Kolomiya/ Коломыя - TE3-4523B on shed
Our tour was very useful for those few present with an interest in "modern" traction, as it gave an opportunity for shed visits and unimpeded photography en route.
At the time, I assume this was one of the last holdouts of these early Soviet diesels, dating from 1953. Heywood & Button quote a total production number of 6809, which appears to be for the double units, so 13618 single ones. The bulk of production, including this one, was from Lugansk/ Voroshilovgrad, between 1956 and 1973.
Note that as these were built in pairs, this has a "B" suffix to the running number, and we will see its "A" counterpart in a later upload. The "B" as Cyrillic "Ƃ" is just above the coupling, below the main running number on the front.
This one has its Worksplate, but the dark mark on the middle bodyside was the location of an alloy crest now gone, showing the Soviet Union and its constituent republics. Below this is "ЛЬВ ЖД" which I take to be the abbreviation for the L'vov Railway District.
Kolomiya/ Коломыя - TE3-4523B on shed
Our tour was very useful for those few present with an interest in "modern" traction, as it gave an opportunity for shed visits and unimpeded photography en route.
At the time, I assume this was one of the last holdouts of these early Soviet diesels, dating from 1953. Heywood & Button quote a total production number of 6809, which appears to be for the double units, so 13618 single ones. The bulk of production, including this one, was from Lugansk/ Voroshilovgrad, between 1956 and 1973.
Note that as these were built in pairs, this has a "B" suffix to the running number, and we will see its "A" counterpart in a later upload. The "B" as Cyrillic "Ƃ" is just above the coupling, below the main running number on the front.
This one has its Worksplate, but the dark mark on the middle bodyside was the location of an alloy crest now gone, showing the Soviet Union and its constituent republics. Below this is "ЛЬВ ЖД" which I take to be the abbreviation for the L'vov Railway District.