Wolsztyn in 1996

Home   Poland & Germany 1996   Dresden in 1996   Wernigerode in 1996

Friday April 5

I again chickened out and stayed in bed on April 5 1996, thus missing the 04:40 service ! Instead I decided to get some photographs of the morning activity at Wolsztyn and some general shots around the station and depot. I was then planned to take the steam hauled afternoon train to Leszno and back. At least that was my plan it isn't actually what happened !

Having photographed Ok22 31 setting off with the pickup freight I joined the German chap staying at the depot to chase the Ok22. This day it was heading to Plastowo, not a daily event. Again the weather was grim but I actually got some atmospheric shots I'm reasonably happy with.

PKP Ok22 31 stands at Grodzisk station as Ol49 81 arrives with the 08:10 from Poznan. April 5 1996

PKP 4-6-0 Ok22 31 with the freight train south a few miles north of Plastowo. April 5 1996

PKP 4-6-0 Ok22 31 with the freight train south a few miles north of Plastowo seen through a field of hops. April 5 1996

PKP 4-6-0 Ok22 31 shunts at Plastowo. April 5 1996

PKP 4-6-0 Ok22 31 runs round at Plastowo which has very a typical, but attractive, station building. April 5 1996

At Plastowo two people got off the coach. They turned out to be a pair of British train drivers. If they stayed on the freight train they were going to miss their connection away from Wolsztyn. So they joined us in the car for the run back to Wolsztyn. On the way we stopped to photograph Ol49 69 heading towards Poznan.

PKP 2-6-2 Ol49 69 not far out of Wolsztyn on the 11:23 passenger service from Wolsztyn to Poznan. April 5 1996

As my plans had changed I decided not to travel on the Leszno service, rather I stayed in Wolsztyn to get the photographs I had not got that morning. I thought I'd get the chance to ride this line in the future - I did so in 1998 so I wasn't wrong !

PKP 2-6-2 Ol49 81 sets out from Wolsztyn on the 12:31 passenger service to Leszno. April 5 1996

PKP 4-6-0 Ok22 31 back on shed at Wolsztyn. April 5 1996

Wolsztyn depot with PKP TkT48 143 parked outside. April 5 1996

PKP Ty2 406 gets a spruce up at Wolsztyn. April 5 1996

Towards late afternoon the sun finally put in an appearance enabling me to get a few shots of the locomotives in milky sun light.

PKP Ol49 69 during disposal at the end of a turn. April 5 1996

PKP Ol49 69 being coaled the Wolsztyn way. April 5 1996

Saturday April 6

Naturally it really brightened up on April 6 just as I was leaving ! I caught the first train of the day away from Wolsztyn, the 05:05, hauled by Ol49 69. As the dawn broke it became clear it was going to be a nice day to travel. The sun also gave the chance for a few more shots of steam in Poland.

PKP Ol49 69 at Poznan Glonwy ready to depart at 08:10 for Wolsztyn. April 6 1996

From Poznan I travelled back in to Germany on the 09:19, train 42. At Frankfurt-an-de-Oder I changed on to the 12:00 regional service to Cottbus. At Cottbus I again changed for a train to Dresden, leaving at 13:40. With a little bit of trouble - it was Easter after all - I finally got myself the last available space at the central Youth Hostel, conveniently just a short walk from Dresden Hauptbahnhof. I was now in place for the 750mm railways of Saxony.

Back to April 4 or April 3 1996

Home   Poland & Germany 1996   Dresden in 1996   Wernigerode in 1996