TU2 diesel locomotive

The locomotives of the series ТУ2 ( German transcription TU2 ) of the Soviet Railways ( SZD ) are narrow-gauge diesel locomotives.

Development

Around 1953 an increasing demand for narrow gauge locomotives was foreseeable in the Soviet Union. One reason for this was the planned agricultural use of large parts of the North Kazakhstan ( "Neuland " campaign; Russian: Освоение целины ). For this purpose diesel-electric locomotives were provided.

After the two prototypes of the series ТУ1 of 1954, the development was put on the series ТУ2 in attack at the Kaluga machine factory. Substantial change was the replacement of the generator against such type MPT-49/25-3, which was developed specifically for the ТУ2.

Was built in 1955 as a prototype ТУ2 -001 and subjected to extensive testing. 1956 has begun volume production of its ТУ2. According to the occasion to construct the ТУ2 the locomotives of the model year 1956 were almost complete and the 1957 used a large part of the campaign for the cultivation of virgin lands and other railways of Kazakhstan. A total of up to 1959 281 locomotives were built, with priority lanes were supplied in Russia in the last two years of construction.

Due to the - with few exceptions - uniform gauge of 750 mm for the narrow gauge railways of the Soviet Union ТУ2 were built exclusively for this track. The ТУ2 was not exported.

Use

The relatively heavy version of the ТУ2 with an axle load of 8 tons limited the application areas on public railways and industrial railways with good superstructure. But even some forest tracks used a ТУ2. For the peat railways ТУ2 were not useful due to high axle load. For these purposes, the ТУ4 series was built from 1962.

The ТУ2 were both paths of the regional railway companies for public transport as well as in membranes from other operators in use. Numerous ТУ2 changed the place of use in the course of their lives. In Kazakhstan, distinguished himself early as the 1950s, an overhang from, because the need had been overestimated. In 1972, due to the gauging of the narrow -gauge railway from Marguzek ( Charanor - Priargunsk, Chita Oblast, Siberia ) converted to broad gauge ТУ2 many in Ukraine and solved there steam locomotives from. At the same time the production of ТУ7/ТУ7А series ran on, causing many ТУ2 were also released. During this time, children railways developed to a primary application.

In the 1990s, many were redundant due ТУ2 route closures and displacement by ТУ7/ТУ7А and were scrapped. Only about one-third of the original stock, about 95 locomotives are operational, with most of it in the now " children Railways" said former pioneer railways through various successor states of the Soviet Union distributed in occasional use is. The Ukrainian Railways (UZ ) are the last State Railways, which employs more ТУ2. Moreover, even ТУ2 used the privatized Bānītis in Latvia for scheduled passenger service. More are in the Lithuanian route Panevėžys - anykščiai - Rubikiai for special trips available. A small number of ТУ2 still comes in Kazakhstan on the narrow gauge network of Atbasar in freight transport used.

Modifications

The TU2 were originally painted green with a circulating yellow stripes in the Lokkastenmitte. and a red star on the front. Later several ТУ2 were painted blue, the red star was waived after the end of the Soviet Union. The IP has led in recent years, a new blue paint variations with different color distribution for their ТУ2. The locomotives of the railway children often wear multi-colored finishes in different variations.

The diesel engines of type Bernaul 1D12 had to be replaced every few years. Later a more advanced longer-lasting variant was used. The children's railway Kratovo in Moscow in 2005 modernized their ТУ2 -078 and -129 by a reorganized structure (name ТУ2К ). The ТУ2 -053 and -228 of the Children's Railway Irkutsk were provided from 2008, with all new constructions in various designs.

Pictures

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