Medal issued in 1990 by PKP Zakłady Naprawcze Taboru Kolejowego Łapy (ZNTK) on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the establishment of the plant. Of course, it was not ZNTK that was established in that year, but from 1970 the functioning of the Depo Łapy unit is noted, which was the nucleus of the later repair plants. In the first period there dealt only with repairs and overhauls of steam locomotives to later also carry out periodic repairs of wagons. In 1969, they stopped dealing with steam locomotives and concentrated only on repairs of freight wagons. As ZNTK Łapy, the company had been operating since 1951. Unfortunately, the joint stock company ZNTK Łapy (and later TOWAG), established in 1994, failed to function in the free market and the plant went bankrupt in 2009. The obverse of the medal depicts a steam locomotive with a 2-2-0 or 2B axle arrangement, which may have once undergone repairs at these plants.
Undoubtedly, this is a German steam locomotive of the S3 series which was designated Pd1 on Polish railroads. The steam locomotive was designed by August von Borries in 1893 and was produced at eight German plants; most were built at Hanomag, Schwartzkopff and Vulkan. At the turn of the 20th century in Germany, it was the primary means of traction for running passenger trains. After World War I, 89 of these machines were operated in Poland, and that's when they received the designation Pd1. After World War II, 18 machines returned to the PKP, which were operated until 1951. Unfortunately, no copy of this steam locomotive has survived to the present.
Source: myvimu.com, Steam locomotives in Polish medals
