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Richard Brown sent me a list of news items
about this area in December 2015. He has now provided a detailed update on the
various steam locomotives in the Tikhoretsk area. There is a further update
for May 2016.
UK citizens should note that while Tikhoretsk is not 'listed' by the Foreign Office unfortunately
it recommends
against travel to Chechnya, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria and Ingushetia where
many of the special trains run.
The Tikhoretsk Steam Fleet (2020 version)
What follows is an updated list from Richard Brown (March 2020, uploaded 15th
April 2020). Click here for the original 2016 version.
Working Order
P36-0218 - Restored to working order 2014. Had been used previously for excursions in the 90’s. Currently used on excursions from
Rostov.
Su252-20 - formerly a memorial at Bataisk. Restored to working order. Extensive corrosion found. Replaced at Bataisk by L-3155. Usually located in Rostov Museum in the winter.
Su250-64 - Long time resident of the area, originally as a memorial at Kropotkin. Restored to working order about 2000 (Kropotkin acquired L-0239 as a replacement) and has been used for excursions since then with a few gaps for repairs. Usually located in Rostov Museum in the winter.
LV-0233 - Came from the reserve base at Urdoma in 2009. Currently used on excursions from Rostov. Restored to working order in 2010. Has been used on local freight trips including one where it hauled 4,000 tons!
http://www.parovoz.com/newgallery/pg_view.php?ID=498801&LNG=EN#picture
LV-0283 - Has been used for special trains since around 1993, first in the Chelyabinsk region. Moved to Moscow in 1996 and was used until 2005 when it went into storage. Reappeared in Tikhoretsk in 2013 for repair and has stayed ever since.
L-0073 - Came from Chir Reserve Base (Volgograd Region) in 2006, Restored to working order 2014.
L-2055 - Originally oil fired, came from Chir Reserve Base. Restored to working order 2006. Disappeared in 2009 (apparently it went to Kyrgystan for use as a stationary boiler) but back in working order late 2015 and converted to coal firing.
L-5259 - Oil fired, formerly based in Moscow. Overhauled at Tikhoretsk in 2013 and has remained in the area. Replaced L-2055 in Kyrgystan for a short time. Seems to be normally based further east, possibly in Mineralnye
Vody.
L-5282 - Originally oil fired, restored to working order in 2008. Had its cab replaced after a fire, presumably associated with oil firing, between 2009 and 2013. Normal L cab has a curve between cab front and roof but now has right angle join. Converted to coal firing at some time between 2016 and 2018.
Er739-99 - Restored to working order 2014. Originally displayed at Rostov Museum, then as a memorial in Volgograd. Recovered in 2013. Usually located in Rostov Museum in the winter.
Er769-17 - Restored to working order in 2011 after a prolonged restoration.
Er797-15 - Restored in 2007, used for local excursions. Used in 2013 to replace local diesel roster for crew training.
FD20-1679 - this locomotive is actually FD20-1562. The two locos appeared to have swapped identities prior to the restoration of 1562:
http://www.parovoz.com/newgallery/pg_view.php?ID=420200&LNG=EN#picture
http://www.parovoz.com/newgallery/pg_view.php?ID=493042&LNG=EN#picture
This is the real FD20-1679:
http://www.parovoz.com/newgallery/pg_view.php?ID=24955&LNG=EN#picture
Different ‘cowcatcher’, different chimney! Restoration commenced in late 2014. The loco required extensive work on the firebox and combustion chamber, a new cab and virtually a new tender tank. Usually located in Rostov Museum in the winter.
FD20-2109 - formerly a memorial at Kamenolomni Depot (Rostov Region) since at least the late 1980’s. Restoration to working order completed in 2019.
TE-322 - Restoration to working order in 2018. May have been restored in St. Petersburg.
YeM-3747 - Restoration completed in early 2019 after recovery from the far east of Russia. Usually located in Rostov Museum during winter.9P-22518 - Restoration started in 2010, finished in 2013. Required extensive firebox repairs. Now the shed pet, probably in steam most days.
Non-Working Order:
LV-0041 – Recovered from Druzhinino Reserve Base, Sverdlovsk Region in 2019. To be restored to working order.
LV-0355 - Recovered from Shumkovo Reserve Base, Perm Region in 2019. To be restored to working order.
Er775-04 - Stored outside.
Er774-98 - Was used as stationary boiler.
L-3155 - From the Chir reserve base, replacement for Su252-20 at Bataisk station.
L-4132 - From Morozovsk reserve base.
All other non-working locos in Rostov Museum are all potentially restorable as they all belong to the North Caucasus Railway and are subject to annual boiler inspections.
Tikhoretsk now has the facilities to replace locomotive tyres up to the largest size required. There is also a press to dissemble/assemble wheel sets to allow replacement of roller bearings (for P36 and LV locos). A ground lathe for the turning of the largest loco tyres has also been installed. These facilities are not available elsewhere in Russia.
Locally, all the reserve bases are now empty of steam locos. There may be other Er and L type locos stored at Tikhoretsk, which are listed on parovoz.com but there is no photographic evidence to support this. L-2055 was out of sight for six years, so who knows?
The Tikhoretsk Steam Fleet (2016)
Working Order
P36-0218 - Restored to working order 2014. Had been used previously for excursions in the 90’s. Currently used on excursions from
Rostov.
SU250-64 – Long time resident of the area, originally as a memorial at Kropotkin. Restored to working order about 2000 (Kropotkin acquired L-0239 as a replacement) and has been used for excursions since then with a few gaps for repairs. Currently located in Rostov Museum (presumably only for the winter).
LV-0233 - Came from the reserve base at Urdoma in 2009. Currently used on excursions from Rostov. Restored to working order in 2010. Has been used on local freight trips including one where it hauled 4,000 tons!
http://www.parovoz.com/newgallery/pg_view.php?ID=498801&LNG=EN#picture
L-0073 – Came from Chir Reserve Base 2006 (Volgograd Region), restored to working order 2014.
L-2055 – Oil fired, came from Chir Reserve Base. Restored to working order 2006. Disappeared in 2009 but back in working order late 2015.
L-5259 – Oil fired, formerly based in Moscow. Overhauled at Tikhoretsk in 2013 and has remained in the area. Seems to be normally based further east, possibly in Mineralnye Vody.
L-5282 – Oil fired, restored to working order in 2008. Had its cab replaced after a fire, presumably associated with oil firing, between 2009 and 2013. Normal L cab has a curve between cab front and roof but now has right angle join.
ER-769-17 – Restored to working order in 2011 after a prolonged restoration.
ER-739-99 – Restored to working order 2014. Originally displayed at Rostov Museum, then as a memorial in Volgograd. Recovered in 2013. Currently located in Rostov Museum (presumably only for the winter).
ER-797-15 – Restored in 2007, used for local excursions. Used in 2013 to replace local diesel roster for crew training.
FD20-1679 – this locomotive is actually FD20-1562. The two locos appeared to have swapped identities prior to the restoration of 1562:
http://www.parovoz.com/newgallery/pg_view.php?ID=420200&LNG=EN#picture
http://www.parovoz.com/newgallery/pg_view.php?ID=493042&LNG=EN#picture
This is the real FD20-1679:
http://www.parovoz.com/newgallery/pg_view.php?ID=24955&LNG=EN#picture
Different ‘cowcatcher’, different chimney! Restoration commenced in late 2014. The loco required extensive work on the firebox and combustion chamber, a new cab and virtually a new tender tank. Currently located in Rostov Museum (presumably only for the winter).
9P-22518 – Restoration started in 2010, finished in 2013. Required extensive firebox repairs. Now the shed pet, probably in steam most days.
Non-Working Order:
SU252-20 – formerly a memorial at Bataisk. Now being restored to working order. Extensive corrosion found. Replaced at Bataisk by L-3155.
ER-775-04 – Stored outside.
ER-774-98 – Was used as stationary boiler.
L-0074 – From Morozovsk reserve base, formerly at Rostov reserve base. Probably to be used as a memorial at Derbent, Dagestan.
L-1177 – From Chir reserve base. To be used as a memorial at Adler (Sochi).
L-2046 – From Morozovsk reserve base, now a memorial at Nazran.
L-3155 – From the Chir reserve base, to be the replacement for SU252-20 at Bataisk station.
L-4132 – From Morozovsk reserve base.
The major factor that determines a locomotive’s future in Russia is the state of the tyres. Russian Railways does not currently have the means to fit new tyres over around a metre in diameter. This may change in the future, but without this facility, the future of working steam in Russia is bleak; Tikhoretsk has recently fitted new tyres (Russian made) to Gr-185, a 750mm loco used on the Rostov Children’s Railway, so they do have the technology. The same loco also received a new boiler (made in Czech Republic). A ground lathe has also recently been installed in the depot. At present, locos with thin tyres are used as memorials. One, L-5231, a former working loco in Moscow was cut up in 2014:
http://www.parovoz.com/newgallery/pg_view.php?ID=504640&LNG=EN#picture
Its tender survived.
Locally, all the reserve bases are now empty of steam locos. There may be other
ER and L type locos stored at Tikhoretsk, which are listed on parovoz.com but there is no photographic evidence to support this. L-2055 was out of sight for six years, so who knows?
For the answer to L-2055's whereabouts see the May
2016 update.
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