On 20th January we were visited by two groups of fire service volunteers specialized in search and rescue actions with help of trained dogs. The training was organized by firemen from Search and rescue operation group of Volunteer Fire Brigade in Justynów. Nearly 20 dogs with their carers from the Search Group ‘Tropiciele’ and the Volunteer Fire Service Lifeguards from Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki (Modlin) took part in the training.

The countless nooks and crannies of the Shed area perfect area for training of search actions, so we let the rescue services to train not only in the roundhouse but also in the area of the old coal storage. It is worth mentioning that similar training of a much smaller group took place the last year. We are glad to lend a helping hand to other non-profit organisations, especially engaged in life-saving activities as in this case.

Encouraged by the success of the previous volunteers camps, we would like to invite all interested to participate in this year’s edition of this event which will take place on two separate terms:

• from 18^th to 21^st July
• from 14^th to 18^th August

Everybody who is over 16 years old, is of good health and is willing to invest his free time in the rescue of the industrial heritage is welcome. Volunteer can take part in one of several activities like:

• external renovation of steam engines class Tkp 6042 ‘Śląsk’ and Ty51-1;
• renovation and maintenance works at the railway signalling and traffic control exhibition;
• track works in front of the roundhouse;
• upkeep of the roundhouse and its surroundings (cutting down overgrown plants, removal of refuse left after roof repairs, repairing missing glass in windows, fence painting);
• expanding the fence around the shed;

and more, depending on the actual needs.

To join, please fill in the participation form. The coordinator of the camps will be waiting for the participants starting from 7PM of the first day of the camp. During one of the days, participants will receive the OSH trainng. We start the activities every day of the camp at 10AM and continue till 5PM. At the of the day we provide a hot meal to all volunteers.

Each participant will be provided with:

• return of the costs of travel (valid for 2^nd class of commuter or express trains or equal bus communication, original tickets or electronic tickets printouts have to be provided);
• possibility for overnight stay in the Shed’s social area (in case of larger number of participants, overnight stay outside of the Shed will be provided);
• water and one hot meal every day;
• gloves and safety equipment;
• tools required for each activity;
• on request, a certificate of participation.

Due to the limited capacity of our social area and the need to properly plan the activities, please state your preferences regarding the need for overnight stay and preferred type of work in the participation form. You do not need to stay for the whole duration of the camp – you can join us on a specific day which you can state in the form.

Additional information can be received by contacting us over e-mail wolontariat@psmk.org.pl

The volunteer camps are possible thanks to PARE’s own resources and the support of

Sponsors of tools

On Sunday, 14th July, Skierniewice were visited by trains organized by railway tourist agency Turkol.pl. As announced earlier, the engine shed was open to the public on this day, not only to the passengers of the train pulled by the historic class Pt47-65 but also the residents of Skierniewice. 216 guests decided to visit us, among them 135 passengers of the historic train. Among them was a large group of railway enthusiasts from United Kingdom who spend over 4 hours in our shed eager to learn more about its history and our rolling stock collection.

An abroad study trips addressed to the volunteers of the shed become a constant part of the yearly schedule of our association. Apart of being a way of rewarding the most active volunteers, the trips are also a perfect opportunity to exchange the experiences with our colleagues from other countries and make observations for the potential improvements at our own Shed.

Seven members and volunteers of PARE participated in the trip from 28th June to 1st July visiting several railway heritage facilities in Czechia and in the neighbouring Lausitz in Germany.

The first stop in our trip was the railway museum ČD Muzeum Lužná u Rakovníka, where we took part in the meeting of historic DMUs during the Setkání prototypů motorové trakce. Except the unique construction of the displayed motor units, we took a special note of the historic refrigerator cars for transporting beer and the new facilities to store the historic rolling stock. The museum started as a private initiative of the railway enthusiasts and much later was taken over by Czech state railways which further developed the facility.

On the way to the overnight stay in Liberc we took the opportunity to have a ride with the interurban tram line connecting this city with Jablonec nad Nisou. We also visited the local Muesum of Technology where a part of the exhibition was devoted to the city transport. Next, we took a trip to Zittau. And interesting part of this trip was a short section of the route crossing the territory of Poland on the line № 346 which is isolated from the rest of the PKP network. The cross-border trip was much easier thanks to the EuroNysa tickets issued by the ZVON transportation association.

Our last stop was the Zittau Narrow-gauge Railway which connects Zittau with the towns in Lausitz mountains: Oybin and Jonsdorf. It is simultaneously a heritage railway and an everyday commuter railway. Nearly for the whole year, the trains are pulled by steam engines and most of the rolling stock is kept in the historic livery. For us it was a perfect example of how a historic railway should be preserved.

Due to a rainy weather on the Open Day on 6th July we were far from braking any attendance records. Still, the 247 guests are not the result to be ashamed of. As during the previous open days, guests could choose between the tour of our collection of the rolling stock inside the roundhouse, a visit at the exhibition of railway signalling and traffic control or the exhibition of photography by Zbyszek Gradowski Railways in Skierniewice.

The offer of Łódź Agglomeration Railway of free return trip for the guests of the Shed was also valid on this day. The catering was provided by the Atmosfera pizza house.