Steam locomotives are one of the most amazing mechanisms created by man. Steam locomotive engineering in Russia has come a long way, from the first small steam train of the father and son of the Cherepanovs to modern high-speed locomotives.
In the photo: P-36, General, the last passenger series of the Kolomna plant
Through the connection of time, we consider the most beautiful Soviet steam locomotives. But first, remember how it all began, including in the first part of the article beautiful cars that traveled along the railways of Tsarist Russia.
1
Steam engine Cherepanovs
Let's start with the great-grandfather of all domestic steam locomotives, which were assembled by Efim and Miron Cherepanovs in 1833. Small and compact, he could carry a load of 3.2 tons, and accelerated on rails to 16 km / h. In the matter of creating the first steam-powered rail vehicle, Russia overtook Germany for 2 years.
In total, the inventive, former serfs of Demidov, the Cherepanovs created two cars.
2
Type 2-2-0
This small handsome man was assembled in 1851, and he became the first Russian passenger locomotive. Before the start of World War I, these models were designated D.
Used them to transport passengers on the Moscow-Petersburg railway route. In the empire, in the second half of the 19th century, the need for rail transport is growing, and steam locomotive plants are opening in Kolomenskoye, Bryansk, Kharkov, and Lugansk.
3
Model P
Index "P" meant passenger, and they were collected at factories in France and Russia. In total, from 1891 to 1905, 169 cars were produced.
It was considered high-speed for its time, because it accelerated to 107 km / h. The designer of this model was the Russian scientist and talented engineer Alexander Borodin.
Already in the 1930s, during the development of heavy industry, the People's Commissariat of Railways of the USSR replaced them with more powerful models.
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4
B "yer"
Initially, shunting trains were produced abroad, and from 1877 to 1957 in Russia and the USSR. Over the long history of production, various modifications have been produced, with two and three axles.
It was also produced at factories in Czechoslovakia and Japan. It was actively operated on the CER, serving the trains going to Harbin. Type 0-2-0 worked in besieged Leningrad, delivering wagons with bread to stores and distribution points.
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5
BP-36 (B-36)
An American-made Russian passenger steam locomotive using a Vauclin steam engine. But the engineer was Baldwin, hence the double indexation of "B" or "C".
They were released from 1895 to 1899. The model went down in history, as this locomotive pulled the train on which the great writer and humanist Leo Tolstoy last drove from Moscow to Yasnaya Polyana.
6
U-127
Models "U", which means "Ural", were assembled at the Putilov factory from 1906 to 1912. And, directly, the U-127 already served the citizens of Soviet Russia.
The wheel formula was 4-6-0, and it was called "Lenin Komsomol." Time spared the car, and now the “U-127” is on display at the Transport Museum in the terminal of the Paveletsky railway station.
Note that it was used in a funeral procession at the funeral of V.I. Lenin.
7
C68
The wheel formula of the products of the Sormovsk plant was of the American type - 1-3-1. Because of this, these locomotives called the "Russian Prairie". But there was also a Russian nickname - "The Hound of Malakhovsky", as the steam locomotive accelerated to 115 km / h.
They began to collect them in 1910, and from 1912 was launched into mass production at the Lugansk, Kharkov and Nevsky plants. Out of production in 1919.
Operated until the mid 60-ies, and to this day only one copy with a serial number of "68".
8
Soo
They let Su in (Sormovsky reinforced) from 1924 to 1954. Throughout the history of the release has gone through several modifications. A beautiful, powerful steam engine worked on railway lines across the country.
It has a very solemn appearance, and was used in several Soviet films. Today, 6 copies have been kept in working condition, 7 are in museums in Russia and the CIS countries.
On the pedestals, 14 Su cars of various modifications froze as monuments.
9
E
He became a transitional model. He started the story as Russian, and then his release was resumed in the USSR. Immediately after the first time he got on the rails, he received the nickname "Eshak" or "Eshka".
He became the most massive Soviet steam locomotive, and one of the most beautiful. Many copies have survived, which are in museums or on pedestals at railway stations.
He starred in films more than once, including in Elusive Avengers and Admiral with Konstantin Khabensky.
10
With
Arranged the release of this series "Sergo Ordzhonikidze" in 1934. They were issued intermittently until 1951 and had different indices depending on the modification — СО17, СО18, СО19.
During the war years, part of the machines was transferred to the NKVD to service the frontline territories. Locomotives with numbers 17-12 and 17-1613 reached Berlin.
In memory of the feat of the Soviet railway workers in some cities of the former Union, these trains rode onto pedestals.
11
FD20
The main freight locomotive "Felix Dzerzhinsky", produced at the Voroshilovgrad plant in 1931-1942, fully provided the USSR with powerful vehicles during the period of industrialization.
Over the course of the year, refinery workers created more than 500 machines. He was very popular in poster painting of the pre-war period. Widely used during the Second World War.
In the post-war period, they were practically not used, they were too heavy, but new modifications were created on their basis.
12
IP
Kolomensky and Voroshilovgrad plants simultaneously with the release of "FD" mastered the release of the steam engine "Joseph Stalin." The first copy in honor of the 15th anniversary of the October Revolution arrived to be shown personally to Stalin in Moscow.
After testing, “IS” was launched into mass production, and in 1936 a streamlined shape locomotive IS20-16 was created. During the period of struggle with the personality cult, they were renamed FD.
The only surviving copy of the IS20-578 is in Kiev at the Kiev-Passenger depot, but it says “FDP20-578” on board.
13
E
Steam-powered locomotives of the E series were produced according to the drawings of Russian engineers in the factories of the USA and Canada, first for the Russian Empire, and then for the USSR, which was waging a fierce war with Nazi Germany.
Directly EA, EM and EMB were delivered to the USSR under Lend-Lease in 1943-1946. These were military vehicles, which were called "locomotives without luxury."
They tried to use a minimum of non-ferrous metals in their production, but even without that they looked very aggressive and attractive. Many copies have been preserved.
One with number 534 is in the Museum of the October Railway, as well as on monuments in honor of military railway workers.
14
L-3653 "Victory"
One of the best Soviet locomotives of the L series was produced from 1945 to 1955, and became one of the mass ones. Over 10 years, more than 4 thousand cars were produced.
Directly L-3653 can be seen in the depot of the Moscow region, and in the former republics of the USSR, surviving specimens are used as sightseeing.
The locomotive in the glorious series of cars “L” starred in the film “Voroshilovsky shooter”.
15
23-001
Left the assembly line of the plant in Ulan-Ude, and therefore had the letter designation "UU". It was produced in a single copy in 1949, and worked on railway lines until the early 60s.
It was a prototype of type 1-5-2. In the US, such models were called "Texas." A distinctive feature of the "UU" was a large axle load, reaching 23 tons.
The giant worked on the Red Liman-Osnova stage, and its designer was P. Sharoyko.
16
Lv
The city in which this compact locomotive was manufactured was renamed several times. At one time he was Lugansk, then Voroshilovgrad, then again Lugansk. The letter index "L" was given in honor of the designer Lev Lebedyansky, and "B" meant the city of production.
On the pediment was a red star with bas-reliefs of V. Lenin and I. Stalin. Initially, they were called OP18, according to the plant of the October Revolution and the force of the axle load equal to 18 tf. Beautiful cars were produced from 1952 to 1956, and were operated on the railways of the Union republics until the mid-70s.
After the closure of the LV project, main steam locomotives were no longer produced in the USSR.
Conclusion
Steam locomotives of Russia and the USSR are already history, but monuments to the tireless workers of railway lines are in many Russian cities. They are a reminder of the formation of a young Soviet country, of the difficult years of World War II, of the period of recovery and post-war peaceful life.