Poznań 2022-09-02
National Museum of Agriculture and Food Industry in Szreniawa.
Geographic coordinates: 52.315N 16.797E.
Steam locomotive Px49-1792 "Sawa" at the Agricultural Museum in Szreniawa.
After the Second World War, the Polish economy was badly damaged and plundered, both by the Germans and by the Mosquitoes. All machines and devices were removed from the factories, and what was not stolen was destroyed. The situation at PKP was very bad. Hundreds of kilometers of tracks have been transported to the CCCP. The remaining locomotives were very worn-out and required repairs. The situation was similar on narrow-gauge railways. Narrow-gauge railways were still managed by pre-war users and owners for several years. To make up for the shortages in the rolling stock, Polish factories started to manufacture new locomotives based on pre-war experience. Mainly, locomotives were built for standard-gauge railways, but also the production of locomotives for narrow-gauge railways was started. An example of such a locomotive was the Px49 steam locomotive.
The Px49 "Sawa" steam locomotive was developed at the FabLok factory in Chrzanów, in the period 1948-1949. Production continued in the period 1949-1950.
The Px49 "Sawa" steam locomotive was developed on the basis of the Polish Px48 locomotive for the railways in Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia has ordered 12 locomotives. 10 copies were built, which were ultimately not exported and served in the Polish State Railways. The reason was the deterioration of political relations between Moscow and Yugoslavia.
The locomotive was developed for a track width of 750 mm, but there was also a variant for a track width of 1,000 mm. Compared to the Px48 steam locomotive, the new Px49 steam locomotive has been adapted to burn lower quality coal and wood. Tendra were produced in the Konstal plant in Chorzów and have three-axes instead of four-axes and are smaller. When the decision was made to leave the locomotives in Poland, the locomotives were adapted to work in the Polish State Railways. The wheelbase was changed to 750 mm. The boiler is adapted to be fired with coal. The locomotives were given the Polish designation Px49 and numbers from No. 1791 to No. 1800.
After service, as many as three locomotives were placed in the museum in Sochaczew. The Px49-1792 steam locomotive ended service in 1986. In 1993, the locomotive was taken to the museum in Szreniawa, near Poznań, and here it is on display until now (2022). The locomotive on display is combined with two freight cars. The wagons are biaxial and were used mainly for the transport of agricultural produce: sugar beet and chicory.
Data T-T of the Px49 "Sawa" steam locomotive:
Axis system D. Locomotive own weight 20,000 kg. Service weight of the locomotive is 22,000 kg. The curb weight of the tender is 6,000 kg. The service weight has a tendency of 14,000 kg. The length of the locomotive is 7.36 m. The length with the tender is 11.26 m. The width is 2.10 m. The diameter of the driving wheels. 0.75 m. The heating area of the boiler is 39 m 2. Superheater area 12.5 square meters. 1.20 m square grate area. Steam pressure of 13 atmospheres. Tender type Pt4y49 - 3 axes. Tender holds 4,000 kg of coal and 4 cubic meters of water. Engine rated power 200 hp (147 kW). Design speed 35 km / h. Track spacing: 750 mm, 760 mm, 1,000 m.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman