Iron Monument Club (IMC) Plzeň is a basic organization of the Czech Association of Monuments Protectors. IMC Plzeň associates persons interested in technical monuments and history of the railways. The unofficial activities of these people have started in the first half of the 80s. During its existence, the IMC found and saved a number of the steam locomotives, historical coaches and wagons and stationary steam engines.

The collection of the IMC today consists of these exhibits:

• Steam locomotive for fast trains class 475.111, built by Škoda Works Plzeň in 1947. The locomotive is in operational state. The engine is used for the special trains in the co-operation with the Czech Railways.
• Industrial steam locomotive class CS 400, built by ČKD Praha in 1956. Locomotive is in non-operational state but visually repaired. The locomotive represents the IMC in the traffic exposition of the Pilsner Urquell Beerworld in the brewery of Plzeň.
• Tank locomotive class 433.025, built by ČKD Praha in 1948, unable to operate. The IMC would like to make general overhaul of the locomotive and put it to the operational state.
• Steam locomotive for freight trains class 556.0210, built by Škoda Plzeň in 1953, unable to operate. The locomotive waits for the overhaul in the future.
• Motor coach class M 133.005, built by Škoda Plzeň in 1943, the wood gas was used as a fuel. Only carbody with the chassis, but very valuable exhibit.
• Four two-axle coaches class Ci from the years 1910 – 1925. The coaches are waiting for the overhaul.
• 8 four-axle fast train coaches class Bam from 50s of 20-th century. Today in non-operational state. The IMC plans to make historical train-set from these coaches for the use with the locomotive 475.111.
• Two-axle train crew wagon (caboose) class Dd from the 20s of the 20-th century in non-operational state.
• Two-axle train crew wagon class Dsd from the 40s of the 20-th century in operational state.
• Two-axle post wagon class Fk from the 30s of the 20-th century in non-operational state.
• Four-axle fast train coaches class Ca from beginning of the 20-th century.
• Two stationary steam engines, which were used in the distillery.
• Two stationary steam engines for the water pumps drives of the railway waterworks. The engine from the waterwork Staňkov is donated to Eco-technical museum Praha. Together with the steam boiler and the water pump equipment they are placed in the public exposition in Praha Bubeneč. The engine and steam boiler from the waterwork Pocinovice are installed in the Museum of the Škoda Works Plzeň (Techmania).

The IMC activities club lead up to continuous extension of the collection. The IMC Plzeň together with the ŠKODA Bus Club Plzeň own the historical luxury bus Škoda 706 RTO Lux built in 1961.

The IMC organizes special nostalgic trains for the open public in the whole region of the West Bohemia.

These movements are very popular and they have their good traditions. IMC co-operates with other clubs in Czech Republic and abroad, too.

The organization of rail-fan meetings is the next activitiy of the IMC Plzeň, as well as editing of postcards, posters and other propagation materials.

The Museum of the Škoda Works Plzeň (Techmania) and the Railway Museum in Lužná are partners of the IMC. The main point of the co-operation is the mutual guidance in the array of historical railway vehicles and steam engines.

In April 2006, historical expert division of CS IMC was established. The main goal of this division is to organize social events focused on discovering the history and contemporary of railway traffic and railway lines, their documentation and creating the touristic museum railway line at Soos-Kateřina in Cheb district (West Bohemia).

The target of the IMC is the saving and presentation of the historical railway monuments, enlargement of the number of vehicles in operational state and their using for public. Repairing, service and operation of the historical exhibits are not possible without the financial provision.

Download information as PDF file

Top