Nerding out over an odd 0-6-0 in Zagreb, Croatia

Hey, Hyce! Brilliant video! Nice to see the iconic Zagreb 0-6-0 on your channel! Here's a bit of history about the class: This is the MAV 326, aka SHS 326, aka JŽ 125 class. These locomotives were primarily built by MAV, which is in Hungary, around 1882 - 1888. They were primarily used for light passenger and goods duties and lasted quite a while on JŽ (Yugoslavian Railways), all the way up until 1970! In 1992, JŽ 125-052 was displayed at Zagreb where it still stands to this day.

Fireman - I need to blow down the engine. Engineer - K, but we are not stopping. Fireman - Then I will die like man.

“I mean check valve, like one way valve. Not Czech valve” LIMES!

It's funny how Hyce probably spent more time looking at this thing than the total cumulative time the locals spent looking at it.

Quite frankly, given the region you travelled through, it was only a matter of time for you to stumble upon one of these. Once again, it's an Austro-Hungarian locomotive, this one specifically originating with the Hungarian MÁV (yes, Austro-Hungary at seperate state railways for Austria and Hungary). It's from this heritage that the engine gets that weird smokebox door, btw, as that was the standard design for Austro-Hungarian locomotives. If you rewatch the Slovenian museum videos you'd probably spot the same design on most of the engines you showed. These kind of 0-6-0's formed the backbone of freight hauling througout basically all of Europe for most of the 19th century, and this particular locomotive is part of a class whose origins can be traced back to 1869, and which were build (in updated classes) up untill 1907. The Hungarian railway museum has multiple of these 0-6-0's, spanning a couple different subclasses, in its collection, including a sibling of this very loco. On a sidenote, whenever you do another cursed locomotive stream, make sure to notify your searchers about Hungarian (and to a degree Austrian) locomotive designs, because as you've been able to see in real life, they had some truly odd designs (and this 0-6-0 is far from the visually worst they came up with).

It is a hungrain built 326 class steam engine. Many of them ended up in Yugoslavia after WW1. The inside stephenson valvgear, with the "wierd" rod that goes around the axel was actually super common for most hungrian engines that were built with inside stephenson valve gear. It normally has 1 water glass, but the one on this engine is missing. The reason why only the tender has brakes is simple, when these engines were built they orgiginally had no air brakes, only hand brakes. Hand brakes used to only brake the wheels under the tender, and after these were fitted with air brakes they did not want to istall breaking mechanism for the drivers, so it still only braked the tender. One very similar locomotive to this is still operational in Hungary as of now.

Ah, the Spongebob-looking-out-of-a-mail-box 0-6-0. Hialrious.

Austro-Hungarian steam engines are just a whole different kind of cute ugly that I vibe with on a fundamental level. Even their express passenger locos were covered in all sorts of random pipes and fittings that made them look like they were not so much built as grown.

I have some clarifications from my Czech friend: 1. The pistons being sideways was to save on space (citation needed) and the way lubrication is achieved is with a higher pressure more viscous oil 2: T̶h̶e̶ s̶m̶o̶k̶e̶b̶o̶x̶ i̶s̶ a̶ w̶i̶n̶t̶e̶r̶ e̶x̶t̶e̶n̶s̶i̶o̶n̶ t̶o̶ h̶e̶l̶p̶ w̶i̶t̶h̶ k̶e̶e̶p̶i̶n̶g̶ t̶h̶e̶ f̶i̶r̶e̶ h̶o̶t̶ The smokebox extension is actually a front firebox, in the winter you would start a fire in the front of the smokebox in order to heat up the boiler evenly from both ends 3. The locomotive is probably unequilized because Old and shit 4. The middle "Blowdown" is more like a safety than a blowdown 5. The front mounted blowdown was for you to be able to see your flagman while switching 6. On the blowdown thing It was more than likely that It would have had a blowdown lever in the cab, but it was likely taken for parts, or stolen 7. The locomotive not having a independent was likely because in switching applications you would just use the trains airbrakes and it appears this was used as a switcher late in life 8. The equalization on the tender was to help it navigate curves better If anyone would like to issue corrections I will be more than happy to go back and fix these points

2:55 Are we all just gonna ignore the fact that nature has begun to take over this engine with that little plant growing out of the lubricating pocket?

I can't unsee the headlights as two big goofy googly eyes, this thing's so funky lol

It looks like the rear two drivers are equalized.

Would be fun to have that engine in derail valley

As someone who frequently visits Zagreb Glavni Kolodvor [to mostly trainspott lol] it makes me happy that you took a moment to look at the old Katica

This locomotive was already a very late example of its type. By the looks of it, it has sandwich frames. 2 thin steel plates with wood in between. Also no equalisation. These features with the outside frames were already old fashioned in 1891, as was the Stephenson motion. Outside Walschaerts valve gear was already well in use on the European continent. The lack of equalisation was maybe less of an issue with 4 or 6 coupled locomotives on the generally good quality track work in Europe, but was still strange as it existed and was proven to work. But most locomotives in Europe built from 1900 onwards do have compensation, as number of axles and the coupled wheel base grew it became more of a necessity. A boiler blow down was generally only performed when the locomotive was on shed, the covered distances were lower than in the US between daily maintenance, and the closer proximity of structures, roads, animals and people to the tracks made it more of an risk because of the large clouds of steam hindering visibility for the crew and road users and possibly scaring horses when these were still the main form of transport. Also water treatment came in use reducing the build up of scale

I love watching your brain melt on weird eastern European steam engines

It might be a MAV 326 series. It was a more common locomotive here in Hungary for mostly doing freight on flatlands and passenger in mountainous regions. The one you see might be there because of the Treaty of Trianon where we lost more than half of our rolling stock. If you want to see locomotives like this, come to Budapest where the Hungarian Railway History Museum is located.

I'm so glad you came to Croatia, I've been following you for a while and I live in the street next to that locomotive

Such a neat little doot and how cool is it that it survived to be enjoyed and also featured on your channel for us to enjoy too! Though nothing can replace End of the Line for the closing supporters scroll, that was indeed some excellent musicianship.

Such a lovely little early choo choo, Mark. I enjoy your assessment and reaction to all things train and through these, I continue learning so much. The Zagreb main station is absolutely beautiful. Curiosity peaked so I looked at photos of the inside and it’s amazing. Classical architecture is my favorite style. Thanks again for another beautiful video of your trip, Professor and as always cheers to you!