B5-01

The B5-01 steam locomotive is an experimental passenger model featuring a high-pressure boiler. It was utilized as a test platform for a novel steam engine designed for military applications and was never placed into regular service.
== Description ==
In 1935, the Kolomna Plant initiated the design of an experimental high-pressure steam power plant. On March 14, 1936, the Armored Vehicle Directorate (ABTU) of the Red Army entered into a contract with the plant to produce a prototype with a power output of 600 horsepower. This power plant, designated as PV, was intended for installation in the newly designed high-speed armored vehicle MVB No. 01 and the heavy tank T-35. By the end of that year, the working drawings for the plant were finalized. It was decided to construct a locomotive that would utilize this power plant as its engine for testing purposes. The construction of this locomotive, designated B5, commenced in March 1937 and was completed on December 12 of the same year, after which testing began. The project was led by engineers B. S. Pozdnyakov and A. A. Chirkov. The PV installation comprised a vertical steam boiler of the L. M. Ramzin design and two steam engines, each with a capacity of 250 horsepower. The crew compartment was supported by two bogies: a driving (front) bogie and a supporting (rear) bogie. The driving wheel pairs were powered by the steam engines through a gear transmission system. Initially, it was anticipated that the PV steam power plant for the MBV No. 01 armored vehicle would be completed in 1938. However, the Kolomna Plant dedicated the entire year to testing and fine-tuning the plant. It was not until early 1939, after the locomotive had traveled 5,000 kilometers, that the testing phase concluded. On May 10 of that year, the ABTU RKKA issued order No. 205966, directing the transfer of the MBV No. 01 armored vehicle to the Kolomna Plant for the installation of the PV power plant, which resulted in the vehicle arriving at the plant in June. Unfortunately, due to the plant's existing commitments, the steam power plant for the armored vehicle was not completed until the onset of the Great Patriotic War.
Category:Soviet/Russian Locomotives
Category:Unique locomotives
Category:0-4-4 steam locomotives
Category:High Pressure Steam Locomotives
Category:Russian Gauge
Category:Experimental locomotives