On December 24, 1954, representatives of the Czechoslovak State Railways (ČSD) took over the steam locomotive 498.104 from its manufacturing facility, the fourth engine from a series of fifteen. The Albatros locomotives, often referred to as the  “Type 1” locomotives, are one of the heaviest, biggest and fastest steam locomotives manufactured for the Czechoslovak State Railways. They represent the top products of the Czechoslovak steam locomotive construction school.
Thanks to the paintwork based on a draft of the academic painter Vilém Kreibich, the Albatros locomotives, with plum-blue locomotive coating, tender without colour lines, red wheels, reddish brown running gear and a white cab roof became the uncrowned kings of railways.
The Albatros locomotives surpassed all expectations in the operation. They were able to drag trains weighing up to 1,000 tons at almost 100 kph, and served as reliable machines in the express train service on the Praha – Žilina – Košice line.
The Albatros locomotives had to yield to the developing rail electrification of the 1960s. All fifteen Albatros engines were thus concentrated in Bratislava in 1960. The golden era of Albatros locomotives in Bratislava lasted until 1970. In 1982, Albatros 498.104 was towed to “Bratislava – východ” depot, and became a part of a museum collection in 1985. In 1990, the locomotive was entrusted in the care of founding members of the contemporary “ALBATROS Association”. On March 15, 1994, after 42 months of hard work, the locomotive was officially warmed up. Today, the 498.104 Albatros locomotive in Bratislava is the only operational locomotive of its type in the world.
                                                                                                                                                                                          František Šiller