Od103

SBB 114 (Winterthur 785/1893) became Warschau 1903 and later LVD An 28. Handed over to PKP, it was finally designated Od103-1 or Od103-3. Source: www.commons.wikipedia.org.

Jura-Simplon Bahn 110, location and date unknown. Source: as above.

No. 193 (Winterthur 1717/1906) was delivered directly to SBB; location and date unknown. Source: as above.

Latvian An 27 (wood-fired!), location and date unknown. This locomotive later became Od103-1 or Od103-3. Many thanks to Toms Altbergs!

Jura-Simplon Bahn 128, Brig depot, date unknown (about 1900). Source: www.commons.wikimedia.org.

Between 1892 and 1896 SLM Winterthur (Schweizerische Lokomotiv- und Maschinenfabrik) built thirty class A2T passenger locomotives for the Jura-Simplon Bahn. They ran on saturated steam and were fitted with compound steam engines. Their design was based on Prussian Musterblatt III-1e (later class P4², after WWI PKP class Od2). Further twenty locomotives of this type, differing only in minor details, were built for Schweizerische Nordostbahn between 1898 and 1901. Both these railways were later nationalized: Nordostbahn in 1902 and Jura-Simplon in 1903. Their A2Ts were taken over by Schweizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB) and classed A2/4. They were later joined by further thirty engines originally ordered by Nordostbahn, delivered between 1902 and 1906.

During WWI SBB launched a vast electrification program, due to dramatic shortage of coal. Steam locomotives thus gradually became surplus. In 1917 eleven A2/4s were sold to Deutsche Heeresbahn (German military railways) and designated Warschau 1901 through 1911. During the closing stages of war at the eastern front three were left in Poland and taken over by PKP. Two more were acquired by Latvian state railways LVD and designated An 27 and An 28. In 1919 they were handed over to PKP. Initially, due to their similarity to the Prussian class P4², these engines were classed P4^szw, where the upper index stood for ‘Szwajcaria’ (Switzerland). Later they were re-classed Od103. Little is known about their service, apart from the fact that all five were still in use in 1927, but were withdrawn before 1931. Assignment of service numbers to individual examples is not known. Most probably Warschau 1903 (Winterthur 785/1903, former SBB 114, later LVD An 28) and Warschau 1901 (An 27) became Od103-1 and Od103-3; many thanks to Toms Altbergs for confirmation. In Switzerland this class was withdrawn until 1926 and not a single example has been preserved.

Main technical data

No.	Parameter	Unit	Value
1.	Years of manufacture	-	1892 – 1906
2.	Total built / used in Poland	-	80 / 5
3.	Tender class	-	12C103
4.	Axle arrangement	-	2-2-0
5.	Design maximum speed	km/h	90
6.	Cylinder bore	mm	460 / 680
7.	Piston stroke	mm	660
8.	Engine rating	kW/hp
9.	Tractive effort	kG	5 850
10.	Boiler pressure	MPa	1.33
11.	Grate dimensions	m X m	2.18 m^2
12.	Firebox heating surface	m^2
13.	Distance between tube plates	mm
14.	Number of flue tubes	-
15.	Heating surface of flue tubes	m^2
16.	Number of smoke tubes	-	-
17.	Heating surface of smoke tubes	m^2	-
18.	Evaporating surface, total	m^2	119.0
19.	Superheater heating surface	m^2	-
20.	Diameter of drivers	mm	1 830
21.	Diameter of idlers front/rear	mm	980 / -
22.	Total weight, empty	kg
23.	Total weight, working order	kg	50 000
24.	Weight on drivers, working order	kg	31 000
25.	Weight with tender, empty	kg
26.	Weight with tender, working order	kg	80 000
27.	Maximum axle load	T	15.5
28.	Axle base (with tender)	mm	12 820
29.	Overall length (with tender)	mm	15 820
30.	Brake type	-	Westinghouse

References and acknowledgments

- LP;

- www.pl.wikipedia.org;

- www.de.wikipedia.org;

- Toms Altbergs (private communication).