P36 steam locomotive: types, device, technical characteristics and years of use

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

The famous steam locomotive, which at one time received the nickname "General" for the characteristic colored stripes a la "stripes" on the sides, was produced at the Kolomna Plant in the period from 1950 to 1956. Engine power was comparable to the developments for the IS series. The last P36 steam locomotive built was the P36-0251 model. On this, production was completely stopped. Moreover, in the USSR for the entire period of its further existence, any passenger models of steam locomotives were no longer produced.

Prerequisites for the emergence of

In the 1940s, the entire locomotive fleet of the country consisted of two thousand pieces of equipment and consisted mostly of models of the Su series. The design and construction of these steam locomotives was carried out back in the 1920s. Nevertheless, they had a reputation for being very reliable and economical locomotives, but there was one significant problem. Due to technical limitations, there was no way to increase the weight of passenger trains.

Designed to solve this problemengineers of the Kolomna plant. In 1932, the best minds designed a new passenger locomotive of the IS series. The grip weight in comparison with the Su models has increased from 55 to 80 tons, and the power has increased from 1500 hp. With. up to 3200 l. With. (with an operating power of 2500 hp). As a result, the IS series did not become mass-produced, because the trains could not travel on most of the railways existing at that time due to the high axle load of up to 20.2 tf. In total, 649 locomotives were built, which is almost three times less than the fleet from the Su series. Thus, the first prerequisites for the design of steam locomotives P36 appeared.

Design History

Engineers have calculated that the new massive train should have an axle load of no more than 18 tf. So he could travel along all existing routes and routes on the territory of the USSR. In the first draft designs, there were four main models. All of them corresponded to one of the axle load options (18 or 22.5 tf) and one of four power gradations, including 1500, 2000, 2500 and 3000 hp. With. The list of main models is presented in the list:

1. Su series train equivalent. Axial load 18 tf at 1500 hp. With. Actual types are 2-3-1 and 1-3-2.
2. Equivalent to an L-series train. Axle load 18 tf at 2000 hp. With. Actual types are 1-4-1 and 2-3-2.
3. Equivalent to the IS series train. Axial load 18 tf at 2500 hp. With. Actual types are 2-4-2 and 1-4-2.
4. Equivalent to UU series train. Axial load 22.5 tf at 3000 hp. With. Actual types - 2-4-2and 2-3-2.

Analysts explored the possibilities of applying new projects. As a result, they came to the conclusion that locomotives of the 2-4-2 type with an axle load of 22, 5 and 18 tf with a power of 3000 and 2500 hp will become the most popular. With. respectively. It was with such wishes that the Kolomna Plant received an order for the construction of the first model of the P36 steam locomotive under the number 0001.

Prototype completed

Completion of work dates back to March 1950. The designers managed to embody all the most significant achievements in the industry in the P36-0001 model. The first heavy tests of the locomotive took place on the Oktyabrskaya railway. The driver named Oshats used this train with freight cars on the Khovrino-Leningrad-Sortirovochny-Moskovsky route. At the same time, the schedule of passenger locomotives was observed. The traction and heat engineering qualities of the steam locomotive met all the expectations of the designers. So, forcing the boiler up to 70-75 kgf / sq. m per hour allowed to develop power up to 2500-2600 liters. With. At the same time, the maximum speed indicators were 86.4 km / h at 3077 liters. s.

From the characteristics of the steam locomotive P36, the following can be distinguished:

• application of all-welded boiler;
• air reverse drive;
• availability of water heater;
• mechanical charcoal paver;
• bar frame in construction.

In addition, all axle boxes of the train and the tender included roller bearings. Coupling weight of the locomotive was equal to 75 tons. Total weight in workingcondition at the same time reached 135 tons.

Production models

The success of the very first P36 locomotive soon allowed mass production to begin. In 1935, steam locomotives were built under the numbers 0002-0005, and the next train number 0006 came out. As for the changes compared to the prototype, there are several of them at once. For example, the front support of the firebox became sliding, the axle boxes on the wheel sets were reinforced, and the axle box wedges became self-adjusting. Instead of a fan, a special cone device was installed. Thus, it was possible to reduce the overall weight of the locomotive, although the change was very minor. In addition, the decorative trim has been somewhat simplified, and the braking equipment on the trolley has been eliminated.

The following changes took place already in 1954. Locomotives numbered 0007-0036 had a weight reduced to 72.4 tons. Among the working models of that series, only steam locomotives P36-0031 and P36-0032 remained. The first one was transported to the Krasny B altiets station in 2012, and the second one is still in the Petersburg-Sortirovochny-Moskovsky locomotive depot. Due to the success of the latest iteration, it was decided to start mass production. Since then, this model has acquired its current name P36. In the first two years, another 215 identical locomotives were born. At the same time, the designers continued to improve the train with each new model.

Device of the undercarriage

At the heart of the undercarriage are the mainframe and a pair of carts. Each of them has two axes, including runner and support. On the rear side of the frame is a tie box that connects the locomotive to the tender. A buffer beam is fixed in front for the installation of an automatic coupler of the SA-3 type. Each train axle is equipped with roller bearings.

The driving wheels are similar in design to those of the Su and IS models. The second driving axle is the leading one, that is, it is on it that the force from the steam engine is applied. The wheelsets have disc centers and their diameter is 1850 mm. In this case, the rear and front carts are able to deviate. This design decision was made to better fit the steam locomotives of the P36 series into the curves. The spring suspension is based on leaf springs, however, special coil springs are used in the front bogie.

Steam boiler device

The performance of this node is, for the most part, even redundant. When operating at maximum power during testing, it was not possible to significantly reduce the amount of steam. The set of all-welded boiler in P36 is similar to that used in trains of the L series.

At the same time, the design of the superheater has not undergone any changes since the release of the prototype P34. The number of fire and flame tubes on the steam locomotive P36 is 66 and 50 pieces, respectively. Their diameter has also not changed compared to the P34 locomotive.

The grate had an area of 6.75 square meters. m., as well as a pneumatic drive. In this regard, the boiler furnace was considered very advanced for itstime. Inside there were four pipes for air circulation and a fan that increased traction. However, the latter had to soon be replaced by a more advanced cone device. The fan failed too often, and therefore could not become part of the serial models of steam locomotives of this series.

Machine and tender

The installed version of the machine is considered quite simple and standard. It has a piston stroke of 800 mm and block-type cylinders with a diameter of 575 mm. In steam locomotives P36-0120 and later models, a steam distribution mechanism according to the Geisinger system was also used. Among its main advantages, reliability in operation and low complexity for specialists during repair work were noted. Cylinders were cast in semi-blocks and combined with the structures of boiler supports and spool chambers. The connection took place by screwing in ordinary bolts and installing on the main frame.

Already from the second iteration of the locomotive, the applied tender was changed. It was based on six axles of the P58 type. A similar tender soon found a place in the LV series of steam locomotives. The design of the undercarriage provides for two bogies with three axles and wheels with a diameter of 1050 mm. The C-3 mechanical coal feeder was located at the bottom of the coal box, and its mechanism was based on a conveyor with three working screws. The drive functions were performed by a high-speed steam engine.

Features of operation

The routes of locomotives P36 were veryvaried. They were sent to run on the Northern, Belarusian, October, Kuibyshev, Stalin, Krasnoyarsk and Kalinin railways. Soon, this series displaced all trains of the Su type from the main directions. The reason for this was not only the doubled power and increased weight of the new locomotives, but also their increased speed performance. An example is the Moscow-Leningrad highway, the distance of which P36 was able to cover in 9 hours and 30 minutes. This surpassed the previously set record by 1 hour and 45 minutes. Since then, no steam train has been able to match this result.

After a certain period in the country there was a massive transition to diesel locomotives and electric locomotives. By decision of the management, steam locomotives were removed from the main routes and transferred to remote or less busy tracks. The final year of operation is considered to be 1974. The last representatives were located in the depot of Mogocha and Belogorsk. A photo of the steam locomotive of the P36 series is located below.

Cultural perpetuation

In railway philately, this model was quite a popular subject. Her image was issued on perforated and imperforated postage stamps. Various countries have also made their own train pictures. At different times, such postage stamps could be found in Mongolia, Yemen, Bhutan, Grenada, Palau and other countries.

Some models like the steam locomotive P36-0110 have become a kind of monuments in certain regions of modern Russia. In particular, this trainis located in the village of Mogzon, which is located in the Trans-Baikal Territory.

Interesting fact

On the pediment of all steam locomotives in the series there was a red star, on which a bas-relief image of Stalin and Lenin was applied. After the XX Congress of the CPSU, this element was abolished on most locomotives. Instead, an image of the coat of arms of the USSR appeared.