September News
The Summer has been fraught with loco shortages with only 2 locos being available. The Pt & Pm, both have had problems often due to the state of the track which is due for upgrading but unlikely until 2012.
Ol49-7 is at last back on line although in its last year of firebox service, Ol49-59 is expected back this month. Unfortunately we will loose the Pm for 2 weeks for a VIP visit to Budapest. The good news is that 3 ex Zbaszynek steam drivers will be transferred to Wolsztyn as soon as possible thus alleviating the pending crew shortage.
May News
Wolsztyn Driver Dies
ZENON WITA 1959 -2010
Zenon Wita died of a heart attack at work on Friday 14th May. He was from a railway family: His father joined PKP in 1953, transferred to the footplate in 1956 and worked as a fireman for 34 years until he retired at the age of 60 in 1990, in the days when, as in the French system, being a fireman was a separate career, and did not lead necessarily to promotion to driver. Zenon also started his career with PKP in the workshops at Wolsztyn, in September 1978, and like his father transferred to the footplate initially as a fireman from the end of 1984. He qualified as a driver from 1st September 1997, a few days before the Wolsztyn Experience started.
In the beginning, before we were able to put names to the faces of our instructors Zenon Wita was distinguished by his dark Zapata style moustache. For the first few years of the Wolsztyn Experience, he normally worked with Gbiorczik (who reminded Howard of Ernest Bourgnine) in the freight link, and generally, although he had qualified as a driver, he seemed to prefer to continue firing while Gbiorczik drove. After Gbiorczik’s retirement and that of Henryk Biniak’s then partner, Zenon normally worked with Henryk Biniak, until Zenon’s declining state of health resulted in his being taken off the footplate in 2007 after which he was employed on light duties around the shed.
With the reduced number of drivers after the great early retirement clear out at the end of 1999, we the students had much more to do with the pairing of “Biniak and Wita” than previously. Wita was not a great star among the drivers and nor was he a natural instructor, but he stood up very well to a constant supply of new people who couldn’t speak his language and wanted to do the exciting bits of his job. He always maintained good humour and good relations on the footplate and about the shed after he’d returned to working there. My son – not a railway enthusiast - recalls a trip with Wita when they were exchanging and smoking each other’s cigarettes. My son said the great virtue of Wita’s cigarettes was that they were very short, but it was the thought that counted. Wita came to England in 2001 with his elder daughter, and stayed with Bob Gibbens in Derby. While here, he revealed a passion for motor cycles, so much so that on one occasion Zenon sat astride a motorcycle that he liked the look of, to Bob’s great alarm, as he anticipated trouble from the irate owner, but all was smoothed over.As well as a widow, Emilia, Zenon Wita left two dependent daughters, Agnieska (21) who is still a student and Joanna (12). Joanna has a heart defect and has had to undergo open heart surgery.
We shall all miss him. David Leyland
The Wolsztyn Experience are organising a collection for his family who are are facing some financial difficultues those of you who have had the privilage to have been on the footplate with Zenon may like to contribute to this fund. Cheques should be made out to the Wolsztyn Experience and endorsed on the back Zenon Wita fund.
