Railway Museum of Silesia, Jaworzyna Śląska

If you lined up this museum's entire rolling stock in a single row, it would fill about two kilometres of track. The Railway Museum of Silesia (Muzeum Kolejnictwa na Śląsku) in Jaworzyna Śląska occupies a fan-shaped engine shed from 1907 and holds one of the largest collections of historic rolling stock in Poland: steam, diesel and electric locomotives, carriages and rail trolleys. Its star is TKt48-18 from 1951, the only working standard-gauge steam locomotive in Lower Silesia.

History: a collection saved at the last minute

Jaworzyna Śląska (German: Königszelt) grew up in the mid-19th century as a railway settlement and soon became an important junction. The fan-shaped engine shed with 19 bays was built in 1906–1907. From 1992 Polish State Railways, together with a Wrocław railway enthusiasts' club, gathered historic rolling stock here, but after 2002, with no money for upkeep, the site fell into decay and exhibits were stolen. In 2004 the private Railway Museum of Silesia leased the site and the collection from the municipality and set about saving it. Since 2016 it has been part of the Foundation for the Protection of Silesian Industrial Heritage.

What to see

The core of the collection is standard-gauge rolling stock from 1890–1972: around 50 locomotives and 100 wagons and special vehicles, displayed on the sidings and around the engine shed. Look out for:

• TKh2-12, built by Union Giesserei in 1890, and TKi3-23 by Hohenzollern from 1903,
• Ok1-325 from Henschel und Sohn in Kassel, built in 1921,
• a Czechoslovak series 830 railbus from 1955 and a rail trolley converted from a Warszawa M20 car,
• indoor exhibitions: the station master's offices of 1930 and 1977, a railway ticket office, a print shop and a historic H0 model railway,
• a room with an ODRA 1305 mainframe, the only surviving computer of its kind in Lower Silesia.

The Steam Locomotive Route

Since 2014 a train hauled by TKt48-18 or a Czech railcar has run along the museum sidings. The short ride shows the old depot's support facilities: a water crane, a Thiele & Maiwald coaling crane from 1920, an ash pit, a turntable and a Henschel drop pit from 1930. The route also passes the old workshops, pneumatic and mechanical shops and a foundry, as well as an authentic air-raid shelter from 1943. Rides run on selected days and during events, so check dates in advance.

Did you know?

The town's old German name, Königszelt, literally means "the king's tent". Since 2011 the museum has hosted a Steam Gala, an international meeting of historic locomotives from Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany. It also runs its own historic workshop to maintain the fleet, and some vehicles are certified to run on public railway lines.

Tripto tip

The museum is at ul. Towarowa 4, right next to Jaworzyna Śląska station, so you can arrive by train from Wrocław or Wałbrzych. Allow 2 hours for the sidings and engine shed, or half a day with a ride and the indoor exhibitions. Opening hours vary by season and online information is inconsistent, so check the museum's website before you go and ask about Steam Locomotive Route dates. The sidings are full of rails and sleepers: wear sturdy shoes and keep an eye on children around the vehicles.