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| 90 years ago, the legendary Slovak bullet hit the tracks |
| Bratislava, 13.07.2026 |
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| It was no ordinary train - it was elegant, aerodynamic, an "aircraft on rails" that was ahead of its time. To this day, it is considered a technical unique piece, fascinating with its design and innovations and has become a symbol of the maturity and ambitions of interwar Czechoslovakia.
Monday, July 13, will mark 90 years since the legendary M 290.0 railcar, known as the Slovak Arrow, set off on its first regular run from Prague to Bratislava.
The need to speed up and make rail transport more efficient in the 1930s led the Czechoslovak State Railways (ČSD) to order modern railcars. Therefore, on May 17, 1934, the Ministry of Railways of the Czechoslovak Republic placed an order for the production of light, fast and reliable sets with excellent traction properties.
The production was undertaken by the renowned Tatra from Kopřivnice, which at that time belonged to the Ringhoffer Works concern. Several prominent experts participated in the construction of the M 290.0 wagon.
The overall design and mechanical part were in charge of the then Tatra technical director Hans Ledwinka, known for his innovative solutions in the automotive industry. The elegant and aerodynamic design of the exterior and interior was the responsibility of the Czech designer Vladimír Grégr.
The key innovation was the electromechanical power transmission according to the patent of the Czech electrical engineer Jozef Sousedík, nicknamed the “Moravian Edison”. This system enabled electrical power transmission at lower speeds and mechanical power transmission at higher speeds, which significantly increased efficiency and reduced fuel consumption.
The wagons were originally powered by two six-cylinder Tatra 67 gasoline engines with an output of approximately 165 horsepower (123 kW) each. Later they were replaced by Tatra 68 diesel engines.
The aerodynamics of the carriage were streamlined, which minimized air resistance. The maximum design speed was set at 130 km/h, while during tests it reached up to 148 km/h. The weight of the empty carriage was approximately 36 tons.
The Slovak Bullet was put into regular service on July 13, 1936. Its main route was the prestigious Prague - Bratislava line with a single stop in Brno.odkaz na stránku |
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Address : Euro-Brew Ltd., Hlboká 22, 917 01 Trnava, Slovakia
Tel. : +421 33 53 418 53, Fax : +421 33 53 418 52, E-mail : info@eurobrew.sk |
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