The Second World War had meant the demise of many of the older engines that had looked after the mundane task of shunting. To fill the gap, Tešlov produced this state-of-the-art tank engine, of which Beyer Peacock supplied twenty-five units. The scarce financial resources of the immediate post-war period prompted a number of experiments aimed a reducing construction and operating costs. One such was the adoption of bar frames, which all but the first five locomotives of this class received. Tešlov was able to draw on the extensive experience of his German and American counterparts and so avoid the usual crop of teething troubles. The 423DDs were somewhat overshadowed by the later 523A 0-10-0Ts and disappeared surprisingly early, the last examples being withdrawn by 1972. Several of the class were sold into industrial service, including no. 423DD.12, which is preserved in working order.

Below we see the original plate-framed 423D design, which is identical with the 423DD in all other respects.

Text and graphics © Norman Clubb 2015