Czachówek Wschodni - strange little station

I have long been fascinated by the railway junction at Czachówek and its three stations. Situated where the main Warsaw-Radom line crosses the east-west Skierniewice-Łuków line, it features a diamond alignment allowing trains from any one point of the compass to go to any one of the remaining three. 

Czachówek Górny ('upper' Czachówek) and Czachówek Południowy (southern Czachówek) sit on the Warsaw-Radom line; Górny being a halt, Południowy being a proper station with extra platforms where express trains can pass. Today, I want to focus on the quiet country halt of Czachówek Wschodni, which for several reasons is a particularly interesting station.

The first thing to bear in mind about Czachówek is that none of the three station are in Czachówek. Czachówek Południowy is situated in the village of Gabryelin (more about that in a separate post); Czachówek Górny is in the village of Bronisławów, while Czachówek Wschodni is in the village of Czarny Las. And the actual village of Czachówek is without a station (though close enough to all three).

In the distant past, passenger trains would serve the entire Skierniewice-Łuków route; today only the short stretch from Czachówek to Góra Kalwaria sees services. However, these are infrequent, with only eight pairs of trains a day - eight to Warsaw, eight to Góra (as locals call it). The trains swing down the spur from Ustanówek, north of Czachówek, stop at Czachówek Wschodni and continue the 6.5km to Góra Kalwaria (or rather its north-western edge).

Once upon a time, there used to be a station called Czachówek Środkowy ('middle' Czachówek). Also in the village of Bronisławów, the station building was demolished some ten years ago (click on the link above for a photo and its location in the middle of the diamond).

So - let's look at Czachówek Wschodni in detail. Located in Czarny Las (which I somehow see as 'Črny Les'), a village of 400 people, the station is literally invisible from the street. There is no, like zero, signage to tell you that it's there. Not even an A4 sheet of paper with a hand-drawn arrow in a plastic sleeve sellotaped to a lamp post. 

Below: the bus loop at the end of the L30 route, which terminates just 200m from the platforms of Czachówek Wschodni station. There's no mention of possible 'convenient change' between modes; looking at bus and train timetable, there's obviously no effort made to coordinate arrivals. If, for example, you want to take the 11:11 train to Warsaw, the bus you'll need arrives here at 10:46. Ah - and no buses at the weekend.

Below: access to the platforms. Nothing on the street saying 'Czachówek Wschodni this way'; if you didn't know (and I didn't) you could be walking through private land, someone's drive - there are no tell-tale hallmarks of a public right of way at all. A portly chap in white vest was watching me suspiciously; I asked him the way to the station - he then politely explained to me the right way - turn right, turn left at the post, across the track and you're there.

Below: looking along the platform from the western end. Note how low the platform is - just one brick high compared to track level. This is a big problem for the train operator, Koleje Mazowieckie. The latest trains - the Impuls and FLIRTs cannot cope with the low platforms here nor at the terminus station one stop down at Góra Kalwaria. Unlike every station on the Warsaw-to-Radom line which has been thoroughly modernised to EU standards, with level access, tunnels or lifts or both - Czachówek Górny and Góra Kalwaria have received little more than platform signs in corporate colours.

Below: looking west from the eastern end of the platform. The tracks on either side of the main line are completely overgrown. The inability to run modern trains to these two stations means that from the next timetable change in December, there will be a shuttle service consisting of old rolling stock, running between Góra Kalwaria and Czachówek Południowy for connections there to the main line.

Not this way - there's no official way from the south side of the tracks to the platforms. No crossing of the tracks here, says the sign - but looking at the well-trodden path, I can see that the local populace doesn't take that ban too seriously. 

Below: signage on the platforms is acceptable. Timetables, other information all properly displayed.

I saw three goods trains, no passenger service. Here comes an interesting freight train - a Deutsche Bahn loco hauling aggregate wagons eastward (below).

What's this I espy? It's an old 2-10-0 Kriegslok, in deplorable state. Either a German-built Ty2 or post-war Polish-built Ty42. Given that the tracks leading into this yard (former overhead traction maintenance depot at the western end of the platforms) have mature trees growing between them, this loco must have been sitting here a while - and yet I've never noticed it before, despite this being a well-worn motorcycling route for me, passing just outside the fenced enclosure.

[Below: same engine type, same angle, but in happier circumstances: from 2008, a tourists' special from Dobra to Chabówka railway museum. An aside prompted by the congruence of the photos.]

Below: a lovely and historically significant train - a 1938 narrow-gauge diesel railcar, one of just four built at the Lilpop, Rau & Loewenstein factory in Warsaw before the war. This is MBxd1 344. Used on the Grójec railway - who knows - maybe my grandmother took this very train to her hometown of Mogielnica during the German occupation of Warsaw to buy food for her sons. I heard the sound of metalwork coming from that shed on the right - and a parked car; someone's dedicating their summer Sunday to restoration work? Hope so...

Below: not only old trains, but old cars too. From left to right: FSD Nysa N59, two Polski Fiat 125Ps and an FSO Polonez. A little cluster of historic transport - will they be restored?

Below: rear view of the vehicles. That Nysa N69 is very rare - only third one I've seen since beginning this blog.

Tomorrow - observations from another station that's not named after the village it serves!

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