European Railroad Discussion > Poland: Unusual PKP Intercity Colors

I'm processing pictures to 4rail.net on Polish RR vehicles and tumbled upon this unsual looking locomotive. It is indeed a quite ordinary EP09 electric locomotive, but the coloring! The locomotive here is running past Ilkka in Krakow, Poland about a month ago.

Anyone, can you help why this looks so different from the rest of the rollings stock? Maybe this is a trial painting at some point in early regained independence for Poland?

Thank you for any ideas and info!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/15 00:03 by McKey.

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Is it a special unit assigned to technical service trains?

Ray

Loco being colorful this was my first idea too. And you may well be right on this.

However, I'm somewhat puzzled why the text on loco says PKPIC instead of other kind PKP operation. PKPIC = PKP Intercity.

McKey Wrote:
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>
> Anyone, can you help why this looks so different
> from the rest of the rollings stock? Maybe this is
> a trial painting at some point in early regained
> independence for Poland?
>

1) I believe this is an older paint scheme for these locomotives widespread in the 80s and 90s.  Letterring "PKPIC" is recent.
2) Not sure what this has to do with Poland's regaining of independence.  Last time it regained its independence, in 1945, it didn't have any electric locomotives to paint in the first place....

Could be that this is early regained independence period colors from 1990s like you say? But do we know? Poland regained its independence on 13 September 1989 from Soviet Union, being subjected to all kinds of attrocities under their and WW2 Germany command. I see similar coloring being used in many other vehicles just after / relatively short time period after regained independence from Soviets. Below one of the vehicles, a hideously brightly colored (to my eye ;) FLIRT1 EMU of Elron in Tallinn Estonia plus some other vehicles. Or maybe this is actually part of the Russian or Estonian color scale just happening to be similar color use as in Poland? In contrast to the miserable local living conditions I vitnessed visiting St Petersburg during Soviet period were the Russians eager to use strong colors? And of course it might well be that the Polish and Estonians simply enjoy colorful vehicles (and living), just like the French? 

chs7-321 Wrote:
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> McKey Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > Anyone, can you help why this looks so
> different
> > from the rest of the rollings stock? Maybe this
> is
> > a trial painting at some point in early
> regained
> > independence for Poland?
> >
>
> 1) I believe this is an older paint scheme for
> these locomotives widespread in the 80s and 90s. 
> Letterring "PKPIC" is recent.
> 2) Not sure what this has to do with Poland's
> regaining of independence.  Last time it regained
> its independence, in 1945, it didn't have any
> electric locomotives to paint in the first
> place....

4) Brightly colored FLIRT1 EMU from Tallinn, Estonia

5) 2Te116 unit hauling oil in Tartu, Estonia. Could you say this is a truly colorful loco too?

6) Post Soviet color scheme for Tep70 owned and operated by GO Rail.

 

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For comparison, here are two pictures from 1980s Sweden, location being either Gävle or Uppsala. Strong colors were obviously in fashion. And below a picture of what same units today mostly look like. (of course numerous other colorings exist too, some bright)

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Not sure what happened on Sept 13, 1989, but Poland was never part of the Soviet Union.  Part of the Communist Block?  Sure.

And let's leave the term "attrocity" to refer to things like the concentration camps, gulags, and massive executions of Hitler and Stalin regimes.  Otherwise, the words looses its value...

chs7-321 Wrote:
> 2) Not sure what this has to do with Poland's
> regaining of independence.  Last time it regained
> its independence, in 1945, it didn't have any
> electric locomotives to paint in the first
> place....

I was under the impression that one of the six prewar EL.100 class survived in Poland, and was put into service at that time, being used until the mid '50's.   None of the four EL.200's survived  -- but there were ten electric locomotives, 3000 vdc of course, in service in the summer of 1939.

SZ

The ex. Eastern Block countries now part of the international community consider the change as regained independence. That is what they do. All of a sudden the iron curtain lifted and people could travel anywhere if they wished. People could also decide on their own country's issues the way parlamentary democracies do. I realize some people had it easy even in the East, most did not.

chs7-321 Wrote:
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> Not sure what happened on Sept 13, 1989, but
> Poland was never part of the Soviet Union.  Part
> of the Communist Block?  Sure.

Yes, this is what I meant, labor camps during Hitler and Stalin times, really awful and truly downgrading to their owners.

> And let's leave the term "attrocity" to refer to
> things like the concentration camps, gulags, and
> massive executions of Hitler and Stalin regimes. 
> Otherwise, the words looses its value...

To speak against my theory on the color usage here are some really striking electric multiple units of Östgötatrafiken in Sweden. I had totally forgotten this colorful bunch...

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Great, this means they might still be somewhere around to explore? Any idea where to look?

Steinzeit Wrote:
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> I was under the impression that one of the six
> prewar EL.100 class survived in Poland, and was
> put into service at that time, being used until
> the mid '50's.   None of the four EL.200's
> survived  -- but there were ten electric
> locomotives, 3000 vdc of course, in service in the
> summer of 1939.
>
> SZ

McKey Wrote:
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> Great, this means they might still be somewhere
> around to explore? Any idea where to look?

The only survivor of the war [ in Poland, anyway ] was scrapped in the late '50's, unfortunately.

SZ
 

Ok, what a disappointment that it was scrapped.

Steinzeit Wrote:
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> McKey Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Great, this means they might still be somewhere
> > around to explore? Any idea where to look?
>
> The only survivor of the war [ in Poland, anyway ]
> was scrapped in the late '50's, unfortunately.
>
> SZ
>