TKp12

278.02 (Krauss Linz 6197/1909) was originally built for the Neue Bukowinaer Lokalbahn-Gesellschaft. It ended up with CFR and was withdrawn in 1924. Location and date unknown. Source: LAÖ.

Almost identical (but not identical) factory photo of the 278.02; Linz, 1909. Source: www.commons.wikimedia.org.

Class 178 of the Austro-Hungarian state railways (kkStB) was an important type, built mainly for local lines. It ran on saturated steam and featured compound steam engine; despite the 0-4-0 axle arrangement it was capable of negotiating curves 80 m in radius. Prototypes were outshopped from Krauss Linz in 1898 and this locomotive remained in production until 1924, total output reaching about 260 examples (including modified variants for various other operators). In 1909 Krauss Linz built a superheated version, classed 278, which retained the compound steam engine, with high-pressure cylinder slightly increased in diameter. Economy was obviously improved, but potential customers were probably sufficiently satisfied with the well-proven 178. Production run was thus short, with only eight examples built until 1911. First two examples, including prototype, were built for the Neue Bukowinaer Lokalbahn-Gesellschaft, the third for the Lokalbahn Tarnopol-Zbaraż in Galicia (today in Ukraine). The rest went directly to kkStB and were used by Wiener Stadtbahn (three) and on the Hieflau-Eisenerz line (two).

278.01 and 278.02 were in 1914 assigned to the Czernowitz depot (today Chernivtzi, Ukraine) and after the war were taken over by the Romanian state railways CFR. The former survived until 1936, the latter, captured in May 1918, was in poor condition and was written off in July 1924. PKP took over 278.03 (Krauss Linz 6431/1910), which was later re-numbered TKp12-1. Five remaining 278s were initially kept by BBÖ, but were later transferred to PKP as a part of reparations. They became TKp12-2 through 6. All these engines served in south-eastern Poland and survived until 1939, to fall into Soviet hands. TKp12-2 (former 278.04, Krauss Linz 6432/1911) remained with NKPS and later MPS until 1951 and the remaining five became German war booty. Taken over by DRG, they were numbered 92 2801 through 2805. 92 2803 (former TKp12-4, Krauss Linz 6434/1911) was returned after the war and re-numbered TKp12-1, but saw little service and was written off in May 1951. 92 2802 and 92 2805 remained with DR; the former was returned to PKP in October 1955 and immediately scrapped. 92 2804 (TKp12-5) was returned to PKP in 1945, but not assigned a new service number, which implies that it saw no post-war service. The fate of 92 2801 (TKp12-1) remains unknown.

Main technical data

No.	Parameter	Unit	Value
1.	Years of manufacture	-	1909 – 1911
2.	Total built / used in Poland	-	8 / 6
3.	Tender class	-	-
4.	Axle arrangement	-	0-4-0
5.	Design maximum speed	km/h	50
6.	Cylinder bore	mm	440 / 650
7.	Piston stroke	mm	570
8.	Engine rating	kW/hp
9.	Tractive effort	kG	8 500
10.	Boiler pressure	MPa	1.33
11.	Grate dimensions	m x m	1.60 m^2
12.	Firebox heating surface	m^2	6.9
13.	Distance between tube plates	mm	3 600
14.	Number of flue tubes	-	84
15.	Heating surface of flue tubes	m^2	48.5
16.	Number of smoke tubes	-	15
17.	Heating surface of smoke tubes	m^2
18.	Evaporating surface, total	m^2	55.4
19.	Superheater heating surface	m^2
20.	Diameter of drivers	mm	1100
21.	Diameter of idlers front/rear	mm	- / -
22.	Total weight, empty	kg	39 100
23.	Total weight, working order	kg	52 000
24.	Weight on drivers, working order	kg	52 000
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	3 700
29.	Overall length (with tender)	mm	9 648
30.	Brake type	-	Hardy

List of vehicles can be found here.

References and acknowledgments

- LP, ITFR, KT vol. 3;

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

- www.beitraege.lokomotive.de/datenbank (Ingo Hütter’s database).