GPM 0300 ST44-935 GAGARIN

ŁTZ M62 (another designation: ST44 series) is a series of diesel locomotives, the production of which was carried out in the years 1965-1988 at the Locomotive Factory in Lugansk in today's Ukraine. The service weight of the locomotive was 116.5 tons, and the length with buffers was 17.55 meters and the width was 2.95 meters. The diameter of the wheels was 1050 mm with the Co'Co axle arrangement.

The ŁTZ M62 locomotive was initially designed for the exclusive use of the Soviet railways, but as a result of agreements under Comecon, the authorities in Moscow agreed to export it to the countries of people's democracies, including Cuba and North Korea. The main differences between the Soviet and the export ones were the track width, the braking system and the assembly of endcarriages with bumpers. It is worth adding that two-unit (2M62) and three-unit (3M62) variants were also created in the course of serial production. In total, approximately 1,800 locomotives of this type were exported to Poland. They were used primarily for hauling freight rolling stock, but also for passenger transport. The ŁTZ M62 locomotive is characterized by high reliability, a relatively simple structure and a high rated power of up to 2,000 KM, which means that it is still used in several countries of Central and Eastern Europe, including Poland.