Class
423Q 2-Cylinder Passenger Tank Locomotive
Designed
by Bela Šahlmeti in 1924
An early response of Bela
Šahlmeti to the problem of increasing suburban train weights was
this slim-boilered 2-8-4T. At first glance, the eight coupled driving
wheels of modest size would seem ideal for this sort of traffic.
However it is also apparent that the cylinders would have developed a
high tractive effort and drained the boiler of steam. Ironically, Šahlmeti
recognised a similar problem with his later 2-6-4Ts of class 323B, for
which he designed a larger boiler. One is tempted to say "if only",
since the 323BB boiler would most likely have suited the 423Q very
well, as shown below:
Text and graphics © Norman Clubb
2016