Lokomotywownia Pyskowice
THE ABANDONED TRAINS IN POLAND
‘Lokomotywownia Pyskowice’ is an abandoned train depot with a roundhouse, water tower and several rusty locomotives. Today the site is not deserted anymore, there is a group of volunteers working there.
The first rail yard in Pyskowice was built in 1879, when the railway line from Toszek to Pyskowice was opened, it was an extension of the line from Wrocław to Bytom. Less than a year after the official arrival of the railway, the line to Gliwice Łabęd and Zabrze Biskupic were opened.
The large roundhouse was built in the first years of the twentieth century. The next stage of the expansion was the construction of the water tower near the existing station building complex. In 1913, a 23-kilometer railway line was opened to connect different mines in the region.
Second World War
During the Second World War, the site became a weapon and fuel base, which led to a rapid expansion of the railway network in this area. Transports were growing rapidly in all possible directions. Eventually This caused an urgent need to expand shunting yards and increase the capacity of the lines. The Germans build new, larger turntables and workshops enabling the operation of steam locomotives. Lokomotywownia Pyskowice was an important hub for the Third Reich, in fact, they wanted to create one of the largest railway junctions in this part of Europe.
During the 1960s starts the electrification of many essential railway junctions. Lokomotywownia Pyskowice is still an essential place for traveling and for the mining industry. Unfortunately, the 1990s are not that kind for the rail yard.
In June 1999, the line Zabrze Mikulczyce-Pyskowice is closed for freight traffic. One year later, the Pyskowice Miasta passenger line is closed. Two years after the train company closed it, the yard went bankrupt, as a result the line is dismantled in June 2004. Not much later, the yard is overgrown by nature. Today, railway enthusiasts rent the hall and opened a museum for steam engines. They renovate both old rusty steam engines and their infrastructure, giving them a second life. Legal visits are possible after making an appointment. I took these photos of ‘Lokomotywownia Pyskowice’ in 2015.
