2-2-0 Steam Locomotives in Hungary

Class M1a/11/JDZ 160-001 (Locobase 1537)

Data from in Wikipedia at [], last accessed 21 September 2024.

As small as they were, these little engines operated on the standard gauge pulling light passenger trains. Known as motoropotlo, which in Hungarian conveys the stocky image conveyed by a locomotive of such short length but standard width. They also were fitted with the first examples of the Brotan boiler, a boiler design described in more detail in Locobase 1580.

Wikipedia's account said that this class arose out of a need to haul suburban traffic over very lightly built. The MAV used small steam locomotives and internal-combustion railcars in the early 20th century. But, says Wikipedia, [in translation] "...in the event of motorcars breaking down or being out of service, their immediate replacement has already caused problems ...They wanted to help this situation by purchasing new locomotives, the main profile of which would have been primarily to replace the lost steam locomotives."

The motive power stud came in two batches--23 in 1910, 8 more in 1913. They proved quite successful in the short run, but after World War I ended, class size began to dwindle.

In the late 1920s, many of the class surrendered their compound systems in favor of two simple-expansion cylinders and a tiny superheater."The conversion significantly improved the locomotive's performance and consumption," reported Wikipedia.

"In the following years," wrote Wikipedia, "as steam locomotives were pushed into the background, their original assignment changed, so they appeared on more and more branch lines. They served primarily in the areas of Miskolc, Debrecen, Nyíregyháza, Mezotúr, but later they were transferred to the other side of the Danube, so they also appeared in the catchment area of ??Dombóvár, Siklós and Kaposvár."

By the end of World War II, only seven remained and they were soon scrapped.