ST43
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Slightly derelict, but saved from being
scrapped: ST43-01 at the Chabówka Rolling Stock Heritage Park,
...and second photo, taken on
CFR 60-1238-9 and 060-DA-1004 (both
designations are still in use!). Photo: Mircea Dorobantu Six ST43s, PKP (first one is ST43-226),
photographed at the Węgliniec depot on
…and derelict ST43-226 at Jelenia Góra loco depot three years later (
Another picture from the Jelenia Góra depot:
ST43-206 (most probably withdrawn), November 29, 2008.
In 2008, there were still many withdrawn
ST43s at the Węgliniec depot: the first one is ST43-390, followed by
ST43-332. Photo taken on July 16.
CFR class 62 with a passenger train. Photo: Mircea Dorobantu…
… and class 60 with a heavy freight train.
Photo: Mircea Dorobantu
Modernized 65-0944-2, operated by CFR
Calatori, photographed in Pitesti on February 12, 2008. Photo by Stefan
Puscacu (thanks for permission!).
Derelict ST43-02 (Electroputere 205/1965)
at the Industry and Railway Museum in Jaworzyna Śląska; there are
chances of restoration, anyway (
Side drawing of Bulgarian class 06 from LBDZ; apart from slightly different
life guards and decorative stripes, this machine is identical to ST43.
060DA-2384, Lotos Kolej, double-heading with a SM42; photo taken in Zduńska
Wola Karsznice on
060DA is the principal heavy diesel in the Lotos Kolej fleet; this 060DA-2222 was
photographed on
...060DA-2392 followed on
... and 060DA-1341 two days later; this
example still carries the livery of the leasing company...
...while 060DA-1079, photographed on the same
occasion, has already been repainted.
Again in Karsznice: 060DA-1020,
…and 060DA-1079, July 16, 2008.
Another 060DA leased by Lotos Kolej: 060DA-2332, photographed at the same location on
…and yet another: ST43-2394, photographed on July
16, 2008. Note different designation systems.
ST43-R006, CTL Rail, photographed near the Miejska Górka sugar plant on For many years, following the drastic
reduction of the ST44 fleet, ST43 has been the most numerous heavy diesel in
the PKP service. Some pictures can
be found here.
060DA-1009 (Electroputere 1009/1971), operated by PTKiGK Rybnik. Photo taken in Zebrzydowice on
Withdrawn ST43-316, photographed at the
Węgliniec depot on
This ST43-R011 probably belongs to CTL Rail, but has no logo or operator name
and is painted in gloomy black/grey – hope this is some interim livery?
Bolesławiec,
New and old CTL Rail (now CTL Logistics)
liveries are displayed by double-heading ST43-R015 and ST43-R006, respectively;
Nysa station,
060DA-2410 displays new Lotos Kolej
livery – I like it. Zduńska Wola Karsznice, March 18, 2009.
060DA-1003, PTKiGK Rybnik,
photographed at the Sosnowiec Jęzor depot on April 14, 2009.
A very beautiful picture of the 060DA-2306, PTK,
with the Łagisza power station in the background; May 7, 2009. Double
designation on the front wall is noteworthy. Photo by Ryszard Rusak (thanks
for permission!).
ST43-R012 from the CTL Rail fleet;
Bolesławiec, August 5, 2009.
Zduńska Wola Karsznice again: 060DA-2335 from
the Lotos Kolej fleet, November 23, 2009…
…and 060DA-2186 from the same company:
February 19, 2010.
Hardly resembling the ‘old’ 060DA, the Carpathia
2300 DE-M is seen here at the Innotrans 2010 fair in Belin. Photo
taken by Chris West on September 22, 2010 – many thanks!
060DA-2976 operated by Euronaft Trzebinia,
photographed in Zduńska Wola Karsznice on October 21, 2011.
ST43-R005, operated by CTL Logistics,
photographed in Nowa Sól on February 4, 2009. Photo by Michał Korfel (from my
collection). |
In early 60s,
steam locomotives were being withdrawn from the PKP service in large numbers, more in order to keep in line with
current trends than due to economical factors (coal was readily available and
relatively cheap). However, electrification did not progress as rapidly as
previously envisaged and this created an urgent need for heavy diesel freight
locomotives. Polish industry had never built such machines; in fact, only
small and rather primitive switchers were then manufactured in quantity. Design
work obviously had to take some time, so purchase from a foreign manufacturer
remained the only solution. Political factors certainly limited the number of
possible suppliers and the choice fell on the Romanian 060DA heavy line
diesel.
Romania
was a ‘black sheep’ among the CMEA
(Council for Mutual Economical Aid)
countries, often demonstrating a certain degree of independence. This was
sometimes manifested in purchasing licenses from Western countries, and
diesel locomotives provided an example. In 1959 Romanian state railways CFR purchased six – some older sources
give ten, which is incorrect – 060DA machines in Switzerland. They were
manufactured by Schweizerische Lokomotiv- und Maschinenfabrik (SLM)
of Winterthur, with serial numbers 4246 through 4251, and owed much to the
design of already well-known Ae 6/6 type. License production started in 1960
at the Electroputere works of Craiova, first ten locomotives being
assembled from Swiss-made elements. This factory had been founded in 1949 to
produce machinery and equipment for power industry and transport; in 1990 it
was split into seven companies, to become SC
Electroputere SA holding
four years later. Manufacture of electrical (Brown-Boveri license) and
mechanical (SLM license) components, as well as the final assembly,
were located there, diesel engines (Sulzer license – twelve-cylinder
two-row unit with two separate crankshafts) being manufactured at Reşita works. Initial agreement
stipulated a batch of forty Romanian-built locomotives; their number would
eventually exceed 2400, to make them the most numerous European diesel
locomotive (excluding those built in the USSR). Class
060DA, in the 1970s re-classed 60, soon became the principal heavy line
freight diesel with CFR. Initially
production rate was not impressive, only eight examples being built in 1961,
but later soared up to the maximum of 146 in 1974. Class 60 soon earned a
reputation of strong, robust and reliable, if not particularly advanced,
locomotive, giving good performance in mountain regions. Further development
included passenger version with car heating equipment, different gear ratio
and maximum speed increased to 120 km/h (060DA1, later class 62, from 1966
onwards) and 1524 mm track version (class 67, from 1972 – for domestic use at
border stations). According to data supplied by Adrian Raduta (many thanks!),
production of these locomotives at Electroputere lasted until 1993,
totaled 2492 examples and included 1407 machines for CFR between 1960 and 1981, 130 for Bulgarian railways BDŽ (class 06, between 1966 and 1975)
and 373 machines supplied to China between 1971 and 1990 (class ND2 – other
sources give 285 and hence a grand total of 2404). Besides, 160 locomotives
of this type were supplied to various industrial operators, who in 1993
received the last two 060s built. These locomotives still remain in use. It
should be kept in mind that in the old designation system ‘060’ referred to
axle arrangement and did not distinguish any particular type; for example,
060DD and 060DF were completely different machines. From 1999 onwards, a few
dozen examples have been modernized (new GM
8-710G3 power-pack, new body and heating equipment). They are given new CFR service designations, class 63
(first three examples) or class 65 (subsequent machines, with modified body);
service numbers have been retained. Recently ten second-hand 060s from CFR were sold to Iran, where they are
operated by national railways RAI
under their original designation. In fact, a version designated 060DB for
Iran appeared as early as in 1971, but only two prototypes were built, which
eventually remained in Romania and went to industry. They were fitted with
up-rated engines and had only one cab. In 2010, the Romanian company REMAUL
presented a thoroughly modernized variant Carpathia 2300 DE-M with
Caterpillar 3512C diesel engine, ac generator and completely redesigned body. Decision
to purchase the 060DA for PKP was
taken in June 1964 and the first batch comprised thirty machines, put into
service from March 1965 onwards and designated ST43. This class was intended
to replace heavy freight steam locomotives Ty246 and Ty51, primarily on
routes between Silesia and western Baltic Sea ports. Deliveries lasted until
1978. Between 1965 and 1974, 35 to 45 examples were delivered each year; last
three batches of ten locomotives each were received in 1976, 1977 and 1978.
In all, 422 examples were supplied. Machines from ST43-156 onwards were
fitted with slightly modernized 12LDS28B engine of the same output. ST43-276
introduced new brakes and from ST43-278 length was increased by 400 mm
(longer frame, due to the introduction of the automatic coupler), with a
slight increase in overall weight. From ST43-313 onwards automatic
fire-extinguishing system was fitted. ST43 was more powerful than its main
competitor in the PKP service, the
famous ‘Gagarin’ ST44 (Soviet M62), although the latter was larger and
certainly looked (and sounded!) more impressive. Indigenous SU46, which
finally appeared in 1974, was still more powerful, but supplied only in small
numbers – its production was halted in 1977 due to factors other than
economical. Just
like with CFR, these locomotives
earned a good reputation in Poland, being considered strong and reliable;
ease of maintenance was also praised and economy was considerably better in
comparison with the ST44, which had an enormous appetite for fuel and oil.
They were used mainly with heavy freight trains. During summer they also
hauled passenger and even fast trains, but the lack of heating devices precluded
their widespread use in this role. Withdrawal of the ST43s began in early 80s
due to three reasons: advances in electrification of main lines, rapid
increase of fuel prices and decreasing transportation needs. However, thanks
to their better economy, they fared better than ST44s. Most have been
withdrawn and kept in reserve (which does not necessarily imply good overall
condition), but many have later been restored in service. Plans from late
1990s envisaged a large-scale modernization of these locomotives: it was
intended to fit them with new, modern diesel engines of unspecified type,
apart from various minor modifications. Although these plans were to include
as many as 250 examples, they ended up in nothing. After most ‘Gagarins’ have
been sold for scrap or abroad, ST43 became the most numerous heavy road
diesel in Poland. It was even planned to transfer some to north-eastern
Poland, where they had never been used before, but, according to some
sources, they were not found well suited to heavy winter conditions, quite
common in this region, and these plans were later abandoned. Rosters compiled
by Paweł Terczyński and given in AL list 174 machines in the PKP inventory in late 2006, certainly
not all serviceable. According to the article by Paweł Czech (KMD vol.
1-2/2011), in late 2010 PKP Cargo had 134 examples, of which 106 were
serviceable and 28 awaited repairs, at least in theory – many were in fact
cannibalized for spares. Lists available at www.kolejowaklatka.org (website by
Marek Dąbrowski) give 133 examples with PKP in mid-2011. Most are
currently based in Lower Silesia. Due to modernization of a number of ST44s
and SU46s, class ST43 does not seem to have a bright future with PKP Cargo.
Recently 48 examples (most of them already withdrawn from service) have been
cleared for sale, but I have no information on any potential customer. Although
ST43 were primarily purchased by PKP,
several withdrawn examples have recently been bought by various private
operators – sometimes via scrap-disposal companies, when they awaited an
inglorious end. According to rosters quoted in KMD, SK and various Internet sources, 53
examples were purchased by eight private railway companies. These included CTL Rail (later CTL Logistics, 15), Lotos Kolej (10), PTKiGK Rybnik (13), PTKiGK
Zabrze (3), PCC Rail (5, all sold to Lotos Kolej) PRKiI (track
maintenance company, 2), FER Polska (2) and EuroNaft (3). Most of these machines, depending on individual
user, were designated ST43 or 060DA plus service number (often, but not
always, corresponding to serial). Many of them were ex-CFR machines, bought via German Karsdorfer Eisenbahngesellschaft (KEG). A few came from Spanish Comsa Rail Transport
– probably all were also ex-CFR
locomotives. Some 060DAs from CFR can be distinguished by double top
headlights – those purchased by PKP
had single ones. According to www.kolejowaklatka.org,
in mid-2011, after various transformations, exchanges and withdrawals,
locomotives of this type were owned by CTL Logistics (13), DB
Schenker Rail Polska (7), EuroNaft (6), PRKiI (2), FER
Polska (2) and Lotos Kolej (1) – 31 examples in all. In
particular, Lotos Kolej, following purchases of modern brand-new
motive power, have got rid of all but one ST43s. The fate of two locomotives
owned by FER Polska, currently designated 60-2416 and ST43-1221, is
not clear, as this company (a joint venture of Rail4Chem and Comsa
Rail Transport) went into liquidation in late 2010. Most withdrawn ST43s
were sold back to Romania, but their subsequent fate is not known. Three were
transferred by DB Schenker Rail to Bulgaria. ST43-01
(first example in the PKP
inventory) recently somehow managed to find its way to the Chabówka rolling
stock heritage park; its condition is not very good, but at least it has been
saved from scrapping. ST43-02 is preserved at the Industry and Railway Museum in Jaworzyna Śląska, unfortunately in
bad condition; currently it is not on display there, but will probably be
restored. First 060DA supplied to CFR
has also been preserved in Romania, at the Dej locomotive depot. Main technical data
1) Up
to ST43-155, 12LDA28 2) From
ST43-278, overall length 17 400 mm, total weight 118 000 kg 3) From
ST43-276, both Oerlikon brakes 4) Including
six machines manufactured by SLM and assembled at Electroputere. 5) Plus
at least 52 second-hand examples purchased by private operators. Figures
on class 060 production (courtesy Adrian Raduta) can be found here. References and acknowledgments
-
Monographic article by Marek Ćwikła and Paweł
Terczyński (SK vol. 4/1995); -
www.electroputere.ro
(official website of the SC Electroputere SA); -
SK and KMD, various issues; -
AL; -
Adrian Raduta, Mircea Dorobantu and Chris West
(private communication – thanks for the photos!); -
www.cfr.ro (a text
by Antonio Bianco). |
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