PKP class SM15

Infobox Locomotive
name = SM15
powertype = Diesel

---

caption = SM15-17 at the Warsaw Railway Museum.
builder = flagicon|USSR Lyudinovo
flagicon|POL Fablok
serialnumber =
buildmodel = ТГМ3
12D
builddate = 1963-1966
totalproduction = 56
aarwheels = Bo-Bo
uicclass =
gauge = RailGauge|sg
bogies = 2
wheeldiameter =
length = mm to in|12600|abbr=yes
width =
height =
framesize =
weightondrivers =
weight = 70 T
fueltype =
fuelc

consumption = 210 g/km
watercons =
electricsystem =
primemover =
enginetype = four-stroke
tractionmotors =
aspiration =
displacement =
cylindercount =
cylindersize =
transmission = Hydraulic (Voith system)
topspeed = 60 km/h
poweroutput = 550 kW
tractiveeffort =
factorofadhesion =
locobrakes =
trainbrakes =
safety =
railroad = PKP
railroadclass = flagicon|POL SM15
flagicon|POL Ls750H (Industry)
flagicon|POLLs750Hu (Industry)
numinclass = 27 (PKP)
roadnumber =
officialname =
nicknames =
locale =
deliverydate = 1963
firstrundate =
lastrundate =
retiredate =
restoredate =
scrapdate =
currentowner =
disposition =The SM15 (factory designation 12D) is a Polish diesel shunter used by PKP and industry [cite web| url=http://157.158.1.11/~uboottd/jareks/assort/VIII.htm| title=Chester Home Page| author=Jarek D. Stwarz| date=1997-2002| accessdate=2007-08-30] — where it carried the designation Ls750H. It is based on the Soviet ТГМ3 (TGM3) locomotive.

History

Between the years 1963-1966, a total of 56 locomotives had been produced — 27 of which were used by PKP. [cite web| url=http://koleje.webd.pl/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569&sid=3011dc1ca59539d7d71d680887e19428| title=Fora Kolejowe| date=2007-01-18| accessdate=2007-08-30] Of the latter 27, the first two units (SM15-01 and SM15-02) were built at the Людиновский тепловозостроительный завод (en: Lyudinovo Diesel Locomotive Factory) and exported to Poland. Production then resumed at the Fablok factory in Chrzanów where the remaining 25 units, earmarked for PKP, were built.

The newly built SM15s were assigned to the depot in Kraków Płaszów, before being withdrawn from service in the late '60s and early '70s, when the SM42 series replaced them. Despite their relatively short operational history, the engineers who drove the locomotives remember them as being very powerful machines.

Technical data

The SM15 is equipped with a Soviet 550 kW diesel engine (a number of SM15s had Polish V12CD9 engines installed, rather than the Soviet variant) with hydromechanical transmission. Certain models destined for use in industry had hydraulic transmission, and these carried the designation Ls750Hu. The SM15 is a Bo-Bo locomotive, which means that the unit runs on two bogies. Each bogie has two separately propelled axles.

The main reason behind the SM15's short operational lifespan was the unreliability of its transmission and power units.

Preserved Units

Currently, there are three known examples of the SM15 in preservation:

*SM15-003 (incomplete) resides at the depot in Kraków Płaszów
*SM15-17 is an exhibit at the Warsaw Railway Museum
*SM15-22 has been kept back as a monument at the Technical Rail College in Tarnowskie Góry

References