The BLS Silesian Explorer Tour, 18 - 22 June 2021

With New Year optimism we are pleased to offer this tour in Poland during June 2021, a first for the Branch Line Society (BLS). Hopefully by this time vaccinations will have made Coronavirus travel restrictions history and we will be able to run the tour as planned. If not, it will be rescheduled for a future date. At this stage we are looking for serious expressions of interest based on the tour routing, such that we can gauge the level of interest and, crucially, numbers to allow ticket pricing to be determined. Obviously more bookings lead to a lower seat price.

Wrocław, the historical capital of the Silesia region of South West Poland, has a complex of lines connecting the many rail routes converging on the city, most of which are freight only. In conjunction with Polish tour operator Turystyka Kolejowa TurKol.pl, the BLS is pleased to offer a five day railtour around Wrocław as well as rare freight lines in the surrounding area. Highlights are the much sought after Żmigród Test Track located north of the city and freight branches including Jerzmanice Zdrój, Gostyń, Murów and Krapkowice.

The train will comprise preserved former PKP First Class compartment coaches with drop windows, plus a Bar and Buffet car operated by WARS, the Polish rail catering company, with haulage by SU/SM42 locos likely provided by LOTOS kolej, a private freight operator. An SM30 loco from the local preservation group Klub Sympatyków Kolei we Wrocławiu (KSK) will form the "tail" loco to aid the many reversals required to traverse the complex of lines around Wrocław.

As the coaching stock for the tour train is based near Łódź, the tour will start and finish at Łódź Widzew, located on the main line from Warszawa. The main three day section of the tour, in maximum daylight, starts and finishes each day in Wrocław, where there is plenty of hotel accommodation.

It should be noted that this is a joint tour with Turkol, allowing us to offer a ticket price for this very comprehensive tour of around £475 for the five days, based on a minimum of 60 bookings. The final price will obviously be dependent on external factors and the numbers booking. For information, the equivalent ticket price for a BLS sole charter would be around £650, a considerably higher amount.

Standard Branch Line Society Terms & Conditions (available on our website) apply to all bookings.

Based on current regulations, the wearing of face masks will be required whilst on the train.

For the three days we will be based in Wrocław, Turkol will sell tickets for "tourist" 3rd Cass 4-wheel coaches which will be added to the train. These tickets will be restricted to Polish nationals only and WILL NOT be valid for the Branch Line Society portion of the train. Bookings from non-Polish nationals will NOT be accepted by Turkol and will be redirected to the BLS booking website.

There will be familiar faces to advise and assist if you have not done one of these tours before. Expressions of definite interest by 15 January please to confirm viability and assist with fare setting - the more that go, the cheaper per head it will be - to the tour organiser, Iain Scotchman, email: [email protected]

Or by post to: 102, Shenfield Place, Brentwood, CM15 9AJ, with SAE if acknowledgement is required.

Route maps courtesy of Mike Ball.

The REQUESTED route, subject to PKP confirmation, is as follows:

Day ❶ 18 June 2021: Łódź Widzew - Łódź Andrzejów Szosa - Line 541/831 - Łódź Olechów freight yard - Łódź Chojny - Line 539 Łódź Kaliska avoiding curve - Line 14 - East to South Curve 542 - Zduńska Wola Karsznice - Chorzew Siemkowice - Line 173 - Częstochowa - Herby Stare - Tarnowskie Góry [Reverse (rev)] - Fosowskie - Opole Główne - Brzeg - Line 349 - Swięta Katarzyna - Line 349 [around eastern side of yard] - Wrocław Brochów - Line 750 Western Bypass - Wrocław Stadion - Line 758 [2 both flyover northbound routes] - Wrocław Muchobór - Line 275 under 265 variant - Wrocław Żerniki [rev] - Line 275 - Wrocław Muchobór - Line 758 southbound variant - Line 349 - Wrocław Brochów - Line 349 [via western side of yard] - Line 764 - Siechnice [rev] - Line 764 - Wrocław Brochów - Line 763 - Wrocław Główny. Day ❷ 19 June 2021: Wrocław Główny - Wrocław Grabiszyn - Line 753 - Wrocław Gadów - Line 349 - Wrocław Kuźniki [rev] - Line 349 via diveunder - Wrocław Gadów - Line 752 - Wrocław Psie Pole [rev] - Wrocław Mikolajów - Line 756 - Wrocław Stadion - Line 750 Western Bypass - Wrocław Brochów via yard - Siechnice [rev] - Line 764 - Wrocław Brochów - Line 763 - Wrocław Główny [Signal Box WG] - Lines763/314/311/12 - Wrocław Główny [Peron 6] - Wrocław Mikolajów - Wrocław Soltysowice [rev] - Line 292 - Wrocław Osobowice - Żmigród [rev] - Węglewo - Żmigród test track [two full circuits to gain all sides of triangular Jn at Węglewo] - Żmigród - Rawicz [rev] - Miejska Górka [rev] - Rawicz - Wrocław Główny

Day ❸ 20 June 2021: Wrocław Główny - Wrocław Grabiszyn - Line 757 - Wrocław Muchobór - Wrocław Żerniki [rev] - Wrocław Gadów - Line 349 southbound variant - Wrocław Stadion - Line 349 - Wrocław Brochów - Siechnice [rev] - Line 764 - Wrocław Brochów - Line 349 [northbound under 756 variant] - Wrocław Gadów - Wrocław Żerniki - Legnica - Jerzmanice Zdrój [rev] - Legnica [Rev] - Lubin Górniczy - Głogów [rev] - Leszno - Gostyń [rev] - Leszno - Wrocław Główny.

Day ❹ 21 June 2021: Wrocław Główny - Line 763 - Wrocław Brochów - Siechnice [rev] - Wrocław Brochów - Line 349 - to outbound diveunder variant line 765 - Line 230 - Smardzów Wrocławski [rev] - Line 765 non-diveunder line to Wrocław Brochów yard - Line 349 - Swięta Katarzyna - Opole Główne - Jelowa - Murów [rev] - Jelowa - Opole Główne - Nysa [rev] - Prudnik - Krapkowice [rev] - Prudnik - Nysa - Brzeg - Wrocław Główny.

Day ❺ 22 June 2021: Wrocław Główny - Kąty Wrocławskie [rev] - Wrocław Zachodni - Line 751 - Wrocław Gadów - Lines 752/754 - Wrocław Osobowice [rev] - Wrocław Popowice - Line 755 - Wrocław Nadodrze - Oleśnica - Kępno - Line 814 - Domanin [rev] - Line 813 - Wieluń - Herby Nowe [rev] - Zduńska Wola Karsnice - Line 539 Łódź Kaliska avoiding curve - Łódź Chojny - Lines 25/541 - Łódź Andrzejów Szosa - Łódź Widzew

BELOW: Wrocław Główny, with its fine, five-span steel roof.

ABOVE: The magnificently restored station at Wrocław Główny.

BELOW: SU42-536 at Poloniec with Turkol tour train - 1st Class coaches + Bar coach) (9 Oct 2020).

ABOVE: KSK Wrocław SM30 locos 587 & 682. Wrocław Junctions and flyovers at the NW end of Wrocław Gadów freight yard.

ABOVE: Wrocław Gadów, Yard and signal box.

LEFT: Turkol tour in 2017 on Freight Line 292, Wrocław Osobowice - Wrocław Soltysowice.