The Class 490 Steam Engines of MÁV, and the Restoration of Locomotive No. 490,039

Abstract

The Hungarian designed narrow gauge steam engine-type built in the largest number and the largest class of 760 mm gauge MÁV locomotives. The paper shortly describes the more than 100 years history of locomotives type 70 of MÁV Gépgyár (MÁV Machine Factory). During the 46 years of its production, 142 units were built in 21 batches in Budapest between 1905 and 1950. MÁV put into service 61 locomotives on its local narrow gauge lines between 1906 and 1950 designated as class XXIc at the beginning, and as class 490 after 1911. The 100-th anniversary offered a good reason for the rehabilitation of the oldest unit of the type that could be found in Hungary, the oldest survival of the MÁV 490 class. As the result of the restoration, putting into service the locomotive increased the number of the passengers travelling on the Budapest Children´s Railway significantly.