From Friday 17^th March to Sunday 19^th March we were present in Łódź at the Tourist Fairs “Where Cultures Meet”. One could find us in Łódź International Fairs Hall at Politechnike Alley, at our own, modest but recognizable stand and have the opportunity to chat about the coming tourist season and plans for the future.

At the moment we would like to invite you to yet another fairs which will take place from 7^th to 8^th April in Zabrze. Invited by the city council of Zabrze, we will represent our shed among other industrial tourist attractions at the International Fairs of Industrial Tourism.

We are happy to inform that our project Gatekeeper house as a new exhibit and didactic help in Skierniewice Engine Shed has qualified to the Tesco action “You decide, we help”. Our project intends to create a new outdoor exhibition consisting of a replica of gatekeeper hut (based on State Railways blueprints from 1926) together with level crossing equipment set against the track 63 in the Shed. The hut will have the original furnishing and next to it one will find mechanical boom barriers and manual winch for operating the barriers. New exhibition will become an invaluable didactic help to teach the youngest a proper behaviour on level crossing.

You can vote for our project while shopping in following shops:

Dear supporters,

Similarly to year 2016 we wanted to send a thank-you letter to all donors of 1% of income tax. Unfortunately, due to the changed tax and private data protection rules, we cannot use any address data provided by tax office without the consent of the donor. Therefore, we would like to ask all those who do not mind to receive such a letter, to provide us with your address via our association’s email zarzad@psmk.org.pl. It is also possible to request for a letter which can be received in person e.g. during the events in Engine Shed.

On Saturday, 10^th December 2016 the 7^th Main Assembly of PARE members took place. A part of this meeting was selection of new association authorities. According to the current law, new board will start its activities as soon as its members will be registered in National Judicial Registry, which was accomplished in mid-January 2017. At the same assembly, a new charter, agreed on Special Assemblies in January and May 2016, came into effect. The main areas of change in the charter is new terminology of association bodies and new rules of representing the PARE outside of the association.

PARE board members:

• Sylwester Pulik – president
• Judyta Kurowska-Ciechańska – vice-president
• Sławomir Sidor – vice-president
• Arkadiusz Baraniok, Andrzej Paszke – membres

Main audit board:

• Paweł Mierosławski – head of audit board
• Maciej Michalik, Daniel Kiper, Paweł Adamowicz, Tadeusz Suchorolski – members

Association court:

• Maciej Wolfram – head of court
• Małgorzata Kurowska, Mariusz Smolarek – members

Paulina Sasin was born on 2^nd December 1992. She grew up and studied in Białystok and despite her young age she was a recognizable person in this town. She was a very active member and key person of many non-profit organizations among which a worth noting is the local branch of The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity and affiliated Associatin for Improving the World. Paulina was sensitive not only to the fate of people but also this of animals – she was a key member of “Wegestok”, a local branch of Foundation “Viva! Action for Animals”. In last years, she visited also the Engine Shed in Skierniewice, to which she devoted much of her work and hearth – no matter, if she was engaged in renovation works or was organizing activities for children during open days. During the last meeting with one of PARE members, back in Białystok in December 2016, she was planning new activities for Children’s Day in 2017. Soon later we were shocked to learn about her death. Paulina passed away on 27^th December 2016 at the age of 24. Today we would like to say goodbye to her with this recollection…

Back in 2010 (or was it 2009?) we met for the first time. First warm days of the year forecast a good tourist season. The plans for the beginning were simple – a renovation of interiors of former dispatcher office, our current social area. Despite a long travel, Paula got to work immediately. With her persistence she made a bunch of guys in different age ashamed. Especially, we learned that she put lot of effort in everything she does despite the illness – diabetes. After dirty renovation works, Paula engaged into more artistic activities. The unique, colourful paintings on lockers in dressing room introduced a little unbridled change in the well ordered and grey world of railway. The smile was always on her face, each time she visited us and was glad to help. Volunteering, especially in railway fan organization, was not a common thing at that time so her devotion was very encouraging. We then learned that Engine Shed is one among countless initiatives in which she took part. Still her main area of activity was a home city of Białystok. The last time we met in Skierniewice was the Children’s Day in 2014, Paula’s favourite event when she organized activities for children.

Later, a tight schedule prevented Paula to visit us. Engaged in plenty of non-profit activity she functioned outside of a slow pace of Shed’s life. We wish that we had the opportunity to met you more often during those last years. When we last met face to face, we said each other the ordinary “See you later”. We exchanged a couple of ideas on Facebook regarding a large mural and new paintings on the lockers. Some further plans right after New Year, but not now due to Christmas rush… Unfortunately, we will not accomplish those plans together. Death took her away to fast to even properly say good-bye.

Paulina, thank you very much for those couple of years when with each visit you left a bit of your hearth and work at the Shed. Thank you and see you later…

The end of January is the time for tax settlement for flat-tax payers. Therefore, we would already like to remind you to support us with your 1% of income tax.

Why would you support our organisation in particular? Because we invest each received penny in saving the railway heritage and history, many times multiplying the received money by using it as initial capital for further grants. This way in 2016 we:

• received 28 424,13 PLN from 1% of income tax;
• carried out roof repairs supported by grants from Ministry of Culture and Heritage (90 000PLN), Łódź Voivodeship Conservationist (25 000 PLN) and sponsorship of Bank Spółdzielczy from Skierniewice (3500 PLN);
• started reconstruction of roundhouse’s skylight thanks to grant from Ministry of Culture (100 000 PLN) and sponsorship of Freightliner PL (more than 12 000 PLN).

Additionally, thanks to the money from 1% of income tax and support of National Heritage Board and City Council of Skierniewice we:

• carried out track works on the most worn-out sections;
• organized four-part volunteer camp for all those who wanted to help us during summer holidays in upkeep of Engine Shed and rolling stock repair works;
• organized technical workshops for youth;
• continued renovation of rolling stock: beer refrigerator car and steam engine class Ol49-4.

What will we do with the support from 1% of income tax in 2017? Similarly to previous years, we will use it as initial capital for grants for buildings renovation, specifically to finish the roof repairs and skylight reconstruction on roundhouse. We also want to continue the work by the class Ol49-4 and beer reefer.

To support us, remember to put on your PIT tax form our id KRS 0000216091 and amount of support. On behalf of the saved railway heritage we would like to thank you even for the modest support.

Traditionally, in the last days of the old year, we would like to summarize it in couple of words, not forgetting about thanking to our Volunteers and Sponsors, without whom the results of our activity would be much more modest.

The most import part of our activity was renovation of the historical buildings of the Engine Shed. Year 2016 broke all records in this category. For the tasks related to renovation of the main roundhouse we spend a total of 253 087,06 PLN. The most expensive operation was general overhaul of the roof spanning the area above stands 14 to 23 – it took 139 317,41 PLN. 90 000 PLN was granted by Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. Conservationist of Łódź Voivodeship granted another 25 000 PLN for this purpose. The remaining amount was sponsored by Bank Spółdzielczy from Skierniewice (3500 PLN) or was coming from your support, from 1% of income tax (20 814,41 PLN). There is still small portion of roof to be repaired above stands 12 and 13, which we hope to accomplish in 2017.

The biggest challenge was starting the reconstruction of the skylight above roundhouse. Despite we gained much experience in planning and carrying out roof repairs, the skylight made us learn everything from scratch. After several weeks of careful planning and fixing the agreements, out long-time contractor, construction company “Marbudex”, started the reconstruction. The first stage of rebuild, spanning stands 1-3, was worth 113 769,65 PLN. Again, 100 000 PLN was granted by Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the remaining amount was nearly fully sponsored by Freightliner PL.

A grant of 6500 PLN from City Council of Skierniewice was fully devoted to track works in Engine Shed. The money were spend to buy and transport pre-stressed concrete sleepers. The ballast was obtained for free. Yet, the track relying work had to be carried out with the effort of our own members and volunteers. Thanks to the warm autumn all heavy work like digging new track cess, positioning the sleepers and lying new ballast was completed before the first snow.

During 2016 we realized two projects to popularize volunteering in Engine Shed. Thanks to the support of National Heritage Board (10 000PLN), as a part of programme Volunteering for Heritage, we organized four parts of Volunteers Camp during which the participants helped in the upkeep of surroundings of the Shed and by the renovation of class Ol49-4 steam engine. As a part of the project we completed the equipment of the educational sightseeing route, which allows our guests to sightsee the outside of the shed on their own. A similar project, directed more towards the technical education, was a part of Active Youth Foundation supported by Bank BZ WBK (2 200PLN).

To sum up, from grants and sponsors we received over 250 000 PLN for renovation works. This means that the initial capital coming from 1% from income tax (from 2016 we received from Tax Office over 28 000 PLN) was multiplied nearly tenfold!

The rolling stock renovation was focused mostly around the renovation of passenger steam engine class Ol49-4. We continued the external paint job and completed the build of boiler cowling. Thanks to the completed roof works, we were able to move the engine inside the roundhouse, on stand 3 where class Ol49 is better protected against elements and can be easily accessed for further repairs, also from below. This work was completed partially from funds collected from 1% of income tax and partially as activities during the Volunteer Camp. The beer refrigerator car was also taken care of as the wooden construction of the walls has been nearly completed.

We intensified the works on our future railway telecommunication exhibition which will be located on the ground floor of administration building. The exhibition will be placed in three adjacent rooms, one of which already hosted partially reconstructed KATS railway exchange and remaining two were the former office of Rolling Stock Repairs Department. After completing the major renovation of the interiors, in 2016 we build a new framework for Siemens Einheitbasa racks and mounted the racks. This way we liquidated the old exhibition (the room can we renovated now) and freed lot of storage space. The future exhibition will be a unique Siemens railway exchange coupled with Strowger exchange of type FT-200 with equipment for manual connection, maintenance, commutation and teletransmission. The works are advanced in 60%.

We also broke in 2016 several records in terms of guests attendance. Not only did we surpassed our record so far – 6134 visitors, but we also exceeded the most optimistic estimation of 6500 guests. We finished 2016 with a guest count finishing at 6684 tourists. This remarkable result was possibly mostly due to large interest in engine shed among organized groups and special events addressed mostly to the fans of vintage cars.

On behalf of members of PARE, volunteers and the railway vehicles saved from rust we would like to express our gratitude to all sponsors in 2016:

Right before the end of this year we received a sad news about the death of our young volunteer. Paulina Sasin, coming from Białystok, has frequently visited us to help in various activities in Engine Shed. A long distance from her home was not any obstacle in this case. In her home town she was well known from her high spirit and engagement in social affairs. She brought this unique energy with her to our Shed. One could always see her smiling, no matter what kind of work she was doing at the moment – whether this was renovation works by the rolling stock or artistic initiatives.

Paula’s funeral will take place on 1^st January 2017 at 13:00 in Karakule.

We would like to pass our sympathy to Paula’s family and her colleagues form various non-government organisations in Białystok, including WOŚP Białystok.

Farewell, Paula…

Merry Christmas spent together with the beloved ones and all the best in coming year 2017

Board, Members and Volunteers of PARE