
Class 523E 2-Cylinder
Goods Tank Locomotive
Designed
by Mikhail Rodnivacek
Built in
1952 by Henschel &
Sohn, Kassel, Germany
At first glance,
the 523E looks like tank version of the 523C 2-10-0. The boiler however is much
shorter in the 523E. Aside from that, the family resemblance between the 523E
and most post-war Tešlov and Rodnivacek classes is unmistakable. The use of many
standard components makes it very likely that this engine was the product of a
sort of "mix and match" design method. Certainly, the cylinders, running
gear and much of the mainframes were identical to those of the 523C, and the
tanks, cab and bunker differ only in length from those of the 523B and 423E.
Once delivered, the 523Es were considered hard to allocate, and were moved from
MPD to MPD with almost comical regularity. They finally ended up shared between
Tereçko
and Forihv.
Like their close relatives, the 523Cs, these engines were quite short-lived (and
for the same reasons), the last examples being withdrawn in 1965.
Graphics
and text © Norman Clubb 2015