Steam locomotives SEK Ζα301 - Ζα307 ex-PDS BATIGNOLLES 1907

[christo]

Zα301–307 2' C n4v + 2T Batignolles 1907 Ex PDS B 201 – 207

Post card showing an unidentified Ζα at Brallos station.

christo.

[jsimantov]

Hi All,

Actually, back in the late 70s when the OSE museum opened, there was much talk about eventually restoring (at least partially) the Za306. When its tender has been located in MAI, converted to a garden watering vehicle (...) ("potistiri"), it was quickly moved to Thessaloniki and painted to be ready for the LCGB tour in May 1980... The engine was on display for the LCGB tour, and the visitors were wondering why OSE wouldn't cast a new middle axle to replace the missing one...

This type of locomotive was actually quite widespread in Europe in the beginning of the century; externally, Za looked very similar with the Baden-Würtemberg engines, and probably even more with the 230B series of the PO midi (of which an absolutely magnificent engine is now on display in Mulhouse).

As the present state of documentary knowledge about Za306 is extremely poor, we can only guess what the engine actually looked like in service...In the early 60s it was already lying derelict at Sindos, so, I doubt if anybody remembers it running... (Hence what I said in my posting about railway memories...)


Here's an interesting link for the french ten-wheelers

http://www.tvnp.fr/locomotive_vapeur_230.html

[christo]

Balkamodels Archive

christo.

[christo]

Photo Phil Wormald at the Engine Shed Thessaloniki. Loco Za in its almost permanent position till it was moved to give way to the new Shed extension. It was said that it was stabled there to prevent further looting of parts. When I visited, I asked why they did not keep this rare loco inside but I was given no satisfactory answer. On another visit I saw its proper 2 axle tender upside down and rusting away in another area of the adjoing space. I do not know what happened to it.

christo.

[Andreas]

Dear Christo,

this 2 axle tender upside down was not from the Zα but from a Zγ and I think from 327 that was coupled in the 60s with an S-100.

Cheers
Andreas

[jsimantov]

Hi Folks,

The last time I saw the Za tender, it was in Athens MAI registered with the garden services ('potistiri'). It had an additional shelter built on the engine side...

I remember having given a pic to late Mr. Christodoulou who was apparently not aware of its existence...This was in the late 70s...

The actual tender was supplied for the LCGB visit in May 1980.

FYI, I participated in that tour, and a few very interesting events, currently designated in classic greek by the untranslatable word 'eftrapela' took place. I will gather the bits and pieces in my memory and post a chronicle...



Iossif

[christo]

Iossif, possible translation for 'eftrapela' is "shenanigans"
Andreas thank you for the correction.

christo.

[christo]

I am sorry to go on about the upside down tender. I looked at the tender in this photo of Zγ

I then looked at the photo of Werner Solch taken in summer 1961 at Thessaloniki

and compared it with my photo of the upside down tender.

Photo Balkanmodels: November 1989 outside the Engine Shed in Thessaloniki.

It looks like the tender in WS photo is the same as the upside down tender but these do not seem to match the frame (circled in blue) of the tender in the first photo. My theory is that WS photo Δα is carrying a Ζα tender and not a Zγ one. Maybe we will have to wait for Iossif to find his definitive photo of "potistiri" to be absolutely certain.

christo.

[christo]

...of course I had also photographed the loco whose tender we are discussing about. Unbelievable that it was 25 years ago.

Photo Balkanmodels: November 1989 loco Ζα306 at the Engine Shed Thessaloniki.

christo.

[christo]

Another interesting find, especially
Description: A De Glehn 4 cylinder Compound 4-6-0 lies on the western outskirts of Thessaloniki on Wednesday 18 April 1973. The engine is believed to be 2A Class No.206 built by Soc. Batignolles of Paris in 1906. The engine's last repair had been in Athens in 1943.

http://www.railphotolibrary.com/stock-p ... -8901.html

christo.