MÁV Class 424

The MÁV class 424 is a famous class of Hungarian steam locomotives. The class appears in numerous nostalgic remembrances, in literature, in the movies and as models. The 424 class is a double chimneyed, superheated machine. Its nicknames were "Buffalo" and "Nurmi" (after Paavo Nurmi, a famous Finnish runner well known in Hungary). Locomotives of the same design operated in Yugoslavia as JŽ class 11. Fifteen were supplied to North Korea as war aid during the Korean War; these kept their MÁV running numbers (424.006 through 424.020) in Korean State Railway service. These went to Záhony on the Hungarian–Soviet border under their own power, where they were disassembled and shipped via the USSR to China; in China they were reassembled and delivered to North Korea under their own power.

MÁVAG began to manufacture the Class 424 in 1924, with 2′D axle layout (4 8 0 in Whyte notation). It made its first test run between Budapest and Vác on 22 April 1924. The planning was led by Béla Kertész (1882–1970) locomotive constructor. The 424 was a universal main line locomotive. It was used to haul heavy freight trains, stopping trains and express trains. The 424 locomotives are well known abroad as well. When production ended in 1958, 514 machines had been produced, of which 149 were for foreign orders. They remained in service until 1984, when steam engines were withdrawn in Hungary. The 424s were coal burners by design. In the early 1960s some engines were converted to burn oil, but their performance did not increase enough to compete with the diesel equipment of that time, like NOHAB DSB engines and Soviet made M62s.

Nowadays three working examples survived and used for historical and excursion trains. The surviving engines are 424,009; 424,247 and 424,287.