We would like to wish all the best to members, volunteers, supporters and fans of PARE on the occasion of coming Christmas
May this exceptional time fill you hearts with comfort and hope, and let you overcome even the biggest of obstacles.
Thanks to the cooperation with Hungarian Museum of Science, Technology and Transportation we managed to identify one of the Hungarian box cars from our collection. As the producer’s plate was missing, basing only on the claims of the previous owner, we thought that the car was built around 1893. We were able to verify this presumption after we found the serial number of the car. The initial number, given by the Royal Hungarian Railways (MAV – Magyar Királyi Államvasutak) was 123 717. Thanks to this, we found out that the car was built between 1896 and 1902 (probably in 1898) by Ganz & Co works from Budapest and was subscribed as a standard type XVB1, Grn series designed in 1891.
Around 6700 cars of this type have been built by various manufacturer – the mentioned Ganz & Co, Ships and Machines Build Works from Budapest, Györ Works, Schlick Wagon Works in Budapest and Janos Weitzer Wagon Works in Arad (currently in Romania).
… so its time to sum up the most important works and thank to all the supporters without whom many of our actions would not be possible.
Traditionally, the most important part were the repairs of the old buildings. In 2015, after three-years break, we managed to obtain a financing sufficient to rebuilt the oldest part of the shed, the so-called “Łowicz annex”. The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage provided for this purpose 100000 PLN. It was the biggest fund PARE has ever received but the only one we had this year (despite five other requests). The total cost of the rebuilding works reached 140000 PLN. The remaining money were obtained from own sources (the 1% from income tax – most of the 27000 PLN received in 2015) and the donation from PKP Group.
The donation of the City Council of Skierniewice (7000 PLN) was devoted for preparing the documentation required for further adaptation of the Engine Shed as a museum and cultiral facility.
Rolling stock conservation works in 2015 concentrated around the rebuilding of beer refrigerator car from 1912. The required resources came from 1% of income tax and donation of PKP Group.
On behalf of members and volunteers of PARE we would like to say a big thank you to allour supporters and sponsors.
During the anniversary of Warsaw-Vienna Railroad we co-organized or took part in many different events.
The 3rd Conference „To save from rusting away” organized by the Railway Museum in Warsaw and Masovian Voivodeship Conservationist Office took place on 25th November, in Żyrardów’s Aparthotel Old Spinning Mill (actually placed in the old linen factory).
The conference was devoted to the history of WVR, its material heritage and its conservation. PARE was represented by Michał Jerczyński, who gave a speech “The Architecture of Warsaw-Vienna Railroad – development and problems of preservation”.
It was not a coincidence that the event took place in Żyrardów – a city, which history is strongly connected to WVR.
After the panel discussion participants could visit the newly organized Linen Industry Museum, created and maintained by volunteers in the remaining objects of Żyrardów’s Linen Factory. Most of the exhibits is the original equipment from the last years of factory operation. Similary to Skierniewice Engine Shed, the interior and machines of the Museum are slowly brought back to life.
Despite the varying tempo of works by the beer refrigerator car, the rebuild is progressing towards the end. During the summer vacations we managed to paint the planks of the outer walls and prepare them for the final assembly. Yet, a couple of obstacles appeared and forced us to rethink the construction of the walls. What is more, September and October is a period of increased number of events in the Shed, so we had hardly any time to get back to renovation works by the exhibits.
After the last events of 170th anniversary of WVR, at last we could devote some more time to the refrigerator car. We conduct the works every second week under the supervision of people who took part in similar project several years ago, when we were rebuilding the 4th class passenger-luggage coach ‘Steinfurt’. During the last weeks of November we managed to complete the outer walls of the car, many times working after dusk due to the shorter daytime.
During the coming meetings, we are going to complete the inner walls, openings for ice, door frames and start assembling the double floor with thermal insulation.
