1410

stops being parallel to the main and diverges off to Chojnów (population 7,000).

BELOW: The tour (far left) arrives at Legnica station whe

ere major refurbishment project is in progress as is evident.

BELOW: Pawłowice Małe where our tour crossed a sand train on the electr

rified single track line to Jerzmanice Zdrój (Zdrój = Spa). (Simon Mortimer.)

BELOW: Pawło

owice Małe again.

BELOW: Złotoryja - there really is, or was, a station there - our loco, SM42

2 2320, stands facing northwards on return towards Legnica. (Simon Mortimer.)





BELOW & NEXT: Another couple of photos of

f the former Jerzmanice Zdrój passenger station.





We passed onto Szprotawa and Bukowina Bobrzańska still well signposted, possibly a legacy of their
brief renaissance over 10 years ago, and, on approaching Żagań, we passed over the former Berlin to
Breslau (the former German name for Wrocław) main line just as a DMU proceeded towards Legnica.

Żagań is a vast sprawling station with, it appears, a different platform for every service of the day. It is
also, according to Turkol Manager Andrew, the largest non-electrified station in Poland! Just looking at
its geography it was also noted as the local station of choice if you happened to escape from Stalag
Luft III, a very brisk walk away. It can only be imagined as part of the escape preparations prisoners
practised the phrase: Ausserhalb der verkerzeiten einzelfahrkarte nach Schweiz bitte in fluent German
day and night‽ [Translation: An off peak single to Switzerland please.]

At the foot of the stairs to the vast subway was faded but still legible, the words 'Treppe 2' (treppe is
German for stairs), an incredible survivor seven decades after that language left town! We were given
the opportunity of looking around the railway museum at the station filled with a selection of railway
memorabilia, tickets, uniforms, signals and much the usual kit but still fascinating. One photo showed
Russian prisoners from WWI working here in what was then Sagan in German (Żagań in Polish).
We had 45 min here, leaving at 15.40, but the museum visit could easily have been much longer.

Our tour headed back towards Legnica which, for a large station, was impressively decrepit last time
your correspondent passed this way. Now it is undergoing a very comprehensive rebuild (but is still
'work in progress') including the superb overall roof. It has to be said that on several occasions in
Poland recently the standard of quite intricate restorations including statues, mouldings and brickwork
is evidently to the highest standards. In fact the quality of materials and workmanship in some places
might well exceed the original! Reversal here allowed a quick ice cream purchase from the shop in the
subway as the day was again sweltering. The formalities over, we set off down the 24km freight line to
Jerzmanice Zdrój (Zdrój = Spa) which remains open for sand traffic. It closed as a through route in
1995 and apart from a flicker in 2008-2009 hasn't seen passenger trains since 1996. That experiment
failed as the line is, despite being electrified (!), very slow and can't even compete with local buses.

After a few km we paused at the unprepossessing passing place of Pawłowice Małe for a photo stop
and to cross an approaching sand train. Slightly oddly we were required to rejoin our train before the
sand train arrived despite then standing much longer than it would have taken to entrain after that
train had passed. We then progressed, for a change threading real valleys, looking upwards at hills
rather than across low rolling countryside almost ubiquitous elsewhere. Our tour paused at Złotoryja
and I waded through vegetation to take an angled photo of the train standing in this closed station.

We pushed on further, to deeper valleys, sometimes on a ledge looking down and up. The vegetated
tracks then fanned out and we arrived in what was once the attractive station of Jerzmanice-Zdrój
behind which a line to the quarry on the old line towards Wilków Złotoryjski rose steeply. Looking at
this wilderness it is easy to see why a passenger service succumbed but amazingly it has had some
success, obtaining approval recently in the Kolej+ reopening scheme, so who knows? Little remained
now but to rewind back to Wrocław, with a beer, returning through Wrocław Nowy Dwór and the
short inner curve at Wrocław Muchobór arriving Wrocław Główny at 20.10 (three min early).

So that left two hours for more trams including Klecina. The temperature was finally breaking now;
after four days over 34oC, peaking at 37oC one afternoon, our last day was 'only' forecast for 28oC or so.

:Details must be checked.. 1410 CONNECTIONS (Paul Stewart) [email protected] .Please mention BLN.
2439] Milk by Rail: (BLN 1409.2287) Recommended by a member, the latest 'Traction Magazine' (272)
- on sale until 24 Nov - has the first part of an article 'London Milk Traffic' by David J Hayes, focused on
final operations in the 1970s. With seven pages it has some very good photos including a rare one of
milk tanks being unloaded at Vauxhall station. Part 2 is in Edition 273 (Jan/Feb 2023) out on 25 Nov.

2440] A Quick Update: https://rchs.org.uk/railway-passenger-stations-in-great-britain-a-chronology/
is the full link to Michael Quick's new Chronology of Passenger Stations in Great Britain (5.04) for
those for whom the BLN 1409.2335 link didn't work. Alternatively go to The Railway & Canal Historical
Society homepage, select 'Publications' and go down seven lines to Quick's Chronology.

2441] Sun 16 Oct, Colne Valley Railway: During the diesel gala, with an intensive service, Hunslet
HE6975 is due to give brakevan rides over the lengthy Riverside Siding (see TRACKmaps 2 p4D 2020).

2442] GWSR: (BLN 1409.MR177) Tours of Toddington steam and diesel sheds, by the Gloucestershire
Warwickshire Railway Trust (GWRT) are available Tuesdays & Sundays (amending BLN NOT Saturdays)
when trains are running at 11.40, 13.05 & 14.40, T&Cs apply. Meet at the GWRT Information Office
(wooden building opposite Toddington station building). There is no charge but donations are sought
(min £2 per person suggested, hopefully our members will be more generous) via a bucket collection.
First come, first served. Four of our members enjoyed such a tour recently which lasted about an hour.
They were shocked that the GWSR has to pay £500 a tonne for coal now (was £100) and it takes one
tonne just to warm up 35006 'Peninsular & Oriental S.N. Co', which then uses 3 tonnes per day. With
enough notice guaranteed tours can be booked for our members at other times, as possible. Email
our member, Glyn Cornish (GWSR Membership Secretary) at: [email protected]

2443] Railways of the South East - Sussex & its Surrounds: By Andy
Thomas, Published Modern Railways Magazine, £15.99 (or on eBay for as
little as £4.66 with free P&P); paperback 96 pages, 180 colour photos.

This series of books packs a lot into the content. This one starts at Lewes
and Newhaven with failed trains being towed back, as well as freight,
passenger and charter trains. The Brighton Mainline includes aggregate
and ballast trains with some great shots of Balcombe Viaduct and the
castle turreted Clayton Tunnel. The Redhill and Guildford section has
freight trains and a wonderful 2006 photo of The Sunday Orient Express
charter to Folkestone Harbour near to Edenbridge. 'Around Arundel'
included numerous diesel trains with views of Arundel Castle.

An East Grinstead to London Bridge service crossing the Oxted Viaduct
is a wonderful photograph, while a 2-car DEMU Oxted to Uckfield train
casts a solitary lonely figure as it leaves Ashurst station. Greenhurst and
Sleeches Viaducts are also featured on this scenic route. This chapter
includes a good variety of diesel locos pulling freight and charter trains. Hasting, Eastbourne and Hove
has photos of freight but mainly charters. Ashford to Hastings and Dungeness has many images of
charters to Dungeness and nuclear flask trains. There is a superb shot of a DEMU passing Appledore.
Hastings line passenger trains rule the Tonbridge to Hastings chapter with freight in a minority, a lovely
photo of an Eridge to Tonbridge service at Grove Jn (Tunbridge Wells) is one to enjoy. The 180 photos
are taken between 1980 and 2016; the unusual locations of many will intrigue the reader. (Dana Wiffen)

2444] British Power Signalling Register: This now has its own new website www.bpsr.org.uk instead
of being hosted on the Signalling Record Society website. It is maintained by our signalling guru
member, Andy Overton. If you have a bookmark please change it to the new link. The version available
is v22.2, as on both the SRS website and the new website at the moment. It will now be possible to
update it more frequently as signalling work actually takes place. This should hopefully make the
document more useful to those who need the up-to-date information in a timely manner. If you know
of anyone who uses the Register please let them know about this upcoming change. And if you know
of someone who isn't using it but who might find it useful this is a good time to give it a plug, please!

CONTACT DETAILS: See BLN 1397 - full list in BLN 1350 (18 Apr 2020) on our website or via BLN Editor:

●Editor: Paul Stewart [email protected] 4 Clarence Close, MALVERN, WR14 3HX 01684 562862 07790 652351.
●Chairman: John Williamson [email protected] La Marguerite, Croit-e-Quill Road, Laxey, ISLE of MAN, IM4 7JD.

●Fixtures Secretary: Kev Adlam [email protected] @BLSFixtures (Paper post via BLN Editor above please).
●Bookings: Mark Gomm [email protected] 84 Mornington Road, STOKE-ON-TRENT, ST1 6EL 07983 541887.
●Sales: Graeme Jolley [email protected] Dolbryn, Penegoes, MACHYNLLETH, Powys, SY20 8NN. 07484 646542.
●MAPS: By permission of National Library of Scotland http://maps.nls.uk/index.html ●Printed by Willow Printing & Design Ltd

[email protected] 75/79 Back Cross Lane, NEWTON-LE-WILLOWS, WA12 9YE 01925 222449.

●Published by the Branch Line Society, 10 Sandringham Rd, STOKE GIFFORD, BS34 8NP.