
Class 433F 3-Cylinder
General Purpose Tank Locomotive
Designed
by Mikhail Rodnivacek
Built in
1953 by
Krauss-Maffei, Munich, Germany
During the early
post-war years, the RSR did, without doubt, apply a
sort of "mix and match" design method, of which the 433F was a typical product.
The cylinders and running gear were derived from those of the 434B 2-8-4T of
1939 and the boiler belonged to the same series as that which would be fitted to
the 423D 4-8-0 in 1954. The RSR management, evidently wary of a design policy
that they saw as facile, authorised only one engine. What Rodnivacek thought of
this is not on record. Once delivered, the 433F was put through its paces and
was found to be a sound design after all. Before the tests were finished,
however, the class 423E 4-8-4Ts, which were a tank version of the 423D, began to
arrive from Krupp and it immediately became clear that two types of
eight-coupled tank engine were not required. Although the 433F showed a more
even starting torque than the 423E, owing to its three-cylinder drive, and had
equally good running qualities, thanks to its Krauss-Helmholtz carrying axles,
the motive power policy in force at
Akohniçe at that time virtually
guaranteed that the 423E would prevail. The solitary 433F remained in service,
sharing the duties of her victorious rivals, until 1978.