Poland

Pyskowice (Peiskretscham): The mines in the Upper Silesian Coal District have to be filled up with sand in case of closing down. Because of the extensive mining enormous quantities of sands were necessary. Therefore the coal mines maintained large sand pits, which were operated by efficient railways.

Steam locomotives were in use for these services until the 80's, whereby the exotic locomotive types of the former private sand pit companies already dumped in the 60's. New build locomotives of the classes Ty45 and Ty51 replaced them. Only the comprehensive electrification of the large linking railways and the procurement of new diesel engines for the sand pit branches made the economical, but worn steam locomotives redundant.

The two last steam-depots of the Sandbahnen were Szczakowa and Pyskowice. With the dieselization of the sand pit at Kotlarnia steam ended in 1992. It was the end of regular services of class Ty51 in Poland too.

As last class Tp4 (pr.G8¹) in Poland Tp4-217 was taken out of service at the beginning of the 80's. In 1991 it still was dumped in the depot Pyskowice.		Returned from the service Ty51-137 stands in the Pyskowice depot.
Together with a class ET21-engine Ty51-140 is hauling an empty train to Kotlarnia.		Kotlarnia depot: Ty51-134 and Ty45-228.
Ty45-228 at the sand tipping.		Ty45-228 at a small station at the entrance of the sand pit.

Sandbahn-lines are not spectacular, but the picture with the excavator was a nice shot...