Unspecified 0-6-0 Locomotives in Poland

Class Ferrum / TKh49 (Locobase 4779)

Data from Phillipe Quiot on the website []; and Tomasz Galka, "T3A (Ferrum 47, Ferrum 724)" on Galka's Standard Steam Locomotives in Poland website at [], last accessed 30 September 2023.

One of a series of Polish industrial locomotives built after World War II. Rated at 400 hp, it reached 40 kmh (25 mph).

Photos show a stocky profile with long side tanks, two small domes and stubby stack. According to Quiot, the Ferrum 47 drew from prewar shunters that began with the Ferrum 29 (itself a production version of the T-1-A, 6 examples of which were delivered in 1929.) The postwar version was lighter (by about 1.2 metric tons). It could negotiate curves of 70-m (230 ft) radius.

An interesting comment on the design's ride comes from a website that documents the rehabilitation of a USATC 0-6-0T from Yugoslavia's Class 62 -- [] (visited 1 June 2005): "The crank drive [of the Ferrum] is to the centre wheel (On Class 62's the connecting rod drives the crank on the rear wheel). This shorter drive connection and therefore increased angular occilation of the crankshaft gives an inferior ride quality with noticeable "waddle" which is virtually absent in the Class 62's with their rear wheel crank position."

Production continued until 1954. The Ferrum 47 also was exported to Hungary (3), Romania (3), and China (86 as XK13).

Class Las (Locobase 4810)

One of a series of Polish industrial locomotives built after World War II. This three-axle class, which repeated the power dimensions of the Rys 0-4-0T and was likewise based on the Henschel & Sohn Fabia design (Locobase 5968), was delivered to Polish companies in relatively large numbers. he additional axle, which reduced the axle loading by a third, was the reason for the greater success, although interlok suggests also that it allowed more power to be put on the rails.

Many Polish engines were used in logging and other forest adminstrations tasks. Railways in Albania (4), Bulgaria (6), and Romania (18) also bought this engine. Rated at 70 hp and produced for gauges of 550, 750, 760, and 785 mm.

Specifications and information from Phillipe Quiot on the website [] and from [] (March 2004). Interlok gives a grate area of 0.65 sq m (7 sq ft) and heating surface of 23 sq m (247 sq ft). Interlok notes that the middle driver was flangeless and had lateral play, so its minimum curve radius was 22 meters (72 ft).