Wolsztyn Steam Services

[SeanG]

Hello All

I am looking to visit the Wolsztyn - Leszno line and the steam services there. Has anyone done this and have any tips/advice etc? I read that their days are numbered - does anyone have any information as to how long they have left?

Thanks

 

[30907]

It's a fair few years since I was there - it was worth the visit (second attempt).

I rely on the German text in http://www.parowozy.com.pl/newsd.htm
Currently only one serviceable loco, only operating SX because the Poznan route is being modernised, and has to be stopped from time to time for boiler washout. Advertised specials take priority as well, and in recent years the service has been suspended in July/Aug because of holidays.

 

[306024]

Here’s another website if you haven’t seen it:

https://www.thewolsztynexperience.org/

Been there a couple of times, once I had to go to Leszno to meet a mate so arrived by steam, much to his surprise. The shed foreman at Wolsztyn I met was particularly friendly, despite his English being as good as my Polish we communicated well!

No particular tips, just go and enjoy.

 

[Richard Scott]

Went a couple of years back. Steam use was sporadic. Went to the depot (could pay to go around) and foreman could tell you when Steam was going to run. May have to spend a couple of days there if hoping to get a Steam run?

 

[181]

Hello All

I am looking to visit the Wolsztyn - Leszno line and the steam services there. Has anyone done this and have any tips/advice etc? I read that their days are numbered - does anyone have any information as to how long they have left?

Thanks

My impression is that their days have been thought to be numbered for all the nearly 30 years that I've known about them; so far they have survived, with occasional gaps, but they presumably become harder to sustain as the world modernizes around them, so who knows how long they will last? It's a rather smaller-scale operation now than it used to be, but no doubt still worth visiting. I haven't been there for many years, so I'll leave it to others to provide up to date advice.

Nor far from Poznań, the now-preserved Środa narrow gauge railway might be worth a visit if you're there when it's operating: http://www.sredzkakolej.pl/ or http://sredzkakolejpowiatowa.pl/ ('Rozkład jazdy' = 'timetable'; 'trakcja parowa' = 'steam traction'; 'trakcja spalinowa' = 'diesel traction').

 

[burns20]

Was in Wolsztyn last Friday and steam services on Weekdays between Wolsztyn-Leszno are suspended, that's all the information locally we were verbally told and had a single car DMU Railbus to Leszno instead of our intended and advertised steam trip on Koleje Wielkopolskie website

 

[87015]

Was in Wolsztyn last Friday and steam services on Weekdays between Wolsztyn-Leszno are suspended, that's all the information locally we were verbally told and had a single car DMU Railbus to Leszno instead of our intended and advertised steam trip on Koleje Wielkopolskie website

Nachrichten aus dem Bahnbetriebswerk Wolsztyn 2026

Unfortunately, the Ol49-69 will not run from June 30th to July 8th due to technical reasons. Only railcars are in use.

 

[Richard Scott]

Nachrichten aus dem Bahnbetriebswerk Wolsztyn 2026

Unfortunately, the Ol49-69 will not run from June 30th to July 8th due to technical reasons. Only railcars are in use.

Thought there were three locos that could work? I had Ol49-59 last time I was there (was 2018, though!).

 

[Redonian]

I was in Wolsztyn a few weeks ago for 10 days.
The present situation is that there is one serviceable loco Ol49 69. Ol49 59 is expected back from overhaul but its return is delayed. Pt47 65 is out of ticket and is awaiting overhaul.
There are two steam hauled turns Monday to Friday to Leszno. There are presently no trains of any kind to Poznan due to extensive engineering work. It is said the Saturday steam hauled service to Poznan will resume in November when the engineering work is complete.
Ol49 69 obviously has to have a boiler washout so with no other loco to replace it there are times when the steam hauled service is replaced by a railbus. The pattern seems to be 4 weeks in steam, 1 week boiler washout.
There are no plans, as far as I could ascertain, to terminate the steam service. The difficulties lie solely with having only one loco presently.

 

[WesternLancer]

So long as steam is running I would highly recommend it.

Wolsztyn is a nice town too - quite pretty and certainly worth a visit in its own right IMHO (in case that is a factor for anyone who is not intending to spend all day on the steam runs) - nice bars and places to eat and good places to stay too. Very friendly and welcoming local people.

eg (english translation also available)

Restauracja Locomotiva

Jesteśmy nowoczesną restauracją której wystrój nawiązuje do klimatu wolsztyńskich lokomotyw. Mieścimy się w samym centrum miasta, a zarazem w zacisznym miejscu z pięknym widokiem na promenadę i jezioro wolsztyńskie.

restauracjalocomotiva.pl

Worth getting up for the first departure of the day (early start) as that trip used by local commuters so an interesting way to see a scheduled service well used by local people for work and school etc.

The sheds are interesting, along with the small museum, on the ground floor of the engine-man's dormitory building adjacent.

I went by train all the way from UK with an overnight in Berlin. The Berlin to Poland inter city trains have good restaurant cars where we enjoyed decent food and beer.

This is all based on visit I did in late 2019 pre covid so of course if any of that out of date hope others can correct it.

 

[181]

Wolsztyn is a nice town too - quite pretty and certainly worth a visit in its own right IMHO (in case that is a factor for anyone who is not intending to spend all day on the steam runs) - nice bars and places to eat and good places to stay too. Very friendly and welcoming local people.

For anyone interested in such things, pioneering bacteriologist Robert Koch lived there for several years in the 1870s, and made some of his important discoveries during that time. There's a small museum in his house, which appears to be one of three parts of the local museum (together with the work of local sculptor Marcin Rożek, and a collection of vernacular buildings; I haven't been to the latter two) -- information (in Polish) at https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muzeum_Regionalne_w_Wolsztynie and https://muzea-wolsztyn.com.pl/.

People may be interested to read this 2003 article about the steam driving holidays (which I haven't done, although I got a bit of unofficial driving in 1998). To avoid disappointment, note that steam-hauled freight ceased around the time the article was written. Unfortunately the same author's similarly evocative article from circa 1998 doesn't appear to be available online.

 

[Dougal2345]

"From 22 . until 24 . August only railcars will be in service."

Ah, arrived in Poznan to-day, was planning to visit Wolsztyn on 22nd or 23rd (leaving 24th)... Ho hum!

 

[yorkie]

Thread reopened for @P Binnersley to post an update

 

[P Binnersley]

Steam services resumed on the 4th September 2023

September 3, 2023

ATTENTION! From next Monday, September 4th, the Pt47-65 will go to Leszno twice a day, Monday to Friday :

• 77670 / 77535 Wolsztyn 06:07 - Leszno 07:23 / 7:50 - Wolsztyn 09:13,
• 77544 / 77827 Wolsztyn 11:43 - Leszno 12:53 / 13:44 - Wolsztyn 15:07,

and Saturday (from September 9th) on route 357 to Poznan :

• 77213 / 77202 Wolsztyn 12:40 - Poznan 14:43 / 16:24 - Wolsztyn 18:59.

From Wolsztyn Depot Website (translated from German)

 

[dutchflyer]

And as I visited Poznan just a day ago: def. the line to Poznan, mostly through-routed to Wagrowiec, a completely renovated branchline this latter, is now fully KW diesel (PESA) set service.
To jump on the 49 bandwagon; KW now also offers a 24-hr ticket for its services only for 49 PLN (zloty, thats about 11€/10GBP).

 

[Segedunum]

The 07:50 from Leszno this morning is a PKPCARGO SM42 (SM42-1207) with two of the old B¹¹p carriages you'd expect as usual.

Naturally not the loco I expected, but I'm still not too disappointed!

The 24hr ticket mentioned above is actually valid on all the government-subsidised services, so Koleje Wielkopolskie, Małopolskie, etc. In theory it's probably possible to travel most of the country for 49zł if you're determined enough.

 

[TheGuy]

Or use RegioKarnet which (unlike miniRegioKarnet) is also valid in KW trains, as well as some other regional carriers (but not all - be careful! for example, definitely not Koleje Mazowieckie), it costs about 90 zl, and it allows you to validate it three times, for three days, so essentially three 24h tickets (= ca. 30 zl / 24 hrs) - very similar to the InterRail passes, but the huge difference is, that it's valid in the POLREGIO regional trains as well, which cover most of the country. As an another perk, it can be returned even if you've used it partially, like for one or two days, then you get directly proportional fraction minus 10%. Therefore, it can be also used as a real 24hrs ticket, which is even cheaper then the above (but list of carriers honoring this ticket is a bit different in both cases - the one mentioned by @rg177 includes Koleje Mazowieckie which this does not, but this includes POLREGIO which the other does not). I'm travelling on it (and the miniRegioKarnet, which is only for POLREGIO trains, so no KW and so on...) fairly often, and it suits me pretty good, even for some cross-country journeys (yeah, sometimes I am determined enough), as well as some very cheap international routes, for example to Berlin via Kostrzyn (RegioKarnet/miniRegioKarnet + Deutschland Ticket).

 

[DelW]

There is a small article in September's Railway Magazine (paper copy so no link available, page 106) which records that "In late June it was reported that Howard Jones, founder and owner of the 'Wolsztyn Experience' steam loco driving company had died".

It also states that he had decided to close the business this year as a consequence of the lack of operational steam locos in Poland. All services were being diesel hauled, although it's also mentioned that Pt47-65 was almost overhauled and could shortly return to service (as it apparently has).

 

[alex397]

Is there any detail about when they will be closing? And the future of that line?

I’m curious to know if they will be operational at the end of October and if any of their services reach Poznan still

 

[Redonian]

The Wolsztyn Experience was never responsible for the operation of the steam service. They did provide a substantial financial input but this has declined over the years to the point now where, since the sad demise of Howard Jones, it will cease.
Financial provision has, for some time, come from PKP and other local grants which seem guaranteed for some time to come.
At the moment there is one operable steam loco Pt47 65. This has recently had an overhaul and its boiler retubed. It should be good for some years to come.
The other operable locos were both Ol 49's. One is in the shed at Wolsztyn needing a new firebox. The other has been away at Wagrowiec for overhaul for what seems an eternity.
As a result the Pt47 is working three weeks on , one week off (boiler washout).
When the Pt47 is off the service is hauled by a PKP Cargo 6dg (SM42 rebuild)
The steam timetable is :
Mondays to Fridays
Dep Wolsztyn (chimney first) 06:07 Arr Leszno 07:23. Dep Leszno (tender first) 07:50 Arr Wolsztyn 09:13
Dep Wolsztyn (chimney first) 11:43 Arr Leszno 12:53. Dep Leszno (tender first) 13:44 Arr Wolsztyn 15:07
Saturdays
Dep Wolsztyn (chimney first) 12:40. Arr Poznan 14:43. Dep Poznan (tender first) 16:24. Arr Wolsztyn 18:59.

 

[railfan99]

This site gives a different timetable and implies steam running to Leszno has ceased, being replaced by a shorter run to and from Zbaszynek:

Rozkład jazdy

Which is correct?

 

[306024]

The Leszno runs seem to have stopped, but a quick look gives no further information than this:

https://parowozy.com.pl/news.htm

10/12/2023:
The timetable is changing from today. The Wolsztyn locomotive depot will service the following connections:

• 77815 / 77818 Wolsztyn 14:14 - Zbąszynek 15:06 / 15:30 - Wolsztyn 16:16. Mon. - Fri. and
• 77209 / 77254 Wolsztyn 12:38 - Poznań 14:46 / 16:00 - Wolsztyn 18:18 on Saturdays

 

[yorkie]

This site gives a different timetable and implies steam running to Leszno has ceased, being replaced by a shorter run to and from Zbaszynek:

Rozkład jazdy

Which is correct?

If you follow the onward link, it says:

Wiadomości z Parowozowni Wolsztyn

...

02/01/2024 The Pt47-65 steam locomotive is standing on the sewage canal. Tomorrow it will be lit, and from Thursday it will resume services to Zbąszynek. The trip to Poznań will take place in a week, on Saturday, January 13 this year.

​

.

01/01/2024 The Pt47-65 steam locomotive is standing on the sewage canal. From January 4, trips to Zbąszynek.

 

[181]

A bit of a tangent, but in case anyone else is wondering what 'sewage canal' is about:

The phrase in Polish is 'na kanale oczystkowym', which Google translates rather more poetically as 'on the purification canal'. In my (limited) understanding, 'kanal' can mean both 'channel' and a variety of things of that general kind ('canal', 'sewer', etc.); a dictionary indicates that the adjective 'oczystkowy' refers to cleaning and similar concepts. I still don't know what that refers to in the context of a locomotive depot -- maybe it has some particular technical meaning in Polish railway usage.

The German version of the site (https://parowozy.com.pl/newsd.htm) just says 'draußen' ('outside').

 

[endecotp]

It’s “stood over the cleaning pit”.

 

[HST43257]

Is the steam likely to be running in the summer? And will it be on those afternoon diagrams seen in recent days according to the linked site a couple of posts up

 

[Richard Scott]

Is the steam likely to be running in the summer? And will it be on those afternoon diagrams seen in recent days according to the linked site a couple of posts up

It was running three weeks ago as went out for it. Know that doesn't answer your question but a recent article suggested further locos being resurrected and it appears one is either undergoing or is about to undergo an overhaul.

 

[30907]

Is the steam likely to be running in the summer?

There have been summer holiday periods when there was no steam as staff were on holiday IIRC - possibly pre pandemic.

 

[43094]

It did run on to Zbaszynek on Tuesday this week (I was on the outward run).