The fun during this year’s May weekend in Wolsztyn began on April 30 with the “Light, Sound and Steam” spectacle. This evening show is a modern form of musical performance, in which the main roles were played by vintage locomotives, billowing steam, light, and the music of Frédéric Chopin in a rock arrangement prepared by, among others, Jan Borysewicz, Grzegorz Markowski, and Patrycja Markowska. It was an unforgettable spectacle, acting as a bridge connecting the past with the present. The culmination of the second day of the event (May 1) was the ceremonial opening of the Steam Locomotive Parade. An official letter addressed to the President of PKP CARGO S.A., Wojciech Balczun, from the Marshal of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, Bronisław Komorowski, was read by Ireneusz Wasilewski, a member of the PKP CARGO Management Board for HR. In the letter, Marshal Komorowski thanked the parade organizers for their commitment and immense work in preserving historical heritage. The organizers also received thanks from the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity foundation for their participation in the fundraising. In January of this year, the amount of 950 PLN was donated to the foundation, which was used to auction a ride in the cab of the steam locomotive that opened the 2010 Steam Locomotive Parade. After the official part, the presentation of the most beautiful steam locomotives from Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Germany, awaited by the audience, took place. The following steam locomotives took part in this year’s parade:
• 313.432 [Czech Republic – Luzna u Rakovnika depot],
• 242 001 [Hungary – MAV Nosztalgia],
• 01 509 [Germany – Pressnitztalbahn / LDC e.V. Cottbus],
• Ty2-953, Ol12-7, Tkt48-191, [PKP CARGO S.A. Lesser Poland Plant],
• Pm36-2, Pt47-65, Tr5-65, Ol49-59, Ol49-7, [PKP CARGO S.A. Greater Poland Plant]The Pm36-2 steam locomotive, the famous “Beautiful Helena,” returned to Wolsztyn after a nearly two-year break. This locomotive is one of only two units from the 1930s. It reaches speeds of over 130 km/h. Its design was awarded a gold medal at the Paris technology exhibition in 1937. “Beautiful Helena” performed its last scheduled run in April 1965, after which it went to the Railway Museum in Warsaw. After a major overhaul in Piła in 1995, this locomotive arrived in Wolsztyn, where it is still used in scheduled traffic. One could also admire the Ok1-359 steam locomotive built in 1917, which appeared in, among others, the Oscar-winning film “The Pianist” by Roman Polański. On May 1, from 10:00 AM, numerous attractions awaited children and adults, including an “artistic journey” by steam locomotive through European cities – “Journey through Europe.” This performance was prepared by actors from Polish theaters – Buffo, Roma, and Komedia. Every participant of the event had the opportunity to ride a retro train or a draisine on nearby routes, visit the locomotive depot, or take a souvenir photo with the TKt48-143 steam locomotive, which was restored by the Era Parowozów Foundation, partly with funds from public collections. It is worth mentioning that the Foundation is celebrating a round anniversary this year – it has been exactly 5 years since its establishment! During this time, it has managed to restore four steam locomotives. An important element of the picnic was the campaign to save old locomotives. Thanks to the funds raised during the Steam Locomotive Parade, as part of a public collection and the sale of commemorative souvenirs, the Foundation restores one steam locomotive in Wolsztyn every year. The Steam Locomotive Parade in Wolsztyn gathers thousands of spectators every year who can admire unique machines and learn about the history of 19th and 20th-century European railways, all on the grounds of the Wolsztyn Locomotive Depot, which is the only one in Europe to operate scheduled train traffic hauled by steam locomotives. Since 2003, the host and patron of the Wolsztyn Locomotive Depot has been PKP Cargo, in line with the slogan “We have loved the railway for generations…”. The care of the vintage rolling stock in Wolsztyn is provided by the “Era Parowozów” Foundation, established in 2005 on the initiative of the PKP Cargo S.A. Management Board. This year, the Steam Locomotive Parade was supported by: CARGOSPED Sp. z o.o., PKP Cargo Service Sp. z o.o., Forwarding Company Trade Trans Sp. z o.o., and the Wolsztyn City and Commune Office. Honorary patronage was provided by: the Polish Tourism Organization and the Greater Poland Tourism Organization.