Bieszczady Forestry Railway Bieszczadaka Kolejka Lesna

The first section of this line, from Nowy Lupkow (on the standard gauge line running south from Zagorz) 25km to Majdan near Cisna opened in 1898 to 760mm gauge.  It appears to have been worked by the Austrian state railway but suffered much damage in the First World War and the ensuing struggles in this area.  A privately operated extension opened in 1904 but closed in the 1930s.  Further devastation followed during and after the Second World War, and the railway did not reopen (to 750mm gauge) until the early 1950s.  In 1959 a branch opened from Smolnik, a few kilometres west of Nowy Lupkow, to Rzepedz, partly along the route of an earlier line.  There was also an extension east from Cisna reaching Przyslup in 1961 and Moczarno in 1964.  The railway now had a length of 75km.

Although primarily a forestry railway, passenger (or mixed) trains were run in the early years and again from 1963.  Timber traffic steadily declined, and ended in the mid 1990s.  Passenger services (now attracting tourists rather than providing a public transport service) also ceased for a year or two, but have now been revived.  The line appears to be under gradual renovation, with services in 2001 running east from Cisna to Przyslup and west to Wola Michowa.  As well as the timetabled services, trains can also be run to order.

Further photographs can be found at: http://zeus.polsl.gliwice.pl/~skpb/kolbiesz.htm

Further information can also be found at Helge Ralf Harling's site (German language): http://home.eplus-online.de/harni/

Another Polish site: http://bieszczady.semper.pl/kolej/kolej.html

And another: http://www.republika.pl/bieszczady2/index/kolejka.html

Part of the same page in English: http://www.republika.pl/bieszczady2/index/engkolejka.html

And another: http://cit.bieszczady.info.pl/kolejka.php3

Map of area

		August 1996
An unknown Lyd2 in 1992 (fot. Andrzej Cichowicz)	An Lyd2 outside the Loco Shed at Cisna (fot. Andrzej Cichowicz)	A similar shot in 1996 nothing much has changed, but no trains are running.
August 1996	August 1996	August 1996
Cisna in August 1996 a Railway Sleeping
August 1997	August 1997	August 1997
LP-07 Awaits the morning departure from Cisna (now called Majdan Station)	LP-07 has just returned from this morning's train, and is about to be put away in the loco shed.	8:30, and LP-07's train has the morning's condensation wiped from the windows
August 1997	August 1997	August 1997
LP-07 runs round onto this morning's train	LP-07 hauls a packed 6 coach train up to Smerek
August 1997	August 1997	August 1997
Smerek Station, at the time, the terminus of the line
July 1999	July 1999	July 1999
2 WLs150's at Majdad Station	The loco in the loop at Pzyslup as teh coaches are run past it.	A short train west of Cisna
LP-07 in 1993 (fot. Andrzej Cichowicz)	An unknown Lyd2 heads a loaded freight train. (fot. Oktamian Duda)

Return to Narrow Gauge Railways of Poland		© Andrew Goodwin, Stephen Goodwin & Dave Meller 1996-2003 Last Updated 14 October 2003