Re: ENOUGH!!
| February 01, 2011 11:28AM |
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Well, I don't have as much of the story at hand as I thought I did, must have heard more details when I was there. What I do have comes from the 2003 edition of the Wolsztyn Loco Catalog.
The "Beautiful Helena" (not sure how it got it's English name) is a Pm 36-2 (P= express passenger; m = 4-6-2; 36 = year of design; 2 indicates it was the second built in its class). It and sister engine #1 were built in 1937 and were considered experimental engines as they included many new features intended to improve efficiency and speed. The design won a gold medal at the Railway Exhibition in Paris in 1937.
Experimentation continued but WW II broke out before more units were built. Both engines became part of the German war effort but only the #2 survived the war. The #2 was returned to Poland in 1945, and testing continued until 1947 when she underwent a major overhaul before being placed in regular passenger service. She was retired by the PKP (Polish State Railroad) in 1965 and put on display in their museum in Warsaw. In 1995 the PKP restored her to service as part of their Wolstzyn based heritage collection. No more Pm36 locomotives were ever built.
Today, Pm36-2 is operated frequently in excursion service throughout Poland. If you would like to see video of her in action check out AndrezMastalerz'sChannel or some of the other Polish YouTube Channels in my subscriptions.
[While I know this is definately off topic, I think that steam railroading, steam locomotives, and narrow gauge are fascinating regardless of where or when, and I know many of you agree with me. Hopefully the rest will overlook this digression. I would encourage any of you who have not yet enjoyed my "American Raifan in Poland" and my "Wolstzyn Experience" videos to check them out. I am sure that the Polish NG especially will resonate with you
.]
"Time spent with CATS is never wasted." -- Sigmund Freud
"Nothing endures but change." -- Heraclitus
"C'est le meilleur des mondes possibles." -- Candide
The "Beautiful Helena" (not sure how it got it's English name) is a Pm 36-2 (P= express passenger; m = 4-6-2; 36 = year of design; 2 indicates it was the second built in its class). It and sister engine #1 were built in 1937 and were considered experimental engines as they included many new features intended to improve efficiency and speed. The design won a gold medal at the Railway Exhibition in Paris in 1937.
Experimentation continued but WW II broke out before more units were built. Both engines became part of the German war effort but only the #2 survived the war. The #2 was returned to Poland in 1945, and testing continued until 1947 when she underwent a major overhaul before being placed in regular passenger service. She was retired by the PKP (Polish State Railroad) in 1965 and put on display in their museum in Warsaw. In 1995 the PKP restored her to service as part of their Wolstzyn based heritage collection. No more Pm36 locomotives were ever built.
Today, Pm36-2 is operated frequently in excursion service throughout Poland. If you would like to see video of her in action check out AndrezMastalerz'sChannel or some of the other Polish YouTube Channels in my subscriptions.
[While I know this is definately off topic, I think that steam railroading, steam locomotives, and narrow gauge are fascinating regardless of where or when, and I know many of you agree with me. Hopefully the rest will overlook this digression. I would encourage any of you who have not yet enjoyed my "American Raifan in Poland" and my "Wolstzyn Experience" videos to check them out. I am sure that the Polish NG especially will resonate with you
.]"Time spent with CATS is never wasted." -- Sigmund Freud
"Nothing endures but change." -- Heraclitus
"C'est le meilleur des mondes possibles." -- Candide
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488 stops for water at Los Pinos tank on closing day Oct. 1979. Photo courtesy Don Richter
The NGDF was started by Don Richter and is currently operated in his memory by Nathan Holmes and others. Others who have contributed to the upkeep of this board are (in no particular order): Charles McCandless, Everett Lueck, Ted Wilton, Cole Adams, James Bane, John Moellmer, Jon Bentz, Linn Moedinger, lloyd lehrer, Rod Jensen, John Craft, Steven Forney, Herb Kelsey, Bill Ramaley, Russ Sperry (El Russo Loco), Josh McNeal, John West, Jim Armstrong, Bob Bergstrom, Greg Scholl, Blake Forbes Doug van Veelen and Mark Fuller.