PKP class ST44
Encyclopedia
M62 is a Soviet
built diesel locomotive
for heavy freight trains, exported to many Eastern Bloc
countries as well as to Cuba
, North Korea
and Mongolia
. Beside the single locomotive M62 also twin versions 2M62 and triple versions 3M62 have been built. A total number of 7164 single sections have been produced, which have been used to build 5231 locomotives.
directives production of heavy diesel locomotives among Eastern Bloc
countries was left exclusively for Romania
and the Soviet Union
.
The first few prototypes of this heavy freight locomotive were ready in 1964 and their first destination outside the Soviet Union was Hungary
. In the Soviet Union a total number of 723 units were produced.
For the Soviet military 154 locomotives named DM62 were built. These engines have been modified for pulling SS-24 Scalpel ballistic rocket launcher trains
.
For industrial railroad 39 engines of the version M62UP have been built . These engines had improved trucks, larger fuel tanks and modified exhaust silencers.
In the early 1960s an urgent need appeared in Poland
for a heavy freight diesel locomotive. The Polish industry at the time was not able to produce such a locomotive, so a decision was made to import a large number of M62 locomotives from the Soviet Union, which were already imported by Hungarian
MÁV
. In Poland those machines received ST44 designation During first revision repairs all locomotives had front lights changes from small ones into standard, Polish large types.
The decision is said to be made after Poland had started to import ST43
locomotives from Romania and was probably influenced directly from the Soviet Union. For political reasons USSR simply forced Poland to buy Soviet
instead of Romania
n locomotives, as it preferred satellite countries not to export their products.
The first 4 locomotives, produced by the Voroshilovgrad Locomotive Factory (in today's Lugansk, Ukraine
), were delivered to Poland in September 1965. Deliveries continued until the 1988, with 1,191 locomotives delivered in total (1,114 for PKP, 68 for LHS and 9 for industry). One of the locomotives (ST44-1500 – producer’s designation M63) had bogies and traction engines exchanged with newer types what allowed it to achieve higher top speed. The series, with numbers between 2001 and 2068 was imported to run on the LHS
broad gauge
line. In addition to different gauge this series was equipped with automatic coupling system.
There were several reasons for importing M62 locomotives to Poland and today’s views on this decision are ambiguous. The locomotive was far stronger than even the strongest Polish steam locomotive
s servicing freight transport in those days, yet it could not pull passenger trains (due to lack of carriage heating devices) and caused huge damage to railway tracks. Another important weakness of the M62 locomotive was a huge fuel consumption. What makes advantage of this machine is a quite simple construction and a fairly reliable diesel-electric transmission.
Intensive electrification of Polish railways caused the relatively new ST44 locomotives to be moved into reserve stock. Many machines withdrawn from PKP found their place among industrial and private railways, where they bore producer’s M62 designation
reducing the use of the class. In 2007 many still remain in service with PKP for freight use, though many are also stored. Some lines (e.g. Gdynia - Hel
line) forbid access of ST44 due to the heavy track wear the class causes.
The locomotives are still used in large numbers by private railroad companies, as well as on the LHS
broad gauge line.
Today around 50 units are present in Zamość
Engine Shed and it is decided to keep them for some more time.
In 2005 two ST44 locomotives were completely rebuilt by Bumar-Fablok S.A.
and delivered to the LHS line. Changes included new Caterpillar 3516B HD engines and main alternators. Those locomotives were given numbers 3001 and 3002.
Between the years 1996 and 1998 31 locomotives were delivered from Deutsche Bahn
. In 2000 six units were delivered from Slovakia
n State Railways and 13 units from PKP
. None of delivered locomotives were painted in traditional North Korean painting (which is blue and dark green) but still carry the same painting as in previous service, except the ex-German ones, which were given a different, green livery.
Naeyeon 602 locomotive has a special red tablet mounted which states that this machine was personally inspected by Kim Il Sung
Two copies were built in North Korea, numbers 8001 and 8002, and given the designation "Geumseong" ("Venus"). 8002 has been on display at the Museum of the Three Revolutions since its construction, while 8001 is in regular service.
At least 15 North Korean M62 locomotives were rebuilt to become electric locomotive
s. This is presumed to be quite easy, as the overhead voltage in North Korea is 3000 V.
where at first they were given T679.1 designation for standard gauge locomotives and T679.5 for broad gauge machines. Later those numbers were changed to 781 and 781.8 respectively. Those machines had been working in the Czech Republic
and Slovakia
until 2002.
MÁV received 294 locomotives named M62. The M62 001 was actually the first M62 ever built.
A program to replace the original Kolomna prime mover by a modern more efficient engine was started in 1997. The locomotives with the road numbers 301, 303 and 304 received MTU
prime movers, the rest Caterpillar
prime movers. The 34 remotorized engines have been renamed to M62.3 and received the nicknames "Remot-Szergej" for remotorized Szergej, "Csendes" meaning quiet, as well as "Csörgős" because of the rattling sound made by the engine.
Between 1970 to 1978, MÁV purchased 15 locomotives M62.5 with bogies for the Russian 1524 mm broad gauge. Three more M62.5
have been rebuilt from standard gauge M62. The broad gauge engines are used for operation near Zahony
in the border region of the former Soviet Union (now Ukraine). In 2005 still seven M62.5 have been in use.
1972 also the Raab-Sopron-Ebenfurter Railway (Győr-Sopron-Ebenfurti Vasút, GySEV) , an Austro-Hungarian joint venture, received six standard gauge locomotives named M62.9. The locomotives were stationed in Sopron and have been scraped 1996.
between 1974 and 1975.
received 13 single units M62UM and 66 twin units 2M62M.
s with three axles on each bogie. Chassis and bogie frames are constructed out of box elements. The two-stroke diesel engine
and the main alternator
are mounted on a steel
frame. The frame is fixed to the chassis with elastic supports. Electric traction motor
s are mounted on bogie frames with a tram system. M62 is equipped with electro-pneumatic multiple-unit controls
, therefore it is possible to drive two locomotives from one cabin. The locomotive had enough power to pull a 1,000 t. freight train with a top speed of 80 km/h (on level track), wile two coupled locomotives are able to pull trains up to 3,600 t. Top speed in such case is 60 km/h.
M61, which, while 10 tons lighter and slightly less powerful, could haul 25% more weight with 50-60% of the Soviet engine's fuel consumption. The M62 was unable to run from Budapest
to Nyíregyháza
and back without refuelling, which led to congestion and timetable problems when the NOHAB was replaced by the M62 on that route.
had substandard reliability because it was developed from scratch, in a short timeframe, without previous design experience. In the 1950s domestic use Soviet diesel locomotives, having wider 1524mm track base and taller tunnel clearances, used vertical opposed-piston engines. These Jumo-derived engines, based on a World War II
German
design for coastal defense submarine
s, were simply too tall to fit in locomotives designed for the 1435mm standard track width railways and tighter tunnel allowances of eastern bloc satellite countries. After the fall of the Soviet Bloc, 31 units of MÁV
's M62 fleet were rebuilt with Caterpillar
engines in the 1990s, but lack of funds stopped further upgrades.
(1960-70s era), later on generating electricity
for resistor-based heating (1980s era). This proved a high fuel cost solution, in contrast to the M61 NOHAB, which could produce 750 kg of steam per hour using an internal water tank and engine waste heat, with minimal effects on fuel consumption.
among railfan
s, and is referred to by several nicknames, usually derived from its Soviet provenance:
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
built diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
for heavy freight trains, exported to many Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
countries as well as to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
and Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
. Beside the single locomotive M62 also twin versions 2M62 and triple versions 3M62 have been built. A total number of 7164 single sections have been produced, which have been used to build 5231 locomotives.
History
According to the ComeconComecon
The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance , 1949–1991, was an economic organisation under hegemony of Soviet Union comprising the countries of the Eastern Bloc along with a number of communist states elsewhere in the world...
directives production of heavy diesel locomotives among Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
countries was left exclusively for Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
The first few prototypes of this heavy freight locomotive were ready in 1964 and their first destination outside the Soviet Union was Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. In the Soviet Union a total number of 723 units were produced.
Soviet Union M62
From 1970 till 1976 the former Soviet Union Railway (SZhD) received 723 engines M62, further 13 M62U have been delivered from 1989 till 1990. These engines were single 3M62U sections.For the Soviet military 154 locomotives named DM62 were built. These engines have been modified for pulling SS-24 Scalpel ballistic rocket launcher trains
RT-23 Molodets
The RT-23 was a Soviet ICBM developed and produced by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau before 1991. It is cold launched, and comes in silo and railway car based variants...
.
For industrial railroad 39 engines of the version M62UP have been built . These engines had improved trucks, larger fuel tanks and modified exhaust silencers.
Poland ST44
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
for a heavy freight diesel locomotive. The Polish industry at the time was not able to produce such a locomotive, so a decision was made to import a large number of M62 locomotives from the Soviet Union, which were already imported by Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
MÁV
MAV
The acronym/initialism MAV may have several meanings, including:*Mathematical Association of Victoria of Victoria, Australia*Municipal Association of Victoria of Victoria, Australia*Micro air vehicle, a type of remotely controlled unmanned aerial vehicle...
. In Poland those machines received ST44 designation During first revision repairs all locomotives had front lights changes from small ones into standard, Polish large types.
The decision is said to be made after Poland had started to import ST43
PKP class ST43
ST43 is the name for a Romanian diesel locomotive, produced by Electroputere, exported to and operating in Poland. It was made for the purpose of heavy transport.-History:...
locomotives from Romania and was probably influenced directly from the Soviet Union. For political reasons USSR simply forced Poland to buy Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
instead of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n locomotives, as it preferred satellite countries not to export their products.
The first 4 locomotives, produced by the Voroshilovgrad Locomotive Factory (in today's Lugansk, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
), were delivered to Poland in September 1965. Deliveries continued until the 1988, with 1,191 locomotives delivered in total (1,114 for PKP, 68 for LHS and 9 for industry). One of the locomotives (ST44-1500 – producer’s designation M63) had bogies and traction engines exchanged with newer types what allowed it to achieve higher top speed. The series, with numbers between 2001 and 2068 was imported to run on the LHS
Linia Hutnicza Szerokotorowa
Broad Gauge Metallurgy Line , is the longest broad gauge railway line in Poland. Except for this one line, and a few very short stretches near border crossings, Poland uses the standard gauge for its railway tracks...
broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
line. In addition to different gauge this series was equipped with automatic coupling system.
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s servicing freight transport in those days, yet it could not pull passenger trains (due to lack of carriage heating devices) and caused huge damage to railway tracks. Another important weakness of the M62 locomotive was a huge fuel consumption. What makes advantage of this machine is a quite simple construction and a fairly reliable diesel-electric transmission.
Intensive electrification of Polish railways caused the relatively new ST44 locomotives to be moved into reserve stock. Many machines withdrawn from PKP found their place among industrial and private railways, where they bore producer’s M62 designation
Present use
Huge fuel and oil consumption as well as heavy wear it causes to the tracks has resulted in Polish RailwaysPolskie Koleje Panstwowe
is the dominant railway operator in Poland.The company was founded when the former state-owned operator was divided into several units based on the requirements laid down by the European Union...
reducing the use of the class. In 2007 many still remain in service with PKP for freight use, though many are also stored. Some lines (e.g. Gdynia - Hel
Hel (PKP station)
Hel is a PKP railway station in Hel , Poland. It os at the and of the line.-Lines crossing the station:- References :*Hel at the article at , URL accessed at 5 March 2006...
line) forbid access of ST44 due to the heavy track wear the class causes.
The locomotives are still used in large numbers by private railroad companies, as well as on the LHS
Linia Hutnicza Szerokotorowa
Broad Gauge Metallurgy Line , is the longest broad gauge railway line in Poland. Except for this one line, and a few very short stretches near border crossings, Poland uses the standard gauge for its railway tracks...
broad gauge line.
Today around 50 units are present in Zamość
Zamosc
Zamość ukr. Замостя is a town in southeastern Poland with 66,633 inhabitants , situated in the south-western part of Lublin Voivodeship , about from Lublin, from Warsaw and from the border with Ukraine...
Engine Shed and it is decided to keep them for some more time.
In 2005 two ST44 locomotives were completely rebuilt by Bumar-Fablok S.A.
Fablok
Fablok is a Polish manufacturer of steam locomotives, based in Chrzanów. Until 1947 the official name was The First Factory of Locomotives in Poland Ltd. , Fablok being a widely used syllabic abbreviation of Fabryka Lokomotyw. It is now named "BUMAR - FABLOK S.A. "...
and delivered to the LHS line. Changes included new Caterpillar 3516B HD engines and main alternators. Those locomotives were given numbers 3001 and 3002.
North Korea
Because of its low maintenance requirements M62 locomotive is quite popular among the Railways of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk), where they serve not only on non-electrified lines but on electrified ones as well. The designation they are given is 내연6xx(Naeyŏn 6xx). 56 locomotives of this type were imported from the Soviet Union between 1967 and 1995.Between the years 1996 and 1998 31 locomotives were delivered from Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
. In 2000 six units were delivered from Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
n State Railways and 13 units from PKP
Polskie Koleje Panstwowe
is the dominant railway operator in Poland.The company was founded when the former state-owned operator was divided into several units based on the requirements laid down by the European Union...
. None of delivered locomotives were painted in traditional North Korean painting (which is blue and dark green) but still carry the same painting as in previous service, except the ex-German ones, which were given a different, green livery.
Naeyeon 602 locomotive has a special red tablet mounted which states that this machine was personally inspected by Kim Il Sung
Two copies were built in North Korea, numbers 8001 and 8002, and given the designation "Geumseong" ("Venus"). 8002 has been on display at the Museum of the Three Revolutions since its construction, while 8001 is in regular service.
At least 15 North Korean M62 locomotives were rebuilt to become electric locomotive
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
s. This is presumed to be quite easy, as the overhead voltage in North Korea is 3000 V.
Germany BR 120
In East Germany M62 locomotive was at first named V200, later changed to BR 120. A total number of 396 locomotives were sent to DDR between 1966 and 1978. After the unification of Germany the class designation was changed to 220. However their usage was quickly phased out and by the end of 1994 the class had all but disappeared.Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic class 781
Between 1966 and 1979 a total number of 599 locomotives were imported to CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
where at first they were given T679.1 designation for standard gauge locomotives and T679.5 for broad gauge machines. Later those numbers were changed to 781 and 781.8 respectively. Those machines had been working in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
until 2002.
Hungary M62
From 1965 till 1978 the Hungarian State RailwaysHungarian State Railways
Hungarian State Railways is the Hungarian national railway company, with divisions "MÁV Start Zrt" and "MÁV Cargo Zrt" ....
MÁV received 294 locomotives named M62. The M62 001 was actually the first M62 ever built.
A program to replace the original Kolomna prime mover by a modern more efficient engine was started in 1997. The locomotives with the road numbers 301, 303 and 304 received MTU
MTU Friedrichshafen
MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH is a manufacturer of commercial internal combustion engines founded by Wilhelm Maybach and his son Karl Maybach in 1909...
prime movers, the rest Caterpillar
Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc. , also known as "CAT", designs, manufactures, markets and sells machinery and engines and sells financial products and insurance to customers via a worldwide dealer network. Caterpillar is the world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas...
prime movers. The 34 remotorized engines have been renamed to M62.3 and received the nicknames "Remot-Szergej" for remotorized Szergej, "Csendes" meaning quiet, as well as "Csörgős" because of the rattling sound made by the engine.
Between 1970 to 1978, MÁV purchased 15 locomotives M62.5 with bogies for the Russian 1524 mm broad gauge. Three more M62.5
have been rebuilt from standard gauge M62. The broad gauge engines are used for operation near Zahony
Záhony
Záhony is a town in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county, in the Northern Great Plain region of eastern Hungary.It covers an area of and has a population of 4675 people . It is near the Ukraine border and was part of Ung county before Trianon Treaty. Road and railway border crossings into Ukraine are...
in the border region of the former Soviet Union (now Ukraine). In 2005 still seven M62.5 have been in use.
1972 also the Raab-Sopron-Ebenfurter Railway (Győr-Sopron-Ebenfurti Vasút, GySEV) , an Austro-Hungarian joint venture, received six standard gauge locomotives named M62.9. The locomotives were stationed in Sopron and have been scraped 1996.
Cuba class 61
21 locomotives, named 61 class were shipped to CubaCuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
between 1974 and 1975.
Mongolia M62
From 1980 till 1990 MTZRail transport in Mongolia
Rail transport in Mongolia is an important means of travel in the landlocked nation with few paved roads. According to official statistics, rail transport carried 93% of Mongolian freight and 43% of passenger turnover in 2007. The Mongolian rail system employs 12,500 people. The national operator...
received 13 single units M62UM and 66 twin units 2M62M.
Overview
M62 locomotive is of Co-Co designation, running on two bogieBogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
s with three axles on each bogie. Chassis and bogie frames are constructed out of box elements. The two-stroke diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
and the main alternator
Alternator
An alternator is an electromechanical device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy in the form of alternating current.Most alternators use a rotating magnetic field but linear alternators are occasionally used...
are mounted on a steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
frame. The frame is fixed to the chassis with elastic supports. Electric traction motor
Traction motor
Traction motor refers to an electric motor providing the primary rotational torque of a machine, usually for conversion into linear motion ....
s are mounted on bogie frames with a tram system. M62 is equipped with electro-pneumatic multiple-unit controls
Multiple-unit train control
Multiple-unit train control, sometimes abbreviated to multiple-unit or MU, is a method of simultaneously controlling all the traction equipment in a train from a single location, whether it is a Multiple unit comprising a number of self-powered passenger cars or a set of locomotives.A set of...
, therefore it is possible to drive two locomotives from one cabin. The locomotive had enough power to pull a 1,000 t. freight train with a top speed of 80 km/h (on level track), wile two coupled locomotives are able to pull trains up to 3,600 t. Top speed in such case is 60 km/h.
Comparison with M61
In Hungarian service, the M62 proved inferior to the Swedish-American NOHABNOHAB
NOHAB was a manufacturing company in the city of Trollhättan, Sweden.The company was founded by Antenor Nydqvist, Johan Magnus Lidström and Carl Olof Holm in 1847 as Trollhättans Mekaniska Verkstad as a manufacturer of turbines for hydraulic power plants...
M61, which, while 10 tons lighter and slightly less powerful, could haul 25% more weight with 50-60% of the Soviet engine's fuel consumption. The M62 was unable to run from Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
to Nyíregyháza
Nyíregyháza
- Tourist sights :Nyíregyháza also has several museums and exhibitions, showing the city's rich cultural heritage.* Collection of the International Medallion Art and Small Sculpture Creative Community of Nyíregyháza-Sóstó – periodic exhibitions of works of contemporary artists-Twin towns — Sister...
and back without refuelling, which led to congestion and timetable problems when the NOHAB was replaced by the M62 on that route.
Engines
The M62's V diesel engineV engine
A V engine, or Vee engine is a common configuration for an internal combustion engine. The cylinders and pistons are aligned, in two separate planes or 'banks', so that they appear to be in a "V" when viewed along the axis of the crankshaft...
had substandard reliability because it was developed from scratch, in a short timeframe, without previous design experience. In the 1950s domestic use Soviet diesel locomotives, having wider 1524mm track base and taller tunnel clearances, used vertical opposed-piston engines. These Jumo-derived engines, based on a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
design for coastal defense submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s, were simply too tall to fit in locomotives designed for the 1435mm standard track width railways and tighter tunnel allowances of eastern bloc satellite countries. After the fall of the Soviet Bloc, 31 units of MÁV
MAV
The acronym/initialism MAV may have several meanings, including:*Mathematical Association of Victoria of Victoria, Australia*Municipal Association of Victoria of Victoria, Australia*Micro air vehicle, a type of remotely controlled unmanned aerial vehicle...
's M62 fleet were rebuilt with Caterpillar
Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc. , also known as "CAT", designs, manufactures, markets and sells machinery and engines and sells financial products and insurance to customers via a worldwide dealer network. Caterpillar is the world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas...
engines in the 1990s, but lack of funds stopped further upgrades.
No train heating
The M62 was a dedicated freight mover and lacked any central heating apparatus for coaches, even though most Soviet satellite state customers needed to use them in dual cargo/passenger role regularly (Soviet trains of the era were heated with individual per-coach drum fireplaces). In cold times a dedicated heating wagon had to be added to MÁV's M62-drawn trains, producing steam via oil-fired boilersSteam generator (railroad)
Steam generator is the term used to describe a type of boiler used to produce steam for climate control and potable water heating in railroad passenger cars...
(1960-70s era), later on generating electricity
Head end power
Head end power or electric train supply is a rail transport term for the electrical power distribution system on a passenger train. The power source, usually a locomotive at the front or “head” of a train or a generator car, generates all the electricity used for lighting, electrical and other...
for resistor-based heating (1980s era). This proved a high fuel cost solution, in contrast to the M61 NOHAB, which could produce 750 kg of steam per hour using an internal water tank and engine waste heat, with minimal effects on fuel consumption.
Nicknames
This locomotive has a certain cult followingCult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
among railfan
Railfan
A railfan or rail buff , railway enthusiast or railway buff , or trainspotter , is a person interested in a recreational capacity in rail transport...
s, and is referred to by several nicknames, usually derived from its Soviet provenance:
- Gagarin in Poland - from the space flight pioneer
- Iwan or Siergiej in Poland or Czechoslovakia - from two popular Russian names
- Szergej in Hungary – from a popular Russian name
- Taigatrommel (Taiga Drum) in Germany – from the amount of noise and vibration the locomotive produced.
- Stalin's last revenge in Germany - for the same reason.
- In the Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
the locomotive had one widespread nickname — Mashka (diminutive of Maria, a reference to the "M" designation).