Wolsztyn Steam to be Cut Back

A recent blog post written by a friend of mine outlines the plans for the Wielkopolska Regional Government to cut back the steam services from Wolsztyn to Poznan to 5 days a week leaving Saturday and Sunday with no steam running. Here's the link:

The end of daily scheduled standard gauge steam in Poland « Behind The Water Tower

In other words, its not looking good for steam...

 

Sad thing is steam in Wolsztyn isnt really thriving.
Things looked up in 2007 when the officialdom saw the potential, had the budgets and the knowledge, thus signed up for 5 more years, Wolsztyn had a working fleet of around 8-10 locos operational for service.

Roll on 2012... the potential isnt realised, the cut backs and under investment is obvious, by all parties not just PKP. Only 2 "operational" locomotives and much more internal politics. The only reason steam still runs at all is because PKP is paid to run it, paid to overhaul them and they only provide the minimum... it's a contract not a timetabled operation.

But hold on...PKP has more working steam at it's musuem in Chabowka than it does at Wolsztyn, and they definitely are not willing to share their manicured fleet of show ponies with the operation at Wolsztyn. Interestingly all the northerly steam outposts have been shrinking back to the point Chabowka is the location now doing the contract work for Wolsztyn. PKP is seeking to divest Chabowka as an attractive package to the local authority and all things are somewhat positive here.

The locomotives running at Wolsztyn are knackered to say the least, yet PKP has more operational steam locomotives in the Museum of Chabowka than it does operating at Wolsztyn and PKP is paying for both out of it's own pocket.. so who's really taking who for a ride ?

There's not many volunteers around Wolsztyn and there are some nice ex-pat houses there, many in Polish enthusiast circles criticise the operation there.

Not long ago there were rumours of redundancies at Wolsztyn shed, as well as a private railway company being established and government funding for overhauls and a musuem.. seems like a mexican stand off.

Interestingly there is a tender out to buy 2 carriages for Weilkapolska Railways...and a pt47 for overhaul, though pm36-2 is now retired.

Is this all just a stage show ? - we saw it a few years ago where steam was banned from Poznan due to "fire risk" yet Leszno continued... then there was the cull in annual "August shut down" and the near strike at overtime working.

it keeps coming back but the theme is the same... no one's doing nothing for free and everyone wants a bigger slice of the cake.

The visitor.. well they dont matter, as no matter how to look at it.. the tourism thing isn't actually generating the income, it's the subsidies.

 

This looks a bit bleak. If you haven't been to Wolsztyn yet, there's no time like the present. I've been three times and it's very atmospheric; the real Poland!