Skoda

* Overseas model shown. Free tyres for life. Tinted windows included.

Big thanks to everyone who helped us with our search for the locomotive on the case back of the University pocket watch in yesterday’s email. We have received so many suggestions but believe it or not, we still don’t have a definite answer. The two candidates with the most votes are the Soviet Passenger P36 steam locomotive and the Czechoslovak 4-8-2 Skoda. The Russian P36 steam locomotive was a 4-8-4 configuration manufactured between 1950 and 1956 for mainline use. A total of 251 were in production. The P36 was the last type of mainline steam locomotive built in Russia. There are at least five locomotives still in use today, used for private train experiences: https://www.goldeneagleluxurytrains.com/about-us/P36-Locomotive.php

The Czechoslovak 4-8-2 Skoda express passenger locomotive was introduced to Czechoslovak State Railways in 1938. 16 years later, in 1954, the design was developed further into the 498.1 class. The benefit of these locomotives was improved stability at speed. Both Czech locomotives were technically sophisticated for their time and allegedly capable of 11% thermal efficiency.

So which one? While the Czech 4-8-2 Skoda image looks exactly like that on our pocket watch, the obvious question is: Why would a Russian railway pocket watch have an image of a Czech locomotive on the case back? On the other hand, the Russian P36 would make more sense on the back of a Russian Molnia railway pocket watch, but the images don't really match up. So, could there be a third contender?