Work to restore the building to its former glory was completed in 2024. The historic signal box in Bytom was thoroughly renovated. During the works, a new façade was made, the roof sheathing was completed and the windows were replaced. The work also included the interior of the building.
The renovation of the facility cost PLN 1.1 million. The railwaymen carried out the work using their own funds. The frame of the historic clock and the historic ‘Bt’ logo were restored. In addition, the steel structure of the signal box with gantry supports was cleaned and repainted. The structure also received lighting, so that it is illuminated at night. The work was consulted with the Provincial Conservator of Monuments.
The “Bt” gantry switchyard was designed and built in 1935, when Bytom was within the borders of the Third Reich. The building was designed in the characteristic modernist streamline style, which was extremely popular at the time. The entire building consists of a lower single-storey section (containing workshop and technical rooms) and a higher, overhanging section above the tracks, which is supported by a steel pillar. It is here that the rail traffic control equipment is located.
This is how the facility still looked in early 2023:
The two parts of the building are connected by a four-storey staircase with a double flight of stairs, located in a brick block. The lower part and the staircase were made using traditional technology, with solid brick walls, ceilings and stair runs probably made of reinforced concrete, ” reported 2021. Provincial Office for the Protection of Monuments in Katowice, justifying the decision to enter the building in the register of monuments.
And so after the works were completed:
The historic signal box in Bytom is a valuable building and an example of railway architecture of the 1930s. Structures of this type used to be erected in areas within the German borders. The “Pk5” signal box in Pyskowice, which was demolished in 2023, looked similar. Another similar structure is located in Gdańsk-Wrzeszcz.
source: PKP PLK
Also read: Bytom | Monument | Metamorphosis | Railway | whiteMAD on Instagram
