Historic Narrow-Gauge Steam Locomotive “Ryś”

Photogrammetry Poland

The First Locomotive Factory in Poland was founded in 1919 in Chrzanów and for decades produced various types of locomotives for PKP (Polish State Railways) and industrial purposes, both for standard and narrow gauges. The direct predecessor of the “Ryś” locomotive was the German industrial type Riesa (manufactured by Henschel), of which 57 units were built by Fablok during World War II. After the war, in 1946, production was resumed under the Polish name “Ryś.” The Ryś was a narrow-gauge tank locomotive (wheel arrangement Bn2t) designed for tracks with gauges of 600, 750, or 785 mm.

This was a lightweight machine – with a service weight of around 8.3 tons and a rated power of about 70 HP. Its maximum design speed was 20 km/h. The locomotive had cylinders with a diameter of 245 mm and operated at a boiler pressure of 12 atmospheres. The coal and water tanks held 0.5 tons of coal and 0.8 m³ of water (in the basic version, without a tender). It could also be equipped with a two-axle tender, increasing the total capacity to 1.5 tons of coal and 2.5 m³ of water. Below are the key technical parameters:

• • Track layout: Bn2t (narrow-gauge tank locomotive with 2 driving axles).
  • Track gauge: 600, 750, 760, or 785 mm.
  • Steam pressure: 12 at; boiler heating surface 25 m².
  • Power and speed: rated power 70 HP; design speed up to 20 km/h.
  • Dimensions and loads: length 5540 mm, width 1800 mm, height 2800 mm; axle load 5.5 t.

The Ryś locomotives were primarily designed for use on forest and industrial narrow-gauge railways (for example, in sawmills and sugar factories), but several also entered service with PKP. Five locomotives (600 mm gauge version) were incorporated into the PKP network under the T49 series. The others worked in industry – for instance, the unit with serial number 1685 was used for beet loading at the Dobre Sugar Factory (as locomotive No. 1). A small number were exported: the first post-war contract was for 10 Ryś locomotives for Yugoslavia (760 mm gauge) in 1947 – these units were equipped with two-axle tenders to allow efficient burning of lignite. In 1950, several locomotives were also delivered to industrial railways in Romania (750 mm gauge).

Several examples of the Ryś locomotive have survived in Poland. The most famous is the one displayed in front of the PKP railway station in Sochaczew. This is an original Ryś locomotive built by Fablok (serial number 1685, 750 mm gauge), which previously worked at the Dobre Sugar Factory as “No. 1.” In 1989, it was placed as a technical monument in front of the Sochaczew station (where it still stands today) and handed over to the Railway Museum (now Stacja Muzeum). Originally, the marking “T 1685” was visible on the engine, but during recent conservation works the number was painted over – only the name “Ryś” and the museum logo remain.

Interesting facts: Sochaczew is home to a large Narrow-Gauge Railway Museum (a branch of Stacja Muzeum), opened in 1986. It houses nearly 150 historic narrow-gauge vehicles, making it the largest collection of its kind in Europe. Among the museum exhibits is, for example, the saloon car once used by General Wojciech Jaruzelski.