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TABLE OF CONTENTS / INHOUD
Presentation in French 2;
Presentation in Dutch 3;
Wolsztyn Depot 4 / 6
Regional map 19
Wolsztyn – Grodzisk – Poznan 20
Zbaszynek - Wolsztyn – Leszno 45
Wolsztyn – Kargowa – Sulechów 59
Wolsztyn – Konotop – Nowa Sól 67
Wielichowo – Smigiel – Stare Bojanowo 78
Sroda – Zaniemysl 104
Gniezno – Powidz – Anastazewo 116
BRIEF PRESENTATION OF THIS ALBUM
This album presents 100 photos of the standard and narrow gauge railways in the Wolsztyn region as they were in the 1990s and 2000s. Everything has changed since then: the narrow gauge lines and two branch lines have been closed, and the infrastructure, stations and platforms have been modernised. So I invite you to activate the time machine and teleport yourself to Poland at the turn of the century.
WHERE IS WOLSZTYN?
The small town of Wolsztyn (population 13,000) is located just below the Berlin-Warsaw railway and motorway axis, 120 km west of Frankfurt-on-Oder and 70 km south-west of Poznan. Strangely enough, its standard gauge locomotive depot still provides daily steam services today – or at least it did until 2025. It is the last of its kind in Europe. How can this be explained?
WHY WOLSZTYN?
In the early 1990s, PKP (the Polish national railway company) still had a large fleet of steam locomotives, many of which were built in the early 1950s. Motorways were non-existent, good roads were few and far between, and private cars were the exception rather than the rule. So why bother modernising the railway network? With coal being abundant and cheap in Poland, the communist regime did not favour investment in the railways, and commercial train speeds were not a necessity as they still had a monopoly.
Everything changed after the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989. PKP had to improve its service and streamline its network. Steam depots closed one after the other. By 1993, only half a dozen remained, whose purpose was, among other things, to preserve historic equipment and provide tourist services on demand. But in Wolsztyn, the depot was in good working order, the technical skills were there and the geographical location was favourable, on an easily accessible route close to Germany. And so a small miracle took place: the maintenance and preservation of steam activity.
In 1996, when I visited for the first of twelve times, it was not a museum, but an operational centre providing at least two passenger services and several freight trains every day! However, in 2025, at the time of writing this book, its situation is unclear and its future uncertain.
ABOUT THE PHOTOS
In 1993, the Belgian railway enthusiasts' association PFT (Patrimoine Ferroviaire & Tourisme) organised a fabulous trip to Poland. Given its success, it repeated the operation three years later. As a new member, I decided to take part. It literally changed my life. On the fifth day, I met a pretty young girl, fell in love with her and married her in 1999. This explains my many trips to Poland, usually lasting about ten days, to visit my in-laws. Of course, I took advantage of each trip to photograph the trains.
But soon, freight services ceased, narrow-gauge lines closed or were converted into tourist lines. The good years are over. This album retraces them.
I have classified the photos by line, in geographical order, starting from Wolsztyn. You may rightly criticise me for the fact that some of them are not precisely located. This is because I have a big flaw: I never noted down the locations where the photos were taken. So, 25 years later, how can I remember? No bluffing or lying: when I don't know, I don't make anything up. There will undoubtedly be a few errors, and your corrections are of course welcome. But fortunately, I was able to count on the excellent memory of amateurs much more experienced than me, in particular Philippe De Gieter, who provided me with information for about twenty photos.
At the time, I preferred slides, which were cheaper to develop than paper photos. I scanned them with a high-resolution scanner, corrected the colours and removed dust and scratches. Even though I wasn't taking photos with the intention of one day making a book, I think the result is quite convincing. However... My first cameras were rudimentary (especially in 1998-1999), so the quality of the photos from that period is sometimes mediocre. Being very dissatisfied with those taken on lines 331 and 348, I asked some friends, who were kind enough to fill in the gaps. I am very grateful to them, especially Pierre Herbiet and Éric Binamé!
Enjoy reading and have fun!
Didier Lemaire
My two sons and I, perched in the driver's cab of the little Ok1-322, on 31/10/2008.
Below: Simplified timetable of passenger trains theoretically operated by steam locomotives from the Wolsztyn depot. Two locomotives were required: Ol49, Pt47-65 or Pm36-2. The timetable included a return trip to Zbaszynek, one to Leszno (with an extension to Wschowa, line 350) and one to Poznan.
Steam passenger train timetable
Locomotive 1
Departure
Arrival
Photo on opposite page: This photo of my family was taken by Jean-François Huart on 2 August 1999, two days after my wedding.
During my first trips to Wolsztyn, the depot staff were still very welcoming. To be allowed on the engine, all you had to do was be a familiar face, speak a little Polish, know the driving crew or... slip them a 20 zloty note.
RAILWAY SITUATION
Like the rest of western Poland, the Wolsztyn region had a fairly dense railway network, similar to what Germany or Belgium had at the time. To understand this, it is important to know that Poland was carved up and divided at the end of the 18th century between the three neighbouring monarchies: the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia (which would become Germany). The latter, which was highly industrialised, developed its railway network much more than the other two nations.
Wolsztyn was connected to the railway via Zbaszyn in June 1886, then via Leszno ten years later. In 1898, the tracks reached Grodzisk, then Poznan and Sulechów. Konotop was reached in 1905 and Nowa Sól in 1908.
Thus, five non-electrified standard gauge lines converged on Wolsztyn, forming a five-pointed star (map p. 1) and leading to:
1. Grodszisk and Poznan (332)
2. Zbaszynek (328)
3. Leszno (328)
4. Kargowa - Sulechów (331, closed in 1994)
5. Konotop – Nowa Sól (348, closed in 1994)
I am adding to this album of archive photos of three narrow-gauge lines in the region, the last two of which were still steam-powered!
1. Wielichowo – Smigiel – Stare Bojanowo (353, closed in 2010)
2. Sroda – Zaniemysl (319, closed around 2000)
3. Gniezno – Powidz – Anastazewo (391, already freight in 1996)
HISTORY OF THE WOLSZTYN DEPOT
In 1907, a small shed for four locomotives was built in Wolsztyn – Wollstein, its German name. Two years later, longer spaces 5 to 8 were added. The staff still numbered only about twenty employees, including only two "Polish" drivers, the others undoubtedly being German-speaking.
After the First World War, the Treaty of Versailles assigned a large part of eastern Germany to the new state of Poland, created in 1919. The Poznan and Wolsztyn region became Polish once again, but the border was very close: Kargowa, 13 kilometres away, was located in Germany. In the early years, trains heading west only ran as far as the border, i.e. to Keblowo on the 328, Kopanica on the 331 and Zsbazyn in the north. There was no crossing of the border with Germany, the new "enemy".
A fire ravaged Wolsztyn station on 1 September 1939, the day Nazi Germany invaded Poland. It took more than 20 years to build a new station building.
During the Second World War, more than 30 steam locomotives were based in Wolsztyn, which had become German once again. Its freight trains even went as far as the Soviet border.
Paradoxically, while steam traction was disappearing everywhere else in Europe, the 1970s and 1980s marked the most prosperous period for the small depot. At the time, more than 30 steam locomotives were in daily service there. About 300 people worked there, including four at the unloading pit. The three coal cranes were still operated by hand!
The 16-metre-long turntable, built in 1908, was extended to 20 metres, then to 20.5 metres in July 2002. Thanks to this, it can now accommodate the Pm36-2, but still not the Pt47-65, which is too long. Behind the roundhouse is a 100 m³ water tower dating from 1907. It is supplied by the nearby Lake Berzinskie. The depot site also has a workshop, two coal bunkers (1,000 and 714 m³), a 15 m long unloading pit and, for loading coal, an old crane and a modern overhead crane.
Wolsztyn station has two signal boxes built in 1891 and 1903 by Lehmann & Co AG of Berlin. The WL signal box, opposite the depot, controls three entry signals and five exit signals. This is where the cabin with an intercom is located, announcing the arrival and departure of trains on the platform. The WL1 post, located at the pedestrian bridge at the other end (Zsbasyn side), controls the three exit signals and two entry signals for lines 248 to Sulechów and 328 to Zbaszyn.
CONTEXT OF THE PHOTOS
Until 1993, the Wolsztyn depot provided traction for around twenty passenger trains on all nearby lines, as well as a multitude of freight trains. The turning point came in 1993 with the privatisation of lines 331 and 348, which were entrusted to the LKR company... which went bankrupt the following year. Since then, only lines 328 and 332 remain, which are still in operation today.
During the second major PFT trip to Poland in 1996, the depot was still 100% steam-powered, but there were already only two passenger services remaining (the first from 5:05 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., the second from 4:45 a.m. to 4:43 p.m.), and three or four freight trains, with very irregular schedules (see opposite).
Below: In the 1999 winter timetable, the schedule provides for two locomotives (and one for shunting at Wolsztyn station). The first provides service on lines 328 to Tuchorza and 348 to Konotop and Lubiencin on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; on other days of the week, it handles freight to Kargowa and Powodowo on line 331; the second locomotive operates on Tuesdays and Thursdays to cover freight services on lines 332 to Grodzisk and 329 to Plastowo.
Freight timetable
This is me in 1999, still young, and my dad, who passed away in May 2024.
As I was a regular visitor, knew a little Polish and had married a local girl, I had access to most areas of the Wolsztyn depot. Here are a few photos taken in 2001.
Photo of the Wolsztyn roundhouse taken by Pierre Herbiet in October 1991. Here we see a large part of the Wolsztyn fleet, including Ok22, Ol49, Ty3, Ty3 and Ty45 locomotives. Right-hand page: I never had the opportunity to attend the big Steam Parade at the Wolsztyn depot, which is held every year around 1 May. The following photos, taken by Éric Binamé, make up for this omission. For three or four days, a fine selection of steam locomotives gather and run special trips, some short, others much longer, at very reasonable prices. The parade is often preceded by a colourful night-time show. The roundhouse can be seen on 27/04/2018 with, on the left, the Cockerill 503 from the Luxembourg-based Compagnie Internationale des Événements sur Rail (CIER).
Two photos by Eric Binamé of the night show preceding the Steam Parade on 2 May 2014. Here we see the Ty42-24 pivoting on the turntable at the depot. It is no longer operational but is preserved at the Pyskowice depot in Silesia, where it is awaiting restoration. Right-hand page: Eric had the presence of mind to photograph this scene: three enthusiasts and as many cameras focusing on the beautiful and powerful Czechoslovakian locomotive 498-104.
A beautiful view of the Wolsztyn depot, taken by Axel Vermeulen on the morning of 8 April 1996, with the roundhouse and staff room on the left and the rear of the signal box on the right. Between the two buildings, just in front of the green locomotive, is a row of small Fiat Polski cars, manufactured by the Polish automotive industry following an agreement with the Italian government. I can count at least seven! On the right-hand page is the interior of the same signal box (photo by Axel Vermeulen). The red levers are for signalling, the blue ones for points.
This slide, taken in October 1991 by Pierre Herbiet, shows the Ol49-22 pulling out of the station towards Zbaszyn in a thick plume of black smoke. Built in 1961, the building's rudimentary aesthetics are characteristic of the communist style: austere lines, devoid of any charm.
Right-hand page: The 49-7 departs in the other direction, towards Poznan, in the summer of 1998.
On 24/06/2007, the Ol49-7 runs alongside the depot that houses it. On the right, you can see the automatic coal loader and, in the background, the roof of the roundhouse and industrial facilities. This district of the small town of 13,000 inhabitants was home to many factories, particularly furniture factories. Right-hand page: Ty1-76 on 30 May 2005, next to the coal loader. It is out of service and waiting (in vain) for a future service.
Despite the unpredictable weather, spectators turned out in large numbers for the 2014 parade. The stars of the show were the Ol49-59 and 69 from Wolsztyn, the Ol12-7, Ty42-107 and TKt48-191 from Chabówka, the Ty42-24 from Pyskowice, the 475.179 from the Czech Republic and this 498.104 Albatros from Slovakia.
Road map of the province of Wielkopolska (Greater Poland). At the top left, you can see the town of Zbaszyn and the new town of Zbaszynek, a border station created by the Germans after the Treaty of Versailles. The thick brown line marks the approximate location of the former German-Polish border of 1920. At the top right, off the map, is the large city of Poznan.
WOLSZTYN – GRODZISK – POZNAN
The main railway line remaining in Wolsztyn is line 332 (the other is line 328). Like Wolsztyn station, it underwent extensive restoration in 2020: platforms were renovated and raised, tracks were straightened and modernised, traction equipment was upgraded, and services were improved (more frequent and faster). However, some railcars and diesel trains are still regularly replaced by steam locomotives. This chapter presents scenes classified in geographical order, starting with Wolsztyn.
For timetable information, I recommend the website of local enthusiast Wojciech Lis. Elected mayor of Wolsztyn twice, he has been fighting for two decades to preserve the depot. https://www.parowozy.com.pl/indexd.html
In the 1990s, there was still a service to the freight yards on line 332. It was provided by a Wolsztyn engine, which was, of course, steam-powered.
The whole scene was often very picturesque: the train sometimes consisted of just a single carriage. As we approached the turn of the millennium, it evoked images of Belgium in the 1950s or 1960s.
Photos on the next page
Left: A Ty pulling a freight train in 1998 in Rakoniewice.
Right: The windows of the Wolsztyn trains opened wide; in 1996, you could even open the carriage doors and sit with your legs outside! Holidays in Poland with my in-laws were an opportunity to show my son these impressive machines. It's easy to see why he has become a train enthusiast, just like his dad!
Timetables for line 332 in 1993/94 (above) and 2003/2004 (below).
Above: Timetable for line 332 in the 2016 timetable. Compared to 2003, the service has improved significantly, but it is even better today!
Autumnal atmosphere at Tloki station, the first towards Wolsztyn; arrival of the Ol49-111 on 7 October 2004; right-hand page, departure of the 7 on 1 November 2008. The first letter of the Polish series name is O for a locomotive for omnibus services, P for express and T for freight. The second letter indicates the wheel arrangement and the numbers that follow indicate the year of design. The Ol49s were therefore designed in 1949, are of the 1-3-1 type (and 113 were manufactured between 1951 and 1954).
In August 1999, a small local train from Wolsztyn crossed the N32 level crossing and climbed the slight slope towards Rostarzewo. This freight train served the stations of Rostarzewo, Rakoniewice, Ruchocice and Grodzisk; some even continued on to Plaskowo on line 329. It is pulled by the Pt47-65, a large freight engine with a maximum speed of 110 km/h, a weight of 98 tonnes and 2,000 horsepower! Right-hand page: The number of trains pulled by steam locomotives has fallen over the years in favour of diesel engines. Not to mention the improvised replacements due to breakdowns, which were frequent on old locomotives. This was the case on 5 October 2004, when I was patiently waiting for the steam train to arrive... Several tens of minutes late, here it is at last, unfortunately pulled by a backup diesel engine.
It was like being back in Belgium in the 1950s. The Ol49-59 above was photographed in Rostarzewo in February 2000. The small stations were very quiet! Here, I remember the cold... and the train's considerable delay. The poor passenger didn't seem to be suffering too much from the cold,
unlike me! Right-hand page: The same place, 50 seconds later.
I rarely visited my in-laws in winter, except at Christmas. When it snowed in Poland, it was very different from Belgium! The roads were covered with a thick white blanket, travel was difficult and the cold was truly freezing!
Above: An OL photographed in February 2000, probably in the vicinity of Rakoniewice. Right-hand page: Atmospheric photos at Rakoniewice station.
RAKONIEWICE STATION (2001)
These few photos illustrate the paradox of small PKP stations at the beginning of the century: on the one hand, completely outdated mechanical and manual systems and handwritten records, with no computerisation; on the other, customer service that would make today's large stations in Western Europe green with envy: ticket offices open from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. selling tickets and checking in luggage! And this despite the fact that the first train is not scheduled until 4:44 a.m. and the last until 9:34 p.m.
This photo of the Ol49-59, taken in the summer of 2002, shows how some stops seem lost in the middle of nowhere. This is the case at Drzymalowo, a little further along the line. Yet all trains stop there. Note the handwritten inscription "Fuck the police!" Right-hand page: Shortly after the Drzymalowo stop, the train passes under a road. This is where I positioned myself to capture the beautiful Pt47-65 during the summer holidays of 1999.
In April 1996, the "American" Ty51-223, the PKP's largest steam locomotive, pulled the PFT special train and stopped at Ruchocice. It was its very last day before retirement! It weighs 110 tonnes, develops 2,160 horsepower and reaches 80 km/h, which is sufficient for freight trains. 242 units were built between 1951 and 1957, including 210 for PKP. Opposite page: Ruchocice station also seems to be stuck in an uninhabited no man's land. And for good reason: the nearest house is about 300 metres away on foot, via a shortcut, or 900 metres by car.
Above: The Ol49-69 is photographed shortly before Grodzisk in the summer of 2003. Yes, graffiti artists also have a field day in Poland. Right-hand page: On 7 October 2004, the Ol49-7 is in Grodzisk, a junction and connecting station. Line 329, which ran to Lezsno and Opalenica, had already been closed for a long time. However, the section to Plaskowo continued to be used for freight transport, then converted into a tourist attraction with rail bikes (pedal boats on rails).
These two pages show Grodzisk station, easily identifiable by the footbridge that crosses it, the candlestick signals and the adjacent industrial facilities. Above: Ty42-148 pulls a short local train in July 1999. The Ty42 series, identical to the German Reich's BR 52, was built in 150 units in 1945 and 1946. On the right-hand page is a striking photo taken on 5 December 1997 by Philippe De Gieter of a train coming from the Koscian sugar factory, passing through line 329 and hauled by the Ty43-123.
I sometimes opted for black and white slides. When scanning them, I noticed that the level of detail was often better. This gives us these two beautiful images, dating, I think, from the summer of 1998: the Pt47-65 in Grodzisk above and the Ty3-2 on the right-hand page, in a station that I cannot locate. This gives me the opportunity to talk about the Ty3, which is none other than the famous BR 42 Kriegslok of the German army. It is therefore a cousin of the Ty42.
On these two pages, we see an Ol49 on line 332. The green double-decker carriages formed the standard train at Wolsztyn between 1996 and 2005. The same version also existed in orange-yellow, which is much prettier, don't you think? The trains stop at all stations, but unfortunately there are not many passengers: according to statistics, few stations welcome more than 50 passengers a day, and some, such as Stefanowo and Tloki, have fewer than 10 a day.
This photo of the OK22 was taken in early June 2005 in Granowo, a station between Grodzisk and Poznan. The train is clearly very popular with these children, who all have different bikes! Right-hand page: This 2002 photo shows an Ol49 from Poznan to Wolsztyn, passing in front of the pond near Steszew station. The Ol49 had a maximum speed of 100 km/h, weighed 83 tonnes and had a power output of nearly 1300 horsepower.
THANK YOU! DANK U! To my wife, my children, Philippe De Gieter and Pierre Herbiet for your comments;
to Axel Vermeulen, Eric Binamé, Jean-François Huart, Philippe De Gieter and Pierre Herbiet for your photos.
ZBASZYNEK - WOLSZTYN - LESZNO
Line 328 has connected Wolsztyn to Zbaszyn in the north since 1886 and Leszno in the south-east since 1896. It is not paralleled by any major roads, and its stations are difficult to access or isolated. Service declined significantly in the 2000s but has fortunately improved since 2015. Until the early 2000s, there was still a small amount of freight traffic to Tuchorza. Atmospheric photos also show the infrastructure and staff of the time.
Redevelopment of the tracks at Zbaszyn by Germany after 1920, made necessary by the relocation of the German-Polish border (Grenze, in red) following the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. The dotted sections were abandoned in favour of the new town and border station of Zbaszynek.
Timetables for line 328 in 1993/94 (above) and 2003/2004 (below).
These two photos of the Pt47-65 were taken on 2 August 1999, two days after my wedding. The one above, at the exit of Stefanowo station, is by Jean-François Huart; the second, taken a few metres further on, is by myself. The line was still secured by mechanical signals – a dream! The P in Pt47-65 indicates that the locomotive is intended for express services, the T indicates a 141 axle arrangement and the 47 indicates the year of design.
In 2005, the depot still frequently had several steam engines in operation. In addition to the Ol49-69 in regular service, the programme for the first weekend of June 2005 announced a special "Pirat" service by the Pm36-2 to Kolobrzeg (more than 300 kilometres away!), a special train from Poznan – Konotop special train by the Tr5-65 and shuttles by the Ok22-31 (a German P8) to Tuchorza (above)! On the right, a special train consisting of five small "thunderboxes" arrives at the junction between line 331, which leaves for Kargowa on the left, and line 328 towards Zbaszyn, which goes straight ahead. Photo Éric Binamé, 28/04/2018.
Here we are again at Wolsztyn station, as line 328 passes through here. On 2 August 1999, the Ol49-81 is reversing towards Wolsztyn station, while the Pt47-65 has just set off with its freight train. The photo was taken by Jean-François Huart, two days after my wedding. Right-hand page: On 24 June 2007, Ol49-7 passes the four mechanical signals, which still exist today. They are controlled by the WL signal box at the depot; the second signal box, called WL-1, is located at the other end of the station, on the footbridge side.
On 9 April 1996, the Pm36 had just left Wolsztyn and stopped to allow a group of Belgian enthusiasts (including me!) to photograph it. The double track is not really a double track, as it consists of two parallel single tracks: line 328 connecting Wolsztyn to Leszno on one side, and line 348 running from Wolsztyn to Konotop on the other. Right-hand page: At the same location but seen from the other direction, here is the small SA105-002 railcar, which ran for a few years (at least from 2003 to 2006) as a replacement for the usual diesel or steam trains. The interior comfort was fairly basic. It was clearly no improvement on steam trains.
Above: At Wroniawy station, Pierre Herbiet watches the Ol49-81 start up in October 1991. Right-hand page: Railway atmosphere in Nowa Wies Mochy at the turn of the century. At the time, most stations with passenger buildings were still served by a stationmaster or assistant stationmaster, and often by staff for the signal and switch cabins.
Here we can see the secondary signal box Bz1 at Blotnica station and the guard operating the crank to lower the level crossing barriers. His little Trabant, the iconic vehicle of the GDR and more generally of the communist bloc countries, would be worth its weight in gold today.
Right-hand page: Only two Pacific Pm36-2 locomotives were ever built. This one was renovated in 1995 for the 150th anniversary of the Polish railways and transferred from the National Museum in Warsaw to the Wolsztyn depot. Here we see it in Wilkowice, shortly before Leszno, during the famous PFT trip in April 1996.
With its 1,800 horsepower and weighing only 93 tonnes, the Pm36 could reach speeds of 120 km/h. In April 1999 in Wilkowice, shortly before Leszno, it sped past a group of stunned Belgian photographers – of whom I was not one: at the same time, I was meeting my future wife! Photo by Jean-François Huart.
WOLSZTYN – KARGOWA - SULECHÓW
We are here on the western section of line 332, opened in 1905 and renumbered at the end of the last century as No. 331 in the PKP timetable. Apart from Kargowa, it only serves sparsely populated areas. Passenger traffic has never been heavy, but analysing the 1984 timetable, we can see that the section between Wolsztyn and Grodzisk was no busier.
Forced to make savings, the national PKP company sold the section between Wolsztyn and Sulechów to a private company, LKR, in 1993, which operated it for only one year. Since 1994, only freight trains and special trains reserved by groups of enthusiasts have been running on this line.
Freight services to Kargowa were discontinued with the introduction of the 2001/2002 timetable. Only traffic to the concrete plant in Powodowo remains. The following page bears witness to this industrial activity: a concrete train pulled by a steam locomotive. It's unique!
However, since 7 September 2024, railcars have been providing four daily passenger shuttles between Wolsztyn and Powodowo: two in the morning and two in the afternoon. The journey time is seven minutes!
Timetable for line 348 in 1978/79 (above) and 1993/94 (below), the year it closed.
As with the other lines presented in this book, I have tried to classify the photos in geographical order, starting with those closest to Wolsztyn. In 2001, the Ty3-2 returns from the Powodowo factory pulling a heavy convoy of wagons filled with concrete products. Opposite: In Zodyn in 1991, the Ol49-69 pulls a typical 3-car passenger train towards Kargowa. (Photo Pierre Herbiet)
Regular service on line 331 to Sulechów was discontinued in 1993, and only special trains and freight trains were still running when I discovered Wolsztyn in 1996. Fortunately, my mediocre photos were compensated for by Pierre Herbiet's collection of images. Above: In 1991, an Ol49 pulls a classic passenger train consisting of three carriages, while a farmer ploughs his field with two horses. This type of horse-drawn carriage was still quite common during my first trip to Poland. Opposite: In October 1991, an Ol49 crosses the Kopanica bridge towards Kargowa.
These two pages show the beautiful Kargowa station, an industrial site that was still very active at the time. There were only eight trains a day in 1978, and only five in 1993, the year it closed. Above: A German BR 42 manufactured during the Second World War, recovered and renumbered Ty43 by PKP, then Ty3; on the right-hand page, the Ol49-14. Photos by Pierre Herbiet, 1991.
Here is a splendid shot of the Ol49-22, taken by Pierre Herbiet in 1990. What quality for a photo from that era! As I am unfortunately unable to identify the location, I hope I am not mistaken in recognising a section of line 331.
WOLSZTYN – KONOTOP – NOWA SÓL
The Wolsztyn – Konotop – Nowa Sól line, number 348 on the PKP timetable, was opened in 1905. As the area was sparsely populated, services were very infrequent. In 1984, the timetable showed only five trains per day, the first ones at 3:18 a.m. and 4:01 a.m.! Faced with declining traffic, the national company decided to privatise this line and entrust it to a new firm, LKR, in 1993. The latter operated it for a year with large second-hand railcars, but went bankrupt and passenger traffic was discontinued in 1994. The Wolsztyn depot continued freight services to Kolsko, Konotop and Lubiecin, as evidenced by the 1999 freight timetable published on page 5. Special and tourist trips also remained. For these, the small "Thunderbox" carriages, which reminded many of their very first Märklin miniature train, were common in the 2000s.
Above: Timetable for line 348 in 1993. This was the only year of operation by the private company LKR. The line was closed the following year.
Above: The Ol49-81 photographed by Pierre Herbiet in 1991, under a bright sun. Right-hand page: In June 2005, I slipped my head between two railway sleepers on the Swietno bridge and decided to stay there as long as possible. A survival instinct forced me to lower my head sooner than planned. The train rolling by with a thunderous roar just a few centimetres above my head left a phenomenal impression.
Of course, high-definition digital cameras did not yet exist in the 1990s. But Pierre Herbiet always invested in good equipment and, thanks to my high-performance scanner, the result before your eyes is remarkable. A very bucolic scene in which the star is shared between another Ol49... and a horse! Right-hand page: In June 2005, the Tr5-65 was running tourist trips that attracted many schoolchildren from the Wolsztyn area. This is my only photo of this machine! It pulls two small, characteristic "thunderboxes" with wooden benches.
On 28 April 2018, the Ol49-69 was chartered for special trips organised as part of the big steam parade in Wolsztyn, which took place on the same day. It is shown in these two photos, taken by Éric Binamé on the Konotop line, at the head of two beautiful historic carriages.
Once again, thanks to Pierre Herbiet, I am able to present some beautiful photos of line 348 – these four photos are from his collection. The locomotive pictured above is probably the Pt45-379, photographed in Kolsko in 1991. Right-hand page: A few kilometres further on, Konotop station is easily recognisable by its water tower. The train is heading towards Nowa Sól, at the end of line 348.
As rail traffic on the Konotop line was already discontinued in 1996, my collection of photos is very limited – and often of poor quality. That is why I turned to enthusiasts who are much more talented than I am. These two splendid photos taken in October 1991 in and near Konotop station come from Pierre Herbiet's collection. PT47-65 is at the head of a freight train, a typical convoy for which it was designed, although too short for its power.
On the opposite page, note the small orange draisine at the foot of the water tower, in the background on the left.
WIELICHOWO – SMIGIEL – STARE BOJANOWO
CONTEXT OF THE PHOTOS
I have always had a soft spot for the Stare Bojanowo - Wielichowo narrow-gauge line, numbered 353 on the PKP timetable. In 1993, nine trains ran daily between Stare Bojanowo and Smigiel (where there was a small depot and old steam locomotives); three were extended to Sniaty and only one to the terminus at Wielichowo. All services were operated by rickety MBxd2 railcars manufactured in Romania. There were also small diesel engines pulling short freight trains.
This line left me with lasting memories: for around €20, the official fare, it was possible to take the controls of the railcar, under the watchful eye of the regular staff, of course. Accompanied by my father-in-law, who acted as interpreter, I drove the train from end to end during a regular service! The passengers didn't seem to mind that a stranger was at the controls: they were used to it.
The equipment was rudimentary and the training minimal, but the machine worked well and responded correctly to the controls.
HISTORY OF THE LINE
The metre-gauge line connecting Stare Bojanowo to Grodzisk Wielkopolski, via Smigiel and Wielichowo, was inaugurated in 1901. Only four years later, passenger traffic was already suspended on the Wielichowo-Grodzisk terminal section, but in 1910, the line was extended northwards to connect with Rakoniewice station (located on line 332 Wolsztyn-Grodzisk).
From the outset, passenger traffic was mainly concentrated on the short terminal section between Smigiel and Stare Bojanowo (5 km). The line experienced many ups and downs, with temporary, partial or complete closures, dismantling, reassembly and repairs, followed by reopenings.
In July 1949, the line was integrated into the PKP (Polish National Railways), which decided in 1952 to change the gauge from 1000 mm to 750 mm in order to transfer the metre gauge equipment to the Pomeranian lines affected by the dismantling carried out by the Soviet Union. Passenger transport resumed on the entire line in 1956.
On 1 June 1973, all traffic was stopped on the Rakoniewice-Wielichowo section, which was quickly dismantled. The Stare Bojanowo-Wielichowo section, on the other hand, experienced significant growth in the 1980s, with a significant increase in school transport. On school days, up to seven trains ran between Smigiel and Wielichowo and 13 to Stare Bojanowo.
The eastern section towards Zgliniec (east of Stare Bojanowo) did not experience this development (only two trains per day): operation ceased in 1990 and the line was dismantled. On page 102, we can see the old connecting section passing through a tunnel under the standard gauge track at Stare Bojanowo station.
Budgetary restrictions in the 1990s led to a considerable reduction in the number of passenger journeys, starting with the Sniaty-Wielichowo section. Freight transport continues, but as the timetables are unknown, I have never managed to photograph it. But we will see Eric Binamé's beautiful photos.
TAKEOVER BY SKPL
Everything collapsed in 2001, when PKP settled for a single pair of Smigiel-Stare Bojanowo trains, before discontinuing passenger service on 23 June and completely halting freight traffic in the autumn of 2001. The takeover by the private company SKPL took place on 4 February 2002; it developed the Nietazkowo Szkola stop near the school in Nietazkowo, then relaunched passenger transport to Wielichowo, and even tourist services. During my visit, the well-filled trains highlighted these wonderful initiatives. The photo on page 100 shows a railcar pulling a light engine.
What followed was chaotic, with timetables varying from year to year, some well-stocked, others sparse. The poor condition of the tracks sometimes forced services to be suspended. SKPL's operation ended on 31 December 2010. Occasional tourist services continued for a few years.
Above: Railcar 226, photographed in the summer of 2005, runs alongside a road shoulder. Chapels and religious monuments were very numerous in Poland at the time.
The six narrow-gauge railcars presented in this chapter (numbers 213, 216, 218, 222, 226 and 228) are all from the MBxd2 series: a diesel engine manufactured between 1984 and 1986 in 32 units by the FAUR factory in Bucharest. It saved many Polish narrow-gauge railway lines from closure. I begin with a photo by Eric Binamé taken on 15/09/2005. The 218 is in Wielichowo, the starting point of the line, with the old goods loading hall on the left.
Right-hand page: On the same day, railcar 222, the only one painted green, appears to be empty.
Eric Binamé was very lucky during his trip to Wolsztyn and Smigiel in 2005: the weather was mild and the sky was bright (note the very expressive clouds). We see railcar 218 in a very "local" position. Above, at the entrance to Sniaty, coming from Wielichowo, on a modest bridge over a river. Opposite page: On its own right-of-way alongside Route 312, at the entrance to Sniaty, coming from Smigiel.
On 15/09/2005, Eric Binamé photographed a very rare scene in Sniaty: the crossing of two Romanian railcars outside the main station in Smigiel, including the green railcar 222, which is packed! Incidentally, the poor condition of the passing loop meant that the vehicles could not actually pass each other: the 218 had to drive into the tall grass to let the 222 pass, then turn back and continue on its way on the left-hand track in the picture. Right-hand page: the same 222 and its schoolchildren.
You need luck to take good photos. Despite my many trips to Smigiel, I have never seen a diesel locomotive pulling a freight train on this line. Eric Binamé was lucky enough to have seen one! He spontaneously offered to let me use his beautiful photos from 2005. The one above shows the Lxd2-266 and two standard gauge wagons on narrow gauge bogies, shortly before Wilkowo Polskie, with a little Fiat Polski! And on the right-hand page: Taken between Wilkowo Polskie and Bielawy, this photo is perfect! You can see the ancient St. Andrew's cross, a bright but expressive sky, ideal sunlight and outdated equipment.
The railway equipment on this 750 mm gauge line was very rudimentary. Above: In 2002, railcar 226 is stopped at the "station" in Zegrówko, which is really just a simple halt. There was no platform or shelter worthy of the name. You could already be happy with an old goods wagon abandoned along the track. Opposite page: Photographed in August 2000, railcar 228 crosses the fields to bring its customers back home.
Two views of the 226 in August 2000, with St. Andrew's crosses in poor condition: above between Zegrowo and Nowa Wies; right-hand page: at Nowa Wies. When it was still a metre gauge line, until 1952, this line must have closely resembled typical Belgian local tramways. It is mainly located on the roadside, there are generally no platforms, and, with a few exceptions, the level crossings have no barriers. More surprisingly, there are no signals, either mechanical or light (except at the terminus, see page 102).
Several picturesque features can be found along this line, including this hunting blind. Above: In 2002, railcar 213, which appears to be empty, may be in Zegrowo, en route to Sniaty. Right-hand page: The 218 photographed in Nowa Wies by Eric Binamé on 15/09/2005. An old covered wagon serves as a waiting room.
Two views of the interior of a Romanian MBxd2 series railcar, taken in 2005 by Eric Binamé. The comfort and layout are rudimentary. It must be said that the passenger clientele was very captive: most were secondary school students, workers or housewives who did not own cars and depended on this very slow means of transport. The driving of this railcar is very similar to that of the SNCV's S-type local trams: the air brake on the right, the traction lever on the left and about fifteen switches.
Above, at the Smigiel junction station, railcars 218 and 228 await departure in August 2000, one to Sniaty, the other to Stare Bojanowo. The official 1996 timetable provided for five departures in the first direction (but only three on school days) and about ten return trips in the other direction. Right-hand page: In 2005, the station had already been converted into a tourist stop in an attempt to boost ridership. In the background: the Px48-1765 narrow-gauge locomotive, built in 1953 by Fabryka Lokomotyw in Chrzanów. It appears to have been preserved as a monument.
Two very local atmospheres. Above: Railcar 226 on a beautiful summer day in 2005 provides tourist service to Smigiel with a full load of passengers. Note the small Fiat Polski, a rare reminder of the communist era. Right-hand page: Railcar 228 in August 2000, in the fields between Smigiel and Stare Bojanowo.
To the right of railcar MBxd2-228, in August 2000, we can see, as the ultimate luxury, an electric signal light; in the background on the left, the signal box at the PKP station in Stare Bojanowo. On the far right, the tracks of line 353a, now out of service, once led to Zgliniec and Krzywin, passing under the tracks of line 330 Poznan-Lezsno. Right-hand page, August 2007: railcar 226 has reached its terminus and can now connect, on the same platform, with the train coming from Poznan and heading towards Lezsno.
SRODA - ZANIEMYSL
CONTEXT OF THE PHOTOS
Here I present the first of two narrow-gauge railway lines that were still operated by steam traction in 1996, during the PFT trip to Poland. The Belgian organisers had requested several photo stops and the addition of a passenger carriage to the regular train. When it arrived at the terminus, the train, pulled by the Px48-1726, was about 50 minutes behind schedule! The passengers could have been annoyed, but they were rather blasé, if not amused, to see us running around and raving about what they considered perfectly ordinary. But did they have a choice? At the time, no: most of them had no other option but this charming little slow train. Imagine such a scenario in Belgium, and complaints, quite legitimate in my opinion, would have flooded in.
While my compatriots got back on the train for photo stops, I struck up a conversation with a Polish man, because I like speaking foreign languages. He offered me a ride in his little Trabant, a small, slow, uncomfortable and polluting East German two-stroke car... but so picturesque! For a tip, he allowed me to take several beautiful photos, which explains the presence of his old banger in my truly scenic photos, which my colleagues who stayed on the train never saw.
I returned to Sroda in 1999 on a special trip with a small group of Belgian enthusiasts, but only two of the photos are really usable. Fortunately, I was able to borrow a few from Pierre Herbiet.
HISTORY OF THE LINE
Sroda was connected to Zaniemysl in 1910 (then known as Santomischel in German). But traffic was low: in 1914, there were only four return trips per day, six in 1984 and five in 1993. Between 1952 and 1954, the track gauge was reduced from 1000 to 750 mm, following the example of the Smigiel line.
Passenger transport between Sroda and Zaniemysl was discontinued on 10 June 2001. A tourist service was launched on 17 May 2003, with a single return trip by steam locomotive on Sundays. The future of the line remained uncertain for a long time. It was not until 2011 that the cantonal authority managed to acquire the entire infrastructure and put it back into service as a private operation.
Unfortunately, the valiant Px48-1756 steam locomotive, photographed in these pages, was taken out of service on 31 May 2014. At the time, there were insufficient funds for a general overhaul. And without steam, it was difficult to attract enough tourists to cover the costs of restoring the track.
However, thanks to local political changes and financial support from the cantonal authorities, the BANA association succeeded in becoming the operator of the narrow-gauge railway, overhauling the Px48-1756 and putting it back into service on 9 September 2017.
The train now makes three return trips between Sroda and Zaniemysl on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays during the summer season, in addition to special trains reserved by groups.
Right: The 2025 tourist timetable included three return trips on Sundays during the high season. The 14 km journey takes 60 minutes instead of the 40 minutes it took during regular operation in the 1990s.
Left: 1996 photo of the small 4-axle Px48-1726 steam locomotive at its terminus in Sroda Wask. Miasto. Wask means narrow gauge and Miasto means town centre. The connecting station with the main railway line is Sroda Wielkopolska, located 1 km away.
These first two photos, taken in April 1999, show the narrow-gauge station in Sroda and the depot, which is in poor condition. Several carriages and a diesel locomotive can be seen. The official PKP timetable for 1998-1999 still included five daily journeys, all steam-powered. Three years later, only tourist trains ran at weekends or by reservation.
The locomotive on this narrow-gauge line (750 mm) is a Px48 type, developing 200 horsepower, weighing almost 22 tonnes and reaching the prodigious speed of 35 km per hour. 214 were built between 1950 and 1955. Poland has long operated numerous narrow-gauge lines, covering a total of 2,700 km. But unlike the Smigiel line, I do not believe that diesel railcars ever ran on the Sroda line, which unfortunately ceased regular operation around 2000. Above: Photo taken by Pierre Herbiet in 1991. Right-hand page: My photo taken in April 1996 in Slupia Wielka.
These two photos also bear the mark of Pierre Herbiet. This great train enthusiast, known throughout Belgium, devoted his entire life to the railway and travelled throughout Europe in search of picturesque trains. He must have had a wonderful time on this trip to Poland in 1991. I would like to thank him once again for his invaluable help and for agreeing to publish these previously unseen photos. Above: unidentified location; right: at Annopole "station".
The last four photos in this chapter were all taken on Thursday 11 April 1996. The Belgian group of about forty people had reserved seats on the regular train 7254, leaving Zaniemysl at 10:20 a.m. and theoretically arriving in Sroda at 11:17 a.m., taking nearly an hour to cover the 14 km (the 1978 timetable allowed 10 minutes less!). But several photo stops extended the journey time by 50 minutes. And the ordinary passengers didn't even complain! I would be unable to identify the sites, but fortunately I benefited from the knowledge and excellent memories of Philippe De Gieter, who gave me the lowdown. Above: Annopole. Right-hand page: in Snieciska.
While exploring the Sroda–Zaniemysl narrow-gauge line on Thursday 11 April, I met a Polish man who spoke a little German and offered to take me in his Trabant. I made some exclusive photo stops along the way, then caught up with and overtook the train. Given its speed, this was not difficult (although the Trabant could barely exceed 70 km/h). Thanks to Philippe De Gieter, who identified around twenty locations in this book, including these two at the Polwica stop.
GNIEZNO – POWIDZ - ANASTAZEWO
CONTEXT OF THE PHOTOS
Let's leave Poznan behind and head for the 75 cm gauge line connecting Gniezno to Powidz and Anastazewo. The black and white photos were taken on 11 April 1996, during my very first visit to Poland. Unfortunately, the weather was not great, but that was less of a problem with the black and white slides I had chosen that day.
Even at that time, line 391 was no longer used for passenger traffic: it was reserved exclusively for freight. The small Px48 engines pulled either narrow-gauge wagons or bogies on which standard-gauge wagons were placed to avoid the need to tranship goods. On that day, the operator had added two passenger carriages to the end of the train. Each manoeuvre at the station was an opportunity for us to admire railway activities that had long since disappeared in our Western European countries.
The old-fashioned atmosphere was indescribable. The average speed was 15 km/h, the tracks were in pretty poor condition, but the layout was reminiscent of the local tramway of the 1930s: sometimes on the hard shoulder, sometimes in the fields, crossing woods, with numerous level crossings, which were of course unguarded. You can also see the state of the roads at the time: still dirt tracks.
I returned to Gniezno with my father-in-law in 2001. Once again, it was raining, but the sun deigned to break through the clouds at the end of the day, which allowed me to take two acceptable photos.
HISTORY OF THE LINE
In 1883, the owners of a sugar factory decided to connect Gniezno to the neighbouring town of Odrowaz, near Witkowo, by a 900 mm narrow-gauge railway. Ten years later, the district of Witkowo had the opportunity to buy it and convert it to 600 mm gauge.
The first section of the new county line was put into service in January 1896 between Gniezno and Arcugowo, followed by Witkowo-Powidz in September 1897. It was not until October 1911 that the 28-kilometre "main line" was extended by 10 kilometres from Powidz to the border town of Anastazewo, where it joined a beet transport line (750 mm) to Konin, then in Russian Poland. This line is said to have closed around 2000, but I saw no trace of it during my two visits.
There were numerous branch lines, mainly for freight services. Statistics from 1914 show 9 locomotives, 8 passenger carriages, 4 vans or mail carriages, 4 special carriages and... 167 freight carriages!
For the sake of standardisation, the track gauge was increased from 600 mm to 750 mm in 1957. The 1978 PKP timetable lists 5 daily return trips (see table opposite), but by 1980 there were only 4 and by 1984 only 3. During the 1996 PFT trip, the line was closed to passengers, except for special services, of course.
Freight operations continued for a few years and a tourist service was even launched at the turn of the century (as evidenced by the photos I took in 2000). It still existed in 2010 and resumed in September 2019 on the section between Gniezno Waskotorowe and the former Jelonek halt, located less than 4 km away and equipped with a siding.
Photo of the train conductor taken in 1996. There were a lot of staff: on the train itself (engine driver, fireman, conductor, coupler), but also at certain stations (stationmaster, signalman, gatekeeper). All this to transport one or two freight wagons every day!
Timetable for line 391 in 1978/79
The first four photos in this last chapter were taken on Thursday 11 April 1996. As the line between Gniezno and Anastazewo had been closed for several years and was reserved for freight traffic, the organisers of the PFT trip had asked for a passenger carriage – rather uncomfortable, I must say – to be added to the train, which was supposed to leave Gniezno at around 2 p.m., hauled by the Px48-1754. We took advantage of the photo stops inherent in the manoeuvres of the freight train.
The locomotive used on the Gniezno line is the 1754, a 4-axle Px48 type, all engines, coupled to a 4-axle tender. It literally takes you back 50 years, to the days of the SNCV's small diesel railcars. Travelling on such a train, experiencing the sounds, smells and jolts, is an extraordinary experience. You can see that standard gauge (1435 mm) wagons are mounted on narrow gauge (750 mm) bogies.
Above, in Wiekowo. Right-hand page: in Strzysewo Witkowski.
It is now 2000, a (beautiful?) summer Sunday! The weather has not been kind to my photographic escapades on the narrow-gauge steam lines. For these last two photos, a little sunshine provides just the right amount of light. The one on the right clearly shows the disparate composition of this tourist train: three Romanian MBxd2 railcars (or railcar trailers) already seen in the previous pages on Smigiel, flanked by two freight wagons partially converted into passenger carriages! The locomotive bears a large distinctive shield at the front to remind us that the line is 105 years old!
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