Narrow-gauge railway in Hel, Frankowo
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Hel-Frankiv. Military narrow-gauge railway in Hel. History and route of the cable car.

A great tourist attraction on the Hel Peninsula is a narrow-gauge train ride that takes passengers to the Frankowo station, where the Hel Railway Museum is located. A trip is a great idea to diversify the stay at the seaside for the youngest tourists.

History of the narrow-gauge railway in Hel

Narrow-gauge railway in Hel was designed and built by the Polish Army before World War II, in order to facilitate the transport of ammunition and the necessary supplies to the shelters and warehouses located in this area.

The course of the line was of strategic importance. It was routed so that it was invisible from the Baltic Sea side and hidden under the forest cover. In clearances where the line could be seen from land and air, masking nets were stretched to minimize the possibility of the enemy's identification of the route of the railway.

The entire railway infrastructure was carefully thought out. There were fuel stations here, thanks to which the locomotives could be refueled each time, and the design of the bunkers allowed for trains to enter their interior, which facilitated the loading and unloading of the transported materials.

After the end of the war, the rolling stock was significantly expanded and modified by the German army. After the reconstruction, numerous sidings were built, and the cable car could pass freely through the shelters.

The cable car runs to this day, and is currently a tourist attraction, but the currently used WLs40 locomotives do not fit into the bunkers. For this reason, two locomotives are used and it is necessary to change trains between trains.

 

photo: Damian Grzywna / bazakolejowa.pl

 

The route of the cable car and access to the museum

Since spring 2013, when it opened The Hel Railway MuseumVisitors can reach it by narrow-gauge railway, and thanks to the extension of the cable car route by nearly one kilometer, further attractions can be added to the rich package of attractions offered by MOW. They are, among others, a change to a second train or a transfer to an area which until recently was closely guarded by the military Battery Ammo Magazines Schleswig - Holstein.
The ride by cable car, along with visiting the museum, takes about 45 minutes.

It is possible to travel by narrow-gauge railway on request, combined with sightseeingThe Hel Railway Museum:

Any additional information can be obtained by contacting:come@helmuzeum.plor by phone with Marcin Przybysz: 603 650 536.

photo: main Krystian Jaworski / bazakolejowa.pl

source: helmuzeum.pl, wolnadroga.pl