Permanent Exhibition “History of the Sochaczew Narrow Gauge Railway 1922–1984”

The permanent exhibition “History of the Sochaczew Narrow Gauge Railway 1922–1984” presents and popularises knowledge about this railway in the period before the Muzeum Kolei Wąskotorowej was founded, when it was an important means of local public transport. Through a detailed narrative, visitors can comprehensively learn the history of the Sochaczew Railway from its beginnings in 1922 until its closure in 1984, and then its takeover by the Muzeum Kolejnictwa, with the aim of organising the Muzeum Kolei Wąskotorowej.

The exhibition consists of background panels fixed to the walls, displaying large-format photographs of surviving buildings, infrastructure and rolling stock of the Sochaczew Railway. The narrative section is presented on 5 boards measuring 100 by 70 cm. The first panel, “Sejmikowa Kolejka Wąskotorowa”, presents the history of the Sochaczew narrow gauge line in the years 1922–1930. The second, “Powiatowa Kolej Sochaczewska”, describes the railway in the period 1930–1939. The third, “II wojna światowa”, shows the fate of the Sochaczew Railway in the years 1939–1945. Finally, the fourth and fifth panels, “Sochaczewska Kolej Dojazdowa”, trace the history of this means of local transport in the years 1945–1984.

The exhibition is complemented by unique museum objects displayed in eight showcases, on a stand, and within the exhibition hall as supplementary scenographic elements. Особенно noteworthy are those whose restoration was carried out specifically for this exhibition. Among them, a stone plaque from the Sochaczew PKP railway station, funded by local railwaymen in 1919 to mark the first anniversary of Poland regaining independence, stands out. We have covered its complicated history several times in recent years (links are provided below the text). By restoring and displaying the plaque together with its dedication act, the museum joined the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of Poland regaining independence.

Among the renovated objects is also a track-inspection draisine for 600 mm gauge. The vehicle was taken over for the Sochaczew institution on 22 June 2011 from the closed Gdańsk branch of the Muzeum Kolejnictwa in Warsaw. The current designation of the draisine (PKS 315) was created for the purposes of this exhibition. In addition, a bench and ashtray from a 3Aw-type carriage, two lamps from a 1Aw-type carriage and two external retro lamps should be mentioned. The movable historic objects used as scenographic elements are intended to immerse visitors in the atmosphere of how the former Sochaczew Railway operated.

Also noteworthy is the uniform of Czesław Gwara, the last manager of the Sochaczewska Kolej Dojazdowa and at the same time the first head of the Muzeum Kolei Wąskotorowej. Similarly, the uniform of Jan Kamiński, director of the Muzeum Kolejnictwa in Warsaw, who took over the Sochaczewska Kolej Dojazdowa in 1984 and thereby greatly contributed to saving it, has been displayed. The exhibition also mentions Bogdan Pokropiński, a well-known railway researcher and the third key figure to whom the Muzeum Kolei Wąskotorowej in Sochaczew owes its existence. The exhibition also presents documents, photographs, stamps, tickets, ticket punches and clocks related to the Sochaczew Railway. Wall clocks from all five stations of the narrow gauge line have been symbolically stopped at 15:35, to commemorate the moment on 30 November 1984 when the last scheduled train departed from Sochaczew.

The concept and authorship of the exhibition belong to a team of museum assistants of the Muzeum Kolei Wąskotorowej: Łukasz Popowski (exhibition curator), Tomasz Karolak, Dr Marta Przygoda-Stelmach and Monika Szymańska. The preparatory work, which included a source search (among others in the Archiwum Akt Nowych in Warsaw and the Archiwum Państwowe in Grodzisk Mazowiecki), followed by the construction and arrangement of the exhibition (carried out by the firm of Maciej Kożuchowski), took over half a year in total. Thanks to fruitful source research, it was possible to discover and…