Koleje Małe i Duże 1-2/2013(30)

In the years 1999 and 2000 40 class SP42 locomotives were adjusted to electric train heating by the addition of a 3 kV power generator instead of a steam heating boiler. Such modernised locomotives were designated as SU42 and were given numbers in the range of 501÷540. The machines received a new yellow and blue livery, and were subsequently nicknamed ‘Polsat’ (after a popular TV channel logo). The rebuilt vehicles were grouped in a number of motive power depots (Bydgoszcz, Gdynia, Nowy Sącz, Olsztyn, Szczecin, Wrocław), where they were used to haul local passenger trains on secondary non-electrified routes. In recent years, due to the organisational changes and the changes in the financing of regional passenger services which resulted in the introduction of new railcars, the demand for these locomotives was greatly reduced.

The Pt31 express locomotives – beautiful, strong, with good acceleration and maximum speed of 110 km/h, which was enough to meet the than PKP needs, were introduced in 1931. Altogether 110 such machines were built between 1932 and 1940. The locomotives were built by Pierwsza Fabryka Lokomotyw Sp. Akc. in Chrzanów, which was renamed as Oberschlesische Lokomotivfabrik AG Kattowitz, Werk Krenau after the German invasion of Poland. Only 65 were returned after the cessation of hostilities. They hauled mainline expresses until the end of 1970s, being gradually phased out by electrification. The Pt31 drawings formed the basis to construct the well-known Pt47s, with such new additions as thermic siphons in the firebox or riveting replaced by welding.

The Nowy Sącz steam depot was built along with the construction of the Galizische Transversalbahn in 1876. In 1914, just before the outbreak of WWI, the depot (together with a sub-depot in Stróże) had an allocation of 70 steam locomotives of eight Austrian classes. The Nowy Sącz depot was also managing depots in Zakopane, Nowy Targ, Chabówka, Stróże as well as servicing points in Muszyna and Dobra. The period of 1960s/70s saw the largest number of steam locomotives allocated to the depot - in 1974 Nowy Sącz was home to 87 steam locomotives, mostly of Ty2 and TKt48 classes. Currently Nowy Sącz is the seat of the Southern Division of PKP Cargo, whose structures include also sections in Tarnów, Dębica and Żurawica. Steam was replaced with SM42 diesels and ET22, ET41, EU07 electrics, from 19 Oct. 2011 including also the British built EU06s.

The SM42 and SP42 models offered by PIKO please the eye, as they are the first truly large scale, commercially built model of a popular Polish locomotive. The model is well built and affordable, it also constitutes a great base for a modeller to enhance the vehicle’s appearance and functions to a level ideally representing the original. The article describes the options and realism that may be achieved after the addition of a different sound decoder than the one proposed by the manufacturer and locating it in a different place. The proposed modernisation of the locomotive’s lights allows them to be lit according to the basic signals included in the E-1 manual, while the sound saved in the decoder is not an imitation but the sound of an original, full-size SM42 diesel.