This is information about most Narow Gauge Railways in Poland.
Some of this information is duplicated within the main pages
1.PKP LINES WITH YEAR-ROUND PASSENGER (AND GENERALLY FREIGHT) TRAFFIC
POMMERANIA
The first section of the Pomeranian metre gauge system
opened in 1895 as the Saatziger Kleinbahnen from Stargard to Insko (Noerenberg).
The Saatziger system later developed lines to Dobra Nowogardzkie (Daber),
Drawsko Pom. (Dramburg) and Pozrzadlo Dwor (Klein Spiegel Gut). A plan of the
whole Pomerania network is shown on Paul Engelbert's site at:
http://www.fortunecity.de/lindenpark/bruecke/549/pommern.htm
Also in 1895 the first section of the Kolberger Kleinbahnen
opened, and eventually this system consisted of lines from Kolobrzeg (Kolberg)
to Resko (Regenwalde), Karlino, Wlosciborz, Slawoborze and Tapadly.
In 1896 the first section of the Greifenberger Kleinbahnen
opened to 750mm gauge from Gryfice (Greifenberg) to Niechorze (Horst Seebad),
and in 1898 another line opened from Gryfice through Tapadly (Dummadel) to
Dargoslaw (Dargislaff). When the Kolberger Kleinbahnen reached Tapadly in 1899
the problems of different gauges became all too clear and in 1900 the
Greifenberger system was regauged to 1000mm. Further extensions included a line
from Popiele, just west of Gryfice, to the harbour of Stepnica, and by 1913 a
circular route had been completed from Gryfice through Niechorze, Trzebiatow and
Tapadly and so back to Gryfice. There were also a number of relatively short
branches to Mrzezyno, Trzygolw, Sniatowo and Rokita.
Also in 1896 the Regenwalder Kleinbahnen opened a metre
gauge line from Dobra Nowogardzkie (connecting with the Saatziger system) to
Lobez. In 1907 a further line opened north to Resko, thus connecting the four
metre gauge lines into a single network.
To the east of the metre gauge lines there were two 750mm
gauge systems, the first sections of which opened in 1898. The Koeslin –
Bublitz – Belgarder Kleinbahnen eventually ran from Koszalin (Koeslin) through
Manowo (Manow) and Swielino (Schwellin) to Bobolice (Bublitz), with branches
from Manowo to Naclaw and from Swielino to Bialogard (Belgard), from there a
reversal gave access to a line to Rarwino (Rarfin). At Naclaw there was a
connection with the Schlawer Kleinbahn, running south to Polanow, Zydowo and
Gologora. Most of the Schlawer Kleinbahn was converted to standard gauge in
1934, but part was kept as mixed gauge to allow 750mm gauge trains to reach
Polanow.
After the Second World War Pomerania became part of Poland,
but the railways were in a very poor state. The 750mm gauge lines had been
dismantled by the Soviets in 1945/6 and the Koszalin - Bobolice and Swielino –
Bialogard – Rarwino lines were rebuilt to metre gauge and, by construction of a
new 6km section from Rarwino to Lepino Trojkat, these lines were linked to the
rest of the metre gauge in 1952. In 1959 the network extended to 555km of
lines; some sections did not reopen after the war.
Lines in the Kolobrzeg area closed as early as the sixties,
and there were closures and service reductions elsewhere. However in 1989 the
system still had 461km of track, and carried 700,221 passengers and 349,932 tons
of freight. In 1995 the system was recorded as being 460.8km, of which 350.7km
was operational, and by the beginning of 1996 this had dropped to 440.1km and
335.7km respectively. In that year the system was cut back quite severely, so
that only three sections survived in operation: Stargard – Dobra Nowogardzkie,
Gryfice – Trzebiatow and Koszalin – Swielino.
After a series of reductions in the timetable, regular
passenger services ceased in June 2001, the last trains on the Stargard – Dobra
Nowogardzkie line were on 9 June, when railcar MBxd2-307 formed the 05.15
departure from Dobra Nowogardzkie and the final train, the 09.00 from Stargard
to Dobra Nowogardzkie. Summer services continued from Gryfice as far as
Pogorzelica Gryficka (Trzebiatow could no longer be reached due to problems with
a weak bridge). One return tourist train also continued to operate from
Koszalin daily until the end of July and then at weekends until the end of
August. In April 2000 only the Stargard line showed any evidence of freight
traffic, and that was very light and probably ceased by the end of September
2001. Some freight traffic apparently survived on the Koszalin line, to an
airfield, but that also ceased in 2001.
A local authority is believed to have taken over the
Stargard – Dobra Nowogardzkie line with the intention of restoring regular
passenger and freight services, probably operated by SKPL. Similarly a local
authority is believed to have taken over the Koszalin – Swielino line, but it is
not known whether the intention is to operate regular services or merely tourist
trains. There has also been mention of reviving the Dobrzany – Kozy Pomorskie –
Insko section of the Stargard system, which closed in 1996, for tourist traffic,
but nothing appears to have happened as yet. The only line currently running
trains is Gryfice, which runs tourist services in the summer to Pogorzelica
(although most trains only run between Rewal and Pogorzelica, with just one
working out from Gryfice in the morning and one back in the evening.
Other sites featuring the Pomeranian network:
Peter Wilhelm's site (German langauge but with
introductions in English and Polish):
http://www.bahn-in-pommern.de/
Czech text by Filip Karonski:
http://spz.logout.cz/uzke/gryfice.html
Jakub Halor's site: http://www.cn.com.pl/~di2/photo.htm
Helge Ralf Harling's
site (German
language) at: http://home.eplus-online.de/harni/
Hinrich Brummer’s site (German language) at:
http://home.t-online.de/home/hinrich.bruemmer/fg_po_378_index.htm
The first section of the Schmiegeler Kreisbahn opened on
the metre gauge in 1900 from Stare Bojanowo (on the Poznan – Leszno line)
eastwards 18km to Krzywin. The following year it was extended westwards from
Stare Bojanowo through Smigiel and Wielichowo to Ujazd. Services to Ujazd did
not last long, however, as the Lubnica – Ujazd section closed in 1905. Another
western terminus appeared in 1910 when a line was built from Wielichowo to
Rakoniewice (served by the standard gauge Poznan – Wolsztyn line). The
Wielichowo – Lunica section continued in operation as a freight branch until
1924. Following the Second World War PKP carried out a programme of
rationalisation of narrow gauge lines, and the Smigiel route was regauged to
750mm, with the metre gauge equipment being transferred to Pomerania. The
Wielichowo – Rakoniewice line probably closed in the 1960s.
In 1989 the line was quoted as 34km long and carrying
230,638 passengers and 72,448 tons of freight. By 1996 it line was officially
given as 23.7km long, following closure of the line east of Stare Bojanowo. The
timetable was gradually reduced until regular passenger operations ceased
completely on 22 June 2001, this being the last day of normal passenger trains
running on the PKP narrow gauge railways. Freight traffic continued to be quite
heavy until this too ceased in December 2001. The line was taken over by the
local authority and is now operated by Stowarzyszenia Kolejowych Przewozow
Lokalnych, based in Kalisz. Passenger trains (Romanian-built railcars) started
running again in February 2002, and freight services (standard gauge wagons on 'Rollwagen'
hauled by Lxd2 diesels) followed some time later.
In June 2002 freight trains were only running occasionally,
probably less than once a week. The passenger timetable was cut back for the
summer period, with only four trains per day between Smigiel and Stare Bojanowo.
With the start of the new school term the timetable was increased significantly,
and the Sniaty services were extended to Wielichowo for the first time in a
decade. By October freight traffic had also increased, with coal being carried
on a daily basis from Stare Bojanowo to Smigiel, Witowo Polski or Wielichowo.
On one occasion there were two railcars and two freight trains in operation at
the same time. It is to be hoped that this revival of traffic will continue and
grow in strength.
Maciej Matuszewski's book "Z dziejow Smigielskiej Kolej
Dojazdowej 1900-1990", published by Poznanski Klub Modelarzy Kolejowych in 1990,
is unfortunately no longer available.
The Sredzka Kolej Powiatowa (Sroda District Railway) came into being in 1902. Initially
it consisted of a combined standard gauge and metre gauge system. The section to Zaniemysl
opened in 1909, and there was a number of other branches. In the 1950s the whole system
was converted to 750 mm gauge. In 1959 the system was as follows:
Poznan Kobylepole - Krerowo
19km
Krerowo - Kleszczewo Wielkopolskie
4km
Krerowo - Klony 8km Krerowo - Polazejewo
17km
Polazejewo - Mystki
8km
Polazejewo - Sroda
11km
Sroda - Jaszkowo
9km
Sroda - Annapole Wask - Zaniemysl
13km
Annapole Wask - Chwalkowo Wask
5km
Chwalkowo Wask - Brodowo
6km
Chwalkowo Wask - Czarnotki
6km
Total length of system 90km
There were once branches from Tulce through Szewce to
Kruszewnia and Gowarzewo, but they do not appear to have survived the gauge
conversion.
By 1989 only the Sroda – Zaniemysl section survived, which
was quoted as being some 17km long. In that year 121,305 passengers were
carried, and 17,981 tons of freight. Certainly until 1999 the line remained
entirely steam worked, with passenger trains typically consisting of a Px48, two
‘traditional’ coaches and a luggage/brake van. When freight had to be moved a
standard gauge coal wagon on ‘Rollwagen’ was added to form a mixed train. The
line was threatened with closure in 1996, but was reprieved following
intervention by the local authority. In October 1996 Px48-1920 was delivered
newly overhauled from Pila works.
By 1999 a Lyd1 diesel locomotive had arrived, but it is not
known if this actually saw any use. Rumours had circulated for many years that
Romanian rail-cars were to be introduced, and in 2000 at least one of these
replaced steam (at least on the weekday services). Regular passenger services
ceased on 8 June 2001 when railcar MBxd2-229 operated trains 7727 (Sroda –
Zaniemysl) and 7728 (Zaniemysl – Sroda) after which driver Andrzej Noworski
closed the shed doors for the last time. 'Tourist'' trains continued to operate
at weekends and to order through the summer, but all operations have now
ceased. Reports suggest that the bridge over the standard gauge line at Sroda
is in need of extensive repairs (the freight services may have ceased before the
passenger services) and, although it is believed that the local authority has
taken over the line, services have not yet commenced.
Maciej Matuszewski's book "Z dziejow Sredzkiej Kolej
Dojazdowej 1902-1987", published by Poznanski Klub Modelarzy Kolejowych in 1989,
is unfortunately no longer avaialable.
Other web sites featuring Sroda:
A Japanese site at: http://member.nifty.ne.jp/okipon/footplate/pol_narrow.html
Gunnar Meisner has some photographs of this and other lines
at: http://www.tu-harburg.de/~segm0206/galerie/polen-s/
Wieslaw Firlag's site at: http://poczta.pnet.pl/~koleje/
This line (formally named the Krotoszynska Kolej Dojazdowa)
dates back to 1900. At one time the line ran from Krotoszyn through Pleszew to
Broniszewice, a total distance of 50km. The Pleszew Miasto – Broniszewice
section only opened after the Second World War and closed in 1972, while the
Krotoszyn – Pleszew Wask. section closed in about 1987. This left a section
about 5km long from Pleszew Miasto to Pleszew Wask., on the standard gauge
Jarocin – Ostrow Wielkopolski line.
In 1989 the line carried 189,091 passengers and 343,213
tons of freight. However, the line was mixed standard/narrow gauge throughout
almost its entire length, and all freight was carried by standard gauge trains.
Narrow gauge (750mm) trains used to always be two Romanian coaches hauled by a
Lyd1 diesel, but one or more Romanian rail-cars were introduced in about 2000.
Following a gradual reduction of the timetable, the last trains ran on 9 June
2001. This duty was performed by driver Pawel Piorek and conductor Czeslaw
Dymny operating railcar MBxd2-216 with the last pair of trains being 7426
leaving Pleszew Miasto at 16.53, arriving at Pleszew Wask at 17.03, leaving Wask
again at 17.34 and arriving back at Miasto at 17.44. The event was commemorated
with a headboard and Polish flags on the front of the railcar, and a number of
local residents and railway workers rode or watched the train, with detonators
exploding on departure from Wask and arrival at Miasto. It was rumoured that
the local authority was interested in taking over the line to run tourist
trains, but this does not appear to have happened.
This large network has its origins in sugar beet railways which were first
built in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Much of the network came
into existence as supply lines for the German military in the first months of
World War I. At one time there have been sections of 600mm, 716mm, 750mm and
900mm gauge, but the entire network is now 750mm gauge. The PKP network is (or
was) linked to a number of sugar works lines, but there has been a gradual
reduction in traffic and a number of lines have closed.
At that time, however, the PKP network had junctions with a
number of systems owned and operated by various sugar works.
Kruszwica sugar works (after taking over the network formerly owned
by Matwy sugar works) had a network of some 320km of track, connecting with PKP
at Piotrkow Kujawski and Walentynowo. Tuczno sugar works had about 160km of track,
connecting with PKP at Przybranowo and possibly with the Kruszwica system.
Brzesc Kujawski sugar works had a network of some 200km of track, connected with
PKP. Dobre sugar works had about 80km of track
connected with PKP and possibly with the Kruszwica system,
Ostrowy almost 50km and Goslawice about 10km.
Lesmierz sugar works’ railway system, although crossing the PKP tracks between
Leczyca and Ozorkow, was mostly 600mm gauge. Thus the connected system in the Kujawy area at the end of the 1950s
probably amounted to almost 1500km of lines.
On the PKP network closures started in earnest in the
1960s, with the Kolo – Dabie Kolskie line closing completely in 1963, and the
7km line from Wloclawek to Wloclawek Port in 1968.Other short branches such as Kruszyn – Guzlin, Krzywa Gora –
Zieliniec, Zieliniec – Bieganowo and Zydowo – Gorazdowo all closed in the
late 1960s or early 1970s.The
Jablonka Slupecka – Konin section closed in 1965, and Wrzesnia – Sokolowo in
1972.Grotkowo – Czeluscin and
Mierzewo – Stanislawowo closed in 1973 and in 1976 the Wrzesnia – Pyzdry
section closed.In 1985 the line
from Aleksandrow Kujawski to Straszewo was lifted but in 1986, in connection
with expansion of the nearby brown coal mine, the line between Jablonka Slupecka
and Slesin was rebuilt on a completely new alignment with a large yard at the
junction with the Wilczyn branch, heavy rail and colour light signals!
By 1989 the system had 384km of track on which were
carried 297,279 passengers and 544,001 tons of freight.In 1992 the lines from Krosniewice to Dzierzbice, Krzewata
and Opiesin were all lifted.On 1
December 1992 the system was split into three divisions based at Gniezno,
Sompolno and Krosniewice.
Bogdan Pokropinski’s book “Kujawskie Koleje
Dojazdowe”, published by Poznanski Klub Modelarzy Kolejowych in 1994, is a
good history of the network and copies may still be available.Hopefully one day there will be a fully definitive book on the
fascinating history of this truly unique system.It is surely a deserving case.
In April 2000 a tour was organised which covered virtually
the whole system over six days with Px48 traction throughout.PKP have produced prices for running charter trains, and for a
group of twenty or so enthusiasts the cost of such a trip is not unreasonable in
western European terms.But anybody
thinking of attempting to tour the whole network should do so soon.
The Gniezno line has its origins in a 900mm gauge railway
18km long serving the sugar factory at Gniezno. This line was taken over by the
local district, rebuilt to 600mm gauge and extended, so that it ran from Gniezno
to Mielzyn. A further line was built from Niechanowo through Witkowo to Powidz
in 1896, and in 1911 this was extended to Anastazewo. In 1913 Goslawice sugar
works built its own railway from the works to Anastazewo but, being on the
Russian occupied land, this had to be 750mm gauge. The delivery of the 750mm
gauge locomotives to Anastazewo by 600mm gauge train from Gniezno must have been
an interesting sight. Similarly, the coal for Goslawice sugar works had to be
transhipped from standard gauge to 600mm wagons at Gniezno and again to 750mm
wagons at Anastazewo.
After the Second World War the Gniezno system became part
of PKP’s Kujawy system, and it was converted to 750mm gauge in the early 1950s.
After closure of the Mielzyn – Niechanowo section in 1984, only the Gniezno –
Anastazewo line remained. In 1996 the system was recorded as being 38.0km
long. Until recently the line was entirely steam worked, with passenger traffic
limited to excursion trains run to order. However, a timetabled summer weekends
service was then introduced, while in summer 1999 a Lxd2 diesel arrived.
Standard gauge wagons were carried on ‘Rollwagen’ from Gniezno to Niechanowo,
Witkowo and Powidz. Passenger trains could of course be run to order. The
local authority has taken over the line and, as well as running tourist trains
during the summer season (and at other times to order) some freight traffic
survives at least to Niechanowo and possibly Powidz, although traffic to Witkowo
appears to have ceased.
A Polish site on the Gniezno line can be found at:
http://www.gniezno.home.pl/informator/gkd.html
And Daniel Trescher's site (German language) at:
http://home.t-online.de/home/manfred.trescher/ebpol2.htm
The Sompolno division represented the central area of the
Kujawy network, although it also extended eastwards across the Krosniewice
division to Brzesc Kujawski. The origins lay in former sugar works lines,
German military lines and links built under early Polish administration.
Sompolno itself was once the main wagon workshop of the Kujawy network, and had
a very extensive track layout. In recent years the division carried only
freight (all on ‘Rollwagen’) hauled by Lxd2 diesels from the standard gauge
interchange at Kolo, on the Poznan – Kutno line. As well to Sompolno itself,
freight was carried west to Slesin, Slawoszewek and Wilczyn, north a few
kilometres to Wierzbinek, and east to Izbica and Brzesc Kujawski. On 1 January
1996 the Sompolno division had 142.9km of track, of which 132.5km were in use.
Following PKP's cessation of narrow gauge activities in December 2001 the line
does not appear to have seen any traffic.
Krosniewice was the main locomotive works for the system.
In 1994 there were still passenger services north to Boniewo, east to Ostrowy
and south to Ozorkow. On 1 January 1996 the division had 180.6km of track, of
which 160.8km were in use. The Ozorkow line closed in May 1996 as a result of
work on the Warszawa – Berlin line, which crosses over the narrow gauge near
Krzewie. About the same time services north were cut back to Cetty, and a few
years later to Wielka Wies. At the south end of Krosniewice station the railway
is crossed by the main Warszawa – Poznan – Berlin road and when the road was
resurfaced without any provision for the railway it seemed certain that the last
trains had run in that direction. It was therefore something of a revelation in
1999 when services were resumed, albeit only three times a day, to the main line
station at Krzewie. These were however short-lived, for all regular passenger
traffic ceased in June 2001. By that time it had been realised that the line
south to Ozorkow was situated close to a large centre of population at Lodz, and
'tourist' trains had operated on a few days on that line.
As recently as October 1997 the works was still servicing
narrow gauge freight wagons for the sugar beet traffic at Dobre, and appears to
have done so again for autumn 2000. There was a little freight traffic to
Krosniewice itself from the standard gauge interchange at Ostrowy, and in May
2001 a new siding connection had been laid in just to the north of Krosniewice,
to serve a factory, although the track had not been carried across the adjacent
road. Amazingly, although the line was due to close within a few months, this
new connection was completed. If it ever carried traffic it must have been very
short-lived.
Krosniewice's main claim to fame in recent years was as the
one remaining haunt of the old Polish-built railcars, dating from the 1960s. In
May 2001 one of these was still in service and two others were parked outside
the shed apparently in operational order. One was worked across the system to
Gniezno in April 2002. The local authority has taken over the line, and SKPL
commenced regular passenger operations in November 2002 from Krosniewice to
Ostrowy, Krzewie and Wielka Wies. Freight operations are also planned. The
current timetable can be found at Peter Wilhelm's web site.
The division also had a sub-shed at Dobre, from which Lxd2
diesels operated trains between Nieszawa and the sugar factory, and in December
1999 wagons were seen at Oscieciny on the line south towards Jerzmanowo. As
well as the ‘Rollwagen’ (which were also worked occasionally to Koneck) there
was sugar beet traffic from a loading point on the Nieszawa line. However,
following PKP's cessation of narrow gauge operations the sugar factory has
completely given up rail transport and the exchange sidings outside the factory
gates have been lifted. Although the local authority finally took over the PKP
lines, it is difficult to see what traffic can now be operated.
The first section of this system opened as a metre gauge
line in 1913 from Elk (a standard gauge junction with lines to Olsztyn, Ketrzyn,
Olecko and Bialystok) to Borzymy with a branch from Laski Male to Zawady Tworki.
An extension of the Borzymy line to Turowo opened for public use in 1918. In
1945 the railway was taken over by PKP and 1951 it was converted to 750mm gauge,
with the metre gauge equipment being transferred to the Pomerania and Warszawa
systems.
The system has a total of 48km of line, and in 1989 it
carried 183,173 passengers and 20,351 tons of freight. Following reductions in
the timetable (services on the Zawady Tworki and the Kalinowo – Turowo section
had already ceased) regular passenger services ceased in June 2001. There had
been no freight traffic for some time.
In September 1991 the line was registered as a monument by
the local authority and attempts were made to create a museum operation. A
wider variety of locomotives was brought in, including Px48 and Kp4 steam
locomotives, and some old four-wheel coaches were loaned by the railway museum.
The line has been taken over by the local authority and trains are running on
summer weekends to Sypitki. Further developments may be in the pipeline.
This line was built by the German army in October 1914 to 600mm gauge, from
Rogow (on the standard gauge Warszawa - Czestochowa line) to Nowe Miasto on the
Pilica river. After the summer offensive of 1915 the front moved east, and the
railway became redundant. The track was lifted to Slupce, 4km from Biala Rawska.
After the war the government intended to dismantle the rest of the line, but due
to local pressure it was retained, and in 1922-26 much reconstruction took place
to bring the 'temporary' military line up to the standard required to provide a
permanent public transport service from Rogow, through Rawa Mazowiecka, to Biala
Rawska.
In 1960 the line was regauged to 750mm. In 1989 there were 49km of track on
which 64,798 passengers and 189,066 tons of freight were carried. All trains are
worked by Lxd2 diesel, with Romanian coaches for passengers and 'Rollwagen' for
freight. The 2000 summer timetable was as follows:
Rogow Osob. Wask.
dep.
11.35
Rogow Tow. Wask.
dep.
02.50
11.38
Gluchow Skierniew.
dep.
03.38
07.10
12.10
15.40
Rawa Mazowiecka
arr.
04.20
07.38
12.38
16.08
dep.
04.35
07.40
16.10
Biala Rawska
arr.
05.35
08.25
16.55
Biala Rawska
dep.
05.50
08.40
14.20
17.00
Rawa Mazowiecka
arr.
06.33
09.40
15.03
17.43
dep.
06.36
10.00
15.05
17.45
Gluchow Skierniew.
arr.
07.03
10.42
15.33
18.14
Rogow Tow. Wask.
arr.
11.32
18.48
Rogow Osob. Wask.
arr.
18.50
This timetable was somewhat different from that which had
operated for several years. The 02.50 departure from Rogow was a new addition,
and harks back to the days when many of the narrow gauge lines had services in
the middle of the night. In line with virtually all Polish narrow gauge lines a
revised timetable was introduced in early 2001 with a train leaving Rogow early
in the morning for Biala Rawska, making a short run to Rawa Mazowiecka and back
and then heading back to Rogow. The Rogow – Biala Rawska and Biala Rawska –
Rogow workings were given slower timings to permit operation as mixed
passenger/freight trains, but a visit in May 2001 showed no freight anywhere on
the line and there did not appear to have been any for some time. The passenger
timetable theoretically provided two return workings between Rawa Mazowiecka and
Biala Rawska per day, but the first was in the early hours and the second
returned to Rawa Mazowiecka about 10am. By mid-day the loco and single coach
train was back at the depot in Rogow and clearly this token service would not
last long. Services ceased in June 2001 and, although some freight traffic may
have continued, this is likely to have ceased at the end of September. The line
has been taken over by the Polish Narrow Gauge Railway Foundation, and trains
were run on 1 November 2002, but it is not known what is planned for 2003.
More photographs can be found at Wieslaw Firlag's site
(Polish language): http://poczta.pnet.pl/~koleje/
2.PKP LINES WITH SEASONAL PASSENGER SERVICES (SOME WITH YEAR-ROUND FREIGHT)
The
first section of the 600mm gauge Kleinbahn des Kreises Znin opened from
Znin to Rogowa (19.4km) on 1 July 1894, together with a branch from
Biskupin through Gasawa to Szelejewo (8.2km).On 9 June 1895 the Rogowo line was extended by 12.3km to
Osno.In 1908 a branch to
Ostrowce was added, and in 1911 a further 15.8km branch opened to
Obiecanowo.In the following year another 5.5km branch opened to Wola,
and in 1913 the Szelejewo line was extended to Grochowiska Szlacheckie.Finally, a 2km section from Obiecanowo to Zuzoly brought the system
up to 78km.
On Polish independence the line became the Zninska
Kolej Powiatowa but in 1949 it became part of PKP.At this time the line carried about 800,000 tons of freight and
40,000 passengers annually.However,
passenger services ceased in 1962, and the Szelejewo – Grochowiska
Szlacheckie section closed the following year.In 1972 the Obiecanowo – Zuzoly section closed, together with the
Wola branch and Rzym – Osno.The
Ostrowce line closed in the late 1970s, and the rest of the Obiecanowo
line in 1992.By this time
freight traffic was mainly (if not exclusively) seasonal sugar beet
traffic to the works in Znin.Freight
services were withdrawn in 1995 and the Rzym branch and Gasawa –
Szelejewo section were closed.
In 1976, however, seasonal tourist passenger trains
had returned to the Znin – Wenecja – Biskupin – Gasawa section, and
these continue to operate.The
timetable varies from one year to another, but in 2000 it showed up to 6
trains per day each way, depending on time of year.Services only run from April to September.Trains have been operated by steam using Px38-805, although this
does not appear to have been in operation for the last couple of years.Otherwise trains are hauled by Lyd2 diesels.
The Wenecja Railway Museum opened in 1972, and
contains a collection of at least 17 steam locomotives and a variety of
rolling stock and other items.It
is situated beside the railway, but the display tracks are not connected
to the running lines.The
museum area (all outdoors) is being extended, seemingly to accommodate
items from the Bydgoszcz system.A
museum guide in Polish lists all the locomotives, dates, numbers and their
location in the museum (although these have changed in some cases).Although a German/English version is available it does not include
this list.
The railway also runs past the archaeological museum
at Biskupin, which has a wealth of information about the early settlement
of Poland, and remains of one of the earliest settlements, discovered
about 70 years ago.It is
well worth a visit.
Andrzej Rosiak’s book “Zninska Kolej Powiatowa
1894-1994” was published by Muzeum Ziemi Paluckiej in Znin to celebrate
the centenary of the line, but copies of it do not appear to be available
now.However, the history of
the line is also covered by Bogdan Pokropinski’s book on the railways of
the Bydgoszcz area (see the page for that system).
Andrzej Rosiak's book 'Zninska Kolej Powiatowa 1894-1994' was published by Muzeum Ziemi
Paluckiej in Znin to celebrate the centenary of the line, and copies may still be
available.
The Line has 3 working Lyd2's, and Poland's last working 600mm Steam loco, a Px38.
Further information and photos can be found at Rafal
Firlag’s site (in Polish) at: http://republika.pl/zkp/
Also at Steve Thomason's site:
http://www.ingr.co.uk/
The first section of this system opened in 1854 to the
unusual gauge of 785mm. This dimension came about through the Prussian
‘zoll’ (inch) being 26.15mm, slightly larger than the British inch of
25.4mm. Therefore, while the British 2 foot 6 inch (or 30 inch) lines were
762mm gauge, the Prussian equivalent of 30 zolls came to 785mm.
In 1989 there were 162km of lines (in 1959 there had
been 188km), on which were carried 132,216 passengers and 2,322,587 tons of
freight. Although the system was always fundamentally a freight railway
(the only public passenger services were on the Gliwice – Rudy – Raciborz
line and these finally ceased in 1991), a timetabled ‘tourist’ service has
run on part of the system in recent years. Freight traffic appears to have
ceased in about April 2001, but the summer trains continued to operate. A
Romanian railcar arrived in May 2001, in connection with a proposal to
operate passenger services on part of the remaining line. Negotiations over
the future of the line finally made some progress and summer passenger
services have recommenced.
On the former Gliwice – Rudy Raciborz line a preserved
railway is finally taking shape at Rudy, with trains believed to be on offer
at weekends through the summer between Rudy and Stanice (about 4km) and
between Rudy and Paproc (about 2km).
The system is described very fully in Krzysztof Soida’s
book “Koleje Waskotorowe na Gornym Slasku”. Volume 1, ISBN 83-85831-82-7,
was published in 1995. While the text is in Polish the index, summary and
titles to tables and illustrations are also in German. As well as the text
in Part 1, there is a series of sheets of plans of stations and so on in
Part 2. Volume 2, ISBN 83-912575-0-9, has recently been published and deals
with the technical aspects. Volume 3 is a huge photo album, ISBN
83-904079-6-5, published by EMI-PRESS in 1999. From the same author is
“Kolej Gliwice Trynek – Rudy – Raciborz”, ISBN 83-904079-2-2, also published
by EMI-PRESS.
Far more information and pictures are to be found at:
Jakub Halor’s in-depth site (in Polish and English):
http://rtr.dttransporte.com/~jakub/
The Powiatowa Kolej Sochaczewska (Sochaczew District
Railway) was built in 1921 from Sochaczew (where there was a connection with the
standard gauge Warszawa – Lowicz line) to Tulowice; it officially opened in
1922. In 1923 it was extended to Piaski Krolewskie (26km from Sochaczew) where
there was a connection with a 600mm gauge forestry railway which had been built
by the Germans during the First World War. A 6km branch was also built from
Tulowice to a station on the banks of the river Wisla. Although the station was
called Wyszogrod that town is actually on the other side of the river, connected
by what is believed to be the longest timber bridge in Europe – in 1997 it was
in poor condition and a new bridge was under construction a little way
downstream.
After the Second World War the line was taken over by PKP.
In 1968 a 2.4km section on the northern fringe of Sochaczew became mixed gauge
when a standard gauge line was added to reach an industrial plant. The 15.35
departure from Sochaczew to Wyszogrod on 30 November 1984 was the last
timetabled train. On the following day the line was taken over by the Railway
Museum (of Warszawa) and opened as Muzeum Kolej Waskotorowej on 6 September
1986.
As part of the museum’s activities trains are run from
Sochaczew to Wilcze Tulowskie (17km). The line beyond that point to Piaski
Krolewskie has been abandoned, as has the line to Wyszogrod (although at least
some of the track is still in-situ). The 2001 summer timetable showed one train
each way on Saturdays June to September. Motive power for the trains consisted
of PKS3, Px29-1704 and Px48-1755, although only the Px29 appears to be
serviceable now. PKS3 was built for the line in 1925 by Orenstein & Koppel.
The 90hp 0-8-0T worked throughout the line’s independent days, and following the
PKP take-over was re-numbered Tx2-1246. In 1961 it became Tx4-1315 and in 1970
was transferred to Piotrkow Trybunalski, where it was used as a stationary
boiler until going to the Warszawa Railway Museum in 1973. It returned to
Sochaczew in 1986. The Px29 is another interesting locomotive, being Poland’s
only operational example of the class, originally designated Wp29, which was
later developed to become the Px48. Lyd1 diesels are also available for
traffic.
The museum itself is located at the former Sochaczew Wask.
station. There is a range of locomotives and rolling stock displayed, from a
variety of sites, including some 785mm gauge examples from Upper Silesia. The
greatest concern is that all these items are outdoors all year round, and will
inevitably deteriorate in time, although they are well looked after and
regularly painted. The ‘reserve’ collection, which is kept hidden away behind
high fences, contains many more items, some in very poor condition.
The railway’s history is described in Bogdan Pokropinski’s
book “Powiatowa Kolej Sochaczewska” published by Muszeum Kolejnictwa w Warszawie.
Copies were on sale at Sochaczew in October 1997.
Special trains can be run to order. The museum is open
from 10.00 to 16.00 except Mondays – it may close earlier on some days. Train
services are included in the PKP timetable.
The contact address is:
Muzeum Kolei Waskotorowej, Towarowa 7, PL-96-500 Sochaczew,
tel. (0-494) 224-05 wew. 341.
Some basic information which may be of use to those
planning a visit:
In 1915 the Austrian army built a 600mm gauge supply
railway from Jedrzejow (on the standard gauge Krakow - Kielce line) east to
Motkowice on the river Nida.When
the military situation was consolidated the line was rebuilt in a more durable
form, and it was extended further east to Bogoria with a 2km branch to
Chmielnik.A 16km section was also
built north from Bogoria to Iwaniska, and the sugar works in Wlostow built their
own 20km line linking the works to Iwaniska.In 1918 the new PKP took over the Jedrzejow – Bogoria – Iwaniska line
and a further section was built south from Bogoria to Staszow.In 1923 an independent line was built further south from
Staszow to Rataje and in 1926 this was extended via a large timber bridge across
the Wisla to Szczucin, terminus of a standard gauge branch from Tarnow.
A second narrow gauge line was built by the Austrian army
in 1917 from Kocmyrzow (terminus of a standard gauge branch from the Krakow
area) to Posadza.A third line was
also built from Miechow (now Charsznica on the Krakow – Kielce line) 38km east
to Dzialosyce.In 1924 the local
authority of Pinczow built a line south from Hajdasek, on the Jedrzejow line, to
their town.The following year this
was extended south to Kazimierza Wielka and a branch was built from Cudzynowice
west to join the existing line at Dzialosyce.In 1926 the Kazimierza line was extended to Posadza, linking with the
existing line from Kocmyrzow, thus joining all the sections together.
In 1930 the Pinczow district lines and the private Staszowo
– Szczucin line were taken over by PKP, which now controlled a total length of
308km.In 1944 the system was cut
in two by military activity.The
eastern end was in Russian hands and, to supply materials, a further section was
built from a standard gauge connection at Tarnobrzeg to Bogoria.In 1945 however, the front had moved west and the line was dismantled
from Tarnobrzeg to Koprzywnica, together with the temporary bridge over the
Wisla.Traffic serving Wlostow
sugar works now joined the new line at Jachimowice.In 1950 the Pinczow – Hajdasek section, with 4% gradients, was
by-passed by a new link from Pinczow to Umianowice, and in 1950/51 the whole
system was converted to 750mm gauge, with Px48 and Px49 locomotives and new
rolling stock being introduced.
giving a network total of about 340km, but the Bogoria –
Iwaniska section closed that year.In
1989 there were still 274km of track, on which 421,556 tons of freight were
carried, but passenger services had already ceased.In 1990 most of the Bogoria – Szczucin line was lifted, and
the Charsznica – Dzialoszyce line followed in 1992.The whole system closed to freight traffic on 1 February
1993, although in 1996 official records showed 161.9km as being in operation.
Tourist trains had started running some years prior to
closure on the Jedrzejow – Wislica section, but following damage in spring 1997
these operations were cut back to Pinczow. Trains consisted of a variety of
stock hauled by a Lxd2 or Px48. The 2000 timetable showed a single working
Jedrzejow – Umianowice – Jedrzejow on Sundays and holidays through the summer,
but in 2001 only a single day's operation was shown. The local authority is
believed to have taken over the line, but obviously only for tourist traffic.
Further photos of the line can be found at Jeffrey Dobek's
site: http://www.polrail.com/pkpgallery.html
Some historic photographs can be seen at:
http://www.kolej.pl/history/pkd/index.html
One of the locomotives from the Pinczow railway, Tx26-422,
was the first narrow gauge steam locomotive built in Poland. After conversion
of the Jedrzejow system to 750mm gauge it was transferred to the Bydgoszcz
system and is now in the museum at Wenecja.
PRZEWORSK
This line dates from the first years of the twentieth
century, when Malopolskie Towarzystwo SA of Lwow built a 760mm gauge line (this
part of Poland was then ruled by Austria) from Przeworsk (on the standard gauge
Rzeszow – Przemysl line) 46km to Dynow. After the First World War the line was
taken over by PKP. It has the only tunnel on a narrow gauge railway in Poland,
near Jawornik Polski, being 602m long and passing 30m under the ground. In 1989
the line was quoted as 750mm gauge and carrying 12,669 passengers and 79,454
tons of freight. In 1991 it was registered as a monument by the local
authority.
In recent years freight was carried (standard gauge wagons
on ‘Rollwagen’) from Przeworsk to Kanczuga and Jawornik Polski, but only low
wagons could reach Dynow, and there does not appear to have been any freight
beyond the tunnel for some time. There were reports of sugar beet being carried
in standard gauge wagons (the narrow gauge connection to the sugar works at
Przeworsk having been broken a few years ago) but a visit in autumn 1998 was a
few days too early to verify these reports.
PKP ran tourist trains on the line, with a single working
each way on summer weekends. In July 1999 a festival at Dynow led to a special
train being run, and the unprecedented sight of this train crossing the
timetable service at Manasterz. Following the end of PKP's narrow gauge
operations it was initially suggested that the local authority would take over
the line, with Connex as operator. However, negotiations with Connex appear to
have been unsuccessful and it is now understood that SKPL are the operator, with
trains running at weekends through the summer, and plans for freight traffic in
2003.
The first section of this 750mm gauge system opened in
1917. The line runs from a standard gauge interchange at Opatowek, through
Zbiersk (the main depot) to Turek, a distance of 57km. A second line ran 12km
from Zelazkow to Kalisz, and a branch from that line ran 3km to Russow. In 1989
the line carried 18,722 passengers and 408,286 tons of freight. The line to
Kalisz closed in the early 1990s, when passenger services ceased, but the Russow
line was still in use in 1996 to carry sugar beet to the works in Zbiersk. The
beet traffic has now ceased, and the track used for this to enter the works has
been lifted. The extensive facilities at the main stations indicate that the
line was once extremely busy. The local authority has taken over the line, with
SKPL as operator, and initial problems with PKP over the transfer of freight
traffic appear to have been overcome. Passenger trains are available to order,
but plans for regular services have not yet been realised.
Information about Zbiersk can also be found at Paul
Engelbert's site (German language):
This system dates from the First World War, having been
built as a German military railway.Construction
started on 10 July 1915, and in less than three weeks 600mm gauge track was laid
for 42km from Mlawa (on the standard gauge Warszawa – Ilawa line) to
Przasnysz.After the war 68km was
added from Przasnysz through Krasne and Makow Mazowiecki to Zamosc.1959 distances were given as:
In 1961 the line was regauged to 750mm, and in 1973
‘Rollwagen’ were introduced.During
the 1970s the line carried around 370,000 tons of freight and 170,000 passengers
annually, but in 1986 the passenger service ceased.
By 1989 there were 69km of track, and 225,476 tons of
freight were carried.In 1994 the
line was registered as a monument by the two local authorities through which it
runs.
The line today runs from Mlawa through Przasnysz to Makow
Mazowiecki.The line from Grudusk
to Ciechanow and back to Krasne is closed, together with the line beyond Makow
Maz. to Zamosc.
A ‘skansen’ at Mlawa has a Px48 and ‘Brigadelok’ on
display, but there are no operational steam locomotives.Charter trains, consisting of a Lxd2 and Romanian coaches,
are available to order.Prices vary
according to the number of coaches and length of journey desired.In 1998 the cost of a locomotive and two coaches Mlawa – Przasnysz –
Mlawa was 1269.60zl.There are reductions for persons under 26 years of age.
Information about Mlawa can also be found at Paul
Engelbert’s site (German language):
This is one of the newest narrow gauge railways in Poland,
having opened as a 750mm gauge line in October 1950.It runs from Nasielsk (on the standard gauge Warszawa –
Ilawa line) to Pultusk (26km) and had triangles at each terminus to turn
locomotives.Passenger services
ceased on 2 May 1996, but in 1989 the line carried 89,211 tons of freight.
Freight is carried by ‘Rollwagen’ hauled by Lxd2
diesels.Tourist trains run to
order, the 1998 price for a locomotive and two coaches Nasielsk – Pultusk –
Nasielsk was 834.40zl.Such trains
consist of Romanian coaches, again hauled by Lxd2 diesel.
Information about Nasielsk can also be found at Paul
Engelbert’s site (German language):
The narrow gauge system running south from Warszawa had
various origins, with part of it having opened in 1892 as a 800mm gauge
horse-worked line to Wilanow.The
Grojec line appears to have opened in 1898 as a metre gauge line, and the 800mm
sections were regauged in 1936.By
1959 the system consisted of:
Warszawa Poludniowa – Iwiczna – Warszawa Wilanow
27km
Iwiczna - Piaseczno Miasto – Gora Kalwaria
19km
Piaseczno Miasto - Grojec – Nowe Miasto
71km
Grojec – Jasieniec
7km
giving a network total of 125km.
By 1989 only the Piaseczno – Nowe Miasto section remained,
and that carried 24,447 passengers and 178,571 tons of freight. Regular
passenger services ceased in 1991 but ‘tourist’ trains, using a Px48 or Lxd2
with Romanian coaches, continued to run to order. A visit in 1994 found some
freight traffic still being carried, but this is believed to have ended in
1996. It has recently been reported that the line has been taken over from PKP,
but it remains to be seen what the future holds.
The origins of this system are somewhat obscure.The first section appears to have opened in 1911, but it was not
completed until some years later.In
1959 the system consisted of:
Naleczow – Karczmiska – Rozalin – Opole
34km
Karczmiska – Wilkow
13km
Rozalin – Poniatowa
5km
giving some 52km in total.
Diesels (Lxd2) were introduced in 1968/9, and Romanian
coaches in 1988. In 1989 the 750mm gauge line still had 51km of track and
carried 78,056 passengers and 149,598 tons of freight. The Wilkow branch closed
in 1990 and passenger traffic ceased in 1993, so by 1996 only 38.1km remained in
use. The depot and station at Karczmiska were situated to the west of the
'through' line, with a triangular junction. There was also a triangle at
Rozalin and turning triangles elsewhere. In autumn 1998 coal was being carried
in standard gauge 4-wheel wagons on 'Rollwagen' from Naleczow to the sugar
factory at Opole, where a filthy Lyd2 shunted the sidings. The line ran through
rolling countryside with some very attractive sections featuring curves and
gradients.
There had been rumours of the Wilkow branch being reopened,
but in July 1999 a bridge on the branch had recently been removed, possibly to
repair one on the main line. There was believed to also be some freight traffic
to a factory at Poniatowa which allegedly also had a WLs150 shunter, but the
factory is surrounded by double barbed wire fences, so it seemed prudent not to
investigate too closely. Passenger trains ran to order and there were generally
a few days each year when they ran for the general public. There have been
reports that the local authority has taken over the line, but no trains are
believed to have been run.
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.
The first section of this
600mm gauge forestry line, south east of Bialystok, opened in the First World
War.At one time there were 360km
of track but after the Second World War the eastern part of the system found
itself in the Soviet Union, and only 160km remained in use in Poland.Steam operation ended in 1974, following which trains were hauled by V10C
diesels until timber traffic ceased in 1993.It is hoped that an 11km section from Hajnowka to Topilo can be used for
tourist trains, for which ‘Brigadelok’ Tx1112 was used, although the
locomotive is believed to be in need of overhaul.The future of the line is by no means secure.
Further information can be found at Helge Ralf Harling’s
site (German language):
Tuczno sugar factory is located to the north west of
Inowroclaw. A 900mm gauge railway was built here in the 1890s, and by 1914
there were 70km of lines, with 5 or 6 locomotives and 180 wagons. In 1941 the
railway of Wierzchoslawice sugar factory was taken over, and in 1942 the system
was converted to 750mm gauge. In 1943 there were 220km of track, 13 locomotives
and 1123 wagons. The system then steadily declined so that by 1990 there were
60km of track, 8 diesel locomotives and 136 wagons. In the autumn and early
winter beet is carried to the works from Przybranowo (once the junction with
PKP’s line to Aleksandrow Kujawski) and Murzynno. The railway uses Lxd2 diesels
for line work and WLs150 diesels for shunting. The track was completely renewed
in the 1980s and the line is worked quite intensively. It is to be hoped it
will continue to operate for some years.
Dobre sugar factory's railway came into being in 1908. By
1912 the 750mm gauge line had 56.5km of track, 2 locomotives and 80 wagons. The
railway was requisitioned by the Russian military in 1914, but was subsequently
used by the German army. Between the wars a number of new lines were built, and
by 1944 the works had 86.4km of track, 8 steam locomotives and 170 wagons. The
post-war decline in use of such railways meant that by 1990 there were 45km of
track, 5 diesel locomotives and 120 wagons.
The pattern in the late 1990s was for two Lyd2 locomotives
to bring beet in from Stroszewo over the works’ own line, running partly over
PKP track to reach the works. PKP also brought in beet from Lowiczek, on the
Nieszawa line, using Lxd2 diesels and narrow gauge wagons. Within the factory
and transfer yard WLs150 shunters were used. Unlike Tuczno and Kruszwica the
factory had no standard gauge link, so coal and limestone were brought in and
finished products taken away by PKP using 'Rollwagen'. The 2001 campaign was
however the last to use rail transport, and the rolling stock has been sold or
scrapped and all the track lifted.
See also Steve Thomason's site at:
http://www.ingr.co.uk/
Also Paul Engelbert's site at: http://www.fortunecity.de/lindenpark/bruecke/549/polen.htm
The Kruszwica sugar factory railway dates back to 1882, and
by 1914 the 716mm gauge line had 130km of track, 13 locomotives, 963 wagons and
1 coach. In 1923 the line was converted to 750mm gauge and over the following
years the system continued to grow, incorporating the Matwy sugar works system
in 1948. By 1950 there were 320km of track, 30 steam locomotives, 1800 wagons
and 6 coaches. In the 1960s the system began to shrink, but in 1993 there were
still 134km of track, 11 diesel locomotives, 660 wagons and 3 coaches.
In 1996 the heaviest traffic was on the lines to Nowa Wies
and Piotrkow Kujawski (the PKP line to here from Sompolno was already disused).
Lyd2 locomotives performed most of the haulage work, with WLs150 locomotives
shunting at loading points and within the factory. On the line north to
Walentynowo there were numerous small loading points and, because, of axle-load
restrictions, only WLs150 locomotives and light wagons could be used. Unlike
other sugar factories, which only used bogie wagons, Kruszwica used a wide
variety of bogie and four-wheel wagons of varying antiquity, origin and
condition.
By 1998 the operation had changed somewhat, and only the
Piotrkow and Nowa Wies lines were in use. All beet traffic was carried to the
factory in large bogie wagons, of the type once widely used by PKP. The older,
smaller, bogie wagons and four-wheel wagons were used only for bringing the beet
pulp back out from the factory to be spread in the fields. Several Lyd2
locomotives and at least one Lxd2 were used for hauling beet trains, and WLs150
locomotives were used to haul trains of up to 70 empty four-wheel and small
bogie wagons back to the factory. In December 1999 the line north towards
Walentynowo was seen to have been recently lifted, and the 2000 campaign was the
last for the Nowa Wies branch, which has also now been lifted. During the 2001
campaign the pattern of operation appeared to be a train of empties out from the
factory hauled by Lxd2, followed by another train of empties hauled by Lyd2 and
a train of pulp hauled by WLs150 (also taking out the track gang), passing the
Lxd2 and Lyd2 as they headed back to the factory with loaded trains of beet.
Thus only three return workings ran each day, all at extremely low speed. The
factory has bought its own road lorries and the 2002 campaign is believed to
have been the last for the railway.
The first section of the 600mm gauge Wirsitzer Kreisbahn
opened on 21 February 1895 from Bialosliwie (on the standard gauge Pila –
Bydgoszcz line) to Lobzenica (30km), with a branch from Czajcze to Wysoka (5km).A year later it was extended 18km from Lobzenica to Witoslaw.Later extensions included lines to Bialosliwie Port, Wysoka – Mosciska
– Kocik Mlyn (providing a loop from the main line), Naklo – Zaklady Przem.
(46km), and Trzeciewnica (near Naklo) – Suchary (6km).In 8 years 167.5km of line were built.After the First World War the line became the Wyrzyskie Koleje Powiatowe,
and in 1923 the Kocik Mlyn – Mosciska section was dismantled.Renewed construction of this line began in 1944 but was not completed,
and it was dismantled in 1946-1948.
Meanwhile the first section of the Bromberger Kreisbahn,
also 600mm gauge, had opened on 12 May 1895 from the standard gauge station at
Maksymilianowo (on the Bydgoszcz – Gdansk line) to Gadecz.A week later another section opened from Bydgoszcz to Koronowo (25km)
with a branch from Morzewiec to Kasprowo (11km).Further sections were added from Kasprowo to Wierzchucin Krolewski (15km)
and Kasprowo – Suchary (10km), where it was later joined to the Wirsitzer
Kreisbahn).Another branch followed
from Lukowiec to Wawelno (6km), while at the eastern end the line was extended
from Gadecz to Wloki, and numerous branches were built to agricultural estates.The two sections of the Bydgoszcz system were linked in 1907 when a
bridge was built across the river Brda and the Maksymilianowo – Smukala Gorna
line opened.This system now
totalled 105km.After Polish
independence it became the Bydgoskie Koleje Powiatowe.In September 1939 the bridge over the Brda was destroyed and traffic over
the Smukala Gorna – Smukala Dolna section was suspended.Traffic on the isolated eastern section continued until 1949, mainly in
the autumn period of harvesting crops.
In 1949 both the Wyrzysk and Bydgoszcz lines were taken
over by PKP and operated as the Bydgoskie Koleje Waskotorowe.PKP took over 256km of lines, 6 transhipment stations (with the standard
gauge), 8 locomotive depots and two repair shops in Koronowo and Bialosliwie.In 1955 the system carried 256,000 tons of freight and 1,474,000
passengers.
In 1959 the system was as follows:
Bialosliwie - Zaklady Przemyslowe
12km
Zaklady Przemyslowe - Czajcze
5km
Czajcze - Wysoka - Mosciska Wyrzyskie
19km
Czajcze - Lobzenica - Liszkowo Rozgraniczenie
20km
Liszkowo Rozgraniczenie - Witoslaw
11km
Liszkowo Rozgraniczenie - Radzicz Rozgraniczenie
6km
Zaklady Przemyslowe - Radzicz Rozgraniczenie
19km
Radzicz Rozgraniczenie - Trzeciewnica - Naklo nad Notecia
27km
Trzeciewnica - Kasprowo
16km
Kasprowo - Lukowiec
10km
Lukowiec - Wawelno
6km
Lukowiec - Wierzchucin Krolewski
5km
Kasprowo - Morzewiec
11km
Morzewiec - Bydgoszcz
13km
Morzewiec - Koronowo
12km
Total length 192km
In 1969 passenger traffic ceased on the Bydgoszcz –
Koronowo route and in the following year the Bydgoszcz – Morzewiec section was
lifted. In 1973 the Wysoka Wask. – Mosciska section closed; Debno Wyrzyskie –
Witoslaw closed in 1988. In 1989 there were 162km of line and traffic amounted
to 8,307 passengers and 115,163 tons of freight. In 1991 the Wtelno – Koronowo
and Lukowiec – Wawelno sections closed, and the Radzicz Rozgraniczenie – Zaklady
Przem. and Liszkowo Rozgraniczenie – Debno Wyrzyskie sections followed in 1992.
The remaining sections, totalling 107km, were closed from 1 January 1994. At
the beginning of 1996 the system was recorded as having 153.1km of track, with
none of it operational.
Part of the system based at Bialosliwie has been taken over
by the local authority in Pila. In summer 1999 the majority of the goods
rolling stock was scrapped, but by spring 2000 work was under way clearing the
line, with the eventual aim of running tourist trains to Lobzenica. Public
passenger trains were finally believed to have started operation in 2002 over
the first few kilometres from Bialosliwie, with plans for further extension in
2003.
The history of this system is covered by Bogdan
Pokropinski's book "Koleje Waskotorowe Regionu Bydgoskiego", published in 1997
by Muzeum Ziemi Paluckiej in Znin, ISBN 83-907701-6-4
The first section of this 750mm gauge line opened in 1886
as an industrial railway serving the sugar factory at Opalenica, which was later
opened as a public railway. The main depot and standard gauge interchange were
at Opalenica, on the Poznan – Berlin line. At one time there were lines to
Komorowo (34km), Nowy Tomysl (18km from the junction at Trzcianka Zachodnia),
Duszniki (10km from Trzcianka Zach.), Turowo (9km from Sliwno on the Duszniki
branch) and Sedziny (10km from Rudniki Dwor I) giving a total network length of
81km. In 1989 there were 53km of lines (presumably Opalenica – Lwowek with
branches to Nowy Tomysl and Duszniki), and annual traffic was 217,183 passengers
and 94,065 tons of freight.
In July 1994 passenger services were worked by
Romanian-built rail-cars and freight services (which appeared to be virtually
limited to seasonal sugar beet trains) by Lxd2 diesels. The main line
terminated at Lwowek, and the branch to Duszniki was open for freight only. The
line from Trzcianka Zach. towards Nowy Tomysl had only recently been lifted.
Steam-hauled excursions were on offer, using a Px48 and ‘traditional’ coaches,
and there was an outdoor museum adjacent to Opalenica station.
A further visit in September 1995 found that the line had
recently closed to all traffic, and a bus had been laid on for passengers.
There were hopes that a local group would be able to take over the line, which
was the oldest narrow gauge railway in Wielkopolska. However, by October 1996
the historic rolling stock from the museum had been removed, and the
‘traditional’ coaches (and possibly the working Px48) had been moved to Sroda.
By October 1997 there was little stock remaining on the railway, although the
track was still in-situ. Some special trains were operated in 2000, and in
September 2001 it was reported that passenger trains had started running again
between Opalenica and Trzcianka Zach., with extension to Lwowek planned. A
visit in November 2001 found a timetable at Trzianka showing a quite frequent
service, but this was not running. Personnel at Opalenica confirmed that the
only trains on offer were to order, at a price of 2000zl. for a return working
to Lwowek. A Lxd2 and Lyd1 diesels are operational, with a Px48 steam
locomotive in the shed, on which work is believed to be starting in January
2002. However by the following November the site looked deserted and clearly no
trains had run for some time.
Maciej Matuszewski's book "Z dziejow Opalenickiej Kolei
Dojazdowej 1896-1991”, published by Poznanski Klub Modelarzy Kolejowych in 1991
is unfortunately no longer available.
PIOTRKOW
This is claimed to have been the first narrow gauge
passenger railway to be opened in that part of Poland under Russian control, in
1904. It was operated by three Borisg 0-6-0Ts from its opening until 1954. At
one time the line ran from Piotrkow Trybunalski (on the standard gauge Warszawa
– Czestochowa line) to Sulejow Pilica, but was later cut back by 2km to
Sulejow.
It would appear that the passenger service ceased in 1987.
In 1989 the 750mm gauge line was 15km long and carried 102,846 tons of freight.
The freight service ceased in the early 1990s, but the track is mostly still in
place, together with rolling stock at Piotrkow. A group of enthusiasts under
the name Towarzystwo Przyjaciol Kolejki Waskotorowej Piotrkow – Sulejow is
attempting to revive the line. It is understood that trains can now be run to
order as far as Bugaj (about 5km), but that further restoration is threatened by
road widening.
7.CLOSED PKP LINES
GDANSK
The first part of this 750mm gauge system was built in 1891
by the sugar factory at Nowy Staw, 4.5km to Koscieleczki. It was not until 1898
that further lines were built by a separate company, from Lisewo to Ostaszewo
(22km) with a branch from Lichnowy through Nowy Staw to Lipinka Gdanska (17km),
with a connection to the existing line. Another line was built south from
Lisewo through Pogorzala Wies to Miloradz (12km). In 1900 further lines were
constructed from Malbork: east for 27km to Stalewo; north to Lipinka Gdanska
(13km); and south to Miloradz (8km). In the following year a further extension
was built from Ostaszewo to Nowy Dwor Gdanski (15km).
In 1905 several lines were built further to the north: from
Gdansk 27km through Przejazdowo, Koszwaly and Cedry Male to Lewy Brzeg Wisly
(Left Bank of the Wisla); from Przejazdowo a 38km loop through Osice and
Giemlice to Koszwaly; from Prawy Brzeg Wisla (Right Bank of the Wisla) eastwards
for 17km through Stegna to Sztutowo; and from Stegna 15km south to Nowy Dwor
Gdanski. The two stations on each side of the Wisla were linked by a train
ferry. In 1909 there were further extensions, from Stalewo 3km to Swietliki,
and from Nowy Dwor Gdanski 21km to Lipinka Gdanska. The latter completed the
third ‘circular’ loop of the system. In 1920 another branch was built from
Jeziernik to Zulawki Polnocne (12km). With various branches the network now
reached about 336km.
During the Second World War a further line was built from
Sztutowo along the coast to Krynica Morska. However, by the end of the war the
area had suffered much damage, and reconstruction of the narrow gauge network
continued until 1951. The Sztutowo – Krynica Morska line closed as early as
1953, and the Malbork – Swietliki section was handed over to the sugar works in
1958. By 1959 the network had shrunk to about 223km. The Jeziernik – Zulawki
Polnocne line was lifted in 1969, passenger services on the Stegna – Wisla –
Koszwaly section ceased in 1971, and the whole network west of the Wisla closed
in 1974. Passenger traffic was suspended on various sections in the late 1980s
and early 1990s.
In 1989 the system had 146km of track, on which were
carried 365,800 passengers and 89,944 tons of freight. At the beginning of 1996
it had 146.3km of track, of which 138.3km was operational. Although summer
tourist trains had been run for some years, passenger services ceased completely
in September 1996. Sugar beet was carried to Nowy Staw sugar works during that
autumn, but the system then closed completely. There were hopes that at least
part of the system could be preserved in some way, then came news that the
system was being completely dismantled. There is now a restoration attempt on
the northern section of the system, from Mikoszewo (on the right bank of the
Wisla) through Stegna to Sztutowo. A first train ran in August 2002 from Nowy
Dwor Gdansk to Stegna, but regular services do not appear to have started.
Some photographs of the system can be found at Jeffrey
Dobek’s site: http://www.polrail.com/pkpgallery.html
The history of this network, and several other lines, is
covered by Bogdan Pokropinski’s book “Koleje waskotorowe Polski Polnocnej”,
published by CIBET in 2000, ISBN 83 – 85749 –26 –8. The publisher can be
contacted at:
wydawnictwo@cibet.com.pl
STARACHOWICE
This 750mm gauge line opened as recently as 1950, from a
standard gauge connection at Starachowice to Ilza.In 1989 it was recorded as being 20km long and carried 61,988
tons of freight; the passenger service had already ceased.
The line has now closed completely, and in 1998 there was
no evidence of any rolling stock, although the track was still in place.There may have been some items in the shed.
The 'Jarotschiner Kreisbahn' opened as a 600mm gauge railway on 1st November 1902, from
Witaszyce to Komorze (29.0km) with a 4.4km branch from Sucha to Robakow.
Further sections were added as follows:
Przybyslaw - Konstancin (4.3km) in 1909
Konstancin - Lgow (3.7km) on 3rd August 1911
Twardow - Czermin (9.7km) on 26th June 1915
Traffic in 1911 amounted to 27,928 passengers and 45, 116
tons of freight. About 1965 some 140,000 tons of freight were carried annually.
In 1977 diesel traction replaced steam and, because the new
locomotives were too large to pass under the standard gauge railway to reach the
sugar works, the sugar beet traffic was lost. In 1981 the line carried 69,000
passengers and 48,000 tons of freight; the corresponding figures in 1986 were
58,000 and 41,000.
The Grabina – Trabczyn line closed in 1972 and the Lgow –
Przybyslaw and Twardow – Czermin sections followed in 1979. Sucha – Komorze,
much of the original main line, closed in 1987, and the remaining Witaszyce –
Zagorow line closed in 1991. The track was lifted and the rolling stock
scrapped, although some (including one of the 1930s rail-cars) was rescued by
the Malta railway in Poznan, and three Lyd2 diesels moved to the Welsh Highland
Railway in Britain. One of the line's steam locomotives, after working on
various other PKP lines, survives in the Wenecja Railway Museum near Znin. Two
other steam locomotives were sold abroad in the 1970s, but their fates are not
known.
Maciej Matuszewski's book "Z dziejow Jarocinskiej Kolej
Dojazdowej 1902 – 1987", published by Poznanski Klub Modelarzy Kolejowych in
1988, is no longer available. The history of the line is also covered by Robert
Lewicki's "Kolej waskotorowa w krajobrazie Ziemi Zagorowskiej", published by
Wojewodzka Biblioteka Publiczna, Konin in 1997, ISBN 83-87582-00-X. Copies of
this may still be available.
Further information and a number of photographs taken of a
steam special after the line had closed can be seen at:
http://www.railwayworld.de/Polen/Witaschuetz/body_witaschuetz.html
Other photographs from the last years of operation at:
www.stillgelegt.de/imp/misc.htm
Witaszyce brickworks had its own railway, built at the turn
of the century and originally worked by horses. As early as 1911 a 12HP petrol
locomotive was in use. By 1916 the railway was about 3km long, running from the
clay pit to the brickworks, and used a small O&K steam locomotive and about 40
skip wagons. It had a level crossing with the PKP line out of Witaszyce, as
well as the main road.
A variety of steam locomotives, mostly second-hand, were
used over the years, until WLs40 diesel locomotives were introduced. The last
steam locomotive was scrapped in the early 1960s. In recent years there were
five diesel locomotives. The railway was operational well into the 1990s,
continuing for several years after PKP’s line closed. Sadly, however, it
appears that the brickworks line has also now closed, probably in 1997/8.
Little is currently known about this system, which is also
referred to as the Wroclawska Kolej
Waskotorowa, and appears to have been formed from two separate operations.
Dating from 1894, it once ran from Zmigrod (on the standard
gauge Leszno – Wroclaw line) 8km to Przedkowice where the route split, a 44km
line running through Trzebnica to Wroclaw, and a second line running 29km to
Milicz and on another 23km to Sulmierzyce, giving a total network of 104km.In 1989 it was recorded as being 750mm gauge, having 78km of track
(presumably Zmigrod – Przedkowice – Trzebnica and Przedkowice – Milicz –
Sulmierzyce), carrying 147,051 passengers and only 469 tons of freight.The system closed in 1991.
giving a total of 147km.Originally the line south to Bykow had extended to Uhnow but in the early
1950s the Polish/Soviet border in this area was moved, and Uhnow is now in
Ukraine.Thus the railway was cut
back by about 6km.By 1989 the
system had shrunk to 41km of track and carried 60,153 passengers and 71,780 tons
of freight.In 1996 it was recorded
as having only 12.0km of track remaining.A
date of 1990 has been quoted for closure, and it is not known which was the last
section to survive, but at least part of the system is believed to have been
scheduled as a monument by the local authority.More information would be welcomed.
The first section of the Marienwerder Kleinbahn opened in
1901 from Kwidzyn (Marienwerder) 4km to Mareza (Mareese), and from there 14km
northwards to Gurcz (Zandersfelde) and 21km southwards to Rusinowo (Reussenau).In 1905 a further line opened from Pastwa (just short of Gurcz) through
Gniew and then 12km to Wielkie Walichnowy, where it connected with the Pelplin
sugar works railway.Between Pastwa
and Gniew the line crossed the Wisla by means of a train ferry.
After the First World War the new border was drawn along
the east bank of the Wisla.To the
east the Rusinowo – Mareza, Mareza – Kwidzyn, Mareza – Pastwa Poludniowa
and Pastwa Osiedle – Gurcz sections (totalling 36km) were under German
control.Under Polish control were
the section west of the Wisla and a relatively short section on the east of the
Wisla, totalling 18km.The Polish
administration decided that its portion was not worth operating.The northern section from Cieple to Wielkie Walichnowy was taken over by
Pelplin sugar works, and the remainder dismantled.On the German side the town of Gurcz was cut off from the
rest of the network, and in 1927 a 3km link was built to the east of the new
border so that the town could be reconnected.
After the Second World War the whole area came under Polish
control, and in 1948 there were plans to build a 22km connecting line to the
southern loop of the Gdansk system.Construction
work appears to have started but was never completed.Rail-cars were introduced in 1959 and steam traction ceased
in 1966.Passenger traffic peaked
at around 250,000 in the mid 1960s, but freight traffic was never particularly
heavy – the figure of 50,000 tons in 1911 was never reached after the division
of the system, and the post-war peak was about 30,000 tons in 1960.In 1985 the 39km system carried 124,170 passengers and 4,200 tons of
freight.The last train ran on
31.12.1985 and the final section of track was lifted in March 1989.Rail-car MBd1-134 went to the Sochaczew museum.
This 600mm gauge line is belived to have its origins in the
Ortelsburger Kleinbahn which ran from Spychowo (Puppen) 15km to Rozogi.During the First World War a military field railway was built south from
Rozogi.After the war the new
border between Poland and Germany cut through this line, but both sections
appear to have been operated by the respective state or regional railways.The German section, in particular, was very lightly trafficked; in 1938
it carried only 1,559 passengers and 5,356 tons of freight.The line was presumably retained for strategic purposes.
In the Second World War the system was reunited, and after
the war the whole line lay in Poland.PKP
continued to operate the whole system (also known as Ostrolecka), and in 1959 it
consisted of:
Spychowo – Myszyniec – Grabowa68km
Myszyniec – Deby – Lomza59km
Deby – Kolno32km
The main depot was at Myszyniec.
The northern end of the system is believed to have closed
in the 1960s, but final closure came in 1973, when a number of locomotives were
transferred to the Bydgoszcz system.
Also known as the Kolejka Marek, this line originally had a
gauge of 800mm and ran from Warszawa to Radzymin, to the north east of the city.It is not known whether there were once other lines, but the Warszawa
Targowa – Targowek section opened on 21 July 1949.At some time in the 1940s a connection was made with the Jablonna line.The railway was converted to 750mm gauge in 1951, and in 1959 was given
as 21km long.It is believed to
have closed in the 1970s.More
information would be welcomed.
In 1898 in the area of Poland then known as East Prussia
the Rastenburg – Sensburg Kleinbahn opened a 33km long 750mm gauge railway
from Ketrzyn (Rastenburg) south to Mragowo (Sensburg), with a 19km branch from
Slawkowo to Ryn (Rhein).In 1905
there followed a line north from Ketrzyn to Srokowo (25km) and an isolated line
from Barciany 12km to Skandlawek opened for freight traffic at the same time.The 25km line from Barciany to Krylowo (Nordenburg) opened in 1916, and
the following year the network was lined together by a 27km line from Winda
(halfway between Ketrzyn and Srokowo) through Barciany to Gandawa.The system now amounted to about 130km of lines.The above dates are based on a German source.Other sources give different dates and sequences of opening.At Nordenburg the line connected with the Instenburger Kleinbahnen, of
the same gauge.This line had
opened in 1902 and had a total length of 190km.
In 1945 a new border was drawn through this area, and most
of the Ketrzyn system was now in Poland.However
the northernmost 5km of the Gandawa line, and the end 2km of the Krylowo
(Nordenburg) line were in the Soviet Union.The network had suffered considerable damage, and 75km of
track had been removed to the Soviet Union.Reconstruction work started in 1946 and the Ketrzyn – Mragowo line
reopened in 1948, with Slawkowo Ryn following in 1949.The system now amounted to 52km of track, and the northern section was
never rebuilt.
Traffic on the Slawkowo – Ryn section ceased in 1966.The Ketrzyn sugar works decided in 1969 to stop using the railway for
transport, and in 1971 the railway closed completely.
The town of Olesno is situated on the standard gauge line
between Kluczbork and Upper Silesia.By
1913 there was a railway from Olesno north to Praszka, which appears to have
been 750mm gauge.During the First
World War the Germans extended this line from Praszka to Wielun sugar works.
Following Polish independence the new border with Germany
passed just to the west of Praszka, cutting it off from Olesno, so the narrow
gauge provided the Poles with a useful link to the town.By 1959 the narrow gauge extended 28km from a standard gauge interchange
at Wielun (on the line between Kepno and Upper Silesia) to Praszka – although
the actual terminus was called Zawisna Wask. and was 1km beyond Praszka station.A 1963 map appears to show Zawisna as an interchange with the standard
gauge line to Olesno, but no interchange is shown on the 1959 map.Nothing further is known of the history of this line, which
had closed by 1989, and further information would be welcomed.
In 1959 this 750mm gauge line extended from a standard
gauge interchange at Zwierzyniec (south west of Zamosc) 27km westwards to
Bilgoraj.The date of opening and
subsequent history are not known.The
railway network in this part of Poland has undergone considerable modification
in the last thirty years or so, partly as a result of the post-war border with
the Soviet Union having radically altered traffic patterns in the area, and
partly as a result of construction of the Linia Hutniczno-Siarkowo the Russian
gauge Steel and Sulphur line.The
date of closure of the narrow gauge line is not known, and further information
would be welcomed.
This 750mm gauge system ran generally north from Biala
Podlaska on the standard gauge line from Lukow to Terespol and Brest (Belarus).In 1959 the lines were:
Biala Podlaska – Rozkosz – Konstantynow29km
Rozkosz – Rokitno Podlaskie – Cielesnica20km
Rokitno Podlaskie – Janow Podlaski8km
Nothing is known of its history or date of closure, but
this was certainly before 1989.
This line ran from Jablonna, to the north of Warszawa,
southwards along the east side of the Wisla, through the city to Karczew.It opened about 1900 to the unusual gauge of 800mm and from 1911 it was
administered by the Towarzystwo Akcyjne Warszawskich Drog Zelaznych Podjazdowych
(Warszawa commuter railway company).There
appears to have been much conflict between the railway and the Warszawa highway
authorities, and in 1926 two rail-cars were introduced but they lasted only
until 1932 and 1934.Two 110hp
diesel locomotives were introduced in 1937, but as they could pull only 3 bogie
coaches they were not suitable for the regular trains.They were not used on service trains after 1941, but at least one appears
to have survived until 1950 before being transferred elsewhere.
In 1949 the line was taken over by PKP, but did not survive
for very long.The Most – Otwock
section closed in 1952 and Most – Jablonna in 1955, presumably because of
problems with the road authorities.The
4 km Otwock – Karczew section, on the southern outskirts of the city, survived
until 1963.Some of the stock was
regauged to 750mm and transferred to other PKP lines.Thus locomotive No. 66 (a 90hp 0-6-0T built by O&K in
1916 – works no. 7678) was renumbered by PKP as Ty2-2850, then Ty2-1146 and
finally Ty3-1162, and survives today in the museum at Sochaczew [Link]
In 1884 a 750mm gauge railway opened from Zittau through
Kleinschoenau (now Sieniawka) and Reichenau (now Bogatynia) to Markersdorf, a
total distance of about 16km.In
1890 a further line opened from Zittau through Bertsdorf to Oybin (12km) with a
4km branch from Bertsdorf to Jonsdorf.Markersdorf
was on the German/Austrian border, and in 1900 a line opened from Friedland (now
Frydlant) 11km to Hermsdorf (now Hermanice) on the Austrian side of the border,
with a connecting line to Markersdorf.Trains
between Friedland and Hermsdorf had to reverse at Detrichov.
The Friedland – Hermsdorf line was probably unique within
Austro-Hungary in that it was built to the same standards as the existing lines
from Zittau, including use of the 750mm gauge rather than the 760mm norm for
Austrian lines.Clearly the
intention was to allow through traffic between Friedland and Zittau, but this
never happened to any significant extent, even after German occupation in 1938.After the Second World War the network became divided between
Czechoslovakia (Frydland – Detricdhov – Hermanice), Poland (Bogatynia –
Sieniawka) and Germany (Zittau - Bertsdorf – Oybin / Jonsdorf.Presumably it was at this stage that the new Polish administration built
a 6km section from Bogatynia to a standard gauge connection at Turoszow, for by
1959 the Bogatynska Kolej Waskotorowa ran 16km from Turoszow Wask. to Sieniawka.Nothing further is known about the Polish operation, which closed in
1961.
The Czech section had a somewhat chequered life, with
passenger services ceasing in 1946, resuming in 1948, ceasing again in 1951 and
recommencing in 1957.TU 47 diesels
arrived in 1958 and the line finally closed completely in 1976.The German lines survived and, still running regular steam trains, are
quite well known to West European enthusiasts.
Further information about the Frydland – Hermanice
section (Czech text by Tomas Hodr and Daniel Brabenec) includes some photographs
taken by Petr Nohel in 1996 which suggest the track was still down twenty years
after closure: http://www.upce.cz/~kpz/uzke/hermanic.htm
In 1911 the Oletzkoer Kleinbahn opened a 1000mm gauge
railway from Olecko northwards 27km to Garbas and westwards from Olecko 16km to
Swietajno.In the early stages of
the First World War the railway was heavily damaged and some of the rolling
stock taken away by the Russians.However
the railway was operational again by 1916.
In the inter-war years the railway carried fairly light
traffic.In 1938 the railway used 4
locomotives, 8 passenger coaches, 2 baggage cars and 36 freight wagons to carry
39,989 passengers and 18,469 tons of freight.The railway again suffered considerable damage in the Second World War,
with destruction reckoned to be 85%.The
Polish authorities decided that reconstruction was not justified, and the
remaining rolling stock was transferred to Elk or scrapped.
On 12 February 1911 a railway line opened from Chybie (on
the standard gauge line between Krakow and Wien) to Strumien, about 5km.This part of Poland being under Austrian control at that time, the gauge
was 760mm.The line was initially
operated by 2 steam rail-cars, 4 passenger coaches and 4 freight wagons, but it
is believed the rail-cars were later replaced by two locomotives.After Polish independence a standard gauge railway was built from Chybie
through Strumien to Pawlowice (and later further).The opening of this line in November 1924 spelled the end for the narrow
gauge line, and the last train is believed to have run on 15 March 1925.
CLOSED INDUSTRIAL LINES (MAINLY FORESTRY AND SUGAR BEET)
The Ostrowite sugar works
railway was built in 1924.Little
is known about its operation, but it ran about 25km from the works to a
connection with PKP at Brodnica.At
some time in its history it obtained a Kp4 steam locomotive.
In 1987/88 it was
registered as a monument, since it was the only operational 750mm gauge
industrial railway in north-east Poland, and possessed the only operational Kp4.This locomotive last ran in 1989.The
last beet was brought into the works by rail in 1992.The railway was operated for internal use in 1993, seemingly for the last
time. Since then the monument
registration has not prevented the line becoming completely overgrown and rails
being removed (presumably stolen for scrap).The Brodnica end of the line has been dismantled (with retrospective
consent from the authorities), but it is not known what has become of the
remainder of the track or any of the rolling stock.
This 600mm gauge forestry
line, just south of Suwalki, was 27km long and dated back to 1923.It closed in 1991 and has probably been completely dismantled.At closure there were three steam locomotives which had been abandoned
for some time, and some V10C diesels.
As with Plociczno this
600mm gauge forestry line, north east of Bialystok, was built in the early years
of Polish independence an closed in 1991.It is presumed to have been completely dismantled.
Wlostow sugar works, west of Sandomierz, once had a 750mm
gauge railway which ran south to connect with the eastern end of PKP’s
Jedrzejow system.It is assumed to
have closed, but confirmation of the situation would be welcomed.
The first 12km section of the Pelplin sugar works railway
was available for use in the autumn sugar beet campaign of 1895.By 1900 the works had 34km of line, 5 locomotives and 120 wagons.In 1922 the works took over a further 7km of the former Kwidzyn network.In the post-war period traffic diminished and use of the railway ceased
at the end of the 1977 campaign.
This 600mm gauge line is merely one of many which once
operated all over Poland for various industrial operations such as brickworks,
cement works and the like.The
railway was built at the turn of the century and was originally worked by
horses.As early as 1911 a 12HP
petrol locomotive was in use.By
1916 the railway was about 3km long, running from the clay pit to the
brickworks, and used a small O&K steam locomotive and about 40 skip wagons.It had a level crossing with the PKP line out of Witaszyce,
as well as the main road.
A variety of steam locomotives, mostly second-hand, were
used over the years, until WLs40 diesel locomotives were introduced.The last steam locomotive was scrapped in the early 1960s.In recent years there were five diesel locomotives. The railway was
operational well into the 1990s, continuing for several years after PKP’s line
closed.Sadly, however, it appears that the brickworks line has also
now closed, probably in 1997/8.A
video featuring this line, and many of the other operational PKP and sugar beet
lines (some now closed) is available from Steve Thomason at: www.btinternet.com/~thomsk/poland.html
There were a number of other narrow gauge lines in Poland,
and it is intended that further information will be added as it becomes
available.
The
first section of the 600mm gauge Kleinbahn des Kreises Znin opened from
Znin to Rogowa (19.4km) on 1 July 1894, together with a branch from
Biskupin through Gasawa to Szelejewo (8.2km). On 9 June 1895 the Rogowo line was extended by 12.3km to
Osno. In 1908 a branch to
Ostrowce was added, and in 1911 a further 15.8km branch opened to
Obiecanowo. In the following year another 5.5km branch opened to Wola,
and in 1913 the Szelejewo line was extended to Grochowiska Szlacheckie.
Finally, a 2km section from Obiecanowo to Zuzoly brought the system
up to 78km.