The "Benjamin" among the Hungarian diesels, the M28. The members of this
class were built in the '50s. There are two sub classes, the M28,1 as
diesel-mechanical engines and the M28,2 as diesel hydraulic ones. The M28,1001,
member of the MÁV "Nostalgia" stock. is the first diesel mechanic.
The photo was taken on the locomotive show on July 7th, 1993 in Budapest.
The M28,1001 from the back.
This is the M28,1012 in original livery, as they appeared in the '50s. Here
it hauls the pride of the French SNCF, the Class 26000 "Sybic" on the 1996
Locomotive show in Budapest (there was no overhead catenary on the show site).
This is the M31,2019, the 450 HP diesel hydraulic loco of the MÁV.
It has a rod drive, usual at the early diesel hydraulics. The photo
was taken on the locomotive show on July 7th, 1993 in Budapest.
This is another M31, owned by an industrial site, thus with another Class number,
A23. It is not as nicely cleaned like the M31,2019 for the show above.
The Class M44 "Bobo" is the standard switcher at MÁV. Several hundreds
were built with 600 HP Ganz-Jendrassik engine and DC traction motors. This
photo shows the M44,103 serving at the Hegyeshalom station.
The M44,110 on a local show in Veszprém.
The M44,134 nicely cleaned for the locomotive show on July 7th, 1993 in Budapest.
The Class M40 "Humpback" is a 1000 HP diesel electric for passenger trains.
The short hood contains the train heating steam boiler. Unfortunately the locos
of the Class M40 were badly overloaded in the late '60s, during the era of
locomotive shortage. They often hauled passenger trains with 10-12 cars,
clearly too many for a 1000 HP engine.
Thus today most of them are badly worn out. Their heating boiler is
often unusable. The photo about the M40,239 was taken on the locomotive show
on July 7th, 1993 in Budapest.
Some
Class M40s are still in service. Here the M40,233 starts with a fast train
from Balatonfüred to Szombathely, on August 19th, 2004.
The other side of the M40,233. Actually these locos can be operated in both
directions similarly, the controls in the cab are symmetrically arranged,
but by definition the "front" is the long hood, thus this loco hauls the
train "backwards".
The Class M41 1800 HP diesel hydraulic engine, "Rattler"
was developed by Ganz as a passenger engine for branchlines. It is powered
by a SEMT-Pielstick designed V12 engine. It contains a train heating generator
powered by the prime mover. There are 117 pieces of this loco Class in service.
The picture was taken on Dec.30th, 1998 at the Budapest Nyugati station.
Another
Class M41, from the same production lot as above. The picture was taken on
Dec. 30th, 1998 in Vác.
The M61,002 EMD-Nohab arriving at the Fonyód station with a passenger train.
These 1950 HP engines were purchased in 1961, 20 of them total. Today
9 of them are still in use. They are all stationed in Tapolca, and haul passenger
trains on the north shore line of the Lake Balaton.
Two of the Nohabs were repainted to their original livery, as they appeared
in 1961. The only difference, instead of the Nohab logo on the front they
originally showed a large red star. The red star logo is forbidden
in Hungary since 1992. The photo was taken on the 1996 locomotive show in
Budapest. In June 1999 this machine collided with a large tree that felt
on the track during a preceding violent storm and was scrapped soon after. (see at the
European Railway Server)
The other repainted Nohab, the M61,010. It is waiting with the
Kaposvár-Tapolca passenger train on the station of Kaposvár
in Summer 1997.
The controls of the Nohab. Typical American, just the speedometer is scaled
in kmph instead of miles. The photo was taken on the locomotive show on
July 7th, 1993 in Budapest.
The only survivor of the Class M63 "Lizard" diesel electric locos, the M63,003
in the Budapest Loco Museum. This Class was built with a 2700 HP Pielstick
engine. It was strong and fast, but not reliable. Its many control functions
were driven by electronics modules, but these were not well prepared for
a harsh environment inside a diesel loco. 10 pieces were built, never
all in service at the same time. In 1985 the main generator of the M63,004
exploded, the repair work on the other engines stopped. The members of the Class M63
were withdrawn from the service in 1987 and 1990. All but the
M63,003 were scrapped in the early '90s. There are rumors about rebuilding
this one for operation, but these rumors usually lack reality. Although
the engine and the electric transmission supposed to be operational, the
control electronics is missing and no one could rebuild it.
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This page was updated last time on August 20th, 2010
© János Erö