The race shown in the video below took place in Slovakia in 2009. Similar races were held in Russia. For example, Shcherbinka, near Moscow, also organized steam locomotive races in October 2018. And I must say that the spectacle is impressive.
It is not easy to operate such machines, and only experienced machinists can squeeze the maximum power from the steam boiler. Therefore, in the race of steam locomotives, much more depends on the person than it seems. Keep in mind that steam locomotives cannot start moving immediately after the start signal – they polish the rails with their wheels for some time while standing still. To make it more interesting for you to watch the video, here are some interesting facts about steam locomotives.
The most powerful Soviet freight locomotive was the FD21-3125. It was the world’s first 7-axle steam locomotive and the boiler developed a power of 3100 hp. The weight of the locomotive reached more than 134 tons and at the same time was able to accelerate to 85 km / h. One of the advantages of the steam locomotive was that the furnace was undemanding to the quality of coal, while other locomotives could only run on high-quality coal.
The most powerful passenger steam locomotive was Joseph Stalin (IS-20), whose boiler developed 3200 horsepower. It traveled faster than a freighter – it could accelerate to 115 km / h, and the locomotive weighed 136 tons.
The fastest locomotive was the 2-3-2V, built at the Voroshilovsky plant in 1938. With a power of 3400 horsepower. and streamlined shape, it could accelerate to 175 km/h. And it was a serial machine, not a single project to demonstrate its capabilities.
And here are some interesting numbers. The heaviest steam locomotive P36 weighed more than 383 tons, and the longest was the AA20 locomotive – 20.6 meters.
A picture: Claud Richmond / Unsplash
Video: YouTube
Source: Z R
