Wolsztyn 2019 and other Polish steam

[SM42]

It has been mentioned in another topic (Peacock to Poland) that a little engine from the UK ventured to Poland for the Wolsztyn Parade that took place on 4th May.

 

I promised to upload some photos of said parade and thought a seperate topic would be more appropriate and with luck here they are.

 

The day started well. Rain was forecast but Poznan dawned overcast with the sun doing its best to break through. The 0949hrs Poznan Glowny - Wolsztyn was my chosen method of getting to the parade.

 

However before that departed there was the matter of the 0930hrs Turkpol charter to depart. Hauled by OL49 69. There was quite a crowd at the platform end around the loco so I only managed to get a quick full frontal shot in.

 

 

Meanwhile nearby SM42 616 awaited its next duty

 

Then it was off to Wolsztyn.

 

By the time my train arrived in  Wolszstyn the forecast showery rain had started.  Rebuilt SM42 1231 was the station pilot

 

 

The weather definitely put a lot of people off this year. Where the security staff are standing in the background is normally packed.  Instead two hardy souls share an umbrella. Only another 2 hours to wait before the steamy madness commences.

 

A whisp of steam can be seen rising above the SM42. This was the Peacock

 

 

The weather by this time was beyond showery rain and just one long shower.

 

More to follow

 

Edited May 8, 2019 by SM42
spelling

[SM42]

Ok I've downlaoded some more from the camera

 

You'll have to excuse the framing and composition of some of these but it wasn't easy allowing for 2 second delay on the shutter of my ancient camera all whilst trying to fight off the efeects of frostbite in my fingers.

Not only was it wet but the temprature had dropped to something like 6c with a reasonable breeze. So cold fingers were quickly a problem. And to think I was wearing T shirt and  shorts  a couple of days before.

 

Anyhow, enough excuses.

 

In  no particular order Ol49 59

 

 

A  Ol49 69 that had come in on the charter from Poznan

 

Ol49 59

 

Pt47 65

 

 

Tkt48 18

 

Tkt48 191

 

Tkh 053 53

 

Ty2 911

 

More to follow

 

 

Edited May 8, 2019 by SM42

[SM42]

Last few

 

Normally the locos run along two adjacent tracks individually and then coupled (with the others on their respective tracks) and at the end of the parade all the locos are coupled together and charge back and forth making as much smoke, steam and noise as possible.

 

The little Beyer Peacock did not join in but ran up and down at the same time on an adjacent track.  The big locos would probably have ripped it apart; springs and splashers everyhwere.

 

 

A few shots from the end of the parade of the last couple of runs and when the locos were shunting back onto shed. At this point I had taken refuge under the road bridge near the station..

 

 

 

 

 

And disposal onto shed

 

Finally a forlorn Tkt48 143 parked up and rusting gently by the station. One of many locos doing the some dotted around the station and depot area

 

 

There you have it. 10 locos in steam. A cold, wet day (at least you could get up to the barriers though) and the discovery that my supposedly waterproof coat is not that waterproof.

 

If any one else was daft enough to be there please feel free to add your own photos

 

Andy (who got really wet)

 

Edited May 8, 2019 by SM42

[avonside1563]

Thanks for uploading your photos, and braving the Polish weather!

 

There a little story of the efforts to get the Peacock to Poland as it had broken the top leaf of one of its springs on Easter Sunday, and so Tuesday the 23rd saw myself with the broken spring in the boot of the car calling into Jones Springs in Darlaston for them to take a look at it. Jones pulled out all the stops and the repaired spring was collected two days later and re-fitted to the loco on the Saturday, in plenty of time to be ready for the Knotty ABC coach launch on the 1st of May. That was asomething of a day in itself as the Peacock featured on the inaugural train at 11.30am before departing from Caverswall Road to be loaded onto the low loader at 2pm at Foxfield Colliery to head to Poland catching the overnight boat from England at 11pm the same day!

 

The reason behind the Peacock's visit is down to a Foxfield member, Bob Gibbens, who has been a big supporter of Howard and his efforts in Wolsztyn for over 20 years. Bob has long held the idea of taking a loco to the May day parade so, with this year possibly being the last opportunity, Bob, Howard and many others behind the scenes in Poland, along with Jon Allman who owns the Peacock, made it happen.

[SM42]

I had managed to wangle a few days extra leave after Easter so I could get to the parade  (so close to the Easter break why wouldn't you) as it had been several years since I last went.

After all that effort, a little bit of rain wasn't going to stop me. Other things tried to but that's another story.

 

It was nice to see  this little loco out there and I sure those other hardy souls who made it there also appreciated the efforts to get it there, even if they don't know the back story. 

 

It was such a shame the weather put a dampener (literally)  on things. Reports in the past have put numbers attending at around 50,000 (there is of course more than just the Sautruday parade)  but I doubt there was more than a couple of thousand this year.  One trader I know who attended was home in Poznan by 6pm. He's normally home around 10. I'm not sure the books on one trade stand survived either, being out in the rain. The food and drinks tents seemed to do a roaring trade as they had a bit of shelter but having said that the other trade stands weren''t exactly dead either.

 

I'm also quite sure that Wolszytyn may have sold out of umbrellas too.  You normally can't move in the local shops ( Every other parade I've attended has been in sunny and low 20s weather) and the staff are working flat out to keep the drinks shelves well stocked.

 

I remember some years ago a little (Austrian?) loco attending that wasn't much bigger than the Beyer Peacock. That did get coupled up in the big calvacade and the wheels and con rods were just a blur. I felt a bit sorry for it really.

Do you know the specific reason it ran seperately?.

I've just guessed  but it could be something more techinical than size and age.

 

If the weather had been kinder I would have ventured over to the shed side as this is normally a better vantage point and would have been in a position to take more photos of the little beastie.

 

I hope next year's parade enjoys better weather.  It looks like I won't be there though, but never say never, a seed of a plan is germinating.

 

Andy (who's still damp back in the UK)

[Guest Jack Benson]

Hi,

 

Wolsztyn - Is there mainline steam running everyday or only at weekends?

 

We plan to visit during mid July- early August, any recommendations for accommodation as Trivago lists just three properties????

 

Cheers

 

Jack

 

 

 

 

[SM42]

My understanding is that there is a limited amount of mainline running. I am a little out of touch with the current situation,  I'm sure others will be better able to clarify.

 

You can visit the shed, it cost 10zl (£2) payable at the shed office and there are numerous locos in the station area rusting gently.

 

You may be better served staying further out. Wolsztyn, whilst a nice town, is a little limited.

Poznan is a good alternative. Large city with all the amenities that brings (including 2 model shops) and about an hour or so by train to Wolsztyn. 

 

I think the fare is around 17zl (£3 or so) each way.  

 

Andy

[Coach bogie]

I am going out in August and staying in Poznan as I could not find anywhere locally Wolstyn that the family were happy with. I was told by the Poznan hotel that there is at least one steam hauled services from Poznan to Wolstyn on certain days but they had no further information, but I did find this on the net

 

http://www.thewolsztynexperience.org/publications/2019 Full timetables pg.pdf

 

http://www.thewolsztynexperience.org/documents.php

 

 

Mike Wiltshire

[Guest Jack Benson]

Thanks Mike and Andy,

 

 Our chum in Poland, Tomasz, advised us that daily regular steam workings are not guaranteed, only 'events' . Btw there is a new motel in Wolsztyn called the Montana.

 

Cheers

 

Jack

[SM42]

Oh my!

 

Looks like the Poznan branch of RMWeb will be in session this August

 

We might all bump into each other! 

 

Last time I visited Wolsztyn on a normal day (October 2018) they were raising steam for a departure at around 3pm. Whether that is still the case I don't know

 

Andy

[Guest Jack Benson]

2 hours ago, SM42 said:

Oh my!

 

Looks like the Poznan branch of RMWeb will be in session this August

 

We might all bump into each other! 

 

Last time I visited Wolsztyn on a normal day (October 2018) they were raising steam for a departure at around 3pm. Whether that is still the case I don't know

 

Andy

 

 

 Hi Andy,

 

Doubtful, if Tomasz is indeed correct, we will switch our attention to Wernigerode and spare ourselves the 290 mile schlep from Berlin.

 

A bit if a disappointing outcome but at least the Harz are on the way home, with the added bonuses of avoiding the A2 and a chance to stay in the Altora Eisenbahnhotel

 

Cheers

 

Jack 

[SM42]

The A2 isn't that bad! The M20 is worse.

 

If you're down Wernigerode way you could also pop over to Brakel and ModellBundesBahn.  Managed to pop in there on way out last year. Well worth a look. (You may of course already be aware of this )

 

And then there is Modelbahnshop in Detmold not too far away too if continental floats your boat

 

Have fun and safe journey

 

Andy

 

 

[Trofimow]

1 hour ago, Jack Benson said:

 

Last time I visited Wolsztyn on a normal day (October 2018) they were raising steam for a departure at around 3pm. Whether that is still the case I don't know

 

I believe the current plan is 3 round trips  Wolsztyn to Zbaszynek on weekdays and one Wolsztyn to Poznan and return on Saturdays.

 

All subject to availabilty of locos and crews etc, etc.

[Mallard60022]

19 hours ago, Jack Benson said:

Hi,

 

Wolsztyn - Is there mainline steam running everyday or only at weekends?

 

We plan to visit during mid July- early August, any recommendations for accommodation as Trivago lists just three properties????

 

Cheers

 

Jack

 

 

 

 

There is accommodation in the Engine Shed Hostel; well there was in 2004! Two ensuite rooms then and other rooms were available but quite basic.

You could investigate that. Great fun sleeping 'on shed'.

Phil

[Mallard60022]

14 minutes ago, Trofimow said:

 

I believe the current plan is 3 round trips  Wolsztyn to Zbaszynek on weekdays and one Wolsztyn to Poznan and return on Saturdays.

 

All subject to availabilty of locos and crews etc, etc.

The Zabszynek run is great if you are on the footplate turns and especially if you have an OL49 as they are cracking little (?) engines and great to fire;  best if chimney first towards Wolsztyn and it is main line for some of the way IIRC?

That's one of the first May  celebrations I have seen where there has been poor weather and not many people.

Thanks for the pics....lovely.

Phil

[Trofimow]

The rooms at the shed are no longer available, AFAIK.

The Zbaszynek run does indeed involve a stretch on the Berlin -Warsaw main line, which can be fun as you have to keep up with the traffic.

[Mallard60022]

33 minutes ago, Trofimow said:

The rooms at the shed are no longer available, AFAIK.

The Zbaszynek run does indeed involve a stretch on the Berlin -Warsaw main line, which can be fun as you have to keep up with the traffic.

That's a bit of a bo##ock then as it was there that I stayed on my last Wolsztyn Experience course in 2004, they were newly fitted out and we all thought they would bring in a good income for the Depot from all the visitors from across the world (but especially the Brits, Dutch and Germans and the Polish fans).

What a shame if they have gone. Missing a trick if they are still there but not being used?

Phil

[Trofimow]

Still there, I think, but for PKP use, so not available to WE participants.

[5944]

http://www.parowozy.com.pl/rozklad.htm

 

Three return trips to Zbąszynek on weekdays, two returns to Poznan on Saturdays at the moment. Nothing on Sundays. 

 

Worth keeping an eye on www.parowozy.com.pl to see what is happening. 

[adb968008]

Don't forget theres regular steam on weekends in Southern Poland too, from chabowka, dates below, three different operators on different dates / routes

90 minutes by car, 3 hours behind EU07 including reversals from Krakow. English speaking, pay on the train.

 

http://skansenchabowka.pl/malopolskie-szlaki-turystyki-kolejowej-2019/

 

http://en.kolejegalicyjskie.pl/timetable/

 

http://skansenchabowka.pl/wakacyjne-pociagi-retro-do-kasiny-wielkiej-2019/

put the links into google translate, or chrome.

 

Nowy-Sacz line is beautiful, the stock / locos are much more authentic. Excellent museum at Chabowka, the locos and stock are in much better restored condition you wouldn't believe both Chabowka and Wolsztyn are both PKP owned and operated facilities, stock & staff given how different they are, and both know it. Chabowka wont ever lend anything to Wolsztyn, not even coaches (WE uses its own former Czech stock).

 

Returning to Wolsztyn,

 

I personally don't rough it with hotels, the Palac and Hotel Kaukaska are ok in Wolsztyn. The Palac isnt far from Howards “offices” at WE, though its a good walk from the shed.

if in Poznan, the Sheraton is very reasonable.

 

With Wolsztyn, make sure you buy the right fare, theres different fare categories, not all pkp tickets are valid on any train, they wont forgive you for being a foreigner.

 

Also beware to check your dates against Turkol, the PKP heritage operator associated with Wolsztyn, if they have a railtour running anywhere north of Wroclaw they take the loco & more importantly the crew from Wolsztyn, and so dmus  will operate instead of the scheduled steam on the days before, during & after, if a LE move is required to the start point.

 

if its ex-Krakow / Katowice or south its one of Chabowka’s locos but those dates align to avoid (or share) with the Chabowka operating dates above.

 

Turkols summer program below..

 

of particular note is August bank holiday week and steam to Rzeszow, probably only the 2nd standard gauge steam there in 25 years ! 

lipec = July,

sierpnia - August

Turkols program uses Chabowka stock in the south, or either standard PKP stock or the PKP heritage set which i think is from Gnieszno in The North, if the loco goes upto Gdansk (”Pirat” trips), it can be gone for a few weeks.

Edited August 15, 2019 by adb968008

[Coach bogie]

I have just returned from Poland. As I was with the family, the accomodation in Wolsztyn was not acceptable to them. We stayed in Poznan and found apartments with breakfast and parking which was very inexpensive. We did the same in Warsaw for a fraction of the price of a hotel.

 

Mike Wiltshire

[Nick C]

On 15/08/2019 at 00:19, adb968008 said:

Don't forget theres regular steam on weekends in Southern Poland too, from chabowka, dates below, three different operators on different dates / routes

90 minutes by car, 3 hours behind EU07 including reversals from Krakow. English speaking, pay on the train.

 

http://skansenchabowka.pl/malopolskie-szlaki-turystyki-kolejowej-2019/

 

http://en.kolejegalicyjskie.pl/timetable/

 

http://skansenchabowka.pl/wakacyjne-pociagi-retro-do-kasiny-wielkiej-2019/

put the links into google translate, or chrome.

 

Nowy-Sacz line is beautiful, the stock / locos are much more authentic. Excellent museum at Chabowka, the locos and stock are in much better restored condition you wouldn't believe both Chabowka and Wolsztyn are both PKP owned and operated facilities, stock & staff given how different they are, and both know it. Chabowka wont ever lend anything to Wolsztyn, not even coaches (WE uses its own former Czech stock).

 

Returning to Wolsztyn,

 

I personally don't rough it with hotels, the Palac and Hotel Kaukaska are ok in Wolsztyn. The Palac isnt far from Howards “offices” at WE, though its a good walk from the shed.

if in Poznan, the Sheraton is very reasonable.

 

With Wolsztyn, make sure you buy the right fare, theres different fare categories, not all pkp tickets are valid on any train, they wont forgive you for being a foreigner.

 

Also beware to check your dates against Turkol, the PKP heritage operator associated with Wolsztyn, if they have a railtour running anywhere north of Wroclaw they take the loco & more importantly the crew from Wolsztyn, and so dmus  will operate instead of the scheduled steam on the days before, during & after, if a LE move is required to the start point.

 

if its ex-Krakow / Katowice or south its one of Chabowka’s locos but those dates align to avoid (or share) with the Chabowka operating dates above.

 

Turkols summer program below..

 

of particular note is August bank holiday week and steam to Rzeszow, probably only the 2nd standard gauge steam there in 25 years ! 

lipec = July,

sierpnia - August

Turkols program uses Chabowka stock in the south, or either standard PKP stock or the PKP heritage set which i think is from Gnieszno in The North, if the loco goes upto Gdansk (”Pirat” trips), it can be gone for a few weeks.

 

Is there any way to check for sure if they're not planning to run the steam service due to railtours? We're planning to go over there in October, with the intention of doing Poznan->Wolstyn on the 17th, and that timetable shows a tour from Łódź - which is pretty much equidistant from both Wolstyn and Chabowka, so could take from either!

 

Edit - perhaps I should read more closely before posting - all the October railtours are "lokomotywa spalinowa" - Diesel locomotive, so I presume that won't affect the scheduled steam service...

Edited August 21, 2019 by Nick C

[adb968008]

Łódź would definitely be Wolsztyn, it’s closer by line speed by some distance.

but as you said it’s diesel, so it wouldn’t affect Wolsztyn.

 

Best site’s to check is Parowozy.com.pl and parowozy.pl (use google translate) one is for Wolsztyn the other Chabowka, though usually it’s quite short notice they update, there is a forum there too, but it’s relatively quiet there, but it does give a heads up of the longer term.

 

There are other significant steam centres (Warszaw openair museum, Jaworzyna Slaska and skierniewice,  pyskowice, the latter 2 are home grown preservation centres.

 

pkp steam locos are scattered around the country, most abandoned, and condition varies from making a Barry wreck look good, upto museum display, many plinthed or parked, one in Wroclaw is a 2-10-0 sitting on its footplate at an angle pointing to the sky.

 

if you want the full list of where everything is..

standard gauge

http://www.polskieparowozy.pl/index2.php?wykaz=1435

Narrow gauge

http://www.polskieparowozy.pl/index2.php?wykaz=wask

 

”wrak” is self explanatory

”Pomnik” plinthed on display (painted)

”eksponat” static display

“czynny” operational (recent, current or overhaul).

”oczekuje naprawy” stored / potential overhaul someday

 

the other aspect is the amount of steam infrastructure that exists.. it’s all there roundhouses, water towers, cranes, turntables, ash towers, coal towers...

 

I was puzzled back in Feb to see recently overhauled water cranes with new bags etc at Rzeszow now I see why. So don’t be surprised to see some very good condition infrastructure in places way off from steam operations, it’s usually a sign of railtours heading there, though much of it is in decay.

 

i do recommend taking a few railway mags with you... Ive had cab rides & depot tours all over the country, just by smiling, speaking English with a camera pointing to a loco and mag to give away. Though common sense applies, don’t just walk over a high speed line into the shed, but if there’s a footpath to a depot from a station, follow it. Walking on lines isn’t frowned upon (it’s an accepted norm) in places where there isn’t signage warning against it, which is mostly the major city stations.

 

enjoy it whilst you can, PKP steam only exists because of EU funding, which is several million a year, that could change soon.

Edited August 22, 2019 by adb968008

[Nick C]

Thanks @adb968008 - I've been to the Warszawa museum, and Chabowka, the key thing I'm hoping to achieve on this trip is getting a ride on a proper scheduled steam-hauled service while they still exist.

[SM42]

Anyone who finds themselves in Poznan and looking for the plinthed Ty51 183 listed in the link adb968008 posted should be aware that this is not to be found near the railway, but is in fact outside the INEA stadium, Home of Lech Poznan on Bulgarska St. 

 

For those who are wondering why, Lech Poznan (or KKS Lech Poznan to be precise ) began as a railway sports club team. (KKS= Kolej Klub Sportowy = railway sports club) They are known as the railwaymen (Kolejorz ) for obvious reasons and explains the presence of the loco outside. 

 

Anyhow, on my last visit to Poland in August I was fortunate to be able to visit the museum at Jaworzyna Slaska Unfortunately nothing in steam (that was the following week) but I will post some photos once I have retrieved them from my ancient camera if anyone is interested.

 

Andy