Data from Christian Lindecke [] (21 November 2004); and "Prussian S 9 Altona 561 and 562", loco-info.com at [], last accessed 22 November 2025. (Thanks to Alexander Blessing for his 10 September 2019 email noting the tender's coal and water capacities.) Henschel works numbers were 6260-6261 in 1904.
As described in [], last accessed 22 November 2025, and attributed to Jan-Martin Hertzsch, these two engines, known as Altona 561 and Altona 562 placed the engineer's cab ahead of the boiler. (It's difficult to picture the two-cab layout without an illustration.) The outside cylinders drove the second axle and operated in the same cycle while the center cylinder drove the first and was set with a 90-degree lead over the other two.
Although 562 reached 85 mph (137 kph) with a 109 ton train, these engines were not successful, probably because of the malproportioned compounding ratio. Loco-info supplied more detail on the pair's shortcomings: "During the tests with the first locomotive, one quickly came to the realization that the expectations could not be met. The locomotive had about 1,400 hp, with which the 109-tonne train with three cars could be accelerated to 128 to 137 km/h [79.5-85 mph] on different runs." But possibly the death knell sounded when, as loco-info reports, "With a train that was twice as long and weighing 224 tonnes, it took more than ten minutes to reach the 110 km/h [68.3 mph] mark and the maximum speed was 118 km/h [73.3 mph]".
| Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media | |
|---|---|
| Class | Altona 561 |
| Locobase ID | 2474 |
| Railroad | Prussian State |
| Country | Germany |
| Whyte | 4-4-4 |
| Number in Class | 2 |
| Road Numbers | 561-562 |
| Gauge | Std |
| Number Built | 2 |
| Builder | Henschel & Sohn |
| Year | 1904 |
| Valve Gear | Walschaert |
| Locomotive Length and Weight | |
| Driver Wheelbase (ft / m) | 8.37 / 2.55 |
| Engine Wheelbase (ft / m) | 40.69 / 12.40 |
| Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase | 0.21 |
| Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m) | 81.43 / 24.82 |
| Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg) | 37,479 / 17,000 |
| Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg) | 80,689 / 36,600 |
| Engine Weight (lbs / kg) | 197,313 / 89,500 |
| Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg) | |
| Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg) | |
| Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML) | 4382 / 16.60 |
| Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) | 7.70 / 7 |
| Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m) | 67 / 33.50 |
| Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort | |
| Driver Diameter (in / mm) | 86.60 / 2200 |
| Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa) | 203.10 / 1380 |
| High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm) | 20.67" x 24.8" / 525x630 (1) |
| Low Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm) | 20.67" x 24.8" / 525x630 |
| Tractive Effort (lbs / kg) | 15,842 / 7185.82 |
| Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) | 5.09 |
| Heating Ability | |
| Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm) | 345 - 1.772" / 45 |
| Flues (number - dia) (in / mm) | |
| Flue/Tube length (ft / m) | 16.40 / 5 |
| Firebox Area (sq ft / m2) | 164.04 / 15.24 |
| Grate Area (sq ft / m2) | 45.21 / 4.20 |
| Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2) | 2796 / 259.76 |
| Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2) | |
| Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2) | 2796 / 259.76 |
| Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume | 580.58 |
| Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information) | |
| Robert LeMassena's Power Computation | 9182 |
| Same as above plus superheater percentage | 9182 |
| Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area | 33,317 |
| Power L1 | 11,006 |
| Power MT | 601.42 |