Reviving a piece of history – the railway wagon restoration

In 2016 Radionika company undertook a task of renovating an antique rail wagon from c. 1928. In this short article we would like to reveal the wagon’s exciting history and present a photographic showcase encompassing the renovating process it underwent.

VINTAGE DONE RIGHT – RADIONIKA’S MISSION TO RENOVATE THE ANTIQUE WAGON

The Verbandsbauart A2 wagon was manufactured in the late twenties in XX-century Germany. It had remained in continuous use by national railway company Deutsche Reischbahn until the end of the second world war. Given the exceptional circumstances of that time, the wagon was most likely used for more than just animal and goods transport.

After the war, the vehicle found itself under the ownership of Polish State Railways (PKP). From then on it had been used for goods transport only. Its last technical inspection took place on 20th December 1974. After two years following that date, the wagon was ultimately decommissioned and converted to a locomotive depot in Piotrkow Trybunalski. At the end of the eighties, the machine’s ownership was reassigned to the Polish Association of Railway Enthusiasts (PSMK), owing to their own passionate efforts. For over twenty five years that followed, the wagon ended up placed on a railway siding, its condition slowly deteriorating as it patiently awaited the much needed renovation.

In 2016 our company made a decision to revive the beauty of the Verbandsbauart A2 by restoring the wagon according to its original, historic documentation. Combining the much appreciated efforts and support of the PSMK, railway enthusiasts and historians as well as the PKP Intercity workers of the Cracow branch, the vehicle was successfully reconstructed and revived after more than one year of dedicated work. Currently the wagon is displayed in front of the Radionika company office, garnering deserved attention and approval from pedestrians and enthusiasts alike. Its presence within the Krakowski Technology Park economic zone plays an important role in promoting and sustaining the legacy of railway technique and craft.

RELEVANT TECHNICAL DETAILS AND INFORMATION: year of manufacture – c. 1928; wagon type – Verbandsbauart A2 (the structure references the lld8 Prussian style of manufacture); wagon specification: biaxial, roofed, axis distribution – 4.5m, Pa2-type slip-ring axle bearing , length – 9.3m, specific weight – 10t, capacity – 17.5t, top speed – 65 km/h.