The Story of the Slovenská Strela (2. strana)

REGION The Story of the “Slovenská Strela” The year is 1936, and speed records are being broken left and right in Czechoslovakia. Slovenská Strela left its depo for the first time and broke the speed barrier of 130 km/h. The first high-speed motor train was able to transport its passengers from Bratislava to Prague in an unbelievable 4 hours and 20 minutes. The birth of the “Slovenská Strela” The unique high speed train, of the M290.0 line, was produced in Kopřivnice by Tatra a.s. in the year 1936. It was the first motor wagon with an electromechanical power transmission, designed by the Czech electrotechnician Josef Sousedník. The innovation lay in the use of a progressive traction system, which allowed for the direct transmission of power from the combustion engine to the driving axle. This patented system proved to be so exceptional that it was only surpassed in 2006 and 2011 by the 680 Pendolino electrical unit, which is now the fastest train connection between the aforementioned stations. The Slovenská Strela M290.002 was first put into use on July 13, 1936, along with its sister unit, the M290.001. Both wagons were assigned to the Bratislava-Prague route, and for the first time in the history of Czechoslovakian railways, compulsory seating reservations were put into place. A Bittersweet End During the Second World War, the Slovenská Strela units did not get to see much use. The main reason for this was the lack of fuel. After 1945, the wagons were only used to transport government delegations, where passengers were transported between Prague and Nuremberg during the Nuremberg Trials. The M290.001 unit was later put out of commission in 1953, and its story came to an end in 1960, when it caught fire and had to be disposed of. The M290.002 was met with a less wistful end to its operation days, as it was handed off in the same year to the Tatra company museum in Kopřivnice, where it remains to this day. The Rescue Project The legendary speed train with its aerodynamic red hull fell into disrepair over the years. This, fortunately, changed in September 2018, when efforts for its restoration began. In early 2018, the Tatra Truck company announced the approval of the subsidy for the project to revitalize the national and cultural memento that the motor train Tatra T68, also known as the Slovenská Strela, had become. “We are delighted that we managed to receive a subsidy for the restoration of such an important cultural keepsake. History and tradition are very important to our company, and so we will begin the reconstruction as soon as we can,” Radek Strouhal, the general director of Tatra Trucks, said. The total expenses of the projects--building the depositary and the restoration of Slovenská Strela--were estimated to come to 118 million Czech crowns. The Ministry for Regional Development contributed a sum of 79.4 million crowns as part of the Integrated Regional Operational Program, IROP. The Course of the Reconstruction Since it is the only movable national cultural monument in the MoravianSilesian Region, the restoration of the Slovenská Strela is directed under the close supervision of specialized experts. Furthermore, they have period plans from the 1930s at their disposal, which allows them to proceed in exactly the fashion intended back then. Since starting the project, restorers have been able to put up the wallpaper, mount the windows, do the flooring, create the wooden panelling, build the luggage areas, mount seats with new upholstery, run stress tests for the chassis and install the heating. Most recently, the wagon received a new paint job. The bright, radiant, cherry red coat was picked based on documentation found in the Tatra company’s archives. The red coat is complemented by a grey chassis and a roof in the color of old gold. During the process of this expansive renovation, the craftsmen also discovered a series of curiosities that awaited them in the bowels of the machine, among the best of which is an original newspaper from 1936 with easily readable type concerning contemporary political matters and the results of football matches. The New Technical Museum in Kopřivnice The construction of a new museum depositary in Kopřivnice, which will stand next to the newly planned Tatra Truck Museum building, is also part of the Saving the Slovenská Strela project. “The construction contractor that will build the depositary for the Slovenská Strela was chosen at the beginning of September. PS BRNO began constructing a new home for the wagon at the beginning of October this year, and it should be completed by October of next year,” commented Jan Jurkovič, director of administration for Tatra Trucks. The Tatra Vehicle Museum will be conceived as a branch of the Nový Jičín Museum, and will be operated by the Moravian-Silesian Region, to whom Tatra Trucks donated the land along with the hall of the former foundry, for this purpose.The estimated expenses for the construction have amounted to 123 million Czech crowns, 85% of which will be financed through European subsidies. The museum’s opening has been planned for the beginning of 2021. The aforementioned Slovenská Strela is expected to be its biggest attraction. After years of decay, the wagon unit will be returned in its former glory to the museum in Kopřivnice, where it will be ready for civic use. SLOVENSKÁ STRELA IN NUMERICAL TERMS: Unites manufactured: 2 prototypes, the M290.001 and the M290.002 Year of production: 1936 Number of seats: 72 Vehicle weight: 36,000 kg Performance specs.: 2 x 165 horsepower Max. speed: 148 km/h Max. operating speed: 130 km/h Average travel speed: 92 km/h Fuel tanks: 2 x 220 l POSITIV 4/2020 ǀ 79