WLs75
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![]() WLs75-38 in a museal station in Rudy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The WLs75 is a small narrow gauge diesel locomotive built in Poland, at the ZNTK in Poznań. It was used mostly on industrial railways.
History[]
The locomotive's design was started at the CBKPTK (Central Design Bureau of Railway Stock Industry) in Poznań.[2] The design was finally made in 1961 by the ZNTK Poznań (Railway Stock Repair Works). It was powered by 75 hp diesel engine and had a mechanical transmission, driving two axles by cranks and connecting rods.[2]
WLs75s were first built in 1965. (WLs stood for Wąskotorowa - narrow-gauge, lokomotywa - locomotive, spalinowa - internal combustion engine). In total, 86 were built with the last shipped in 1975.[2] They were built for 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) and 785 mm (2 ft 6+29⁄32 in) gauge.[2] Two locomotives were made for 900 mm (2 ft 11+7⁄16 in) for a park railway in Silesian Park.[3]
The locomotives were only used in Poland. It was hoped thatthey would be acquired by Polish State Railways (PKP), but the railways found them under-powered. As a result, they were manufactured for the industry, mostly sugar works, smelters and steelworks. Two were used by the Polish Army.[2] Production was relatively low, because most buyers preferred the cheaper 50 hp locomotives.[2]
WLs75-38
WLs75-38
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to ZNTK Poznań WLs75. |
References[]
- Pokropiński, Bogdan 2009. Lokomotywy spalinowe produkcji polskiej [Combustion engine locomotives of Polish manufacture] (in Polish). Warsaw: WKiŁ. ISBN 978-83-206-1731-3.
- 0-4-0 locomotives
- Diesel locomotives of Poland
- 750 mm gauge locomotives
- 785 mm gauge locomotives
- 900 mm gauge locomotives
- Railway locomotives introduced in 1965