ST43s in the PKP service

Although initially less numerous than the famous Soviet ‘Gagarins’, ST43s suffered less from the ‘withdrawal folly’ in the 1990s. Consequently, for a few years they remained the most numerous heavy diesels in the PKP service. They survived with PKP Cargo until April 2019.

ST43-221 at Piwniczna, near southern border; photo taken on September 27, 2001.

ST43-392, PKP, Zawidów station, August 22, 2002…

…and once again, over six years later: February 5, 2009.

ST43-340, PKP, photographed at the same location on April 5, 2006.

Zawidów again: ST43-115, photographed on June 8, 2006.

ST43-304, PKP, photographed at Węgliniec loco depot on October 10, 2001.

ST43s are often encountered near Zawidów station, a few kilometers from the Czech border – here ST43-198 and ST43-359 haul a heavy freight train on April 30, 2004, few hours before both Poland and Czech Republic joined the European Union…

Bad weather, but nice view: ST43-355 at Żagań loco depot. Photo taken on August 23, 2004. This was one of the last ST43s in the PKP Cargo service (withdrawn in Węgliniec on March 14, 2019), followed only by ST43-366.

Two gentlemen are obviously not impressed by the ST43-140 passing by; Dzierżoniów, May 1, 2006.

ST43-317, photographed near the Jaworzyna Śląska station on the same day...

... and ST43-71, the same day and location; ET22-928 can be seen in the background.

ST43-19, photographed at the Legnica depot on June 9, 2006...

...and ST43-117, photographed on the same occasion.

ST43-295 and slightly battered ST43-55, photographed in Sulików on July 25, 2006.

License plate on the ST43-55 (in Romanian and Polish), photographed on the same occasion.

ST43-404 with a draft of gondola cars and idle ST43-323; Nysa station, June 14, 2008.

 ST43-400, photographed at the Węgliniec station on July 16, 2008.

ST43-80, Zawidów, March 19, 2009.

Two pictures from Węgliniec, taken on March 20, 2009: ST43-304…

…and ST43-198, maneuvering at the station.

ST43-241, Jaworzyna Śląska station, July 8, 2009.

Węgliniec depot again: ST43-22, August 5, 2009…

…and yet again: March 27, 2011. ST43-248 (Electroputere 1049/1971)…

…ST43-63 (Electroputere 376/1966), both probably no longer in use…

…and ST43-144 (Electroputere 662/1968).

Double-heading ST43-227 and ST43-340 crossing a public road near Sowin on May 12, 2008. Photo by Norbert Tkaczyk (used by permission).

Five pictures by Michał Korfel (from my collection): ST43-235, Krosno Odrzańskie, February 2, 2009…

…ST43-05, the same location and date…

…ST43-406, Krosno Odrzańskie again, but four days later…

…ST43-224, Kielce depot, January 29, 2009…

…and ST43-275, Żagań, November 24, 2008.

ST43-233, photographed in Kłodzko on May 1, 1991 (photo from my collection).

ST43-152, the same location and date. Photo by Mariusz Plewka (used by permission) – so probably also the same author?

Thirteen more pictures from my collection: ST43-303, Otmuchów sugar plant, April 2003 (photo by Rafał Roskosz)…

…ST43-258, Bydgoszcz Zachód station, date unknown (photo by Zenon Maternowski)…

…ST43-260, Bydgoszcz Główna station, April 18, 2003 (the same author)…

…ST43-336, the same location, date unknown (the same author)…

…ST43-314, the same location, June 15, 2003 (the same author)…

…ST43-395, the same location, date and author…

…ST43-304, photographed between Blizna and Augustów on July 25, 2003 (photo by K.Kociołek)…

…ST43-216, undergoing a repair or overhaul at the PESA premises, Bydgoszcz, June 18, 2003 (photo by Zenon Maternowski)…

…ST43-143, Bydgoszcz, date unknown (the same author)…

…ST43-108, Kamieniec Ząbkowicki, November 11, 2004 (photo by K.Kociołek)…

…ST43-115, Kędzierzyn-Koźle, May 3, 2001 (photo by Rafał Roskosz)…

…ST43-229, Toporów, August 14, 1991 (photo by B.Jędrzejewski)…

…and ST43-189, Bydgoszcz, date unknown (photo by Zenon Maternowski).

ST43-01, photographed at the Jasło depot on June 28, 2000. In December 2003 this locomotive was transferred to the Chabówka heritage park. Photo by Bartosz Łoziński (from my collection).

ST43-116, Kłodzko Główne station, May 18, 2014. EZT on the left is EN57-1298. Photo by Chris West (thanks for permission!).

Next batch of ST43s pictures from my collection. ST43-314, Węgliniec, October 30, 1998 (photo by Filip Sieradzki)…

…ST43-312, Kędzierzyn-Koźle, June 10, 2000 (photo by M.Plewka)…

…ST43-11, Kamieniec Ząbkowicki, April 24, 1994 (photo by M.Zaworski)…

…ST43-103, Krzyż, November 11, 2000 (photo by Roman Szczeciński)…

…ST43-04, Międzychód, February 27, 2001 (the same author)…

…ST43-338 (location, date and author unknown)…

…ST43-97, Zagórz, July 5, 1998 (photo by Roman Szczeciński)…

…and ST43-13, Opole, April 1998 (author unknown).

ST43-361, Kłodzko Główne station, May 30, 1996. Photo by Marek Niemiec (from my collection). This locomotive is still in use.

Once a common view on non-electrified lines: ST43-25, photographed near Gorzanów on May 30, 1980. Photo by Martin Stertz (from my collection).

Five pictures of ST43s from the PKP Cargo fleet, taken in Sosnowiec Jęzor on September 16, 2021: ST43-227…

… ST43-218…

… ST43-98…

… ST43-303…

… and ST43-263. All five were written off on December 15, 2020, and are awaiting scrapping.

ST43-381, Electroputere 1428/1974, location and date unknown. Photo from my collection.