet type, built by Lugansk, now in Ukraine) and SM48 (equivalent to the TEM2 type).  The standard gauge versions of both types were shedded (along with various stored/dumped Ty2 steam locomotives) at Malaszewice.  Under PKP ownership the ST44 were numerous and spread over the whole country, but the SM48 were confined to Eastern Poland, less seen and photographed.  Many examples of both types have passed to private operators.

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Stock at Czarna Bialostocka, a draisine or permanent way trolley (VM10 480).

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In 1999 the 750mm narrow gauge line from Elk to Kalinowo was still open and operated by PKP.  After closure in 2001 it was reopened, largely as a tourist operation, by a local sports centre.  Elk also had (and still has) a museum collection of both standard and narrow gauge locomotives.

 

Standard passenger services were worked by a railcar.  Here is MBxd2-225 shortly after leaving Kalinowo.

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The narrow gauge collection included a examples of some of the most numerous narrow gauge steam locomotive types.

 

"3" is ex-Cukrownia (i.e. sugar factory) Lesmierz, a standard 600mm gauge "Brigadelok" 0-8-0T from WW1 (HFB 2239, built Linke Hoffman 1918).  Over 2,500 of these locomotives were built by 15 German builders between 1905 and 1920.  Quite a number are preserved, including a couple of examples in the UK.  No longer at Elk, this one was moved to the new preservation centre at Skierniewice.

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Kp4-3760 is one of the Polish locomotives built by Chrzanow to the Soviet PT-4 0-8-0 family (which totalled around 4,500 locomotives from Russian and East European builders).  Of 750mm gauge, it came from Cukrownia Goslawice (no. 3), and has also moved on since - to the narrow gauge museum of Sochaczew.

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"T" is an unidentified 600mm gauge Chrzanow 0-6-0T (although probably the locomotive still present at Elk numbered as T243, Chz 1060/1948, ex-Plocicno Forest Railway)..

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Among the active fleet at Elk were examples of the Lyd-1 class and a 750mm gauge version of the familiar snow plough.  The Lyd-1 class could be called upon to haul passenger coaches for tourist services and occasional freight.

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Finally, another example of the PKP post-war standard narrow gauge locomotive.  Px48-1927 is a 750mm gauge 0-8-0, displayed at a children's home(?) in Siedlce.  As someone who normally follows up others' reports and "leads", I'm proud to say that this is one of my few "discoveries" (as far as British enthusiasts are concerned).

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Hi EddieB, all. 

 

As promised, here are a couple of pictures of the sleeping, (couchette), car we travelled in on arrival at Krakow, (or possibly Katowice - I didn't take details).

 

Anywho, it appears there are lots of pictures from the same week and a visit to Chabowka so I will look through them and see if any are decent enough to post.

 

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Cheers.

 

Sean.

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Hi, I have been reading this with great pleasure, I have visited Poland 3 times over the last 15 months and love the country. 

Does anybody have any info about these snowploughs that seem to be parked up in every large station or yard? These two examples were at Chabowka in late April 2013. They have a definate class 83/EU07 look about them.

I have lots of photographs if anyone is interested in seeing them, all recent shots though, we did have a few problems in Poland, crossing the pedestrian crossing in przemysl oblivious to the red man and being swooped on by a squad car! That resulted in a close scrutiny of passports but luckily no fine, the shunter at Katowice who got himself really worked up about my tripod and camera so much so that I decided to head back to the hotel and two Policemen patrolling Warsaw Central who didn't much care for photography so again we decided to leave and visit the Stare Miasto!

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Welcome to the thread GD, and please be encouraged to post more of your pictures.

 

There's a little bit of background info on snowploughs in message #22 further up the thread - enough to put into Google and get meaningful results (I hope).  Alas no connection with the EU06 and variants.

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Hi, thanks for the encouragement, just a little taster is this photo taken on the 19th september 2013 at the border town of Zwardon, PKP cargo EU07-065 has just arrived with the 1231 from Katowice and sits alongside 162001-2 which is the connection to Zilina (Slovakia) departing at 1548. Unfortunately the Katowice trains are now all emu's but the Slovakian trains are still loco hauled. 

Dave

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As EU07-468 awaits departure from Raciborz with the 0857 to Katowice 181018-3 leads a double headed freight towards the Czech Republic.  20-09-13

 

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Also at Raciborz sat in the south facing bay was ET22-991 with a train to Chalupki, this shuttle service was very sparce and operated exclusively by this 2 coach loco hauled set, all these local trains are now units. 

 

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Later in the day chocolate coloured EU07-124 pauses at Katowice with a Warsaw Wschodnia to Kedzierzyn Kozle Regio Express service formed of a strengthened load 6 set due to it being a Friday night. We travelled on this EU07-124 hauled service the next day to Warsaw but during the night the set was reformed as the usual load 4 and was absolutely heaving!

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Hi, 

 

Just a little something different in case anybody likes trams, this is the Warsaw tram stop just after the tunnel underneath the old town. Behind me is the bridge over the mighty River Wisla (or Vistula?).  I had a preconception of Warsaw being drab and grey but this part of Warsaw was a delight to visit. 

 

Dave

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Penguin you are indeed correct that Stare miasto means old town.

 

The snow ploughs are a strange beast that look like they should be self propelled but are not.

 

A few more pictures may wend their way from SM42 towers in due course

 

Andy

 

Edit for spelling

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Just for the penguin (and everyone else)  a few ET22s

 

Poznan Glowny
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Not really sure where this one is as I didn't keep any notes. Possibly Poznan Glowny

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And finally for now the Leszno plough

 

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Andy

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How about this for a small modelling project? This is the picturesque terminus station of Wisla Glebce on 30th April 2013 with hired Lotos loco 170019 having just run round it's stock before returning to Katowice at 1401. In the next platform is a rake of sleepers and passenger coaches that will form an evening service to Gdynia. The motive power for this is a refurbished SM42 type of diesel loco, sorry I don't know much about these, I think the number may have been 1206.

The SM will only have worked this train to Bielsko Biala Glowna before reversal with an EP07 going forward. Now did this train take the rare diesel line to Bielsko via Jaworze or the electric line via Czechowice Dziedzice? This service was extended to/from Bielsko because it was the double bank holiday week in Poland.

I had a walk along the platform and noticed the sleeper attendants were fast asleep in the stock! And note the unusual Polish sunshine!

 

Dave

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Just for the penguin (and everyone else)  a few ET22s

 

Poznan Glowny

attachicon.gifET22 Poznan 2011.jpg

 

attachicon.gifET22 1093 Poznan.jpg

 

Not really sure where this one is as I didn't keep any notes. Possibly Poznan Glowny

attachicon.gifET22723.jpg

 

And finally for now the Leszno plough

 

attachicon.gifLesno plough 2010.jpg

 

Andy

Nice ET22 shots Andy, this is ET22 117 at the run down station of Wodzislaw Slaski with a train to Czechowice Dziedzice.post-6038-0-12598500-1390150725_thumb.jpg

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Not only was the ET22 (201E) class the most successful and numerous electric type built in Poland, it was also the first type to be exported with 23 going to Morocco (becoming ONCFM class E-1000).

 

Some may find their early livery of two-tone green with yellow strips or half yellow panels reminiscent of early BR diesel schemes.  All these photos are from November 2002.

 

ET22-202 at Poznan.

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ET22-758 disfigured by graffiti, Wroclaw-Gl.

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ET22-121 awaiting restoration at Jaworzyna.  This was built by Pafawag in 1973 as the prototype EP23-001 and designed for 160km/h running, given orange livery (as applied to other 'P' designated electrics at the time, namely EP02, EP05 and EP08 clases). It was rebuilt (re-geared) into the ET22 series in 1979 and allocated a number vacated by a written-off locomotive.  It would be nice to see this locomotive restored to its original condition.

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Just a little something different in case anybody likes trams, this is the Warsaw tram stop just after the tunnel underneath the old town. Behind me is the bridge over the mighty River Wisla (or Vistula?).  I had a preconception of Warsaw being drab and grey but this part of Warsaw was a delight to visit. 

 

Well, it used to be drab and grey (or was it just the black and white film?).  Reverse perspective from 1976, with Konstal type 13N trams much in evidence.

 

post-10122-0-26638300-1390241291_thumb.jpg

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Well, it used to be drab and grey (or was it just the black and white film?).  Reverse perspective from 1976, with Konstal type 13N trams much in evidence.

 

attachicon.gifPICS0765.jpg

 

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Very interesting photo, here is the 2013 view but not  quite the same spot! I was watching the traffic and when a tram or bus stopped the obedient Polish drivers did not enter the zigzags until the trams/buses pulled away, couldn't see that working in the uk!

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Talking of Poland, how about this for a delay, 1190 minutes as at 0031 this morning, in the uk they would have given up a long time ago but full marks to PKP for dedication. 

 

I think the problem was ice on the wires with many trains being dragged by diesels

 

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Last time I travelled by train in Poland, we left Poznan Glowny at around 8pm and 15 minutes later the lights went out.

 

The guard informed us that there would be no lights in the carriage all the way to destination (Wroclaw). 3 hours (by the light of someone's laptop)  but at least we could see out of the window.

 

Can't see that happening in the UK either.

 

 

Andy

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Travelling around Poland you sometimes come across some strangely familiar items:

 

 

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Sorry about poor quality of the following but it was a snap shot from a moving train at Bojanowo in fading light. (Well I was surprised to see it at the time)

 

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Andy

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I saw a class 66 last time I was in Poland at Stargard Szczecin. It appeared to stay in the same place all week with a rake of wagons. Don't know if it was defective or not, but if not, it seemed a bit of a waste of a resource.

 

Anywho, on another note, unfortunately, all my Poland pictures appear too large to upload and I'm not sure how to compress them so I don't think I'll be able to post them.

 

I'll take a good load when I'm next over there.

 

Cheers.

 

Sean.

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