Th12
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Drawing of the 312.801 by J. Janata (source: EZ vol. 1).
EPPK 38
was the last 0-3-0 built for this company. This type was a modification of
earlier BK I and differed in having larger drivers and cylinders of increased
bore. No. 38 finally became kkStB 39.04 and later ČSD
320.003; it was withdrawn in December 1928. Source: www.commons.wikimedia.org.
Side drawing of class 36; source: EZ vol. 1. |
Th12
is one of the most mysterious classes of pre-war PKP. According to KT,
this designation was possibly
assigned to kkStB
class 36, but confirmation is lacking. The sole locomotive of this type in
the PKP service was withdrawn
before 1923, so even if this designation had been envisaged for it, it was
never formally assigned. Class
36 of Austro-Hungarian state railways was originally ordered by k.k. privilegierte Eisenbahn Pilsen–Priesen–Komotau
(EPPK). This company, founded in 1870,
operated a network 256 km in length in western part of what today is Czech
Republic. Apart from 1-2-0 locomotives, numbered 1 through 12, built by Sigl between
1872 and 1876, fourteen 0-3-0s were ordered from the same manufacturer.
Numbered 21 through 34, they were delivered between 1871 and 1872. In 1876,
four similar, but slightly more powerful and faster engines followed, built
by WLF and numbered 35 through 38.
They differed in having larger drivers and increased cylinder bore. Finally,
eight 0-4-0s, numbered 51 through 58, were delivered from WLF and Wiener Neustadt between 1876 and 1881. On January 1, 1884, EPPK was nationalized and impressed
into kkStB.
0-3-0 locomotives numbered 21 through 38 were
initially re-numbered 3601 through 3618. In 1889 last four engines from WLF were recognized a separate class
and re-numbered 3901 through 3904. In 1905 these designations were modified
again, in accordance with new system, to classes 36 and 39, respectively;
this did not refer to three examples, withdrawn between 1899 and 1900. During
overhauls class 36 locomotives were fitted with modified boilers, with 167
flues instead of 156, steam pressure increased from 8.5 to 10 bar and
slightly reduced grate area. They were typically coupled with three-axle
class 19 tenders. In all, nine class 36 engines were written off
until 1918. Four were taken over by Czechoslovakian state railways ČSD, together with all four 39s. Of
the former class, only 36.03 (Sigl 1409/1872) was re-numbered 312.801 following
introduction of the new designation system in 1925; the rest were withdrawn
and cannibalized for spares. Class 39 fared better: three examples were
re-numbered 322.001 through 003. 312.801 was withdrawn in August 1927 and
322.003 followed in December 1928. Not a single example has been preserved. As already mentioned, one class 36 engine – 36.06,
former EPPK 26, Sigl 1412/1872 – was taken over
by PKP. Nothing is known about its
further fate, apart from early withdrawal; it seems possible that this old
and obsolete engine saw no service at all. This question remains open.
Photographs of class 36 are extremely rare; even KT contains just one picture of poor quality. ČSD designation 312.8 was later used again, this time
for a single old Prussian T3 tank locomotive (DRG 89 7491, Orenstein
& Koppel 1444/1905) taken over in 1945. In 1947 it was sold to a
Polish sugar plant. Withdrawn in 1988, it has been preserved and today is plinthed at the Toruń Kluczyki depot (see entry on class TKh1 for more
details). Main technical data
*) Data
refer to kkStB
class 36 with modified boiler. References and acknowledgments
-
www.pospichal.net/lokstatistik
(website by Josef Pospichal); -
TK vol. 2, EZ vol. 1; |
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