The "standard" narrow gauge steamer in Hungary was the Class 490, a 0-8-0T.
She was constructed before the WW1 as outside frame engine
with Klien-Lindner axle on the rear,
that allowed not only sideways movements,
but also twisting movement for this axle.
It was built in sevaral lots,
with some construction modifications during WW2 and in the late 1940's as well.
This loco, the 490,058 is on plinth in Pusztaszer,
on the territory of the Open Air Museumon the Hungarian Plain, near Szeged.
The picture was taken in April 1999.
This is one of both 490s in operating state in Hungary,
the Class 490,056 of the Children's Railway in Budapest.
This loco was long time in service in Balatonfenyves,
but due to the wrong state of the tracks it was brought to Budapest.
It is regularly operating. The air pump for the Westinghouse brakes was recently mounted.
It is a pump from a normal gauge loco, probably a 275,
thus its size does not really fits to this small narrow gauge engine.
You can also observe the "Bosnia" coupler,
a standard coupler for narrow gauge rolling stock in Austria and Hungary.
The picture was taken on 10th April 2004.
The
490,039 is shown on plinth in the valley terminus of the Children's Railway, Hűvösvölgy.
This is actually a loco that was operating on the Children's Railway in the early '50s.
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This page was updated last time on 2nd September 2004
© János Erö