1960
Kreka’s Class 33 locomotives: from wartime Europe to the coalfields of Tuzla
By the time most European railways had abandoned steam, the
coalfields around Tuzla still had work for it. At Kreka, large
wartime locomotives continued moving coal wagons between loading
points and exchange sidings, supported by a workshop at Bukinje.
Their survival carried a complicated history into everyday
industrial life: engines built during the Second World War,
scattered across Europe afterwards, and eventually brought together
in the service of Bosnia’s coal industry.
Kreka’s locomotives were built to the German BR 52 design and carried Class 33 numbers under the Yugoslav classification system. Developed during the war, the BR 52 was a simplified freight locomotive intended for demanding service and economical production. Kreka’s engines were built in 1943–1944, long before their eventual role carrying coal for Tuzla’s power supply could have been imagined. After 1945, locomotives of this design entered railway fleets across Europe, including Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union.
Kreka’s own Class 33 story began in 1960, with the purchase of two second-hand locomotives from Czechoslovakia. They became 33-501 and 33-502. The first had begun life as German 52.2464; the second as 52.7620, subsequently serving the Czechoslovak railways as 555.0153. Four years later, in 1964, three more arrived from the Soviet Union: 33-503, 33-504 and 33-505. These five engines formed the original directly purchased mining fleet, with numbers distinguishing them from the national railway’s Class 33 locomotives.
The Soviet arrivals brought different manufacturing histories. 33-503 was built by DWM in 1944, works number 812, as 52.1345. 33-504, also dating from 1944, came from Henschel as works number 28118 and originally carried 52.793. 33-505 was the former 52.3654, built by Floridsdorf in 1943. Their journeys through postwar railway systems ended in a shared assignment at Kreka.
Other engines came through Yugoslav Railways. 33-236, built by Henschel in 1944 as works number 28142, originally ran as 52.817. It remained in western Germany after the war and passed into Deutsche Bundesbahn ownership before being released for transfer to Yugoslavia in 1951. It later entered Kreka service, retaining its Yugoslav number. Decades afterwards, it was still working: a September 2024 record placed it in service at Dubrave.
33-248 followed a particularly unusual route. Henschel built it in 1944 as works number 28370 and delivered it to the Serbian State Railways as 33-001. It subsequently reached Germany, where it became 52.47792, and returned to Yugoslavia in 1951 as 33-248. Its transfer to the Bukinje mine is recorded in 1990.
Two further former state-railway engines were 33-064, originally 52.1134, and 33-216, originally 52.1218. Both were built by DWM in 1943. The former was formally taken over by Kreka in 1990. The latter eventually became a source of spare parts; visitors in 2011 recorded it dismantled at Bukinje, with its boiler and running gear remaining.
The original purchases also met different ends. 33-502 left for preservation in 1991 and later returned to Czech ownership. 33-501 reportedly became a parts donor before being sold to Slovenia in 1997-1998. 33-505 was withdrawn in 1990 and reportedly scrapped in 1999–2000 after usable components had been removed.
In 2014, five Class 33 locomotives remained in service at Kreka, handling coal traffic from the Dubrave and Šikulje mines for Tuzla power station. Their continued operation depended on regular maintenance and overhaul at Bukinje.
In 2018, 33-503 was observed working at Šikulje, while 33-236 worked at Dubrave before being replaced by 33-248. The locomotives positioned empty wagons for loading and assembled loaded wagons for collection by national-railway diesels.
By October 2025, the working fleet still comprised 33-064, 33-236, 33-248, 33-503 and 33-504. At Šikulje, 33-236 was the working locomotive and 33-504 the reserve; at Dubrave, 33-248 worked with 33-503 held in reserve. Meanwhile, 33-064 was undergoing repairs at Bukinje.
Kreka’s locomotives were built to the German BR 52 design and carried Class 33 numbers under the Yugoslav classification system. Developed during the war, the BR 52 was a simplified freight locomotive intended for demanding service and economical production. Kreka’s engines were built in 1943–1944, long before their eventual role carrying coal for Tuzla’s power supply could have been imagined. After 1945, locomotives of this design entered railway fleets across Europe, including Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union.
Kreka’s own Class 33 story began in 1960, with the purchase of two second-hand locomotives from Czechoslovakia. They became 33-501 and 33-502. The first had begun life as German 52.2464; the second as 52.7620, subsequently serving the Czechoslovak railways as 555.0153. Four years later, in 1964, three more arrived from the Soviet Union: 33-503, 33-504 and 33-505. These five engines formed the original directly purchased mining fleet, with numbers distinguishing them from the national railway’s Class 33 locomotives.
The Soviet arrivals brought different manufacturing histories. 33-503 was built by DWM in 1944, works number 812, as 52.1345. 33-504, also dating from 1944, came from Henschel as works number 28118 and originally carried 52.793. 33-505 was the former 52.3654, built by Floridsdorf in 1943. Their journeys through postwar railway systems ended in a shared assignment at Kreka.
Other engines came through Yugoslav Railways. 33-236, built by Henschel in 1944 as works number 28142, originally ran as 52.817. It remained in western Germany after the war and passed into Deutsche Bundesbahn ownership before being released for transfer to Yugoslavia in 1951. It later entered Kreka service, retaining its Yugoslav number. Decades afterwards, it was still working: a September 2024 record placed it in service at Dubrave.
33-248 followed a particularly unusual route. Henschel built it in 1944 as works number 28370 and delivered it to the Serbian State Railways as 33-001. It subsequently reached Germany, where it became 52.47792, and returned to Yugoslavia in 1951 as 33-248. Its transfer to the Bukinje mine is recorded in 1990.
Two further former state-railway engines were 33-064, originally 52.1134, and 33-216, originally 52.1218. Both were built by DWM in 1943. The former was formally taken over by Kreka in 1990. The latter eventually became a source of spare parts; visitors in 2011 recorded it dismantled at Bukinje, with its boiler and running gear remaining.
The original purchases also met different ends. 33-502 left for preservation in 1991 and later returned to Czech ownership. 33-501 reportedly became a parts donor before being sold to Slovenia in 1997-1998. 33-505 was withdrawn in 1990 and reportedly scrapped in 1999–2000 after usable components had been removed.
In 2014, five Class 33 locomotives remained in service at Kreka, handling coal traffic from the Dubrave and Šikulje mines for Tuzla power station. Their continued operation depended on regular maintenance and overhaul at Bukinje.
In 2018, 33-503 was observed working at Šikulje, while 33-236 worked at Dubrave before being replaced by 33-248. The locomotives positioned empty wagons for loading and assembled loaded wagons for collection by national-railway diesels.
By October 2025, the working fleet still comprised 33-064, 33-236, 33-248, 33-503 and 33-504. At Šikulje, 33-236 was the working locomotive and 33-504 the reserve; at Dubrave, 33-248 worked with 33-503 held in reserve. Meanwhile, 33-064 was undergoing repairs at Bukinje.
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Latest update on the 1st of November 2026 at 12:25
Contributor(s): Tudor C.
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