The year 1937 became a landmark for Paris due to the World Exhibition held there. "Iska" (the affectionate name of the passenger locomotive "Joseph Stalin") received the Grand Prix on it.
At that time it was the
most powerful locomotive in Europe. He remained such in the history of Soviet steam locomotive building.
Outstripping time
The IS steam locomotive was a passenger modification of the already existing freight steam engine Felix Dzerzhinsky, which was produced from 1931 to 1941 at the Lugansk steam engine plant. It was created in connection with the increased volume of trade at times - industrialization was ongoing in the country. The steam locomotive IP was of type 1-4-2. What does it mean? He had 4 moving axes in one rigid frame, one slider axis and 2 supporting axles. At the World Exhibition, the model IS20-241 was presented. The opinion was unanimous - this locomotive overtook its time.
Brand new locomotive
By the beginning of the production of this miracle of technology, powerful locomotives for passenger transportation, such as Mount, Hudson, and Lokovanna, had already been created in the USA. The same axial formula as IP was the North American freight carrier Berkchir.
But it was fundamentally different in some respects from the Soviet steam locomotive, designed for heavy mail and passenger transportation over long distances, moving at low speed along heavy rails of the “2a” type.
Mandatory conditions
The steam locomotive IP did not arise from scratch. Soviet steam locomotive construction began to develop actively from the 20s of the last century. Considering all the experience gained, the project of the Mikado steam locomotive was created at the Kolomensky Zavod in 1929. But the project was not implemented, and in 1931 they began to create a more powerful locomotive. One of the main requirements was the maximum interchangeability of parts with steam engines of the Felix Dzerzhinsky series. In addition, the IS steam engine had to have a traction force that was 50% higher than that of a SU type steam engine, or “Sormovsky reinforced” (“Drying”), produced since 1924.
Plans overfulfilled
In February, the sketch was given to the Central Locomotive Bureau for detailed design, and in April the calculations were completed.
The tasks set were exceeded - the designers managed to make interchangeable with the PD not only the cylinder, boiler, axle boxes, axles and other details, they made it possible to use its spring suspension scheme (a system for adjusting body vibrations). In April, the development came from the design bureau to the steam locomotive plant in Kolomna, which, with the participation of the Izhora plant, launched the first steam locomotive in early October 1932.
More than impressive performance
By the end of December of the same year, a second locomotive was assembled. Throughout 1933, this model was tested on three railways - the South, Catherine and October. The average power shown by the engine was 2500 hp, and once at an increase of 8% in the Moscow-Bologoe section it reached 3400 hp The average figure more than doubled (it was planned only 50%) exceeded the capacity of "Drying". The largest boiler boost in Europe was (80 kgf / m² • h), even exceeding the “FD” indicator (65 kgf / m² • h).
Put on stream
At the next congress of the party, held in 1934, an important decision was made - the steam locomotives of the IS series (Joseph Stalin) in the next, second five-year plan should become the main ones in the country's passenger railway park.
But the
Kolomna plant did not have the capacity to launch such steam locomotives into the mass flow. By the end of 1935, only six were released. However, the new workshops of the Voroshilov Machine-Building Plant built in 1927-1931 could put on stream the production of locomotives with block cylinders and bar frames.
Even better, more beautiful
In 1936 alone, 3 locomotives were produced. Some parts were improved compared to Kolomna steam engines, for example, these machines had a 6-axis tender instead of the 4-axis that existed in the previous six. The tender with water became safer and had a longer shape, which improved the appearance of the engine itself and the whole train. And already in 1937, the plant, having switched to large-scale production, produces 105 locomotives. Most of all, 174 pieces, were produced in 1940, before the start of the war in 1941, 81 more locomotives. The last steam engine of this series was completed in Ulan-Ude in 1942. In total, Joseph Stalin steam engines produced 649 units.
Experimental model
In 1937, an IS 20 16 steam locomotive was created as an experiment. The model had a streamlined shape. You look at this locomotive and agree with people asking why, making such perfect cars in the distant 1937, now the country is purchasing their similarities abroad? Moreover, as far back as 1930, comprehensive tests of a steam locomotive in a streamlined casing were carried out in a wind tunnel. As a result, it turned out that thanks to the form in power, you can win 200-250 hp, and the speed increased. A locomotive of this form with disk wheels could develop it to 160 km / h, which at that time was an unquestionable record. Outwardly, he was very, very aesthetic.
Soviet craftsmen
The cabin of the engine was at the end. The tender itself is four-axle, on two carts. The IS locomotive was equipped with a Westinghouse brake. We can add that the boiler was with a wide firebox, which was located above the frame and had an American-style radial ceiling and a combustion chamber. A miracle of Soviet technical thought was the steam locomotive IS 20 16, the technical characteristics of which were so perfect that they did not correspond to the roads. Trains driven by such locomotives were called courier in Soviet times. Detailed technical specifications that are understandable to specialists are widely available.
Some data
It can only be noted that the Joseph Stalin locomotive had seven axles. Of these, four were leading. As noted above, it differed from the FD steam locomotive in the wheel formula. Its mass was 133 tons, the towing mass was 88 tons, and the average speed was 100-115 km / h. These locomotives worked with steam overheating and a two-cylinder simple-action machine.
The pride of engineering - the IP locomotive - is depicted on three Soviet brands. In the popular Soviet film released after the war (“The train goes east”), this locomotive is in the spotlight.