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.
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 |
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 OMZ 122 and progressively modified, were very simple – if not primitive – and weak, having diesel engines of only 44 hp. It was thus decided to supplant them with more powerful machines. New design was 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 increased to 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. Ls60 was further developed into more powerful Ls75 and 2Ls75, differing mainly in diesel engine and built in small numbers. Most locomotives of this type were
used by various industrial operators. Five examples from Fablok were
sold to 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 Main technical data
References
and acknowledgments
As with
Ls40, references are rather few. The most comprehensive account on Ls40 can
be found in the monographic article by Zbigniew Tucholski in SS
vol.4/1999. Brief account can be found at the PSMK website www.psmk.org.pl.
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