Czech State Rwy 4-8-4 Locomotives in Czechoslovakia

Class 464.0 (Locobase 1660)

Locobase can't read Czech very well, which constrains his use of an excellent website -- [] (accessed 21 November 2005) -- to looking at the data and noting the following:

The first four locomotives had bigger boilers and more superheat -- total evaporative heating surface amounted to 217.16 sq m (2,337 sq ft) and the superheater area totalled 82.7 sq m (890 sq ft). For what must have been very good reasons, the boiler was scaled down to the size shown in the specs and the remaining 72 locomotives were completed to that design. The class was rated at 90 km/h (56 mph).

CKD delivered the first 17 from 1933-1936, Skoda added 464.018-464.027, then CKD supplied 028-055 in 1937-1938, Skoda 056-067, and CKD finished with 068-076.

Class 464.1 (Locobase 1661)

Data from [] shows the post-war continuation of the successful 464.0s of the pre-war period. See also "Lokomotiva 464.1" in WikipedE Otevrena Encyklopedie, last accessed 8 May 2023. (Thanks to Petr Storer for his 4 April 2023 email pointing out several differences as noted below.)

Upon their delivery in late 1940. Following the end of World War II, which both engines survived, they operated out of the Jihlava depot to move passenger and fast freight trains over the challenging terrain of the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. Later service originated in the Nymburk locomotive depot in Prague's eastern suburbs or further east at Hradec Kralove.

This big pair of tanks were regarded as smooth runners thanks to the smaller piston diameters and better rod bearings. Petr Storer notes that a new boiler pressed to a much high degree than the 464.0s led to greater efficiency. He also commented that both 464.1s were fitted with welded steel fireboxes in place of the copper ones used in the 464.0s. Firebox heating surface area included three arch tubes. 101 had Nicolai cylinder slide valves; 102 used Trofimoff piston valves.. The CSD conducted a trial that replaced the original stack (chimney) with a Giesel ejector.

464.102 was put on display after its 27 September 1977 retirement. In 1996-1997, the 102 was restored to operating condition.

Class 464.2 (Locobase 1662)

Data from []; "Lokomotiva 464.2" in Wikipedie at [], last accessed 21 January 2023; and A[nthony] E[dward] Durrant, The steam locomotives of Eastern Europe (Abbot Newton: David & Charles, 1966) . (Thanks to Petr Storer for his 4 April 2023 email suggesting a modification in the description of the 464.2's service and providing more information on design influences.). Works numbers were 3377-3378 in 1956.

This pair represents the last gasp of the steam locomotive for high speed and express trains on the CSD. The railway had already decided to convert to diesel and electric motive power, but while the builders prepared for production, the CSD contracted for two 464.2 based on the 556.0 class as well as postwar classes 475.1 and 498.0. Using the power system from the 464.1, Skoda adopted the cab from the 556.0

Although they proved quite successful in trials, the 464.2 were redundant as the CSD put both electric and diesel engines into production after all. After test runs that showed a top speed of 105 kph (65 mph), the class hauled express suburban trains until 1974.

Plans to donate 464.201 to the National Train Museum fell through because of the discovery of a cylinder crack .Instead, 464.202 posed on display for several years in Celakovice before entering a restoration in 1990-1993 at Olomouc Depot. Once again in operation, the 202 hauled heritage trains until 2009, received an overhaul and new boiler certificate and resumed service in 2014. It hauled museum trains into the 2020s.

Class 475.0 (Locobase 1124)

Data from Gustav Reder, The World of Steam Locomotives (New York: G P Putnam & Sons, 1974), pp. 302-303; and Vladimir Daransky, "Svet Peleznice - (17) - parnf lokomotivy, rada 475 , archived at

[],, posted 23 June 2007, last accessed 11 May 2023.. (Thanks to Petr Storer for his 2 April 2023 email pointing out that this did not serve as the prototype of the later 475.1 4-8-2.)

This big tank locomotive with a high boiler, oblong steam dome, big smoke lifters forward and large tender appeared in 1935 as a prototype for a more powerful passsenger and freight locomotive. Much of its design owed to the 387 class Pacific tanks (Locobases 1650, 7988-7989). Cylinders and valve trains weren't quite identical as the small driver diameter (1,624 mm vs 1,900 mm) and additional axle required several changes.

O nthe other hand, the earlier engines' boiler, superheater, and firebox were adopted in full. Reder noted in particular the cast vanadium steel bar frame supplied by the world-famous Skoda work, which began using that metal alloy in 1925. The result impressed with its fuel savings compared to earlier class 354 locomotives and its interchangeability of parts with other classes reduced the cost difference.

In service, it could hustle a 500-ton train on the level at 100 kph (62 mph) and take on a 0.7% gradient at 76 kph (47.2 mph)/

But, as Petr Storer commented, the 475.001's three-cylinder design was rejected in favor of the 464.1, which entered production in 1940 (Locobase 1661). Although the 475 remained a single member of its class, it served as the basis of the post-war 476.1 (Locobase 1665) and 477.0 (Locobase 1125) classes. And in its oriiginal livery, remained in service until 1962.

Class 476.0 (Locobase 1665)

Data from "Lokomotiva 476.0" in Wikipedie at [], last accessed 21 January 2023 and [] (first accessed 2 January 2003) for information about these locomotives. (Thanks to Petr Storer for his 4 April 2023 email correcting the class ID.)

Painted a rusty red, the class became known as Rudý Dábel (Red Devil). Three went into service on the CSD while the fourth was presented to Josef Stalin as a 70th birthday present. Soviet State Railways designated it 18-01.

Wikipedie's Czech-language entry (translated by Google) reported that the design used relatively uncommon compound layout that had the center cylinder take high-pressure steam, use it in a single pass, then exhaust it to the two larger outside cylinders.

For some reason, the regulator "was locked in the open position (hence also the superheater cells [sic, referring to "elements"?] permanently under full pressure." A "stepped valve regulator" on the superheater likewise proved "not very popular" and was replaced by a conventional regulator..

Apparently the designer overreached, creating a locomotive that slipped easily when started "carelessly". The Soviet 18-01, says the translated Wikipedie account, "was relatively soon destroyed by unprofessional handling."

Before long, the CSD removed the center cylinder and its valve gear, offsetting the lost weight with ballast.

Class 477.01 (Papousek) (Locobase 1125)

Data from H M Le Fleming, "Illustrated Survey of Modern Steam Locomotives," in P. Ransome-Wallis (ed), World Railway Locomotives (London: Hutchinson & Co, 1959), Table number 51(Czechoslovak State Railways, Class 477.0), pp. 346-348; on the PARN- I DIESLOV- LOKOMOTIVY, KTER+ MUÄETE NECHAT VYRñT NA PULLITRY, KRñGLY A JIN+ SKLENICE ...website at [], last accessed 13 May 2023; "Sv?t Peleznice - (18) - parnf lokomotivy, ?ada 477' at []; and "Lokomotiva 477.0" in WikipediE Otevrena encylopedie at [], last both accessed 13 May 2023. Also Schaefer [] (visited 2 January 2003) See also A[nthony] E[dward] Durrant, The steam locomotives of Eastern Europe (Abbot Newton: David & Charles, 1966). (Thanks to Petr Storer for his 4 April 2023 email reporting the correct predecessor designs.)

These three-cylinders tank locomotives were ased on the pre-World War II Series 475 (1124) and post-war 476.0 4-8-4Ts (Locobase 1665) , but with altered cylinder dimensions and cleaner external lines..

In fact, reported Wikipedia, almost all of the first 38 engines delivered in 1951-1952 carried the 476 class ID. But higher than expected axle loadings led to a reclassification as 477, which the 22 additional locomotives delivered in 1955 carried when delivered. CKD's Sokolovo Works developed the design under the direction of Ing. Vlastimil Hozman. Design dtails are described as "complex" and development stretched out more than a year beyond the planned date.

They replaced the 1930s 4-6-4Ts (Locobase 1660) and once in service the 477s showed a good turn of speed, reaching 110-115 kph (68.3-71.4 mph) on trials. Hauling an 800 ton train, a 477 hit 96 kph (59.6 mph) on the level, 53 kph (33 mph) up a 0.5% grade and 35 kph (21.7 mph) up 1%.

Their oblong smoke lifters mounted high on the smokebox, slab-sided water tanks and tightly closed cab betray the 1950s European origins of these 60 engines.

Compared to most express and suburban passenger tanks, the 477 represented a higher order of the type. Its size, four adhesion axles, and power suited it for the heaviest traffic as well as freight service. Its boiler and grate demanded a mechanical stoker. The all-welded boiler had a short combustion chamber; its firebox heating surface area included 0.88 sq m (9.47 sq ft) two arch tubes and one thermic syphon 2.30 sq m (24.75 sq ft).. Coal burned on a Houlson rocking grate.The CSD measured thermal efficiency as high as 11%.

Wikipedia noted that the class consisted of three subclasses that differed in their bearing profile. The first 38 use SKF roller bearings only on the unpowered bogies and on the coupled wheel axles. 20 added roller bearings (again SKF) on the rod pins of the main driving axles, and the last two fitted all adhesion axle rod pins with SKF roller bearings.

Problems cropped up in the early years. Wikipedia singles out the rear subchassis which "required several reconstructions and modifications" [Google's tranlsation]. CKD eventually fixed this problem, installed additional frame bracing, and woked out better Trofimoff piston valve geometry. Axle loadings came in at 13 metric tons each on the front two driving axles and 17 metric tons on the earch of the rear two. To balance that load, water tankage was divided between a smaller tank behind the cab-reducing capacity by 2 cu m to 13 cu m and short water tanks holding 1 cu m each on the running board along the boiler above the lead coupled wheels.

Papousek translates to English as "Parrot" and Wikipedia supplies two possibilities for the nickname. One recalls the bright blue of the boiler, cab, and tender over red wheels and motion (similar to that used on post-war German locomotives), and red and white accessories. This explanation the encyclopedia deems "more realistic" than its adoption of a title card "Director: Papousek" which appeared on a jnewsreel clip showning the 477 in action.

Gradual replacement by electric locomotives continued from 1969. The last of the 60 was the "Pearl of the North" -477.043--which continued to head trains between Nymburk (near Prague) and Koln, Germany until May 1979.

477.013 and 477.060 went on display. After its retirement, 043 began museum service in 1979-1980. After years of idleness, 013 won the attention of enthusiasts from the Poprad-Tatry depot restored it to operating condition over a seven-year period. Other than a two-year boiler repair in 2004-2006, the locomotive has remained in service.