Tp2
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The sole surviving Tp2-34, photographed at the
Jaworzyna Śląska depot on August 4, 2004.
The same engine,
photographed on May 1, 2006.
Tp2-45, location unknown. According to my data this picture was taken
in August 1962, but in fact Tp2-45 was withdrawn one year earlier.
Tp2-34, this time photographed in June 2008
by John Bryant (thanks for permission!).
G72 side drawing, © Lokomotiv-Revue.
Source: TB vol.1. |
Between
1893 and 1917 Prussian state railways (Königlich
Preußische Eisenbahnverwaltung –
KPEV) received over 1200
freight engines with four coupled axles (0-4-0) – first type with this axle
arrangement in their fleet. Classed G71, they proved very
successful and were built by eleven factories; a few dozen more were
delivered to other railway managements. After WWI, 142 were taken over by PKP
and classed Tp1. G71 ran on saturated steam and featured a
single-expansion steam engine. As early as in 1895 a version with compound
engine was developed by Vulcan and accepted by KPEV as G72.
Compound
engine gave better economy and slightly higher power rating, but tractive
effort was in fact lower than that of the earlier engine. To facilitate
startups, von Borries device was fitted; later Dultz startup valve was
standardized. In order to keep front axle load within acceptable limits,
distance between tube walls was shortened by 400 mm, which was accompanied by
slight extension of the smoke-box; apart from cylinders, this is the main
external difference between G71 and G72. Number and
diameter of flues remained unchanged. Despite these measures, engine weight
increased by 1.8 tonnes (in working order) and axle load was marginally
higher, but still well below 14 tonnes. As its predecessor, G72
was usually coupled with the 3T12 three-axle tender. Until
1911, when production of this type for Prussian railways was terminated, 1646
examples had been delivered by ten factories (Grafenstaden, Hanomag,
Henschel, Hohenzollern, Linke-Hofmann, Orenstein
& Koppel, Schichau, Schwartzkopff, Union and Vulcan).
Moreover, between 1914 and 1916 Mecklemburgische Friedrich-Franz Eisenbahn
(MFFE) received eleven very similar machines from Linke-Hofmann,
numbered 466 through 476; they had modified boilers with Knorr-type feedwater
heater and 216 flues instead of 218, and were marginally heavier. G71
was also developed into G73, with lead Adams axle (1-4-0
arrangement), which in fact preceeded G72, but was built only in
small numbers, as steam superheating soon proved its advantages; a few served
with PKP as class Tr1. After
WWI, Prussian railways were left with less than 700 engines of this type, the
rest being handed over as a part of war reparations, mainly to France,
Belgium, Italy (32 examples, FS class 421 together with G71s
and one kukHB class 274, most withdrawn in the 1930s), Poland and
Lithuania. Newly-formed DRG classed them 557-14 and
numbered 55 702 through 1392 (number 55 701 was, by mistake, allocated to a
G73). In 1935, fifteen more followed from Saarland, 55 1393
through 1407, and in 1940 three more from Alsace-Lorraine, 55 1408 through
1410. Apart from these late ‘acquisitions’, most engines of this type were
withdrawn from the DRG service in the 1930s, as more modern and
efficient types became available. As of the MFFE G72s, five
went to France and one to Belgium (withdrawn before 1940) and five became DRG
55 5701 through 5705, to be withdrawn before 1933. In
the newly-formed PKP fleet G72, classed Tp2, was one of the
major types – in fact second only to KPEV G8 (Tp4) until indigenous
Ty23 made its appearance in quantity. According to LP, as many as 297
examples were taken over, including one briefly serving with Lithuanian
Railways. Two had been written off before new PKP designation system
was introduced, so eventually class Tp2 numbered 295 examples. Despite their
obsolescence, most survived in service until 1939, only eighteen being
withdrawn in late 1930s. Just as other Prussian freighters, at least one G72
saw some action during the 3rd Silesian Uprising, with the ‘Tadek
Ślązak’ armored train, completed at the steelworks in Zawadzkie in May 1921.
According to LP and www.derela.republika.pl,
this engine was numbered 4700; this implies that this was possibly Kattowitz
4700 (Linke-Hofmann 569/1908), which later became Tp2-223 – but this
is just a conjecture. It was de-militarized in 1922 or 1923. After
the September campaign, Tp2s shared the fate of other Polish locomotives: 156
went to DRG (including one withdrawn engine) and 99 fell into Soviet
hands (including five withdrawn). On 24 engines detailed data are lacking –
some probably were also taken over by the Soviets, as, according to LP,
on January 1, 1941, NKPS rosters included 112 examples. Most Tp2s in
the DRG service were given numbers from 55 701 upwards – all allocated
for the second time, after those withdrawn before the war; a few were written
off before new numbers could be assigned. 55 Soviet engines were later
captured by Germans and impressed into DRG or Ostbahn, while
two German ones became Soviet war booty. After
the war, 86 Polish Tp2s were returned, plus four more formerly used by DRG
(from a handful that avoided withdrawal before 1939), so the class numbered
ninety examples. As early as in February 1945 three Tp2s were temporarily
transferred to EKD, which operated suburban traffic between Warsaw and
Grodzisk Mazowiecki. This line had been electrified in 1927, but the power
station was damaged by withdrawing German troops. Tp2s hauled passenger cars
until April (this information has been taken from www.trasbus.com). Some engines of this
type were withdrawn after only few years’ service; most were soon relegated
to switching and disappeared from the PKP rosters during the 1950s. A
dozen or so soldiered on into the 1960s. Five Tp2s remained in use in Warsaw
until mid-1960s and these were the last engines of this type used by PKP,
albeit only for switching and auxiliary duties. The last of them, Tp2-86 (Linke-Hofmann
132/1902, pre-war Tp2-84 and later 55 732), was written off in November 1966.
Considerable number of these obsolete, but useful engines went to various
industrial establishments; in the 1950s at least eleven were transferred to
track construction and maintenance enterprises. Tp2-34 (Henschel
7409/1906), one of the last in the PKP service, withdrawn in October
1966, has been preserved and can now be seen at the Industry and Railway
Museum in Jaworzyna Śląska. This engine began its life as KPEV
Kassel 4719, then became Tp2-144 and fell into Soviet hands in September
1939. Captured by Germans and impressed into DRG as 55 860, it was
returned in 1945. As far as I know, this is the only surviving G72.
In late 2007, a 12C1 tender was discovered at military premises in Osowiec,
in almost perfect condition, still with pre-war service number 12C1-466;
according to available information, it once ran with a Tp2. DB got
rid of their 557-14s fairly quickly: last were written off in late
1951. With DR some survived until early 1960s and a few went to
industry, but none has been preserved. Main technical data
1) Other
sources give 136.6 sq.m. 2) Including
eleven for Mecklemburgische Friedrich-Franz Eisenbahn. References and acknowledgments
-
Ingo Hütter’s website www.lokomotive.de/lokomotivgeschichte/datenbank;
-
TB vol.1, EZ, LP. |
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