Ls60
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Ls60-149 (Fablok 6322/1963) at
Chabówka rolling stock heritage park,
Ls60-09 (probably from Zastal) at the TOZKiOS exhibition in Pyskowice; photo
taken on
…and Ls60-293 (Zastal 293/1969),
photographed on the same occasion.
Another picture of Ls60-09…
…and of Ls60-293, taken during my later visit
to Pyskowice on May 2, 2009.
Side drawing of the Ls60 from Zastal;
drawing by Maciej Kucharski from SS vol.104
Three very nice photos by Winicjusz
Drozdowski (thanks a lot!) of an Ls60 (from Zastal, serial unknown) in
This Ls60-5928 was photographed at the
Strzelin sugar plant on
This Ls60-350, although placed at a scrap
yard near Augustów, has a chance to escape a cutter’s torch; photo taken on
Ls60-036 (Fablok 5992/1961),
photographed at the Rogów narrow-gauge railway depot on September 19, 2011…
…and even more derelict Zastal
281/1967 (service number unknown), photographed on the same occasion.
This Ls60-122 (Fablok 6295/1963) is
operated by the Adamów lignite mine and was photographed at the mining
railway depot on September 20, 2011.
Ls60-337 (with409Da-726 in the background),
both withdrawn, photographed in Przechowo on March 11, 2012, by Winicjusz
Drozdowski (many thanks!).
Ls60 factory photo (from my collection). |
Between 1952 and 1961, Pierwsza Fabryka Lokomotyw w Polsce (First Locomotive Factory in Poland) of Chrzanów, known as Fablok, built 581 small diesel switchers, designated Ls40 and supplied mainly to various industrial establishments (those few that served with PKP were designated SM02). These locomotives, based on pre-war German Deutz design and progressively modified, were very simple – if not primitive – and weak, having (in initial version) diesel engines of only 44 hp. Their development variants (Ls75 and 2Ls75), with more powerful prime mover, were not successful and only 22 examples were built. It was thus decided to supplant them with a more thoroughly redesigned locomotive. New design was nonetheless based on the Ls40 and aimed at improving tractive effort and reliability rather than featuring new and more modern concepts. Frame and suspension were only slightly modified. Driver’s cab was of the closed type with some measures aimed at reducing vibration, noise and draughts. S324HL engine, the same as in late production Ls40s, was used, but its rated power was set at 60 hp and engine cowling was completely redesigned. Four-speed mechanical transmission gear was almost identical to that of the earlier machine. There were also several minor modifications of accessories and equipment. Many details were patterned upon those of more powerful, 150 hp Ls150 (PKP class SM03) switcher, built in fairly large numbers between 1959 and 1969. Prototype (s/n 5927/61) was built in 1961 and series production started immediately, terminating with 197th example (s/n 6794/64) in 1964. It was decided that Fablok should concentrate on medium and heavy switchers (mainly type 6D, in PKP service known as SM42), so production of Ls60 was transferred to Zastal factory of Zielona Góra, where further 365 machines were built between 1964 and 1971, thus bringing total output to 562 examples. Locomotives from Zastal differed from earlier examples only in minor details. Most locomotives of this type were used by various industrial operators. Five examples from Fablok were sold to Morocco in 1963, also for industry (I have no information on their service). At least one served with Polish Army (purchased in 1960, military class WP-02 from around 1975). Ls60 was never used by PKP as a line locomotive or switcher, but several examples served for auxiliary duties at various railway establishments. No PKP service class designation was, however, assigned to this type. In fact, there is some confusion with designations. Individual examples were identified by consecutive numbers, running from 01 to 197 at Fablok and from 01 to 365 at Zastal. Furthermore, machines built by Fablok had factory serial numbers differing from those mentioned above. To make things ever more complicated, each example from Fablok had its own acceptance certificate number (from 582 to 778). Ls60 was more powerful than Ls40 (maximum tractive effort increased from 3.0 to 4.3 tonnes) and had slightly better overall characteristics, but due to low speed and mechanical brake was suitable only for switching at secondary sidings. Most machines of that type have already been withdrawn, but several examples are probably still in use, although it is virtually impossible to give any details. PSMK railway fan society has two examples, Ls60-143 (withdrawn in 2006) and Ls60-336 (withdrawn in 2005), both from Zastal. Ls60-149 (Fablok, s/n 6322/1963) can be seen at the Rolling Stock Heritage Park in Chabówka. Ls60-293 (Zastal, s/n 293/1969) and Ls60-09 (also from Zastal?) have been preserved by TOZKiOS railway fan society in Pyskowice. Ls60-067 (Zastal, s/n 067/1966) was seen at the abandoned brewery in Gdańsk in 2002 (by the way, this brewery used to brew excellent beer!), but probably has disappeared since then. It is quite possible that I shall find some other example somewhere in Poland – let’s hope I shall have my camera with me. Main
technical data
References and acknowledgments
-
Monographic
article by Zbigniew Tucholski (SS vol. 4/1999), -
LSPP, -
PSMK website (www.psmk.org.pl).
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