H0 - T458.1 / 721 / ČME2 - etched kit of diesel locomotive (etched by Hekttor)

About the draft:

This story begins with the fact that the first 7 machines of the first series of T435.0 were converted to 1524 mm as T435.04 and two of them were sold to the Soviet Railways as prototypes of CME 2. These two locomotives, run at the Moscow-Lubino depot, also essentially started a very successful saga of export of ČKD locomotives to the USSR. After this second time, a customer from the then USSR ordered a 60-piece series of ČME2 locomotives, basically corresponding to our T435.0. The most important modification, apart from the obligatory change of coupling system and gauge, was a different tank and above all an increase of the adhesion weight to 67 t. Before the delivery of the second and third series of ČME2 to the USSR in 1960-1962, totaling 150 units, more substantial modifications were made, which already brought the appearance of the locomotive closer to the machine we know as "Big Hector". The adhesion weight was increased to 72 tonnes and the length of the locomotive was extended by 800 mm. The last two machines were then fitted with newly developed swinging bogies with smoother running on an experimental basis. As part of this production, five locomotives were also delivered for the ČSD broad gauge lines, designated T458.0. During the first half of the 1960s, production of the next series of CME2 continued. The locomotives now resemble the original T435.04 in appearance only in tank and cab. This too is soon to change.

Due to the critical shortage of diesel locomotives in our country, 40 machines were released from the contract for the Soviet Union and modified according to the ČSD standards, here they were then designated T458.1 series. The machines of the last series are also definitively distinguished from the previous ones by three windows on the side of the cab and a different shape of the tank.

Deliveries for ČSD were as follows - a total of 206 T458.1 machines were built for the normal gauge and 13 T458.04 machines for the broad gauge line in Čierna nad Tisou.

However, the export success did not end with deliveries to the USSR. 80 units modified for warmer climatic conditions were delivered to exotic India on 1676 mm gauge as the DEC series. The tropical modification proved successful and the Iraqi Railways also showed interest in the locomotive, taking 28 DES3000s. 8 units went to Albania, two to Poland on wide gauge and three to the then GDR. These figures do not include the small batches ordered but cancelled for foreign customers, which were subsequently delivered to our industry.

Bottom line - the locomotive series corresponding to our T458.1 series became one of the big "blockbusters" of the now defunct ČKD brand.

About the model:
Our model represents the form of the series in the last series design with three windows on the sides of the driver's station. The depicted sample has not yet installed the small details - door handles, hooks, rings, handrails, bumper flanges, which are part of the kit.

Contents of the kit:

-etched brass sheet with box and vehicle frame kit and chassis masks

- construction instructions