TKi3-137 steam locomotive belongs to Prussian T9³ class of versatile tank locomotives that had been built between 1901 and 1914 in a total number of over 2200 units. They were mainly ordered by KPEV, Alsacian-Lorrainian Railways as well as private railway operators. These locomotives drove light passenger and freight trains, mainly on local lines. They could also be seen shunting at larger railway stations and sidings.

T93 class had been connected with the current Polish territories from its very beginnings. Right from the first years of production individual units were directed to Royal Managements of Prussian Railways in Poznan, Gdansk, Katowice and Wroclaw. During the First World War, following the front movements the locomotives found their way to the Russian partition of Poland, for instance to engine houses in Warsaw and Skierniewice in 1916.

After the First World War Poland acquired 320 of these useful locomotives. According to Polish numeration system they had been marked as TKi3 class and located in most pre-war PKP headquarters. After 1945 Polish National Railways had 213 units of this class.

At the end of the 1940’s PKP started to get rid of the TKi3 class. Powered by saturated steam, they were not quite up to the constantly improving transport standards. Also the way of organising the railway freight transport by forming long and heavy trains was the cause of eliminating this light class. Most units were scrapped, some of them were transferred to industry where they operated on factory sidings, a few dozens were converted to steam locomotives without fireboxes. The last operating TKi3 owned by PKP was pulled out of service in 1969. In industry they remained ten years longer. Total number of 5 locomotives survived in Poland, another one was sold in 1986 to the German Museum of Technology in Berlin, although against the rules set in the Polish Act of Relic Salvation.

Belonging to PSMK TKi3-137 locomotive was connected with the Polish territory throughout its entire existence, except for the Second World War period. It had been built for the Prussian Royal Railway Headquarters in Gdansk and marked as “7382 Danzig”, where it has been working until 1920 when as a war reparation it was passed on to PKP. The locomotive continued its service in Polish National Railway Headquarters in Gdansk. In 1924 it received the new Polish marking – “TKi3-228”. During the first month of the Second World War the locomotive found its way to Wilno with the evacuation train, where after capturing eastern part of Poland by the Germans it was acquired by Deutsche Reichsbahn. After the division of Wilno area the locomotive became the property of Lithuanian Railways, and in June of 1940 with the entire Lithuania was claimed by the Soviet Union. After the German attack on Soviet Union the locomotive was re-acquired by Deutsche Reichsbahn, marked as “91 719” and put in service in engine houses in Russian territories captured by the Germans. It was evacuated when the front was backing off and at the end of the war caught the locomotive in Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakian Railways sent it over to Germany, to the western occupation zones. After being re-vindicated to PKP it received a new number, becoming “TKi3-137” and after a couple of years of service it was sold to industry as a shunting locomotive. Having finished the service and after a few years of rusting it went back to PKP as a material for a “technology monument”. It wasn’t exhibited after all, though, and in 1992 PKP generously offered the forgotten locomotive to PSMK. Currently the unit whose days of service reflect the history of the Middle Europe in the 20th century is protected from further damage and awaits reconstruction.

ESSENTIAL TECHNICAL DATA

• track width: 1435 mm
• wheel arrangement: 1-3-0 (2-6-0)
• boiler pressure: 12 atmospheres
• total heating surface: 107 square meters
• grate area: 1,53 square meters
• type of steam engine: twin
• maximal speed: 65 km/h
• tractive force: 8900 kg
• weight in working order: 59,9 tons
• water/coal capacity: 7 cubic meters / 2 tons
• length over buffers: 6785 mm

The TKi3-137 locomotive was built in 1909 by :

• the Union Gießerei Kőnigsberg factory (serial number: 1751/1909)