In early November 1918, during the turbulent period of collapse of Austria-Hungary, the Polish troops captured an intact Austro-Hungarian train at the station in Prokocim near Cracow. It was composed of two modern artillery cars, two infantry cars and one assault car. The train was quickly split onto two armoured trains: Piłsudczyk, named in honour of the Polish Commander-in-Chief Józef Piłsudski, and Śmiały. Both were then accepted into the nascent Polish Army and took part in the Battle of Lwów, where they were crucial in lifting the Ukrainian siege of the city.