| ST44 |
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ST44-1240 and ST44-399 with a freight train in Czeremcha |
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| Performance figures |
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| Maximum speed | 100 km/h (62 mph) |
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| Power output | 1,472 kW (1,970 hp) |
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| Tractive effort | 314 kN (70,590.01 lbf) |
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| Career |
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| Operators | PKP
PKP LHS |
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| Numbers | 001 - 1113
1500
2001 - 2068 |
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| Nicknames | Gagarin
Gagar
Iwan |
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| Delivered | 1965 |
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| First run | 1966 |
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| Last run | 2022 |
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| Retired | 1982 - 2000
2019 - 2022 |
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| Preserved | 2 |
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| Scrapped | 1984 - 2022 |
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| Disposition | 167 rebuilt, 15 exported to North Korea, 7 retired, 2 preserved, remainder scrapped |
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ST44 is a Polish class of Soviet standard and russian gauge mainline heavy freight diesel electric locomotives built between 1965 and 1988 for Polish State Railways and between 1977 and 1980 for Broad Gauge Metallurgy Line. Built by Voroshilovgrad Locomotive Works in Luhansk, Soviet Union. The locomotives were numbered 001 to 1113 and 2001 to 2068 for Broad gauge, one locomotive was numbered 1500 featuring better components.
Most of the ST44 locomotives underwent some modernizations, mostly being Pesa rebuilding in total 108 examples (76 for PKP Cargo, 32 for PKP LHS designated M62Ks), in which added modifications to it, remaining only the body. Newag also rebuilt some of the locomotives, rebuilding in total 37 examples (20 for PCC Intermodal designated 311D, 17 for PKP LHS designated ST40), Rail Polska rebuilt 13 locomotives at ZNTK Oleśnica into electric examples designated 207E, the company also converted 3 examples into M62M locomotives at ZTK Włosienica, adding some modifications and large headlights removed. Fablok as the first locomotive factory in Poland rebuilt 2 locomotives designated ST44-3001 and ST44-3002 for PKP LHS and 4 locomotives for Pol-Miedź Trans.
ST44 is the most produced M62 locomotive type producing more than the original M62 locomotives used in Soviet Union, it is also the mostly used mainline diesel locomotive series throughout Poland. The locomotive was widely used across Poland mostly on the non-electrified mainlines, except Lower Silesia and Opole Voivodeship as the ST43 locomotives were common around here, being excellent at inclines.