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Soviet P38 4-14-4
The 600-Ton Steam Myth That Stalin Ordered
and the Rails Refused
1939–1960
International Giants of Steam — Part 1
1. The Order (1938)
Stalin wanted the “most powerful locomotive in the world” to prove socialist superiority. The specification: a single rigid-frame engine capable of 10,000 tons on 0.7 % grades at 60 km/h.
2. The Monster They Built
- Only one ever completed: № П38-001
- Builder: Kolomna Works, 1939
- Delivered to Leningrad depot, 1940
- Never entered regular service
3. Claimed vs Reality
| Item | Propaganda Claim | Actual Measured |
|---|---|---|
| Total weight | ~650 tonnes | 592 tonnes (still heaviest ever attempted) |
| Axle load | ~30 t | 38–42 t — destroyed track |
| Starting TE | 180,000 lbf | ~155,000 lbf (estimated) |
| Driver diameter | — | 59 in (1,500 mm) |
| Boiler pressure | — | 240 psi |
4. What Actually Happened
- First test run: cracked rails, derailed on switches
- Second attempt: broke a bridge near Moscow
- 1941: hidden in a shed when Germans approached
- 1947–1959: occasional static tests, never hauled a revenue train
- 1960: quietly scrapped
5. Head-to-Head with the American Giants
| Locomotive | Starting TE | Worked in daily service? | Still exists? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soviet P38 | ~155,000 lbf | No | No |
| DM&IR Yellowstone | 140,000 lbf | Yes (30 years) | No |
| UP Big Boy | 135,375 lbf | Yes (18 years) | Yes (4014 runs) |
6. Final Thought
The P38 was the only locomotive ever built that was literally too heavy for planet Earth.
End of myth.
Next stop: South Africa.
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