The first plans for the construction of railway lines in Albania date back to the late 19th century, but due to various political and economic obstacles, they were not realised until the mid-20th century. This was influenced, among other things, by changes in the country's borders and economic difficulties. Only between 1916 and 1917 did the Austro-Hungarian army build a network of narrow-gauge lines of around 400 kilometres. Interestingly, although the trains were mostly hauled by steam locomotives, in some sections they were replaced by animals. However, this railway was dismantled by the retreating army.

As a result, until 1947 Albania remained the only country in Europe without its own railway. The first step towards its construction was taken during Enver Hoxha's rule. The communist government considered the expansion of transport infrastructure, including railways, as one of its priorities in order to modernise the country and improve its economy. At the same time, private car ownership was banned in Albania during the rule of Hoxha, who headed the state until 1985, which made the importance of rail transport all the more important.

The first railway line, which was built in 1947, connected the town of Durrës, Albania's largest seaport, to the city of Peqin and was 44 kilometres long, and was later extended by a section to Tirana. By the early 1950s, the railway network was approximately 114 kilometres long.

The development of the railway line necessitated the import of new rolling stock. Six locomotives were ordered from the Chrzanów Fablok - this was the new TKT-48 model, the first six of which went to Albania in 1951. A total of 199 were produced in Chrzanow and Poznan, but the rest were produced for transit in Poland. Only one of the locomotives with side number 02, which was used until 1986, has been preserved in Albania to this day. Initially they were used for mainly passenger transport, for which the dynamics of the rather fast-running locomotives were well suited. Over time, the Polish locomotives mainly served freight transport.

In 2018, through the efforts of the Hemingway Fan Club Albania, the locomotive was painstakingly restored and placed in Tirana, on the site of the old railway station. Today, it is a local attraction for locals and tourists.