EU41
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Poor, but interesting photo of a mysterious electric locomotive –
probably EU41. Assignment to the
Gdynia depot is not helpful in identification.
Another
picture, possibly taken on the same occasion. Both photos courtesy Robert
Prusakowski. |
After WWII Polish state railways PKP took over two small electric
locomotives of German origin. One of them was E401 (later re-designated EU40,
but probably only formally) from the Wüstewaltersdorfer
Kleinbahn in Lower Silesia. This
locomotive has miraculously survived until today and is plinthed in Warsaw.
The other was less lucky: not only it has not been preserved, but very little
is known about it – even its PKP designation is only a matter of
conjecture.
This
mysterious locomotive appeared about 1954 in Wąbrzeźno (formerly Briesen Westpreussen)
in northern Poland. Local railway, initially known as Stadtbahn Briesen,
operated a single line just 3.28 km in length between two stations, Briesen
Stadt and Briesen Bahnhof. It was opened in April 1898 as the first
electrified local railway in Prussia (470 V DC, supplied from a local power
station). Initially there were three railcars, built by Beuchelt & Co.
and numbered 1, 2 and 3. After WWI this railway was not incorporated into PKP
and was operated by local authorities. After the fall of Poland in September
1939 it was renamed Kreisbahn Briesen. When WWII ended, Polish state
railways were initially not eager to take over this small local line, which
somehow managed to keep all three old railcars in service. The railway,
however, soldiered on and the railcars were soon found insufficient, so a new
locomotive arrived about 1954. This
small, two-axle machine is known from just a handful of photographs, all of
quality which does not allow for a reliable identification. According to the
monograph by Robert Prusakowski, it was purchased (or leased) from PKP
and had been previously used in Gdynia. Possibly it was similar to (but
certainly not identical with) the above-mentioned E401, which suggests it had
been built by AEG, but this is just a conjecture. ‘New’ locomotive,
with service number 4, did not enjoy long service in Wąbrzeźno. In 1958 the
railway was finally taken over by PKP and ‘de-electrified’ in 1959.
Electric locomotive and railcars were replaced by SM30 and SM42 diesels,
later by a SN61 diesel railcar. Scheduled passenger traffic continued until
1991; the line still exists, but serves as a factory siding only. The
fate of No.4 is unknown, but most probably it saw no service after 1959, due
to untypical voltage and obsolescence. It is almost certain that, together
with the railcars, it was scrapped soon afterwards; details are lacking.
According to the new designation system, which was introduced by PKP
in July 1959, No.4 could become EU41: it is known that EU40 and EU41
designations had been reserved for existing locomotives, and EU40 was
assigned to the E401. There is, however, no confirmation of this designation
being actually given. Almost no technical or historical data of this
mysterious machine is available, so any amendment or comment is most welcome.
Number 41 was later given to a heavy two-section freight locomotive from HCP
(ET41). Main
technical data
Note: other data not available. References and
acknowledgments
-
‘Wąbrzeska Kolejka Powiatowa’ (Wąbrzeźno Local Railway)
by Robert Prusakowski, 2008 (permission to use photos from this book is
gratefully acknowledged;; |
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