Steam locomotive Ty51-133. 2023

Sosnowiec 2023-12-10

Steam locomotive Ty51-133.

The Ty51 steam locomotive is a Polish heavy steam locomotive intended mainly for heavy freight trains. Ty51 was developed at the HCP factory in Poznań. The Ty51 steam locomotive was produced in the period 1953 - 1958 at the HCP factory in Poznań. The Ty51 steam locomotive was the heaviest and most powerful Polish steam locomotive. Axle system 1'E (1-5-0 or oOOOOO), Polish symbol with lowercase letter "y".

Ty51-133. 2023 year. Photo by Karol Placha Hetman
Ty51-133. 2023 year. Photo by Karol Placha Hetman

Ty51-133. 2023 year. Photo by Karol Placha Hetman
Ty51-133. 2023 year. Photo by Karol Placha Hetman

The Ty51 steam locomotive was created as a result of the growing demand for heavy freight steam locomotives. These steam locomotives were modeled on the design of the American Ty246 series steam locomotive, which was purchased in 1946 in the USA as part of the steam locomotive supply program for European railways.

The steam locomotive received timing with Trofimov sliders instead of Nicolay sliders. The design of the heater in the boiler has been changed. The grate area has been increased. A stoker was used to feed coal. In operation, the boiler did not show the "boiler exhaustion" phenomenon.

232 Ty51 steam locomotives were built. The last one was the Ty51-226 steam locomotive. 208 Ty51 locomotives were handed over to PKP, and the rest went to the company's railways. Production ended in 1958. Due to the high axle load, all locomotives worked on main routes. The main route was Silesia - Porty, where Ty51 steam locomotives worked together with American Ty246. The delivery of ST43 (Romania) and ST44 (CCCP) diesel locomotives and the electrification of railway routes resulted in the Ty51 locomotives being directed to other works. Ty51 locomotives even drove heavy passenger trains. At the beginning of the 1980s, most Ty51 steam locomotives remained out of work. They were directed to the slopes. In 1988, numerous Ty51 steam locomotives were discontinued.

The Ty55 steam locomotive was to be a development of the Ty51 steam locomotive. The project has been completed with work on technical and executive documentation. The locomotive prototype was not built.

To date (2023), about 12 Ty51 steam locomotives have been preserved, and they are in various technical conditions.

History Ty51-133.

Track width 1,435 mm. Axis system 1'E h2. Manufacturer: Metal Industry Plant named after J. Stalin. Separate State Enterprise, Poznań, i.e. Poznańskie Zakłady Hipolit Cegielski. Factory number 2425. 1956 year of production. Boiler Serial number 4303. Tender 27D51-133. The steam locomotive was used in the locomotive shed at Szczakowa station. Then the Kotlarnia. In 1995, renovated in the locomotive shed as an exhibit for the Chabówka Open-Air Museum. On September 5, 2012, he was transported to Sosnowiec; Complex of Technical and Secondary Schools, ul. Jana Kilińskiego 31.

The initiative to acquire a steam locomotive came from the authorities of Sosnowiec. They asked PKP Cargo to provide a steam locomotive. The railway company agreed to the request and handed over one of the three Ty51-133 steam locomotives located in the Railway Open-Air Museum in Chabówka. The Ty51-133 steam locomotive was given to the city of Sosnowiec free of charge, provided that the city would restore it. All the work was completed on time, so there was nothing to stop the historic steam locomotive from reaching its new owner. The ceremony of handing over the steam locomotive took place on Saturday, August 25, 2012, in the Railway Open-Air Museum in Chabówka.

The Ty51-133 locomotive was placed on a new part of the track, on the school premises. The exhibit is taken care of by the school's students. The exhibit is clearly visible from Platform 2 of the Sosnowiec Główny station.

Written by Karol Placha Hetman