An American Railfan in Poland: Elk museum and trainride

This chapter of ARinP takes us to the railroad museum at Elk, which features standard gauge plus 750mm and 600mm narrow gauge displays. Then we ride the 750 mm gauge railroad that was still providing local rail service in 2000, but "nevermore".

IMHO, not many American rail enthusiasts realize the number and the quality of railfan experiences that are to be found scattered throughout Poland. Some have a vague knowledge of the Wolsztyn Experience, and a few of us have even enjoyed it, but few realize that it is possible to enjoy a great railfan holiday in Poland without even visiting Wolsztyn -- although I can't imagine why any railfan would go to Poland and not visit Wolsztyn. My goal in this series of videos (don't know yet how many there will be) is to share with my compatriots the railfan highlights of my visits to Poland in 2000 and 2003. I hope they will be interesting, entertaining, and maybe even inspire some of you to see it for yourself.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• 600mm
• 700mm
• Elk
• gauge
• narrow
• PKP
• Poland
• preservation
• railfan
• railroad
• railway
• steam
• train

[megatwingo]

Very nice video. Only....the music is very annoying and LOUD. Too loud. One can barely listen to your voice.

[gothpapa]

You are probably right -- about the loud part at least. This was one of my first attempts at digital editing and is a little crude in spots. Someday I will have to fix it, but for now I have so many projects so little time. Glad you liked it otherwise though.

[malymix]

Do you think you're funny?

[gothpapa]

Yes, sometimes, but not this time. The humor was inherent in the situation. But maybe you have to be a railfan to appreciate it. Be assured that no offense was intended, if any was taken. If anything, this is a tribute to a train crew (citizens of Elk, I presume)who made the best of a bad situation and could still smile when it was over. What a shame that Elk's little train no longer runs.

[NThusiast]

the other locomotive at 0:58 (on the right) is a former German class 52 war locomotive which obviously was left behind and later used by the PKP.

[Detroit1967]

Until the German population was expelled in 1945 Elk was known as LYCK, capital of Masuren. Sad to see the state of the railroads / station (compared to pre-WWII state).

[lkn639]

Moj wojek tu pracuje. On jest glownym dyrectorem.

[pawelsokol]

It was my playground when I was a child

[gibi001]

this is my town, but I was ride on this train only once, glad to see all of u in my place ;)

[drapdj1]

ooold run

[megatwingo]

Yes, a very nice video! Keep on posting this stuff, please. Your movie is belonging to the better train-video stuff here on YouTube.

[FranklyMisterShankly]

Correction: the (red) narrow gauge diesel (Lxd2) was built at FAUR Bucharest, in Romania.