Some five years ago I was employed at an institution in Bratislava, Slovakia, and one of my colleagues was a guy called Peter. This Peter used to spend his weekends in engine sheds, as he was a member of a club looking after historic rail vehicles and there was always something to do. And this Peter came to work one day, about this time a year, and went on to say that there would be a rail fest in Bratislava, few months on, that they would be taking part with a steam loco and a railcar and that after the fest they wouldn’t be taking the machines back to Zvolen but would leave them in BA for some two weeks before going to another fest, in Budapest.
“…and in those two weeks the machines will be idle, so I was thinking that we could make use of them”
Raised eyebrows…(to use a train?)
“I thought we (pointed at us) could take the railcar to where it was built”
“Studenka wagon works■■?” (interesting, but not that impressive)
“No… it was assembled in Studenka, but most parts were made in Koprivnice, so we would go there, to see Tatra factory and their museum”
Now that sounded damned attractive!
There was also a girl called Petra at the institution, she was attractive too, but most importantly her dad was an ex-Tatra engineer, guy who won Dakar rallye once and took part in many more with Tatra trucks, so sorting out a factory tour was not to be difficult.
And Peter went on to explain that the trip would be kind of thanks to the institution for help in saving a steam loco from scrapyard, that there was a cooperation between the institution and Tatra in the past and some older colleagues would like to go and check how things changed, that spare seats would be offered to rail fans who would certainly like the symbolism in the trip, that the 60 years old railcar was capable of driving those 250km there and the same distance back without breaking down, that we would have to put up with some discomfort on wooden 3rd class benches inside and max speed of 50km/h and then that we would have to get permission from the owner of the railcar as the club was only looking after it but did not own it, that we would have to ask some train operator/-s to sponsor us and provide us pilots (guys with valid track recognition certificate), that we would have to ask rail network company to waive track usage fees, do the same things on the other side of the border plus sort out some extra papers for the vehicle to cross the border.
Hearing about the officialities we were far from convinced that this trip would ever happen. But Peter knew about railways more than the rest us altogether and had it that there was a fair chance.
To cut the story short, everything got sorted and a fantastic trip was organized and made real - on 5th Sept 2005. Without me 
, as I had a business to attend in the UK. My brother happily went instead of me; the pics below were taken by him.
The special train was named “Mylius Expres”, after Germany-made synchromesh Mylius gearbox fitted to the railcar.
That’s him, M131.1053, two axle diesel railcar built in 1948 as one of 549 units for Czechoslovak Railways, to carry 48 seated passengers on local lines, powered by an air cooled V12 Tatra engine of 114kW, weighing 16t, max speed 60km/h, now reduced to 50 due to age. These railcars were nicknamed “Hurvinek”, after a character from a Czech puppet comedy.
Here pictured somewhere between Bratislava and Koprivnice, giving way to a faster train.
It also pulled a trailer, CDlm, furnished as a refreshment car (the station look like Trencin to me).
The railcar is controlled from here :
Nicely restored station building at Verovice, CZ, with another iconic vehicle, Trabant 601 kombi:
Here we are (2003 to 2006 Tatra was owned by Terex, hence the name).
Factory tour pics (guys were allowed to take pics inside on production line!)
Typical Tatra engine, air-cooled V, the massive fan at the front is for cooling, intercooler at the top of the engine.
Another typical Tatra feature: central tube chassis, swinging half-axles. The suspension in pictures is branded Kingframe (patented).
It’s all solid steel
The gearbox sits further to the rear of the engine for better weight distribution
Nicely flushed in:
Engine fitted:
Military cab:
Civilian cab:
Nearly done:
Finished, leaving the line:
Looks there was a bonnet shortage 
Awaiting dispatch to new owners:
Test vehicles:
Guys were also given a ride on Tatra test ground!
No pics from the heavy terrain parts of the test ground, too bumpy!
One specialty, Tatra 817, in 2005 prototype in tests, low profile cab to make the vehicle to fit into C-130 airplanes, highly modular design.
Going to Tatra museum now, another railcar in front of it, M290.0, two units built in 1936 for express services between Prague and Bratislava, max speed 150km/h, travelling speed 130km/h, 72 seats, 36t, 2x 132kW Tatra engine fuelled by methanol-petrol mix, electro-mechanical transmission - below 85km/h the engines spin dynamos and those feed electric motors, above 85km/h the dynamos are disengaged and mechanical transmission engaged, disc brakes for stopping.
Tatra is one of the oldest car / truck manufacturers in the world and still going. Founded in 1850 as cart & wagon workshop, first car was built in 1897 and first lorry in 1898.
For comparison, Peugeot claims it can trace its history to 1700s, Studebaker was founded in 1852, Benz & Cie. in 1883 and Daimler in 1890. Benz built his first car in 1885-86 and Peugeot in 1889. Daimler built first lorry ever in 1896 and Studebaker in 1902.
Here’s the first car, 1897 Praesident, clearly based on a horse-driven coach, powered by Benz 2.7l engine, 5kW @ 600rpm, 2 speed belt transmission, max 25km/h. In 1898 it was driven from Koprivnice to Vienna and donated to Austrian autoclub there. It returned to Czechoslovakia in 1920s. This is actually a replica from 1977, the original is in National Tech Museum in Prague.
In those old days the Czech rep. was a part of Austro-Hungarian Empire, Koprivnice was Nesseldorf and Tatra was Nesseldorfer Wagenfabrik. And its products were badged NW.
Here’s NW type S 20/30, 1910-1914, 3.3L in-line 4-cyl, OHC, 22kW (30hp), 80-90km/h
NW type T, 1914-1920s, 3.6L in-line 4-cyl, OHC, 1700kg, 80-90km/h
NW type K fire engine from 1910
Tatra 11 chassis, year 1923
Tatra 30 sport convertible, 1926-30, 1.7L flat 4-cyl, air cooled, 24hp
Later version 30/52:
Tatra 54, 1931-33, 1.5L flat 4-cyl., air cooled, 22hp, 80km/h, about 1500 built.
Tatra 75, 1933-47, 1.7L flat 4-cyl, air cooled, 30hp, 90-100km/h, about 4500 built.
V570, 1933 prototype of a replacement of Tatra 12. Flat 2-cyl., 854ccm, 18hp, 4 speed gearbox, rear engine, rear wheel drive, 75-80km/h. Offered for sale after tests, bought by somebody who used it for some 30 years and then donated it to Tatra museum.
Resembles VW Beetle which is not surprising - Ledwinka and Porsche knew each other and kept in touch.
V809, 1940-42, 2.5L flat 4-cyl, air cooled, 50hp, very popular with Wehrmacht Afrikakorps
Tatra 57K, military version of most popular Tatra car, 1.2L air cooled flat four, 18hp, the military version had about 20-25hp.
Tatra 70, limo of 1931-36, water cooled in-line 6-cyl, OHC, 3.4l, 48kW, 2400kg, 110km/h. Later modified to 70A. About 120 units built, mainly limos bodied by Sodomka but also some fire engines were built on this chassis.
Finally a “lorry”, Tatra 72, 1933-35, air cooled flat 4-cyl., 1.9L, 25kW, 1800kg, 90km/h
43/52
Tatra 77 - perhaps the first serially produced streamlined car in the world (unveiled 1934). Air cooled 3L V8, OHC, 44kW, 4 speed gearbox, rear engine rear wheel drive, max speed 150km/h. Year later updated to 77A and then replaced by better model, T87.
Tatra 87. About 3000 T87s were built between 1937 and 1950, Any guess of its drag coefficient? No? 0.36 - as per wind tunnel tests performed in 1970-80s in GB and Sweden.
Tatra 97 (left), smaller version of T87. 1937-39, 1.8L flat four cyl., 29kW, 130km/h.
The black car behind the 97 is model 90, prototype from 1935.
Tatra 600 “Tatraplan”, 1947-52, flat 4-cyl, 1.95l, 38kW, 130km/h, cx=0.33, ~6300 built, exported to most of Europe plus Morroco and Egypt.
One off T600 cabrio, bodywork by Sodomka, 1949, donated to Stalin who never used it.
Tatra 603, 1955-75 limo, air cooled V8, 2.5L, ~70kW @ 4000rpm, disc brakes all around, contactless condenser induction, officially 160km/h.
There was significant interest in these cars from abroad, but the communist VIPs reserved the vehicle for themselves; only few dozens were sold to the USSR, GDR or BG.
When the 603 was getting dated, Tatra’s R&D dept in Bratislava designed and built prototype 603X (1966). The design was rejected as “too sporty” for a VIP limo. Single one built.
Ambulance derived from 603X, named 603A, also a single one prototype built in Bratislava.
At the end, various designers were asked to sketch the lines of 603 replacement. Vignale’s design won and 613 was born. Air cooled V8, 3.5L, OHC, 125kW, 5-speed gearbox, rear engine rear wheel drive, 190km/h, later with fuel injction 220. Built since 1974 in limited numbers as official limo for VIPs, from presidents to directors of big companies, but also for police, fire brigades and “yellow angles” (though they were white & red).
Here’s a one-off four-door half-open car used in military parades.
Rescue car used in car races, badged as 623,
613 “Prezident” - re-worked T613 from 1994, single prototype built. Sometimes mentioned as Tatra 625.
Racing Tatras? Sure there were some.
NW type U, 1914, in-line 6-cyl., 5.3L, 70hp, 1800kg, 120km/h
Baghira, V8 2.5L, 100kW, 1973
603B5, aluminium and GRP body panels, tuned engine, top speed of ~200km/h
Tatra 607-2, 1951, air cooled V8, 2.5L, 150kW. “Ejector cooling” - finned cylinders sit in a “tunnel”, exhaust gases are fed into the tunnel behind the engine, the gas stream drags air with it, hence no need for fan - saved horses are used to spin the wheels.
Tatra 605, 1956, air cooled twin cylinder, 636ccm, ejector cooling, 40kW, 320kg, 170km/h
Tatra 601, race version of 600, V8 engine.
It is not only cars, lorries and railcars that Tatra built, also trams and airplanes! Tatra 131, license-built Bucker Bu-131:
Some aero engines:
Snowmobile (aerosledge) V855, prototype for German army from 1942:
Tatra V12 engine, 930K, 17.6L, 206kW, year 1956:
It’s shame the black engine in the background was ignored by the photographer, it’s a W18! Yes, that’s right, W18, 22L, 220kW from 1943
Tatra 25 chassis, 1926, 6x6, 6-cyl, 12.2L, 120hp
Here we have a trio of very famous lorries:
815GTC (left), around the world expedition in 1987-90, T815 for expedition Africa Live, 1994 and T138 for Expedition Lambarene, 1968.
That was an adventure: some students of medicine came with the idea of collecting medications needed in equatorial Africa and deliver them - overland, by a lorry - to famous jungle hospital founded by A. Schweitzer in Lambarene, Gabon. Unfortunately, Gabon officials refused entry to the crew and their vehicle, so the drugs were handed over onboard a ship off the coast of Gabon. Guys then drove back to Prague; 257-day round trip (it was in 1968).
Oh yes, of course, T815 that won Dakar rallye in 1988 - Liaz came second then, btw.
T162 - prototype of replacement of 148, some customers preferred bonneted design, 1988, V6, 9.5L, 200kW.
T805 fire van, 1953
And one of the two 805s that Hanzelka, Zikmund et al. took around Eurasia in 1959-64 - through Balkan and Middle East to India, Nepal, Ceylon, Indonesia, Japan, China and across Soviet Union back to Prague.
Tatra 85, very popular vehicle built 1936 to 41, 7.7t GVW, 5-6t payload, water cooled in-line 4-cyl OHV, 8.1l, 6x4, 60km/h.
Tatra 111, true legend, built 1942-62, air cooled V12, 14.8L, 180hp @ 1800rpm, 10t payload, 60km/h, more than 30 thousand units built.
Not the best picture but the two models on middle shelves are too interesting not to be shown
Well, everything has to end at some point… Going home… another 5 hours on those wooden benches!
