The Class M62 diesel locomotive, built by Lokomotivwerke Luhansk in Ukraine, is perhaps one of the best-known and certainly one of the most-built diesel locomotives in the world. The first example was delivered in 1964 and by the time production ended in 1998, more than 7,250 examples had been built, including the 2M62, 2M62Y and 3M62Y double and triple locomotives.
Class M62 has achieved something of a cult status amongst railway enthusiasts in Germany, receiving nicknames such as `Wumme’, (drum) or “Gagarin” in the period when they were used by the Deutsche Reichsbahn. Similar status has been bestowed on the locomotives in Poland
The locomotives initially saw service across the Eastern Bloc, but since the 1990s their sphere of operation has expanded greatly, with many examples employed with private operators in Western Europe and even further afield.
Wumme, Gagarin & Co.: M62 auf drei Kontinenten contains a selection of high quality colour photographs, illustrating the working lives of this iconic class. Most of the photos have been taken over the last 30 years and illustrate a variety of different workings in countries as varied as Germany, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia, Belarus, the Baltic states, Mongolia, North Korea and Cuba.
The images are mostly presented in one-per-page format and all are accompanied by caption details. A general history of Class M62 is also included at the start of the book. 160 pages. Hardback. German text.