Pt47
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Pt47-129, photographed at the Wrocław Główny depot in August 1961.
Photo from my collection.
Pt47-152 + 33D48-7 (HCP
1402/1950), photographed in Chabówka,
Another photo of this engine, taken on
This Pt47-171 + 33D48-8 (Fablok 2111/1950) is erroneously
designated Pt47-100. Photo taken in
Kościerzyna in August 2000.
These who visit this page often probably know
this photo: Pt47-112 + 34D74-42 (HCP
1310/ 1949), Wolsztyn,
The same machine photographed during the ‘Steam Locomotives Parade’ in
April 2005 – note different tender. This engine participated in the steam
locomotives parade in Chabówka on
On
...but this time with 27D48-57 tender, which
is much more typical (previously coupled with Pt47-65).
Pt47-112 appeared also at the 2008 Show;
photo taken on May 3.
Another machine from Wolsztyn: Pt47-106 +
27D47-22 (HCP 1304/1949) on static
display, photographed on
Pt47-50 + 34D74-45 (Fablok 1900/1949) plinthed in Siedlce,
photographed on
…but things sometimes improve:
in October 2006 this engine was transferred to Pyskowice and now is a
part of the TOZKiOS collection. Photo taken on May 2, 2009.
Pt47-93 + 33D48-21 (Fablok
2093/1950), Zduńska Wola Karsznice depot, photographed on October 27, 2003.
Pt47-157 + 34D74-39 (HCP 1514/1950)
plinthed in
Derelict Pt47-17 + 27D48-? (Fablok 1867 /1948), photographed in
Ścinawka Średnia on
… and wreck of Pt47-44 +
32D74-?, (Fablok 1894/1949), photographed on the same occasion.
Derelict Pt47-78 + 27D74-? (Fablok
2078 /1949) in Jaworzyna Śląska, photographed on
…and the same engine photographed there on
Pt47-20 + 27D48-94 (erroneous designation Pt47-94, Fablok
1870/1948), plinthed in
Pt47 with 27D48 tender; side drawing from PNP.
Pt47-65 + 27D48-57 (Fablok
2065/1949), photographed during the ‘Steam Locomotives Parade’ at Wolsztyn
depot, More photos of the Pt47-65 can be found here.
In late 2005, Pt47-65 was withdrawn from
service. This picture was taken in Wolsztyn on
Fortunately, this withdrawal was only
temporary. This picture was taken during the ‘Parowozjada 2009’ in Chabówka
on September 5, 2009.
This Pt47-28 + 27D48-? (Fablok
1878/1949) was transferred to the Industry
and Railway Museum in Jaworzyna Śląska in 2005 from
Pt47-104 + 32D74-54 (HCP
1302/1949),
Two pictures, taken in Białogard on
...and Pt47-36. Photos from my collection. |
Pt 31
express engine, of which 110 were built between 1932 and 1940, is considered
by many the best pre-war Polish locomotive. After WWII, Polish railways
regained only 66 examples. Lack of express locomotives was acute and as early
as 1947 it was decided to re-commence production of the slightly modified
Pt31 at both HCP and Fablok. New variant was designated Pt47
and differed from its predecessor mainly in details. Boiler was fitted with steel
firebox and circulation tubes; later rocking grate was introduced. Distance
between tube walls was shortened by 100 mm and evaporating surface was
marginally reduced, but with two more smoke tubes superheater surface was
increased by almost 10%. Frame was modified and empty locomotive, without
tender, was lighter by two tonnes. Externally, Pt47 differed from Pt31 mainly
in having steam and sand domes covered by a single fairing, different smoke
lifters and fully enclosed driver’s cab. A semi-streamlined version, heavier
by about four tonnes, was also proposed by Fablok shortly after
production had commenced, but was not accepted and did not progress beyond
preliminary design stage. Pt47s were coupled with different tenders. Initially, 34D48 tenders were used which, in fact, were slightly modified 34D44s of German origin (DRG 2’2’T34), with enlarged coal boxes. Later, probably from Pt47-91 onwards, indigenous 33D48s became standard, but their journal axle bearings were prone to overheating. Some of them, fitted with coal feeders, were re-designated 26D48, later rebuilt and re-designated 27D48. Modified tenders with roller axle bearings, much more suitable for high speed, became 34D74 (without coal feeders) and 27D74 (with coal feeders). Finally, rebuilt 32D29 tenders from Pt31 were re-designated 32D74. Tests with 32D47 tub tenders (the same as used with Ty45 freighters) were not successful, due to uneasy running above 80 km/h. Prototype
was built by Fablok in 1948 (s/n 1851). Production of Pt 47 lasted from
1948 to 1951 and totaled 180 examples – 120 from Fablok and 60 from HCP.
These locomotives were built exclusively for PKP and soon earned a
reputation comparable to that of Pt31s – of good, powerful and reliable
machines. Most new Pt47s were directed to principal lines throughout the
country and were often used with heavy drafts. As electrification progressed,
they were from mid-1970s – together with other steam locomotives – relegated
to secondary duties, but in 1980 PKP rosters still included 156 examples
and four years later – 144. In late 1980s, however, their number rapidly
dwindled and last of them, Pt47-13, was withdrawn from active service in
October 1988. One example (Pt47-134, HCP 1336/1949) was transferred to
a food industry plant in 1985, subsequently serving as a stationary boiler
for several years. According
to lists compiled by Tomisław Czarnecki (available at www.holdys.pl/tomi), 21 Pt47s still
existed in early 2005, although one-third of them only as wrecks. Two
derelict engines (Pt47-2, Fablok
1852/1948, and Pt47-105, HCP 1303/1949) were scrapped in September
2005 Two machines, based in Wolsztyn, are still operational. Pt47-65 (Fablok
2065/1949) is a well-known locomotive which often hauls scheduled trains.
Pt47-112 (HCP 1310/1949) is another working locomotive of this type;
after last overhaul it was restored in service in early 2005, but fitted the
25D49-98 tender, as used with Ol49s – albeit bearing 34D74-42 designation!
The aim was to match the 20 m turntable at Wolsztyn depot (axle base of the
‘new’ tender is shorter by 850 mm), but railway purists grind their teeth.
Initially it was intended to maintain Pt47-28 (Fablok 1878/1949) in
working order, but finally this machine was used as the source of spares for
two operational examples. Each of principal Polish railway museums or
heritage parks has a Pt47: Warsaw Railway Museum (Pt47-104, HCP
1302/1949), Industry and Railway Museum in Jaworzyna Śląska (Pt47-78, Fablok
2078/1949, albeit in a poor condition), Zduńska Wola Karsznice locomotive
depot (Pt47-93, Fablok 2093/1950), Chabówka heritage park (Pt47-152, HCP
1402/1950) and Kościerzyna locomotive depot (Pt47-171, erroneously designated
Pt47-100, Fablok 2111/1950). Some engines (including prototype Pt47-1)
are plinthed at various locations. Yet
another locomotive of this type still remains in active service. Pt47-138 (HCP
1340/1949), after withdrawal, was sold to Austrian Brenner & Brenner railway.
This machine was externally made similar to Pt31 (boiler domes fairing was
removed and smoke lifters were modified), to commemorate service of the
latter type as class 919 with Austrian railways during WWII and shortly
afterwards. After undergoing a major overhaul in Česke Velenice (Czech
Republic) in 2000, this machine joined the B&B fleet as 919.138.
It is often used with special trains. Pt47
crowned the development of express steam locomotives in Poland. Built to
fulfill virtually the same demands as Pt31, it was designed not for extreme
speed, but rather high tractive effort with moderate axle load. For that
purpose, four coupled axles were used; axle load was only by 0.5 tonne higher
than in much lighter Pacific Pm36, but tractive effort was higher by
over 27%. Contrary to many European railways (including Germany and UK),
express Pacifics were not favored by PKP: three coupled axles
did not allow to keep axle load within acceptable limits, while single-axle
lead truck was sufficient for speeds up to 100 km/h. Mikados were much
better suited for specific Polish conditions, where few lines were suitable
for high speed traffic and, at the same time, good acceleration with heavy
drafts was demanded. In such service, Pt47s performed very well.
Main technical data
1) 27D48
= 33D48 with coal feeder, 34D48 = 34D44 with modified couplings, 27D74 =
27D48 with roller axle bearings, 34D74 = 34D48 with roller axle bearings,
32D74 = modified 32D29 2) With
33D48 tender (from 1949 onwards – starting probably with Pt47-91) 3) With
34D48 tender References and acknowledgments
Concise
descriptions can be found in PNP and AP. Much information was
taken from ‘Doctor’s’ website http://parowozy.best.net.pl.
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