Emergency locomotive

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Steam turbine locomotive M3t No. 71 as a former standby locomotive in the Grängesberg Railway Museum

A standby locomotive ( Swedish: Beredskapslok ) was an older locomotive that was kept operational in Sweden as a standby reserve for possible emergencies, threats of war or for a possible war after leaving regular service .

history

After the Second World War , a larger reserve of locomotives was deemed necessary in Sweden in the event of an emergency, a threat of war or even a possible war . In addition, these had to be locomotives that were independent of electricity or imported fuel such as diesel .

In order to meet these strategic military needs, around 150 fully functional steam locomotives of the series B (II) , E (II) , E2 , E10 , L (II) and R (II) , which were no longer needed in operational service, were used for reserve purposes held up. These were partly placed in simple sheds made of wood or corrugated iron, often in remote stations such as Åmål or Sunnanå on the section of the Dalslandsbana , which was closed in 1959 and where unused sidings or engine sheds were available. There the locomotives were sheltered from the weather. Their function was checked at regular intervals.

In later years some diesel locomotives were even added to the standby fleet. This included 55 locomotives from the V3 , T21 and T23 series , as well as ten examples from the T43 series . The last of them, T43 216, 221, 222, 224, 238 and 248 , were auctioned on April 21, 2009. The locomotives were all previously in operation, but in accordance with a special agreement from Banverket, they were dispatched so that they would have been ready for use.

End of steam operation at SJ

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War , the standby locomotive fleet was dissolved because the need to maintain these locomotives was no longer seen. In addition, the number of steam locomotive drivers who had the necessary knowledge about the operation of steam locomotives, as well as the skilled workshops, rapidly decreased when the steam operation at Statens Järnvägar ended in 1972.

Many former standby steam locomotives have been taken over by museum railways or railway museums and are operational there or as exhibits such as in the Grängesberg Railway Museum . Some of them were given to foreign museum railways. Some of the diesel locomotives are in operation at museum railways, some of which have been taken over by private railway companies for active operation.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ E2 979/1183. In: skanskajarnvagar.se. Retrieved June 3, 2020 (Swedish).
  2. ↑ Conny Sernfalk: SJ-Ånglok A8 1806 (BJ H3s 110). The locomotive's curriculum vitae as an example. In: historiskt.nu. Retrieved June 3, 2020 (Swedish).
  3. ↑ Beredskapslok at auction. banverket.se, February 17, 2009, archived from the original on August 3, 2016 ; Retrieved June 3, 2020 (Swedish).
  4. ↑ Järnvägens historia - år för år. 1900 talet. trafikverket.se, archived from the original on March 5, 2016 ; Retrieved June 3, 2020 (Swedish).
  5. ↑ Mycket på gång vid Lokmuseet. Dala Democrats May 17, 2004, archived from the original May 17, 2007 ; accessed on June 3, 2020 .

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