2-10-2 Steam Locomotives in Czechoslovakia

Class 524.07 (Locobase 1673)

Data from [] and [], last accessed 15 October 2020; and Václav Daransky, "Svet zeleznice - (7) - parní lokomotivy, rada 524", 8 May 2006 on the World of Railways website at [], last accessed 12 August 2023.

Daransky began his account of this tank locomotive's history with the observation noting the density of the Bohemian railway network including the border areas "where from the eighties to the turn of the last century, many local railways and connections and ....also main lines were established." After World War I ended, traffic continued to grow.

The new CSD looked at the demands on rail lines able to support axle loadings over 13 metric tons (28,550 kg). Not finding likely candidates among locomotives with separate tenders, they turned to this large tank engine design.

Details included Adams-type leading and trailing trucks with traverses of +/-65 mm (2.56") in the front truck and +/-75 mm (2.95") in the rear. Piston valves measured 255 mm (10.04") in diameter. On top of the boiler the locomotive's steam and sand domes were enclosed in a long casing. Daransky related the CSD with poppet-type valves and accepted a few 524s with Lentz systems and other with the Caprotti valve train. Neither delivered fuel economy to persuade the CSD to convert any others.

Daransky's detailed account describes the many variations and modifications. All in all, these engines were "perfect in freight transport" weill into the 19050s. As they were replaced by diesels in mainline service in the 1950s and 1960s, they might haul passenger trains out of Prague and Vrsovice to Dobrís. Further east in Slovakia, 524s handled freight train from Bánská Bystrica to Diviak, at the Strbske grad and on branch lines from Puchov nad Váhom.

Class 524.121 (Locobase 1672)

Data from [] (25 January 2004); and Václav Daransky, "Svet zeleznice - (7) - parní lokomotivy, rada 524", 8 May 2006 on the World of Railways website at [], last accessed 12 August 2023. See also Robert Tufnell, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Railway Locomotives (London: Quarto Publishing Ltd, 1986).

Originally based, says Tufnell, on six Austrian State tank engines, these were built in Czechoslovakia. Some had Lentz poppet valves. According to Vaclav Daransky, this variant of the basic design showed several flaws. Their stacks (chimneys) barely cleared the smokebox top; they were "unnecessarily short and narrow". Trofimov valves leaked water into the cy linders.

Tube and flue counts changed in the boiler as the builders replaced 81 small tubes with 9 more flues. Daransky noted that this tube setup would be applied to all 524s that underwent replacements of copper fireboxes with steel ones after World War II.

Class 524.1301 (Locobase 1674)

Data from [], last accessed 2 December 2006; and and Václav Daransky, "Svet zeleznice - (7) - parní lokomotivy, rada 524", 8 May 2006 on the World of Railways website at [], last accessed 12 August 2023. Works numbers were 1422-1436.

Built in 1943 under Nazi rule, Skoda turned out this 524 that Vaclav Daransky wrote so differed from the earlier designs (Locobase 1672 and 1673) that protocol called for them to take 300-series numbers. Their appearance differed in showing equal-sized sand domes both ahead and behind the steam dome and a short stack (chimney).

Many of the changes proved beneficial. The longer wheelbase smoothed out the ride sufficiently to raise its maximum allowable speed to 60 kph (37.25 mph). Cylinder volume decreased as the cylinders shrank in diameter and stroke shortened. "Compared to the previous series," wrote Daransky (and translated by Google),"they had better rotating and oscillating masses" and developed 130 more horsepower.

One maintenance difficulty arose as the longer connecting and side rods didn't match those of the other 524s.

They proved themselves on a variety of mountainous lines. Later, in Moravia, they worked trains from Zdar and Sazavou to Tisnov.