Th18

LCJE No. 157 ‘Sereth’ (Sigl 1599/1872), location unknown, before 1900. Later this engine became kkStB 4643, then 46.43 and finally went to PKP. Wood firing is noteworthy. Source: www.commons.wikimedia.org.

Ordered by EUGE, but delivered after its nationalization, kkStB 4635 (WrN 3320/1889) later became 46.36. After the war it went to PKP and was withdrawn before 1927. Source: LAÖ.

Between 1872 and 1889 Austrian G. Sigl Lokomotiv-Fabrik built 43 freight locomotives with the 0-3-0 axle arrangement for five private railways:

- Erzherzog Albrecht-Bahn (EAB), nationalized in 1892 – 16 examples;

- Mährische Grenzbahn (MGB), operated by kkStB since 1883 and nationalized in 1895 – one example;

- Erste Ungarisch-Galizische Eisenbahn (EUGE), nationalized in 1889 – 16 examples, last four delivered directly to kkStB;

- Ungarische Westbahn (UWB) – three examples;

- Lemberg-Czernowitz-Jassy Eisenbahn (LCJE), nationalized in 1889 – seven examples.

Last eight locomotives for EUGE were built by Sigl company successor, Actien-Gesellschaft der Lokomotiv-Fabrik vormals G. Sigl, commonly known as Wiener Neustadt. Engines from individual batches differed in certain respects. In particular, 46.09 through 17 featured Belpaire-type firebox and had 191 flues, while all remaining examples had standard fireboxes and 176 or 186 flues. Three types of smokestacks were used: straight, conical or fitted with Rihosek-type spark arrester. All these locomotives had, apart from their ‘native’ service numbers and in some cases individual names, also kkStB numbers (4601 through 4643). In 1905, following the introduction of new designation system, they were classed 46; two of them, 4607 and 4617, were withdrawn earlier, so new numbers 46.07 and 46.17 were not assigned. In the kkStB service class 46 locomotives were slightly modified; weight was reduced and maximum speed increased from 40 to 45 km/h.

Until 1918 as many as twenty of these already obsolete engines, including two previously mentioned, were written off. The rest were divided between Austria and Poland. ÖBB retained just three examples; two were withdrawn in 1925 and the last one in 1929. PKP took over the remaining twenty, but one, 46.39, probably saw no service and was written off in 1921. They were used mainly on local lines in south-eastern Poland. Within the framework of new designation system they were most probably to be classed Th18, but it is doubtful if re-numbering actually took place, as all were withdrawn from use before 1927. Assignment of new service number to individual examples is not known. No locomotive of this type has been preserved.

Main technical data

No.	Parameter	Unit	Value
1.	Years of manufacture	-	1872 – 1889
2.	Total built / used in Poland	-	43 / 20^1)
3.	Tender class	-
4.	Axle arrangement	-	0-3-0
5.	Design maximum speed	km/h	45
6.	Cylinder bore	mm	2 X 460
7.	Piston stroke	mm	632
8.	Engine rating	kW/hp
9.	Tractive effort	kG
10.	Boiler pressure	MPa	1.02
11.	Grate dimensions	m X m	1.65 / 1.71 / 1.65 m^2 2)
12.	Firebox heating surface	m^2	8.2 / 8.1 / 8.0^2)
13.	Distance between tube plates	mm	4 200
14.	Number of flue tubes	-	176 / 186 / 191^2)
15.	Heating surface of flue tubes	m^2	118.5 / 120.0 / 128.5^2)
16.	Number of smoke tubes	-	-
17.	Heating surface of smoke tubes	m^2	-
18.	Evaporating surface, total	m^2	126.7 / 128.1 / 136.5^2)
19.	Superheater heating surface	m^2	-
20.	Diameter of drivers	mm	1 175
21.	Diameter of idlers front/rear	mm	- / -
22.	Total weight, empty	kg	33 000
23.	Total weight, working order	kg	35 200
24.	Weight on drivers, working order	kg	35 200
25.	Weight with tender, empty	kg
26.	Weight with tender, working order	kg
27.	Maximum axle load	T	13.2
28.	Axle base (with tender)	mm	10 430
29.	Overall length (with tender)	mm
30.	Brake type	-

1) Including one not restored in service.

2) First / second / third boiler version.

References and acknowledgments

- www.pospichal.net/lokstatistik (website by Josef Pospichal);

- www.de.wikipedia.org;

- LP, KT vol. 2, LAÖ.