Exhibits

Steam locomotives

СО^М17-1137

<space=1em><b>Steam Condensation</b>

<space=1em>Unlike conventional steam locomotives, in which the steam, having done useful work in the steam engine, is released into the atmosphere, designs with steam condensation had special devices for cooling the exhaust steam and turning it into water for reuse in the boiler.

<space=1em>The first steam locomotives equipped with devices for steam condensation (these were fairly primitive devices, where the steam was cooled by atmospheric air when it passed through a system of special tubes located on the roof of the locomotive or a special frame) appeared at the end of the 19th century.</nobr> These tank locomotives were used mainly for tram traffic and light commuter trains. Such locomotives were built in the USA, England, Germany and Russia (tank locomotives <nobr>types 44</nobr>, 45 and 96 of the Kolomna Plant).

<space=1em>The next step in the development of steam condensing locomotives was the construction in the <nobr>1920s</nobr> of <nobr>steam turbine locomotives —</nobr> locomotives equipped with steam turbines. Most of them used steam condensation to increase the efficiency of the steam turbine. The construction of steam turbine locomotives was limited mainly to prototypes.

<space=1em><b>NKPS Order</b>

<space=1em>The development of conventional steam locomotives with steam condensation after the construction of several steam turbine locomotives was continued by the German company Henschel & Sohn (German <nobr>Henschel & Sohn</nobr>), which managed to develop a steam condensation system that allows saving up to <nobr>95%</nobr> of boiler water. The first such locomotive with a gauge of <nobr>1,000 mm</nobr> was built for the railways of Argentina in <nobr>1930.</nobr>

<space=1em>In <nobr>1933</nobr> in order to conduct comparative tests of diesel and steam locomotives, the People's Commissariat of Railways ordered the German firm "Henschel & Son" to equip the steam locomotive <nobr>Э^Г 5224</nobr> with devices for condensing steam, built by the same firm on a Soviet order in <nobr>1921.</nobr>

<space=1em><b>Tests in the USSR</b>

<space=1em>The new locomotive underwent extensive testing in various climatic conditions for quite a long time: in winter on the Moscow-Kursk railway, and in summer on the Central Asian railway. The tests were conducted at various outside temperatures, with oil and coal heating, and with trains of various weights. The results divided the experts' opinions: some of them saw a great future in the new locomotives, while others (specialists from the Traction Research Institute), on the contrary, considered such locomotives to be unpromising.

<space=1em>Opponents of steam locomotives with steam condensation cited the following arguments: high construction costs, greater volume of repairs compared to conventional steam locomotives, increased back pressure on the pistons of the steam engine, inevitable oil ingress into the boiler, problems with operation at low temperatures.

<space=1em>Supporters of the new type of steam locomotives considered the technical problems surmountable, and the inflated costs of building and operating these locomotives, in their opinion, should have been compensated for by the high characteristics of steam locomotives with steam condensation. And, indeed, condensing locomotives theoretically allowed for significant runs without taking on water, without taking it on, like conventional steam locomotives, every <nobr>60–100 km</nobr>. Due to the repeated use of boiler water, scale build-up was reduced. The use of hot water to feed the boiler promised up to <nobr>10%</nobr> fuel savings.

<space=1em>As a result, the point of view of supporters of steam locomotives with steam condensation won out. In <nobr>1935</nobr> the Kolomna Plant began designing a Soviet tender-condenser, very similar to the product of the Henschel & Son company. A new steam locomotive of the <nobr>1-5-0</nobr> series СО17 was chosen as the "carrier" of the condensing equipment.

<space=1em><b>Re-equipment</b>

<space=1em>At the December plenum of the <nobr>Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks)</nobr> <nobr>1935</nobr> People's Commissar of Railways <nobr>L.M. Kaganovich</nobr> said: "For the first time in <nobr>1936</nobr> a new type of <nobr>steam locomotive —</nobr> with steam condensation — will be widely used in railway transport. This locomotive will make a whole revolution in the locomotive industry." This statement largely determined the direction of development of domestic locomotive building in the pre-war period.

<space=1em>At the beginning of <nobr>1936</nobr> the Kolomna plant received new steam locomotives <nobr>СО17 84</nobr> and <nobr>СО17 85</nobr>, built by the Kharkov Locomotive Plant, for conversion into condensation locomotives.

<space=1em><nobr>28 February</nobr> <nobr>1936</nobr> the first domestically built steam locomotive with steam condensation, <nobr>СО17 85</nobr>, went on trial running on the <nobr>Golutvin - Ramenskoye</nobr> section. <nobr>March 8</nobr> the new locomotive was inspected at the Kievsky railway station in Moscow by People's Commissars <nobr>L.M. Kaganovich</nobr> and <nobr>S. Ordzhonikidze</nobr>, as well as the secretary of the Moscow Committee of the <nobr>All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks)</nobr> <nobr>N.S. Khrushchev</nobr>. Explanations on the new locomotive were given by the designer of the Kolomna plant Lebedyansky and the chief engineer of the Central Locomotive Directorate of the People's Commissariat of Railways Tomlenov. The condition of the locomotive, its first tests and careful external finishing caused complete satisfaction of the party leaders. In March, the re-equipment of the second locomotive was also completed.

<space=1em>During <nobr>1936</nobr> the serial production of SO19 steam locomotives (as SO steam locomotives with steam condensation were called, the axle load of which from the driving wheel pairs was approximately <nobr>19 tons</nobr>) was started, having completed the construction of SO17 steam locomotives, by the Kharkov and Bryansk steam locomotive plants. The main supplier of condenser tenders, designated P11, for the new locomotives was the Kolomna Machine-Building Plant.

<space=1em><b>Design</b>

<space=1em>The equipment of steam locomotives with steam condensation consisted of the following elements.

<space=1em>The condensation plant on the tender included a refrigerator, a crushed steam turbine, air fans, pipelines and condensate tanks. The condenser refrigerator consisted of a number of thin brass tubes equipped with fins on the outside. The exhaust steam, passing inside these tubes, gave up its heat to the air washing the tubes from the outside, and thereby cooled, turning into water with a temperature of <nobr>80–90 °C</nobr>.

<space=1em>To cool all the steam passing through the refrigerator in one hour, up to <nobr>650,000 m³</nobr> of air was required. This amount was supplied by three fans, driven by a special crushed steam turbine with a capacity of <nobr>170 hp. c</nobr>The smoke exhauster (centrifugal fan) replaced the cone of a conventional steam locomotive and was driven by a forced-steam turbine with a capacity of about <nobr>70 hp</nobr> Feed pumps and filters served to feed the boiler with hot condensate and clean the water from oil carried away with the steam from the locomotive engine.

<space=1em>The working process of the locomotive occurred in the following sequence. The steam, exhausted in the steam engine, entered the forced-steam turbine, which drove the smoke exhauster, from which it was then fed through a special pipeline to the turbine of the tender air fans and, after exhausting in it, was sent to the refrigerator. Here the steam turned into water, which was collected in a special condensation tank and from there by pumps, passing through filters and being cleaned in them, was fed to the boiler. The incoming condensate was converted into steam in the boiler, which again worked in the steam engine.

<space=1em><b>Difficulties of development</b>

<space=1em>The process of development of serial production of condensing steam locomotives at locomotive factories was difficult. Delays in the delivery of components, poor quality of assembly, low-quality smoke exhaust turbines led to constant disruption of the plan. The situation was aggravated by the fact that the factories were simultaneously developing the production of tender condensers themselves.

<space=1em>The introduction of new steam locomotives also caused, especially at the beginning, considerable difficulties. The steam locomotives did not fit in the stalls (their length exceeded the length of the E^M by <nobr>5 m</nobr>) and on the old turntables, their design was poorly studied by locomotive and repair crews. All this was the consequence of the "revolutionary" introduction of new locomotives.

<space=1em>NKPS tried with all its might to rectify the situation. A trip of technical specialists to the depots that received the new locomotives was organized. In Moscow, at the Ilyich depot and at the Kolomensky plant, courses were organized to study the new locomotives. A group of NKPS condensation locomotives was organized at the People's Commissariat itself.

<space=1em><b>Test Run</b>

<space=1em>In order to show the locomotive engineers the capabilities of the new locomotives, from <nobr>December 9</nobr> <nobr>1936</nobr> to <nobr>February 15</nobr> <nobr>1937</nobr> a test run of the condensation locomotive <nobr>СО17 635</nobr> (the first SO locomotives with steam condensation, built in Bryansk, had the old designation СО17) was conducted along the route <nobr>Moscow —</nobr> <nobr>Vladivostok —</nobr> Moscow. Valentin Makarov was appointed senior locomotive engineer. In <nobr>1936</nobr> he delivered the <nobr>Skovorodino - Moscow</nobr> relay train on the <nobr>E^L 689</nobr> locomotive in <nobr>13 days</nobr> without changing the locomotive or calling at the depot.

<space=1em>The run, which took place in winter conditions, confirmed the operability of condensation locomotives in the most difficult conditions. The railway press wrote about the run that the trip played the role of "deep reconnaissance" for the introduction of new type locomotives.

<space=1em>Gradually, despite the difficulties of development, the SO19 steam locomotives became widespread on the railways of the Soviet Union. They worked on the roads of Siberia, the Far East, Ukraine, Central Asia, the Caucasus and Kazakhstan.

<space=1em><b>Deficiencies identified</b>

<space=1em>As experience was accumulated in operating the SO19 steam locomotives, design deficiencies in the tender-condenser began to emerge. With an axle load of more than <nobr>19 t</nobr>, the tender was initially wheel pairs with a diameter of <nobr>900 mm</nobr> were used. This led to rapid wear and chipping of the tires. The problem was solved by rolling wheel pairs with a diameter of <nobr>1,050 mm</nobr> under the condenser tenders during repairs.

<space=1em>Another drawback of the tender was the small fuel reserve of <nobr>— 14.5 tons</nobr>, which was clearly insufficient given the increased mileage of condensing steam locomotives. The construction of an experimental four-axle condenser tender with an increased fuel reserve showed an unacceptable increase in axle loads. This problem could only be solved by switching to the construction of five-axle or six-axle tenders, which was never implemented.

<space=1em><b>The plan was not fulfilled</b>

<space=1em>According to the plan for the development of transport in the Third Five-Year Plan, approved in <nobr>1938</nobr> at the <nobr>XVIII Congress</nobr> of the <nobr>All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks)</nobr>, the fleet of steam locomotives with steam condensation by <nobr>1942</nobr> was supposed to increase by <nobr>4,200 units</nobr>. The reality turned out to be different: in total, the Kharkov, Bryansk, Voroshilovgrad and Ulan-Ude plants built about <nobr>1,450 steam locomotives</nobr> SO19 from 1936 to <nobr>1942</nobr>.

<space=1em>It should be noted that the construction of such a number of steam locomotives with steam condensation was technical voluntarism. If the use of condensing steam locomotives in the desert regions of Central Asia and in some areas with water that was unsuitable for feeding locomotive boilers was justified, then their widespread use was an undoubted mistake.

<space=1em>The construction of the SO19 steam locomotive cost the state more than the construction of the much more powerful FD steam locomotive, and their repairs were also more expensive. The constant shortage of spare parts led to the "robbing" of steam locomotives, which were put into reserve and awaiting repairs to maintain the working fleet. In <nobr>1947</nobr> of the entire fleet of SO19 steam locomotives, only <nobr>45%</nobr> of the locomotives were in all types of work, and even fewer were used in freight traffic.

<space=1em>Nevertheless, one of the most freight-intensive sections of the Trans-Siberian Railway, from Chulymskaya to Petropavlovsk, was serviced by steam locomotives with condensing steam from <nobr>1938</nobr> until the early <nobr>1950s</nobr> (when the section was electrified). The People's Commissariat of Railways did not consider it possible to replace them with locomotives of other series, even during the Great Patriotic War, primarily due to the poor quality of the water. Replacing condensing steam locomotives would have led to a sudden increase in the number of washing repairs, for which the available capacity of the locomotive depots was not designed.

<space=1em><b>Reverse conversion</b>

<space=1em>With the construction of a significant number of electric and diesel locomotives and the reduction of sections serviced by steam locomotive traction, the Ministry of Railways recognized the maintenance of a fleet of steam locomotives with steam condensation as impractical. Since the second half of the <nobr>1950s</nobr> the Orenburg, Zaporozhye and Poltava steam locomotive repair plants began dismantling condensation equipment from SO19 steam locomotives during medium or major repairs.

<space=1em>The fan traction was replaced with a cone traction, and <nobr>B-250</nobr> injectors were installed instead of feed pumps. The tender frame was shortened and a newly manufactured water tank was installed. The axle load of the locomotive was reduced to <nobr>17 t</nobr>. Most locomotives that lost their condensation equipment were equipped with a mechanical coal feeder.

<space=1em>After all this work was completed, the locomotives were designated CO^M17. A small number of machines were immediately equipped with oil heating or left repair plants with manual heating. By the beginning of the <nobr>1960s</nobr> the conversion of condensation locomotives was completed. On average, CO19 locomotives worked on the railways for about <nobr>20 years</nobr>.

<space=1em>SO^M17 steam locomotives were delivered from locomotive repair plants to the roads of the European part of the country, where they were successfully used in train service until the mid-1960s.</nobr> On some sections, they remained in service in the early 1970s.</nobr> Externally, they could be distinguished from ordinary SO17 steam locomotives only by their characteristic "high" tender.

<space=1em>Currently, ten SO steam locomotives, which previously had steam condensation equipment, have been preserved in museums and on pedestals in the post-Soviet space.

<space=1em><b>Museum exhibit</b>

<space=1em>Locomotive <nobr>СО^М17 1137</nobr> was built by the Kharkov Locomotive Plant in <nobr>1938</nobr> as a steam locomotive with steam condensation <nobr>СО19 1137</nobr>. Factory <nobr>number: 5237</nobr>.

<space=1em>After construction, the locomotive was delivered to the Vyazma depot of the Western Railway, where it was used on the traction shoulders <nobr>Vyazma -</nobr> Mozhaisk, <nobr>Vyazma -</nobr> Smolensk and <nobr>Vyazma -</nobr> Rzhev. At the end of <nobr>1940</nobr> it was transferred to the Kartaly depot of the South Ural Railway. Then it worked in the Kazakhstan depot of the Ryazan-Ural Railway, from where it was transferred to the Omsk Railway. nuyu road to the Petropavlovsk depot.

<space=1em>Since December <nobr>1955</nobr> the locomotive was used at the Salsk depot of the North Caucasian Railway. During an average overhaul in March <nobr>1958</nobr> at the <nobr>Poltava PRZ</nobr> the steam condensation devices were removed and a mechanical coal feeder was installed. The locomotive received the designation <nobr>СО^М17 1137</nobr>. After the overhaul it was sent to the Kalinin Railway, where it worked at the Rzhev and Novosokolniki depots.

<space=1em><b>In reserve</b>

<space=1em>Since May <nobr>1963</nobr> the locomotive was put into reserve and was located at the reserve base <nobr>Bologoye II</nobr>. The total mileage during operation was <nobr>1,011,734 km</nobr>. <nobr>СО^М17 1137</nobr> was excluded from the inventory fleet of the <nobr>MPS USSR</nobr> by order of <nobr>ЦТЛ-36</nobr> dated <nobr>September 29</nobr> <nobr>1989</nobr>

<space=1em>In <nobr>1990</nobr> the locomotive was sent from the <nobr>Bologoye II</nobr> reserve depot for cutting into scrap metal at the Leningrad-Finlyandsky locomotive depot. Pending work, it was placed at the Zelenogorsk reserve depot. Shortly before the start of the cutting, the employees of the Central Museum of the October Railway managed to formalize the transfer of the locomotive to the museum.

<space=1em>The locomotive was relocated to the museum site at Shushary station, where it was exhibited until <nobr>2001</nobr> From 2001 to <nobr>2016</nobr> it was on display at the museum at the former Varshavsky railway station in St. Petersburg.

ID экспоната:  30

Аудио:  http://dpmzdr.infomedia.digital/files/62/9f/629f4e45245051b34ec2c01a99152ed1dc74f147.ogg

Галерея изображений:  http://dpmzdr.infomedia.digital/files/6b/2d/s16b2d62243f36edbc88aae85fc93ea1e84a6d570d.jpg / http://dpmzdr.infomedia.digital/files/b9/50/s1b9503e80f2f6d5277dc304fc519edbb0862038ed.jpg / http://dpmzdr.infomedia.digital/files/8d/86/s18d866c48f97ae21eca17630f2c4382c8443953ac.jpg

Галерея изображений (оригинал):  http://dpmzdr.infomedia.digital/files/6b/2d/6b2d62243f36edbc88aae85fc93ea1e84a6d570d.jpg / http://dpmzdr.infomedia.digital/files/b9/50/b9503e80f2f6d5277dc304fc519edbb0862038ed.jpg / http://dpmzdr.infomedia.digital/files/8d/86/8d866c48f97ae21eca17630f2c4382c8443953ac.jpg

Галерея изображений 2000:  http://dpmzdr.infomedia.digital/files/6b/2d/s26b2d62243f36edbc88aae85fc93ea1e84a6d570d.jpg / http://dpmzdr.infomedia.digital/files/b9/50/s2b9503e80f2f6d5277dc304fc519edbb0862038ed.jpg / http://dpmzdr.infomedia.digital/files/8d/86/s28d866c48f97ae21eca17630f2c4382c8443953ac.jpg

Исторические фото:  http://dpmzdr.infomedia.digital/files/08/fa/s108fa1e4f2bdf1dc5b63a954a93a685d981aa69eb.png / http://dpmzdr.infomedia.digital/files/6d/68/s16d686b6b8e141235237516ffacd5c359b19cd6d5.png / http://dpmzdr.infomedia.digital/files/64/58/s16458302df338d24cd8789877ec3e44f77eededb6.png / http://dpmzdr.infomedia.digital/files/f5/6f/s1f56f42bfcad48988a08d1367a8d66f0a1bf173cc.png / http://dpmzdr.infomedia.digital/files/87/0f/s1870f75ce62c57cd51086ea76306ebade9a67d5df.png / http://dpmzdr.infomedia.digital/files/44/fa/s144fa3e95789c5b4818a5cc2b89c65387043e3189.png / http://dpmzdr.infomedia.digital/files/8c/b0/s18cb0bc5be9053a4e097e4e277a179ed28cd5cec4.png

Параметры (технические характеристики):  Steam locomotive empty weight, t 85  Steam engine coupled weight, t 87,5  / Tender type 4-axle Full locomotive wheelbase with tender, mm 19 500  Locomotive length with tender at automatic coupling axes, mm 23 200  Driving wheel diameter, mm 1 320  Min. curve radius, m 85  Steam pressure, kg/cm² 14  Firebox type Radial Grid bar area, m² 6,0  Full boiler evaporating heating surface(water), m² 229,67  Superheater tube heating surface (gas), m² 93,6  Smoke tubes, pcs. 147  Smoke tube diameter (outer), mm 51  Fire tubes, pcs. 52  Fire tube diameter (outer), mm 133  Steam superheater type Double flange Superheater tube diameter (outer), mm 35  Year 1938 Locomotive operating weight,  t 97,8 Steam locomotive weight with tender,  t 165 Design speed, km/h 70  Max power at wheel tread, hp 2 200

План:  http://dpmzdr.infomedia.digital/files/e8/26/e826b46d148527f95ed98aad04844e9d00edf118.png / http://dpmzdr.infomedia.digital/files/45/3d/453de9f5ba9fdd11b983bb659e7c698fb2e81988.png

План 1000:  http://dpmzdr.infomedia.digital/files/e8/26/s1e826b46d148527f95ed98aad04844e9d00edf118.png / http://dpmzdr.infomedia.digital/files/45/3d/s1453de9f5ba9fdd11b983bb659e7c698fb2e81988.png

План 2000:  http://dpmzdr.infomedia.digital/files/e8/26/s2e826b46d148527f95ed98aad04844e9d00edf118.png / http://dpmzdr.infomedia.digital/files/45/3d/s2453de9f5ba9fdd11b983bb659e7c698fb2e81988.png

Хронология:  <space=1em>Repeated attempts to modernize the E locomotives did not bring the desired effect. The only way out was seen in creating a new type of locomotive with an axle load of 17.5 tons. <space=1em>A draft design for a locomotive with an axle arrangement of 1-5-0 was developed in 1933 at the Institute for Traction Reconstruction of the People's Commissariat of Railways. For the new product, the running gear of the E^M series steam locomotive was used practically without changes with the addition of a runner bogie, the same type as the bogie of the FD steam locomotive. This made it possible to install a boiler with a much greater power compared to the E^M steam locomotive, which significantly improved the traction characteristics of the new machine. <space=1em>The first such locomotive was built in November 1934 at the Kharkov Steam Locomotive Plant. During testing it was found that at high boost the locomotive developed a maximum power of 2,000 hp versus 1,300 hp for the E^M. That is, the SO17 steam locomotive turned out to be more than one and a half times more powerful than the E^M steam locomotive. <space=1em>In 1935, the SO completely displaced the E^M series steam locomotives from the production program of the Kharkov plant. Since 1936, they began to be produced at the Bryansk Locomotive Plant. A total of 334 SO17 steam locomotives were produced in 1934–1938. Their production was discontinued due to the transition to the production of locomotives of the same series, but equipped with fan traction of the SO18 (SO^B) and SO19 (SO^K) series with a tender-condenser for exhaust steam. <space=1em>The SO^M17-1137 locomotive, originally the SO19-1137, was manufactured by the Kharkov Locomotive Plant in 1938. After construction, the locomotive was sent to the Vyazma depot of the Western Railway. At the end of 1940, it was sent to the Kartaly depot of the South Ural Railway. Then it worked at the Kazakhstan depot of the Ryazan-Ural Railway, from where it was transferred to the Petropavlovsk depot of the Omsk Railway. Since December 1955, the locomotive was used at the Salsk depot of the North Caucasian Railway. <space=1em>In the late 1950s, SO^M17-1137 entered service with the Kalinin Railway, where it worked at the Rzhev and Novosokolniki depots. Since May 1963, it was at the Bologoye-2 reserve base and was excluded from the inventory fleet of the USSR Ministry of Railways in 1989. <space=1em>In 1990, the locomotive was sent to be cut up for scrap metal at the Leningrad-Finlyandsky locomotive depot, where it arrived in 1991 after waiting at the Zelenogorsk reserve base. Shortly before the start of the work, the staff of the Central Museum of the October Railway managed to formalize the transfer of the locomotive to the exhibition. The locomotive was relocated to the museum site at Shushary station. From 2001 to 2016, it was on display at the museum at the former Varshavsky railway station in St. Petersburg.

Блоки описания:  [{"quote":"In conventional steam locomotives, the exhaust steam is released into the atmosphere, whereas in condensation designs, it is cooled, converted back into water, and reused in the boiler.","title":"","images":[],"content":"Unlike conventional steam locomotives, where steam is released into the atmosphere after performing useful work in the engine, designs with steam condensation featured special devices that cooled the exhaust steam and converted it into water, which could be reused in the boiler.","subtitle":"Steam condensation"},{"quote":"","title":"","images":[],"content":"The first steam locomotives equipped with steam condensation devices appeared at the end of the 19th century. These were fairly primitive systems, where the steam was cooled by atmospheric air as it passed through special tubes located on the locomotive’s roof or a dedicated frame. These tank locomotives were mainly used for tram and light commuter trains. Such locomotives were built in the USA, England, Germany, and Russia (the Kolomna Locomotive Works’s tank locomotives of types 44, 45, and 96).\r\n<br>\r\nThe next step in the development of locomotives with steam condensation was the construction in the 1920s of steam turbine locomotives—locomotives equipped with steam turbines. Most of them used steam condensation to improve the efficiency of the steam turbine. The construction of steam turbine locomotives was limited mainly to experimental models.","subtitle":""},{"quote":"In the design of the German company Henschel & Son, up to 95% of the boiler water was recovered.","title":"Henschel & Son","images":[],"content":"The development of conventional steam locomotives with steam condensation was continued by the German company Henschelz & Son after the construction of several steam turbine locomotives. The company successfully developed a steam condensation system that allowed for the recovery of up to 95% of the boiler water. The first such 1,000 mm gauge steam locomotive was built for Argentine railways in 1930.","subtitle":"Order of the People’s Commissariat of Communication Routes"},{"quote":"","title":"","images":[],"content":"In 1933, to conduct comparative tests of diesel and steam locomotives, the People’s Commissariat of Communication Routes commissioned the German company Henschel & Son to equip the E<sup>G<\/sup>-5224 steam locomotive, which had been built by the same firm in 1921 under a Soviet order, with steam condensation devices.","subtitle":""},{"quote":"Opponents of the new project pointed to the high construction costs, the extensive repairs needed, oil contamination of the boiler, and problems at low temperatures.","title":"","images":[],"content":"The new locomotive underwent extensive testing under various climatic conditions for a considerable period: in winter on the Moscow–Kursk Railway, and in summer on the Central Asian Railway. The tests were conducted at different outside temperatures, using both oil and coal heating, and with trains of varying weights. Based on the results, expert opinions were divided: some saw great potential in the new locomotives, while others, particularly specialists from the Research Institute of Traction, considered them to be unpromising.","subtitle":"Tests in the USSR"},{"quote":"","title":"","images":[],"content":"Opponents of steam locomotives with steam condensation cited the following arguments: high construction costs, more extensive repairs compared to conventional steam locomotives, increased backpressure on the pistons of the steam engine, inevitable oil contamination of the boiler, and problems with operation at low temperatures.\r\n<br>\r\nThe proponents of the new type of steam locomotives believed that the technical challenges could be overcome and that the higher construction and operating costs would be offset by the improved performance of steam locomotives with steam condensation. In theory, condensing locomotives could make significantly longer trips without needing to take on water, unlike conventional steam locomotives, which required water every 60–100 km. The repeated reuse of boiler water helped reduce scale buildup. Using hot water to feed the boiler offered potential fuel savings of up to 10%.\r\n<br>\r\nUltimately, the supporters of steam locomotives with steam condensation prevailed. In 1935, the Kolomna Locomotive Works began designing a Soviet tender-condenser, closely resembling the model developed by Henschel & Son. The new type 1-5-0 SO17 steam locomotive was chosen as the carrier for the condensation equipment.","subtitle":""},{"quote":"","title":"Work Begins","images":[],"content":"At the December Plenum of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) in 1935, People’s Commissar of Communication Routes L. M. Kaganovich declared: “In 1936, a new type of steam locomotive will be introduced to railway transport for the first time—one equipped with steam condensation. This locomotive will revolutionize the locomotive industry”. This announcement profoundly influenced the direction of domestic locomotive construction in the pre-war period.\r\n<br>\r\nAt the beginning of 1936, two new SO17 locomotives—SO17-84 and SO17-85—built by the Kharkiv Locomotive Works, were delivered to the Kolomna Locomotive Works for conversion into condensation locomotives.\r\n\r\nOn 28th February 1936, the first domestically produced steam locomotive with steam condensation, SO17-85, undertook its trial run on the Golutvin–Ramenskoye section. On 8th March, the steam locomotive was presented at the Kiyv Station in Moscow to People’s Commissars L. M. Kaganovich and S. Ordzhonikidze, along with N. S. Khrushchev, Secretary of the Moscow Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks). The steam locomotive’s innovative design was explained by Lebedyansky, the Kolomna Locomotive Works’s Designer, and Tomlenov, the Chief Engineer of the Central Steam Locomotive Directorate of the People’s Commissariat of Communication Routes. The condition of the steam locomotive, its initial tests, and meticulous exterior finishing earned the complete approval of the party leadership. In March, the conversion of the second locomotive was finalised.\r\n<br>\r\nLater in 1936, the Kharkiv and Bryansk Locomotive Works commenced mass production of SO19 steam locomotives—condensing steam locomotives of the SO class with an axial load from the driving wheelsets of approximately 19 t—concluding the production of SO17 steam locomotives. The primary supplier of P11 tender-condensers for the new locomotives was the Kolomna Machine-Building Plant.","subtitle":"Refurbishment"},{"quote":"","title":"","images":[],"content":"The equipment of steam locomotives with steam condensation consisted of the following elements.\r\n\r\nThe condensing unit on the tender included a condenser, an exhaust-steam turbine, air fans, piping, and condensate tanks. The condenser itself consisted of a series of thin brass tubes fitted with external fins. As the exhaust steam travelled through these tubes, it transferred its heat to the air flowing over the tubes, cooling down and condensing into the water with a temperature of 80–90°C. To cool all the steam passing through the condenser within an hour, up to 650,000 m<sup>³<\/sup> of air was required. This quantity was supplied by three fans driven by a special exhaust steam turbine with a capacity of 170 hp.\r\n<br>\r\nThe smoke exhaust system (centrifugal fan) replaced the blast pipe of an ordinary steam locomotive and was driven by an exhaust steam turbine with a capacity of about 70 hp.\r\n<br>\r\nFeed pumps and filters were used to deliver hot condensate to the boiler and to remove oil carried over with the steam from the steam locomotive engine.\r\n<br>\r\nThe operation of the steam locomotive followed this sequence: steam that had completed its work in the steam engine entered an exhaust steam turbine, which powered the smoke exhauster. From there, the steam was directed via a special pipeline to the tender’s air fan turbine. After working there, the steam was routed to the condenser. Here the steam was converted back into water, which was collected in a dedicated condensation tank. From this tank, the water was pumped through filters, where it was purified, and then fed back into the boiler. The boiler heated the condensate, turning it back into steam, which worked in the steam engine once again.","subtitle":"Design"},{"quote":"The new steam locomotives did not fit into the bays and turntables. The steam locomotive and repair crews were not familiar with their design.","title":"Operation","images":[],"content":"The process of establishing serial production of condensing steam locomotives at steam locomotive manufacturing plants proved challenging. Delays in component deliveries, subpar assembly quality, and issues with low-quality smoke exhaust turbines frequently disrupted production schedules. The situation was further complicated by the plants having to independently develop and produce tender condensers.","subtitle":"Production Challenges"},{"quote":"","title":"","images":[],"content":"The introduction of the new steam locomotives initially caused significant challenges. Their length exceeded that of the EM by 5 m, making them incompatible with existing bays and older turntables. Additionally, steam locomotive and repair crews were unfamiliar with their design. These difficulties arose as a result of the “revolutionary” approach to deploying the new locomotives.\r\n<br>\r\nThe People’s Commissariat of Communication Routes took active measures to address these issues. Technical specialists were sent to the depots receiving the new steam locomotives. In Moscow, courses on the new steam locomotives were set up at the Ilyich Depot and the Kolomna Locomotive Works. A dedicated group for condensing steam locomotives was also formed within the People’s Commissariat of Communication Routes.","subtitle":""},{"quote":"The new steam locomotive completed the journey from Moscow to Vladivostok and back in 69 days.","title":"","images":[],"content":"To demonstrate the capabilities of the new locomotives to steam locomotive crews, a test run of the condensing steam locomotive SO17-635 (the first SO steam locomotives with steam condensation, built in Bryansk, had the old designation SO17) was conducted along the Moscow–Vladivostok–Moscow route from 9th December 1936 to 15th February 1937. Valentin Makarov, who delivered the Skovorodino–Moscow relay train hauled by the steam locomotive EL-689 in 1936 in 13 days without changing the steam locomotive or entering any depots, was appointed as Senior Steam Locomotive Driver.","subtitle":"Trial Run"},{"quote":"","title":"","images":[],"content":"The run, conducted under winter conditions, demonstrated the effectiveness of the condensing locomotives in even the most challenging environments. Railway publications described the journey as a “deep reconnaissance” for the introduction of new locomotive types.\r\n<br>\r\nGradually, despite operational challenges, the SO19 steam locomotives became widespread across the Soviet Union’s railways. They operated on the roads of Siberia, the Far East, Ukraine, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Kazakhstan.","subtitle":""},{"quote":"","title":"","images":[],"content":"As operational experience with the SO19 steam locomotives grew, design flaws in the tender-condenser began to surface. The tender, with an axial load of over 19 t, was initially equipped with wheelsets having a 900 mm diameter. This led to rapid wear and chipping of the binding bands. The issue was addressed by installing wheelsets with a diameter of 1,050 mm during repairs.\r\n<br>\r\nAnother shortcoming of the tender was its limited fuel capacity of 14.5 t, which proved inadequate given the increased operational range of the condensing steam locomotives. An experimental four-axle condenser tender with an increased fuel capacity showed an unacceptable rise in axial loads. The only potential solution was the construction of five-axle or six-axle tenders, but this plan was never realised.","subtitle":"Design Flaws Identified"},{"quote":"In Central Asia, where water quality was unsuitable for steam locomotives, the new project made sense. However, its widespread deployment proved to be a mistake.","title":"Wrong Decision","images":[],"content":"According to the transport development plan for the Third Five-Year Plan, approved in 1938 at the 18th Congress of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks), the fleet of SO condensing steam locomotives was to be expanded by 4,200 units by 1942. However, the reality turned out to be different: between 1936 and 1942, the Kharkiv, Bryansk, Voroshilovgrad, and Ulan-Ude plants built approximately 1,450 SO19 steam locomotives.\r\n<br>\r\nIt’s important to note that the construction of such a large number of condensing steam locomotives was a case of technical voluntarism. While the use of condensing steam locomotives in the arid regions of Central Asia and in areas with water unsuitable for feeding steam locomotive boilers was justified, their widespread deployment proved to be an obvious mistake.","subtitle":"The Unfulfilled Plan"},{"quote":"","title":"","images":[],"content":"The production of the SO19 steam locomotive was more expensive for the state than that of the much more powerful FD steam locomotive, and its repairs were also costlier. The constant shortage of spare parts led to the “stripping” of steam locomotives, which were put into reserve and awaiting repairs, to maintain the working fleet. In 1947, only 45% of the entire fleet of SO19 steam locomotives were in active service, and even fewer were used for freight transport.\r\n<br>\r\nHowever, one of the most freight-intensive sections of the Trans-Siberian Railway, from Chulymskaya to Petropavlovsk, was serviced by condensing steam locomotives from 1938 until the early 1950s (when the section was electrified). The People’s Commissariat of Communication Routes did not consider replacing them with locomotives from other classes, even during the Great Patriotic War, primarily due to the poor quality of water. Replacing the condensing steam locomotives would have resulted in a sudden increase in washing repairs, for which the existing capacity of steam locomotive depots was insufficient.","subtitle":""},{"quote":"Starting in the second half of the 1950s, condensation equipment began to be dismantled during repairs.","title":"","images":[],"content":"With the construction of a significant number of electric and diesel locomotives and the reduction of sections served by steam locomotives, the Ministry of Railways deemed the maintenance of a fleet of condensing steam locomotives impractical. Starting in the second half of the 1950s, the Orenburg, Zaporizhzhia, and Poltava steam locomotive repair plants began dismantling the condensation equipment from SO19 steam locomotives during medium or major repairs.","subtitle":"Restoration to Standard Configuration"},{"quote":"","title":"","images":[],"content":"The fan-driven exhaust system was replaced with a blast pipe exhaust system, and instead of feed pumps, V-250 injectors were installed. The tender’s frame was shortened, and a newly manufactured water tank was installed. The axial load of the steam locomotive was reduced to 17 t. Most locomotives that had their condensation equipment removed were fitted with a mechanical stoker.\r\n<br>\r\nAfter these modifications, the steam locomotives were designated SO<sup>М<\/sup>17. A small number of locomotives were either immediately equipped with oil heating or departed from the repair plants with manual heating. By the early 1960s, the conversion of condensing steam locomotives was complete. On average, the SO19 locomotives served on the railways for about 20 years.\r\n<br>\r\nThe SO<sup>M<\/sup>17 steam locomotives were sent from the locomotive repair plants to the railways of the European part of the country, where they were successfully used in train service until the mid-1960s. On some sections, they remained in service into the early 1970s. The only external difference between them and the regular SO17 steam locomotives was their distinctive “tall” tender.\r\n<br>\r\nToday, ten SO steam locomotives, which once had steam condensation equipment, are preserved in museums and on pedestals across the post-Soviet space.","subtitle":""},{"quote":"","title":"Museum Exhibit","images":[],"content":"The SO<sup>M<\/sup>17-1137 locomotive was originally built as a condensing steam locomotive, SO19-1137, by the Kharkiv Locomotive Works in 1938. Factory number: 5237.\r\n<br>\r\nAfter its construction, the locomotive was delivered to the Vyazma Depot of the Western Railway, where it served on the Vyazma–Mozhaysk, Vyazma–Smolensk, and Vyazma–Rzhev routes. In late 1940, it was transferred to the Kartaly Depot of the South Ural Railway. Then it operated at the Kazakhstan Depot of the Ryazan-Ural Railway, followed by a transfer to the Petropavlovsk Depot of the Omsk Railway.\r\n\r\nStarting from December 1955, the steam locomotive operated at the Salsk Depot of the North Caucasus Railway. During a medium repair at the Poltava Locomotive Repair Plant in March 1958, the steam condensation equipment was removed, and a mechanical stoker was installed. The steam locomotive received the designation SO<sup>М<\/sup>17-1137. After the repair, it was sent to the Kalinin Railway, where it operated at the Rzhev and Novosokolniki Depots.","subtitle":"Service History"},{"quote":"","title":"","images":[],"content":"In May 1963, the steam locomotive was placed in reserve at the Bologoye II reserve base. The total operational mileage was 1,011,734 km. On 29th September 1989, by order of TsTL-36, SO<sup>M<\/sup>17-1137 was officially removed from the USSR Ministry of Railways’ inventory.\r\n<br>\r\nIn 1990, it was transferred from the Bologoye II reserve base to the Leningrad-Finlyandsky Locomotive Depot for scrapping. While awaiting dismantling, it was placed at the Zelenogorsk reserve base. Shortly before that, the staff of the Central Museum of the Oktyabrskaya Railway successfully arranged the locomotive’s transfer to the museum.","subtitle":"In Reserve"}]

Характеристики (блоками):  [{"name":"Year","type":"number","value":"1938","is_two_colls":false},{"name":"Locomotive empty weight, t","type":"number","value":"85","is_two_colls":false},{"name":"Locomotive coupling weight, t","type":"number","value":"87,5","is_two_colls":false},{"name":"Tender type","type":"text","value":"Four-axle","is_two_colls":false},{"name":"Full wheelbase steam locomotive with tender, mm","type":"number","value":"19 500","is_two_colls":false},{"name":"Length of the locomotive with tender along the axes of the automatic coupler, mm","type":"number","value":"23 200","is_two_colls":false},{"name":"Diameter of driving wheels, mm","type":"number","value":"1 320","is_two_colls":false},{"name":"Smallest radius of a traversable curve, m","type":"number","value":"85","is_two_colls":false},{"name":"Steam pressure, kg\/cm<sup>2<\/sup>","type":"number","value":"14","is_two_colls":false},{"name":"Firebox type","type":"text","value":"Radial","is_two_colls":false},{"name":"Grate area, m<sup>2<\/sup>","type":"number","value":"6.0","is_two_colls":false},{"name":"Full evaporative heating surface of the boiler (water), m<sup>2<\/sup>","type":"number","value":"229,67","is_two_colls":false},{"name":"Heating surface of steam superheating tubes (gas), m<sup>2<\/sup>","type":"number","value":"93,6","is_two_colls":false},{"name":"Number of smoke pipes, pcs.","type":"number","value":"147","is_two_colls":false},{"name":"Diameter of smoke pipes (outer), mm","type":"number","value":"51","is_two_colls":false},{"name":"Number of flame tubes, pcs.","type":"number","value":"52","is_two_colls":false},{"name":"Diameter of flame tubes (outer), mm","type":"number","value":"133","is_two_colls":false},{"name":"Diameter of steam superheating pipes (outer), mm","type":"number","value":"35","is_two_colls":false},{"name":"Weight of the locomotive in working condition, t","type":"number","value":"97,8","is_two_colls":false},{"name":"Estimated weight of locomotive with tender, t","type":"number","value":"165","is_two_colls":false},{"name":"Design speed, km\/h","type":"number","value":"70","is_two_colls":false},{"name":"Maximum power at the wheel rim, l. s.","type":"number","value":"2 200","is_two_colls":false},{"name":"Superheater type","type":"text","value":"Double turn","is_two_colls":false}]

История (блоками):  [{"year":"1936","content":"Kharkiv and Bryansk plants began mass production of new SO19 steam locomotives."},{"year":"1938","content":"The SO<sup>М<\/sup>17-1137 steam locomotive was built by the Kharkiv Locomotive Works with a steam condensation device under the designation SO19-1137."},{"year":"1940","content":"The SO<sup>М<\/sup>17-1137 steam locomotive was transferred to the Kartaly Depot of the South Ural Railway, then to the Kazakhstan Depot, from where it was transferred to the Omsk Railway."},{"year":"1955","content":"The SO<sup>М<\/sup>17-1137 steam locomotive was operated at the Salsk Depot of the North Caucasus Railway."},{"year":"1958","content":"The steam condensation devices were dismantled from the steam locomotive, and a mechanical stoker was installed. It was designated as SO<sup>M<\/sup>17-1137 class and was sent to the Kalinin Railway, where it operated at the Rzhev and Novosokolniki Depots."},{"year":"1963","content":"The SO<sup>М<\/sup>17-1137 was placed in reserve and stationed at the Bologoye II base."},{"year":"1989","content":"The SO<sup>М<\/sup>17-1137 was excluded from the Ministry of Railways inventory."},{"year":"1991","content":"The SO<sup>M<\/sup>17-1137 was delivered to the Leningrad-Finlyandsky Locomotive Depot for scrapping. The staff of the Central Museum of the Oktyabrskaya Railway successfully arranged the locomotive’s transfer to the museum."},{"year":"Till 2001","content":"The steam locomotive was relocated to the museum site of the Shushary station."},{"year":"2001–2016","content":"The SO<sup>M<\/sup>17-1137 was on display at the museum at the former Varshavsky Station in Saint Petersburg."}]

Чертежи (блоками):  [{"src":"http:\/\/dpmzdr.infomedia.digital\/files\/e8\/26\/s2e826b46d148527f95ed98aad04844e9d00edf118.png","title":"Drawing"},{"src":"http:\/\/dpmzdr.infomedia.digital\/files\/45\/3d\/s2453de9f5ba9fdd11b983bb659e7c698fb2e81988.png","title":"Drawing"}]

Модель (деталка):  SO^М 17 1137

Заголовок (деталка):  Freight steam locomotive

Подвал описания:  The locomotive was relocated to the museum site at Shushary station, where it was exhibited until 2001. From 2001 to 2016, it was on display at the museum at the former Varshavsky railway station in St. Petersburg.

Заголовок истории:  Chronology

Mnemonic code:  30

Code in external DB source:  320

Name:  СО^М17-1137