PKP class Ty2
| Industry | Rail transport |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1926 |
| Headquarters | Poland |
Area served | Poland |
| Products | Railway locomotives, including classes Ty2 and Ty42 |
PKP classes Ty2 and Ty42 represent a series of freight (T) steam locomotives with a 2-10-0 (y) wheel configuration, operated by Polskie Koleje Państwowe (Polish State Railways, PKP) beginning in 1942 (42). These engines originated as Deutsche Reichsbahn class 52 Kriegslokomotiven (wartime locomotives), either newly manufactured (Ty42) or acquired secondhand (Ty2). Their production took place during World War II across multiple factories in Europe, including Germany and occupied territories such as Poland, spanning the years 1942 to 1945.
History
,_1989_(SIK_03-036092).jpg){kind=link}
Designed as a cost-effective and straightforward locomotive, this model was intended for service on railways within territories annexed by the Third Reich in the east. The design emphasized robust thermal insulation and maintained an axle load not exceeding 15 tonnes (15 long tons; 17 short tons), enabling operation over routes with substandard or temporarily restored track conditions.
Following the collapse of the Third Reich, PKP inherited 1,207 locomotives from this class. In 1962, due to a shortage of steam engines, Poland procured an additional 220 units from the Soviet Union. Of these, 200 were integrated into this class while 20 were purchased from PMP PW Katowice. PKP assigned new numbers to these engines, ranging from Ty2-1208 to Ty2-1407, whereas those acquired from PW PMP retained the final four digits of their original German identification.
From the end of World War II until steam traction was phased out, the Ty2 series constituted the largest fleet of locomotives in Poland. Presently, 54 locomotives from this series remain in Poland. Among them are operational examples housed at the Open Air Museum of rolling stock and railway equipment in Chabowka, including Ty2-911 (underwent major overhaul in July 2007) and Ty2-953 (major overhaul completed in April 2006). Notably, Ty2-953 participated in commemorations such as the 150th anniversary of railways in Rybnik on 1 October 2006 and the sesquicentennial celebration of the station at Tarnowskie Góry on 17 June 2007.
Traction capabilities
At startup, Ty2 class engines were capable of generating an estimated tractive effort near 233 kN (52,380 lbf). When fueled with high-grade coal, these locomotives could haul trains weighing up to 620 tonnes (610 long tons; 680 short tons) at speeds of 80 km/h (50 mph), or manage loads of approximately 1,700 tonnes (1,700 long tons; 1,900 short tons) while traveling at 50 km/h (31 mph). In hilly terrain featuring inclines of 20‰ (equivalent to 1 in 50), they were able to pull around 190 tonnes (190 long tons; 210 short tons) at 40 km/h (25 mph); on steeper slopes of 25‰ (1 in 40), their capability was about 130 tonnes (130 long tons; 140 short tons) at the same velocity.