TKh1
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
TKh-9336 (Orenstein &
Koppel 1104/1903), photographed at the
… and the same example on
TKh-1444 (Orenstein &
Koppel 1444/1905), plinthed at Toruń Kluczyki depot with
fictitious designation TKh1-19; photo taken on
T3 side drawing by H.-D.Hertam (TB vol.2).
TKh1-20 (Orenstein & Koppel
3673/1909) plinthed at the Sucha Beskidzka depot; photo taken on
TKh1-429 (Hagans
430/1900), previously used by a sugar plant, is plinthed at the
GASAG Mariendorf No.1 (Schwartzkopff
3019/1901) on display at the Deutsches Technikmuseum, Berlin;
photo taken on May 16, 2009.
89 6009, DR (Humboldt
135/1902), photographed somewhere in Eastern Germany in August 1971. Photo by
Werner Nagel (from my collection). This engine was withdrawn in 1930, but later
went to a private railway and has survived until today.
Borsig 5528/1904, built for the Biberach-Oberharmersbach
Railway, is currently owned by EUROVAPOR. Photo taken by R.Jungels
near Binzen, date unknown (postcard from my collection). |
As
early as in 1870s Prussian state railways KPEV
faced a necessity to introduce light universal locomotives with three driven
axles for local trains and switching; existing two-axle machines (classed T0,
T1 and T2) were no longer sufficient. Such engine was designed by Henschel
in 1879 and accepted for production; later it was standardized as class T3.
Deliveries to KPEV started in 1882
and lasted until 1910, totaling 1345 examples from as many as nineteen
manufacturers. Data quoted in various sources show some discrepancies,
probably due to the fact that these engines were also built for various
private operators, later absorbed by KPEV. State railways of
Mecklenburg and Oldenburg ordered 68 and 15 examples, respectively. A grand
total of 1550 is quoted in most sources. According to some references,
production of this type in small numbers for various private railways
continued until 1924. T3s
were conventional and straightforward two-cylinder locomotives running on
saturated steam. Given the long production period and many manufacturers,
some diversity was inevitable. In KPEV
service alone, three basic variants were distinguished, differing in certain
details. First machines had no steam dome and were fitted with hand brakes. Later,
domes of various sizes and shapes were introduced and mechanical Haberlein or
steam brakes were fitted (many examples were subsequently retrofitted with
Westinghouse brakes). Coal and water capacities were also increased, although
all variants had coal boxes located in front of the driver’s cab. Overall
length was increased by almost 200 mm and weight rose accordingly, but axle
load remained moderate, not exceeding 12 tonnes. Grate area was increased
from 1.2 to 1.35 sq.m in later production examples. Archaic Allan-Trick valve
gear remained unchanged through the entire production period. These
light and small locomotives certainly were not star performers, but proved
very tough and reliable and their service life was in many cases surprisingly
long. They were also very versatile and initially were often used with light
local trains, hauling drafts of three or four cars. With cylinder bore of
only 350 mm their rated power was moderate, but due to small drivers tractive
effort was satisfactory. After the speed of local trains in Prussia was
increased from 40 to 50 km/h, they gradually disappeared from line service,
but for switching their performance remained adequate. After
WWI, German railways took over 511 ex-KPEV
machines, plus 49 from various other operators; they were designated class 8970-75.
Despite obsolescence, they still numbered about 250 in 1930 and some even
survived WWII. Details on T3 service outside Germany are scarce. Several
sources mention that they served in France, but these were possibly
locomotives previously used in Alsace and Lorraine, which remained there,
probably with industrial operators, after WWI; last were withdrawn in 1958.
Similarly, several examples were purchased by various Italian private
railways (not FS), last of them being withdrawn in early 1970s. They
were also used in China (Tsingtao?), but no details are available.
Information on their service in Greece has not been confirmed by competent
Greek sources. After WWII, one example briefly served with ČSD (classed 312.8, sometimes written
312.8II to avoid confusion with former Czechoslovakian class 312.8
– ex-KkStB class 36, withdrawn in
1927); it was used only for auxiliary duties until written off in 1947. Compared
to other German types, only a handful of T3s were taken over by Polish
railways after WWI – it seems quite possible that their obsolescence made
them not a very desirable booty. A total of 33 examples, classed TKh1, is
given by most recent sources. LP lists 26 engines (including two in
Gdańsk, designated TKh1-1Dz and TKh1-2Dz), and seven more with various local
private railways. It seems possible that some were used by industrial
establishments, but details are lacking; apart from the above, LP
lists seven engines with no data on service or assignment. With PKP TKh1s
served on local lines, mainly in northern and eastern Poland; eight were
withdrawn before 1939. After the September campaign, fifteen TKh1s were
captured by Germans. All but one were impressed into the DRG service
and numbered 89 7542 through 7555; of these, seven (89 7544, 89 7546, and 89
7552 through 7555) were from local railways. TKh1-7562 was not given a DRG
number and was written off in 1940. Soviets captured seven engines, plus
three that had been previously withdrawn from the PKP service. Five of
them later fell into German hands; four served with Ostbahn with their
original numbers and TKh1-22 became 89 7556, although this number was
assigned only formally. The fate of three PKP engines is unknown. After
WWII only eight returned, including one from DR which was not restored
in service. Post-war class TKh1 incorporated also a dozen or so machines from
various local German railways, often slightly differing from the basic T3
design in some details. Last engines of this type (TKh1-10, TKh1-11 and
TKh1-19), based in Toruń, were withdrawn from PKP service between 1966 and 1967. It seems possible that those
used by industrial operators remained in use for a few years longer. Four
TKh1s still exist, namely: -
TKh1-20 (Orenstein & Koppel 3673/1909,
pre-war TKh1-3763, then DRG 89
7555), plinthed at Sucha Beskidzka loco depot; -
Orenstein & Koppel 1444/1905 (ex-KPEV Osten 6158, then DRG 89
7491) – this engine is plinthed at Toruń Kluczyki loco depot and designated
TKh1-19, although it was used by a sugar plant as TKh3-1444; original TKh1-19
had been scrapped; -
TKh-9336 (Orenstein
& Koppel 1104/1903, pre-war TKh1-18); this engine is
displayed at the Railway Museum in Warsaw and previously had no plates. After
WWII it served with PKP as TKh1-13 and later went to industry.
Recently it has been fitted with TKh1-13 plates. According to many Polish
sources this is pre-war TKh1-11, which is inconsistent with the factory
number; -
TKh1-429 (Hagans 430/1900, ex-KPEV Breslau 1963, then Breslau 6177),
plinthed at the Rybnik depot (this machine was temporarily given DRG designation 89 7474 in 1923, but
later went to industry and in 1925 this designation was allocated to a
different engine – many thanks to Ingo Hütter for information). Unfortunately,
the oldest surviving example in Poland (Henschel 1949/1885, designated
TKh-5), kept at the Odolany depot in Warsaw, was scrapped by thieves (!) in
late 1990s. At
least three examples can be seen in Italy: two are plinthed, while the third
(formerly Ferrovia Valle Sessero No.2), based in Turin, is probably
still operational. I have information on five other machines of this type
preserved in: -
Germany (Borsig 5528/1904 – EUROVAPOR
No.30, ex Biberach-Oberharmersbach railway No.2, Esslingen 2985/1898
at Süddeutsches Eisenbahnmuseum, Heilbronn, and Schwartzkopff
3019/1901 at Deutsches Technikmuseum, Berlin – the latter was used
by GASAG company), -
Luxembourg (Hanomag 4018/1903, owned by Association
des Musée et Tourisme Ferroviaries, in working order until at least
1995), -
The Netherlands (Union 844/1896 at Museum Buurt Spoorweg in Haaksbergen).
This
list is certainly not complete; one source estimates that forty to fifty T3s
have survived until today. Main technical data
1) Some
sources give 1878 – 1906; production for various private operators possibly
continued until 1924. A total of 1345 examples, given in some sources, refers
to 2) After
WWII. 3) Some
sources give 60.8 m2 4) Some
sources give 32 000 kg – higher value refers to variants with increased coal
and water capacities 5) Some
sources give 8 780 mm – see above. 6) See
above. 7) Some
sources give 22 or 24. 8) Depending
on variant; in PKP service
Westinghouse brakes were fitted. References and
acknowledgments -
TB vol. 2, EZ vol. 1, LP,
AP; -
Ingo Hütter (private communication). |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
