Steam in Poland early 1999

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Christoph Oboth Email christoph.oboth@rz.ruhr-uni-bochum.de reports on a visit:

30.4.99:

All Wolsztyn activity was limited to a freight to Grodzisk by OL 49.81 and cleaning locos for the parade on 1.5.99. Completely green livered OL49.100 has freshly arrived from Chabowka (?) due to the loco-shortage after several failures! NG-line in Sroda was running as before, with one difference: Due to 90th anniversary on 1.5. of Schrodaer Kleinbahn, there were two open carriages and a green-red-yellow-blue painted passenger car added to the normal train... The small diesel is for shunting at the locoshed only.

1.5.99:

Fotospecial Zaniemysl - Sroda with two green cars in the early morning, after arrival jubilee-train with hundreds of passengers and 7 cars going back. Rumors said, weekend-service should be restarted, but no reconfirmation yet.

Gniezno: NG-line still in service (steam only); lots of freightcars on Rollwagen to be seen in Witkowo. Fotospecial with two freightcars on Rollwagen and two guardvans Gniezno - Witkowo and back. The track is in much better condition as in Sroda - the train made about 35 km/h without any problem or danger!!!

2.5.99

Pt 47.65, just back from Gniezno overhaul, on morning-train to Poznan tender first (see diagram as previously reported). Pm 36.2 on a two-coach special (red and yellow livered 1st.class coaches as in service trains...) leaving Wolsztyn to Jaworzyna via Leszno 7.20. OK 1.359: Fotospecial with Bi-stock from Rakoniewice to Wolsztyn. Unfortunately, this loco made a very poor performance - the cylinders seemed to be badly adjusted.

Wolsztyn - Wloszakowice (line to Leszno) and back by Ol 49.100 + Bi-train. At Wloszakowice, crossing with Ty2.406 on a service train. Wolstyn - Kargowa and back with Tki 1.

Continued to Jaworzyna. in Steam: Pt47.112 and Tr5.65. Pt47.28 seems to be out of use in is in a bad optical condition. Newly arrived at the museum is an unknown Ty43 (VERY bad condition, number was to to be seen). Some of the exhibited locos are once more in a bad condition (open air-museum!), after they had been removed from Warszawa and other places to be restored a couple of years ago.

3.5.99

Tr 5.65 and doubledecker-train Walbrzych - Klodzko, Klodzko -Walbrzych with Pt47.112. There were only two service trains the whole day (holiday!) and the line itself is in a very bad condition, especially around Nowa Ruda. At the smaller stations, the signal boxes have been partly removed.

4.5.99

Ol 12 with compatmentcars form Chabowka to Mzana Dolna and back and Okz 32.2 Chabowka - Nowy Sacz with Bi-cars.

The open-air museum seems to be very well maintained, all locos in a good optical condition. Unfortunately, some parts of the bearings have been made of wood...

5.5.99

OKz 32.2 Nowy Sacz - Limanowa and back, Ty2.953 (fitted with stoker, unfortunately out of use) Nowy Sacz - Chabowka.

6.5.99

Tr12 with freightcars Chabowka - Nowy Sacz, Okz 32.2 Nowy Sacz -Chabowka

7.5.99

Ol 12 Chabowka - Nowy Sacz.