Below: a Radom-bound train calls at the one functioning platform at W-wa Jeziorki - the newly-opened down platform, which also serves town-bound trains. The gates are down; traffic waits.
Below: looking east along ul. Karczunkowska from the path that led to the old platform. A full moon rises above the trees in the distance. Work on the temporary bus loop is proceeding well, and a pavement linking the bus stop for alighting passengers and PKP W-wa Jeziorki station has been promised, as has pavement between ul. Sarabandy and ul. Pozytywki.
Below: with the Radom train disappearing, the barriers lift. How long until the viaduct is built? The new 'up' platform will be to the left of the frame.
A bitter-sweet moment; sweet, because finally some serious infrastructure improvements are finally happening, but tinged with sadness that the character of this unique corner of suburban Warsaw will change.
Full details of what will happen from Sunday 21 August onwards on the ZTM website, here.
This time last year:
Drought. It was a dry summer.
This time three years ago:
Warsaw's ski slope at Szczęśliwice
This time four year:
On the road from Dobra, again
This time five years ago:
August storm, ul. Targowa
This time six years ago:
Warsaw Central's secret underground kebab factory
This time seven years ago:
Cheap holidays in other people's misery
This time eight years ago:
Steam welcomes us to Dobra
This time nine years ago:
New houses appear in the fields by Zgorzała
Michael - someone ought to organize a farewell 'setki' evening for the hut before it is knocked down to give it a fitting end.
ReplyDelete@ Bob - great idea. I guess the end will come on Saturday night, when the last train of the day passes through... and the barriers will raise for the final time. A time of transition. I can certainly pop a bottle of finest organic vodka in the freezer complete with zagrycha in the form a śledzik na raz if you're up for it.
ReplyDeleteThe last train from W-wa Jeziorki to town leaves at 23:57 tomorrow, the last 715 will have crossed the tracks at 23:05.
So, yes - Bob - in fact any reader of this blog who wishes to raise a shot glass to the last ever raising of the level crossing barriers at W-wa Jeziorki, let's meet there at 23:45, Saturday 20 August 2016 to mark the passing of on an era.
Folk singers welcome (to sing The Old Level Crossing Gates)
Michael, thank you for saving this piece of history in the making for posterity.
ReplyDeleteBecause of the family visit starting tomorrow I will not make it to Jeziorki to knock down a bottle of czysta and meet Bob in person, which I sincerely regret. Have fun!
Mike, a small tip-off. Barriers will be down tonight. But a hut gonna be demolished couple days later, if not a week or two.
ReplyDeleteFeeling an affectation at yours comment. So, what do I have to say, while I've almost grew-up here, since my Grand Parents built with their fellows this settlement and when I was kid I spent here almost every winter and summer holidays? While, every day pointsman (whether a pointswoman) came into ours residence to pour a water into zincy buckets. Sometimes I helped him/her to bring back one of that up-to a post. While, I was kid friendly with my Grand Parents pointsman allowed me to get into a post and to make observations of his work and how he managed of rails movement. So, while rail was approaching station, then pointsman allowed me to get barriers down to stop vehicles and to get barriers up while rail left a station. So, I felt myself as being a very important possesing a power to allow vehicles to move.
Memories...
Hi Michal - that would be way past my bedtime, at this age I need all the sleep I can get!
ReplyDelete@ dr Marcin
ReplyDeleteThanks for your precious memories... For you, even more than for me, this will be a poignant moment.
@ Bob, Student SGH
Shame you won't be able to make it! Bob - thanks for the idea - will execute it even if no one else turns up :-) Report tomorrow.