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Znin PKP and Sugar Factory
Znin
 
Gauge : 600mm gauge
Status : Working but only as a tourist line
(click on photos to enlarge)

 
Znin PKP One branch of the railway at Znin is still operational, although truncated from it's original length. THe transport of beet by narrow gauge ceased many years ago. The passenger services remaining are now tourist orientated.  

 

Date: October 1994

Date: October 1994

Date: October 1994

In October 1994, this photo shows a general view inside the sugar factory, with both narrow gauge, and standard gauge locos.

The WLs50, was the 'standard' small industrial narrow gauge loco in Poland. This example was used for shunting the large narrow gauge bogie wagons inside the factory.

The factory shunter on the standard gauge was SM03 No.243, a loco that survived right through to the closure of the factory.

 

Date: July 1992

Date: July 1992

Date: July 1992

A couple of years previously in 1992, an old Polish built railcar was seen in Znin station on the other side of the road from the sugar factory.

Travelling south, near Biskupin, the two main lines divided and near the junction on a disused siding in 1992 was found a derelict, unidentified steam loco. By the time of the next visit in 1994 it had gone. Considering the condition, it was unlikely to have been rescued by a museum.

In 1992, the next station further south at Gasawa, was in use as a coal yard, with a number of empty boies wagons waiting to be returned.

Date: October 1994

Date: October 1994

Date: October 1994

At the same location, by October time the sidings were in use for the loading of sugar beet which was forked into the wagons by hand. The beet arrived by tractor, sometimes with one or two trailers of beet in tow.

With the same wagons just visible on the left of the picture, the beet train has just arrived from Szelezewo, and is about the shunt the additional loaded wagons onto the back of the train for the trip back to Znin.

The LYD2 loco gently pushed the loaded wagons back into the siding to collect the extra load.

Date: October 1994

Date: October 1994

In 1994, the most southerly terminus was at Szelezewo. At one time the line extended from here, but by 1994 there was just a single run round loop and a siding.

The wagons left here were full of the shredded beet pulp, a by-product of the beet processing, which was was returned to the farmers for use as animal feed.

 
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