CZECHOSLOVAKIA - CZECH REPUBLIC - SLOVAKIA

...where all T669-variants originate in.
Due to the huge series production, in which the lion's share was delivered to Soviet Union, production capacity at CKD Praha was lacking at that time. As a reason of this nearly the complete T669-fleet both for CSD and industrial railways was produced at engineering works Strojarske a metalurgicke zavody (SMZ) Dubnica nad Vahom (Slovak part of CSSR, today Slovakia).
According to the Soviet class name ChME3 the locomotives got their nick-names "Cmelak" in Czech and "Cmeliak" in Slovak language, which means "bumble-bee".
A Czechoslovak speciality has its roots also in Dubnica nad Vahom - class T669.1/771. In 1968 the damaged T669.0082 was equipped with a new suspension system. An equalizer as well as a mechanism for balancing axle loads lead to an increase of adhesion around 8% when using the maximum tractive power. SMZ works delivered also twelve broad-gauge locomotives class T669.50/771.8. In priciple they are the same as class T669.1/771 differing only in 1524 mm gauge and semiautomatic central coupling of Soviet type SA3. Three of them were rebuilt into standard-gauge locos, the others are still in service in these days shunting on the East-Slovak broad-gauge tracks near the Ukrainian border.
One more speciality coming from SMZ is "Super-Cmelak" 771 701. This locomotive has the same motor, but as far as known due to higher supercharging it supplies more power like it is usual at class 749/751/752.
At the begin of the 1970s SMZ engineering works finished the production of locomotives. So it was necessary to order further locos needed later at CKD Praha where still the series production for USSR was running on a large scale. Between export-series CKD delivered some T669s to different industrial railways - both 1435 mm and 1524 mm gauge - as well as ten other broad-gauge locomotives to CSD.
The history of the "Cmelaks" of the Czechoslovak state railways and of the industrial railways can't be described as incoherent. Not alone coming from the same producers there were also some exchanges. So some CSD-locos had been sold to industrial railways and vice versa (see stock lists).

On 1 January 1993 Czechoslovakia was divided in Czech and Slovak Republic - and so did the CSD, at that time CD and ZSR were founded.

In Czech Republic the classes 770 and 771 are more and more on the decline, especially with train-services. But also the shunting-services are going to be replaced by other locomotives increasingly. Some of the withdrawn 770/771 were sold to S.B.D.T. Guinea (Western Africa) which they reached via an adventurous voyage (see paragraph Guinea). In the meantime several locomotives of industrial railways were equipped with a new diesel motor built by Caterpillar. Another one, 770 501 from coalmining company DNT will be modernized completely, it was planned to renumber it with 774 701, but in spite of a completely new driver's cabin and a lot of other reconstructions this loco is still running with "old" number 770 501.

In Slovakia the prospects are certainly better, ZSR-770/771 have partly taken the services of class 781 (former class T679.1, imported from Soviet Union, like German class 120/220). So at the moment it still can't be done without the "Cmeliaks".
A complete change - not only technical but also visible - resulted from the reconstruction of some 771s into class 773. Only the frame and the bogies of class 771 are used, the rest is built up new. So far ten locomotives clas 771 have been rebuilt into 773 (see table below), more will follow. One more modification, 772 001, is likely just a study of design - looking more like an UFO than a locomotive ... 771 057 was "donator" for that.

Since 1 February 2000 VSZ Kosice is the first private operator on Slovak state railways' tracks. Lime trains run between Turna nad Bodvou and Haniska pri Kosiciach hauled by VSZ-770 501, 511 or 535 (the last one still with Soviet export colour scheme.
Another interesting change in the life of the Slovak "bumble-bees" is T669.0541. It concerns the taking over of former Polish S-2134, which was repaired and new painted at ZOS Zvolen, a.s. Now the locomotive is in service at Slovnaft Bratislava.

If you are especially interested in latest stock infos, diagrams and more detailed facts, also some more pictures, I recommend an article series published by German railway enthusiasts' magazine LOK Report (www.lok-report.de), numbers 2, 5, 8 and 9/00.

GUINEA (WESTERN AFRICA)

As already mentioned above, fortunately not all of the withdrawn locomotives class 770/771 of Czech state railways CD were scrapped.

In July 1996 18 locos 770/771 were bought from CD by company Prime International, which sold them to S.B.D.T. Guinea (Societé des Bauxite Dabola - Togué).
The first number of locos (770 024, 079; 771 038, 039, 047) came to repairing works ZOS Nymburk in October 1996, where they were just tested, as they have been in service in Czech Republic until shortly before that time.
Some of the number plates were exchanged, because at the beginning the locomotive numbers differed from those numbers written in the consignment note.
In October/November 1996 the first load of "Second-Hand-Cmelaks" went on its journey by ship from Hamburg/Germany to Conakry/Guinea. The voyage proceeded not without problems, as the cargo ship "Antje" encountered a storm and some of the ex-Slovak freight waggons with same destination went overboard, 770 024 was "only" damaged.
Further locos have been repaired in ZOS Nymburk and in May/June 1997 some more 770/771s should have been exported to Guinea. The damaged 770 024 as well as 771 039 which was damaged during embarking in Hamburg should have been replaced by other locos.
The 770/771s reached their new home in the same state like they used to be in service in Czech Republic, that means they were not kept fit for the new tropical surrounding.

To see the locomotive numbers of the exported engines please have a look at stock lists.

SOVIET UNION/FOLLOWING STATES

POLAND

The locomotives of the Polish T669-variant S-200 were delivered exclusively to industrial railways and not to Polish state railways PKP. This might be the main reason of the little popularity of the "S-ka".
The first locos were built for iron and steel works Krakow in 1966/1967. Later some more series followed, again for iron and steel works Krakow, as well as for mines in Rybnik and other works.

Two S-200s of the 1977-series stayed in Czechoslovakia after having had an accident on their way to Poland. Another two locos (S-2140 and S-2141) planned for Polish industry also came to Czechoslovak industrial railways twelve years later (see stock lists).

Another Polish S-200 "returned" to Slovakia after eleven years, S-2134 was sold via ZOS Zvolen, a.s. to Slovnaft Bratislava in 2001.

The early series of "S-ka" which have been delivered to iron and steel works Krakow have had automatic couplers whereas the rest has been equipped with standard coupling device.
All in all 145 locos were built for Poland between 1966 and 1989, worth mentioning that missing numbers S-229 and S-230 were filled up.

The colour scheme of all S-200s is more or less the same - red frame and green hoods and driver's cabin with yellow/black warning paint covering the fronts (like a bumble-bee ...).

ALBANIA

INDIA - IRAQ - SYRIA

The twelve locomotives delivered to India in 1973 and 1975 came to Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL 33-37) - one of India's largest iron and steel plants - and to Roukela Steel Plant (DEC 1201-1207). The main difference from ChME3 basic type is the construction of the suspension of the bogies due to very broad gauge of 1676 mm. As far as known the DEC 120 were delivered with green painting, identical with the colour scheme of CSD/CD/ZSR.