PKP class Pm36
Encyclopedia
Pm36 is the name for a Polish
experimental fast steam locomotive
used by PKP
.
, the other had a standard look. The idea was to test both engines in parallel to compare top speed, acceleration, coal and water consumption etc. The Pm36-1 won a gold medal at the
International Exposition of Art and Technology
in 1937.
(probably in 1942), but Pm36-2 survived and worked for PKP
until 1965, when it was given to the Warsaw Railway Museum. During wartime, the machine bore the German State Railways’
number 18 602.
as a tourist attraction, called Beautiful Helen (pl. Piękna Helena).
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
experimental fast steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
used by PKP
Polskie Koleje Panstwowe
is the dominant railway operator in Poland.The company was founded when the former state-owned operator was divided into several units based on the requirements laid down by the European Union...
.
Design
The design was ready in 1936 and the following year the first two prototypes were built. One of them (Pm36-1) had aerodynamic fairing designed by aerospace scientists from the Warsaw University of TechnologyWarsaw University of Technology
The Warsaw University of Technology is one of the leading institutes of technology in Poland, and one of the largest in Central Europe. It employs 2,453 teaching faculty, with 357 professors . The student body numbers 36,156 , mostly full-time. There are 17 faculties covering almost all fields of...
, the other had a standard look. The idea was to test both engines in parallel to compare top speed, acceleration, coal and water consumption etc. The Pm36-1 won a gold medal at the
International Exposition of Art and Technology
Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne (1937)
The Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne was held from May 25 to November 25, 1937 in Paris, France...
in 1937.
Service
Pm36-1 was damaged and later scrapped during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(probably in 1942), but Pm36-2 survived and worked for PKP
Polskie Koleje Panstwowe
is the dominant railway operator in Poland.The company was founded when the former state-owned operator was divided into several units based on the requirements laid down by the European Union...
until 1965, when it was given to the Warsaw Railway Museum. During wartime, the machine bore the German State Railways’
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
number 18 602.
Present day
In 1995 the machine went through a major overhaul and is now working in WolsztynWolsztyn
Wolsztyn is a town in western Poland, on the western edge of Greater Poland Voivodeship...
as a tourist attraction, called Beautiful Helen (pl. Piękna Helena).
Links
- Pm36 article at Steam locomotives site URL accessed on 5 August 2006
- Photo of Pm36-1 (left). The engine on the right (Pm36-2) is currently in service at the Wolsztyn depot (Poland). Public domain.
- Scan of a Polish postage stamp depicting Pm36-1. Public domain.
- Public domain. Pm36-1 photo.
- Public domain. Pm36-1 photo.
