OKz32
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OKz32-2 (HCP
306/1934), preserved at Chabówka loco heritage park; photo taken on
OKz32 side drawing from PNP
(original version without smoke lifters)
OKz32-2 participated in the traditional ‘Steam Locomotive
Parade’ at the Wolsztyn depot on April 30, 2005…
… which gave me an occasion to photograph cab
interior. More photos taken during that event can be found here. Several photos taken during the 2007 parade can be
seen here.
On July 29, 2006, OKz32-2 made an impressive
appearance at the locomotive parade organized by the Chabówka railway stock
heritage park. This photo was taken at the Rabka Zaryte station.
Three pictures of the Okz32-2, taken on June 27,
1992, with a special train: near Powroźnik…
… in Rytro…
…and in Żegiestów. Photos by Wojciech Szpigiel
(from my collection).
OKz32-5, location unknown, August 1959. Photo from
my collection.
In 2008, OKz32-2 was scheduled for a major
overhaul…
…which gave an opportunity to photograph its
undercarriage…
…and boiler (ready for dispatch to Piła); all
pictures taken on November 12, 2008.
Okz32-1, photographed in Zakopane in April 1934
during service tests. Source: National Digital Archives (www.nac.gov.pl). Used by permission.
This – somewhat odd-looking, possibly retouched –
photo was taken at the Ostbahnausbesserungswerk Neu Sondez
(railway repair works of Nowy Sącz) and shows the 1000th engine
overhauled there – it happens to be the OKz32-3, HCP
304/1934, still with Polish service numbers. This particular loco later
became 95 302 and was returned by DR in 1955, but not restored
in service. Source: National Digital Archives (www.nac.gov.pl). Used by permission.
Okz32-21 (HCP 323/1936), most probably
photographed during some exhibition before 1939. Photo from my collection.
A factory photo of (most probably) OKz32-1 (HCP
302/1933). This picture appeared in the December 1934 issue of the Technika
Parowozowa (Steam Locomotive Engineering)
monthly. From my collection.
OKz32-2 photographed during its visit to Warsaw on
June 17, 1995. Photo by Marek Niemiec (from my
collection). |
Mountain
lines in southern Poland, including important and very popular line between
Kraków and Zakopane mountain resort, were initially a domain of ex-Austrian
tender locomotives, mainly classes Ti12, Tp15, Ol12 and Tr11. In late 1920s
they were supplemented with more modern ex-Prussian tank locomotives, mainly
T14 and T141 (in the PKP
service, TKt1 and TKt2, respectively). However, these 1-4-1 machines, with
the tractive effort of 12.1 tonnes, proved too weak and not entirely
successful, due to uneven weight distribution and unsatisfactory running
qualities, especially for passenger traffic (despite designation, they were
considered universal locomotives). New specification was thus submitted, for
a locomotive capable of hauling 400-tonne drafts on that demanding line, with
25‰ gradients and tight curves. As travel between Kraków and Zakopane
involved three direction changes (without turntables), tank engine was an
obvious choice. The task of designing such machine was entrusted to the HCP (Cegielski) company design
bureau. This company had had some experience with similar locomotives, having
built heavy tank engines with 1-6-2 axle arrangement for Bulgarian state
railways BDŽ (class 46 – twelve
examples delivered in 1931 were at that time the heaviest tank engines in
Europe; later they were supplemented with nine similar, but slightly heavier
three-cylinder locomotives from BMAG). Demands
of moderate axle load and high tractive effort on steep gradients resulted in
five driven axles. The 1-5-2 layout was at first contemplated, in order to
allow for higher coal and water capacity, but 1-5-1 was finally chosen due to
better running qualities it offered, especially at tight curves. It may be of
interest to note that, within the designation system used by PKP, no
provision had been made for 1-5-2 arrangement – as well as for 1-6-2s, built
by HCP for Bulgarian railways! Even with drivers of moderate diameter
(1450 mm) the layout finally selected resulted in a long machine – almost 2.5
metres longer than OKl27. Boiler was patterned upon that of late production
Ty23s with five rows of flues, but shorter. Despite increased boiler
pressure, this resulted in slightly lower efficiency, as superheater surface
was reduced. Belpaire firebox was supplanted with a conventional one. Engine
cylinders, valve gears and brakes were the same as in Pu29 and Pt31 express
locomotives, many other elements and fittings were also of standarized types.
Front and rear Krauss-Helmholtz trucks were used. Few modifications were
introduced during production; the most important was enlarged rear water-box
from OKz32-17 onwards. OKz32
prototype was rolled out in March 1934 and service tests began in April.
Results were entirely satisfactory, so a batch of 25 machines was ordered
immediately. Fourteen examples were built in 1934, six in 1935 and five in
1936; these orders, although small, were of vital importance for HCP. All these engines were based in
Kraków and served in southern Poland. As with most Polish locomotives, in
September 1939 they were divided between Germany (17 examples, impressed into
DRG service as class 953,
numbers 95 301 through 95 317) and the Soviet Union (the remaining
eight). Those captured by Soviets were converted to 1524 mm track and served
mainly in southern Ukraine and western Byelorussia. OKz32-10 was later
captured by Germans and impressed into service as 95 318. According to PNPP,
the remaining seven Soviet machines were used by MPS and last of them
were written off in early 1960s (some sources give that they were designated
OK.32 plus pre-war PKP service
number). None ever returned to Poland. In 1945 only eight machines were taken
over by PKP. In 1948, OKz32-6 was
returned (DRG 95 304, later
transferred to ÖBB and then taken
over by Soviet NKPS). Two more
followed in 1949: OKz32-20 (DRG
95 313), returned by DR, and
OKz32-19 (DRG 95 312),
initially taken over by ČSD, but
not impressed into service. OKz32-16 (DRG
95 311), which also ended up in Czechoslovakia, was not returned,
although EZ gives its post-war
service number OKz32-12. Last, 12th machine (OKz32-3, DRG 95 302) returned from Eastern
Germany in 1955, but due to bad condition was not restored in service and was
scrapped in 1956. OKz32-9 (DRG 95 307) and OKz32-10 (DRG 95
318) remained in Western Germany; these untypical machines aw little, if any,
service with DB and were written off in December 1951. According to PNPP,
the remaining four German engines were taken over by MPS, retaining
their DRG service numbers; their ultimate fate remains unknown. Eleven
OKz32s impressed into PKP service
after WWII were all grouped in Kraków and then, in early 1950s, transferred
to Sucha Beskidzka, where they remained for the rest of their lives. They
were seldom, if ever, used on lines other than Kraków-Zakopane, for which in
fact they had been designed. Modifications were few and rather typical: steel
fireboxes, Trofimov piston valves, cab modifications, boiler circulation
tubes and some minor changes. In 1960s OKz32-1, -6 and -9 were fitted with
short smoke lifters, while the remaining engines were given long ones,
extending back to the second sand dome. Service of these locomotives was very
intensive and this contributed to comparatively early withdrawal: in fact
they were outlived by some older classes. First of them (OKz32-7) was written
off in October 1971 and last three examples (OKz32-2, -8 and -9) survived
until mid-1974. Only one engine of that class has been preserved: OKz32-2 (HCP 306/1934, pre-war OKz32-5, DRG 95 303), withdrawn from service on
June 5, 1974, was plinthed in Tarnowskie Góry (for reasons really hard to
explain – Zakopane would have been much more appropriate!), but then it was
repaired and restored in service in December 1991. This machine is now at the
rolling stock heritage park in Chabówka and from time to time hauls special
trains. OKz32-9 (HCP 310/1934) was
in April 1975 transferred to an industrial plant in Łańcut and for some time served
as a stationary boiler, to be scrapped later. It
is of interest to note that post-war TKt48, with the same drivers’ diameter,
was designated as a freight engine, although in fact it was used for similar
tasks. These machines were, however, substantially weaker, having the
tractive effort of only 11.6 tonnes, and were used mainly for suburban
traffic. OKz32s were supplanted by electric locomotives: the Kraków-Zakopane
line was finally electrified in 1975. Main technical data
1)
Some sources give 116 600 kg – possibly this refers
to the variant with smaller rear water-box. List of
vehicles can be found here. References
and acknowledgments
-
www.parowozy.best.net
(website by Michał ‘Doctor’ Pawełczyk); -
monographic
article by Paweł Terczyński (SK vol. 4/1997); -
PNPP, PNP, AP, LP; -
www.lokomotive.de/lokomotivgeschichte/datenbank
(Ingo Hütter’s database). |
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