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/
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© Andrew
Goodwin, Stephen Goodwin & Dave Meller
1996-2003
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