MÁV Class 411
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The MÁV Class 411 was a class of steam locomotives used by Hungarian railways.
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[edit] History
After World War Two there was a severe shortage on locomotives in Hungary, as the MÁV stock was partly destroyed in war actions or taken away by the German troops to Germany and to Austrian territory. The US Government offered Hungary a $150 million commodity loan and a part of this was used to purchase 510 pieces of the USATC S160 Class steam locomotives, for $10,000 each. The negotiations started in 1946, the first engines arrived in May 1947. The origin of the Hungarian S160s was as follows:
In their delivery state 425 locomotives were set up as coal burners while 85 engines as oil burners, changing the fuel was always possible.
The locomotives were classified due to their four driven axles and an axle load higher than 14.3 metric tons as MÁV Class 411. The Hungarian series numbering followed neither the manufacturer's name or number, nor the production date, but the arrival date in Hungary. The poorest quality 28 engines got no MÁV numbers, these were preserved as component sources for later repairs. MÁV immediately performed tests to find out load characteristics, loading and breaking tables were created. By January 1948 405 locomotives were already prepared for service.
[edit] Modifications
Unlike many other European users of the S160 locomotives MÁV considered these engines as a medium-term solution and decided to change many details on them. These changes were performed during a longer period, up to the 1960s. The most important and well visible changes were the following ones:
- Lifting the cab roof height by 30cm by welding a horizontal steel strip into cab side and front. This was necessary as the Class S160 engines were designed to negotiate the low British clearances and were very low-pitched for usual personnel.
- Replacing the square front windows and the left side front door by standard oval windows.
- Adding a protection cover for the turret on the longboiler top in front of the cab.
- Moving the air pump from the smokebox front to the smokebox left side.
- Increasing the stack height
- Replacing the steam engine break by air break
- Adding train heating hose and coupling
- Lifting the tender coal bunker bottom height
- Replacing the American whistle by a MÁV standard one
Class 411 locomotives hauled mainly medium size freight trains, occasionally passenger stop trains. They were considered as reliable and handsome engines with considerable reserves.
[edit] Withdrawal
Their withdrawal started in 1965 and continued by scrapping 15-30 locomotives every year. In 1980 only 6 pieces remained; they were withdrawn in the following three years. According to Preservation Lists three Class 411 machines are preserved in Hungary:
- 411,118 - Hungarian Railway Museum, Budapest, operational but no boiler licence
- 411,264 - Hatvan RR. station, plinthed
- 411,358 - Hegyeshalom station, plinthed
The 411,144 was sold in 1992 for the Milton-Keynes Locomotion & Navigation (GB), and is now preserved at the Churnet Valley Railway. 411,388 was sold to the East Lancashire Railway in the same year.
