0-6-0 Steam Locomotives in Germany

Class VII c /53.85 (Locobase 5788)

Christian Lindecke [] (visited 12 December 2003) for data, supplemented by [], last accessed 11 May 2011.

This quartet wound up being a transitional design between the numerous X D/VII A six-coupleds that had been built over the previous 25 years and the cross-compound VII D, which began delivery in 1893. They had slightly taller drivers and greater cylinder volume than the VII A.

By 1923, when the DRG was formed, 3 of the 4 were inventoried as 53 8597-98 and 53 8587, but these were retired by 1926.

Class VII d/53.86 (Locobase 5789)

Data from Christian Lindecke [] (visited 12 December 2003); and "Badische VII d" in Wikipedia at [], last accessed 8 October 2023. Builders included Karlsruhe, Maffei, and Esslingen.

A successor to the numerous VII A six-coupleds (Locobase 21156, 5787, and 21157), this was a cross-compound design. Most of the 79 delivered between 1893 and 1899 had the dimensions and areas shown in the data. These had the straight boiler and Heusinger radial valve gear.The first eight had Stephenson valve gear and the first two had Belpaire fireboxes. In 1901, larger versions of the same design began delivery (see Locobase 5790).

The DRG's classification in 1923 gave out 65 numbers in class 53 86 (53 8601-53 8665), but the class actually saw very little additional service.

Class VII d/53.9 (Locobase 5786)

Data from Christian Lindecke [] (visited 12 December 2003); and "Badische VII d" in Wikipedia at [], last accessed 8 October 2023. MGK (Kessler), Maffei, and Esslingen supplied locomotives ten each..

These six-coupled, cross-compound freight engines operated on the level-graded lines within the Bad.St.B. system modified the earlier (Locobase 5789) VII ds produced in the 1890s. A key difference adjusted the high- and low-pressure cylinder diameters to raise the compounding ratio to a generally acceptable 2.22.

Although the DRG gave the 26 survivors class ID and numbers in 1923 (53 901-53 926), they were soon retired. Possibly their 45-km/h (28-mph) top speed was simply not enough.

Class VIIa16-VIIa17 (Locobase 21157)

Christian Lindecke [] (visited 12 December 2003) for data; and "Badische X d (alt)" in Wikipedia at []), last accessed 7 October 2023.

As the Class VIIIa series neared its inevitable end (after 24 years), Karlsruhe delivered two dozen updated examples of the basic design. Although the boiler contained 18 fewer tubes, each measured slightly longer and offered 10 mm (0.4") greater external diameter. Boiler pressure increased by 1 bar (14.5 lb), increasing tractive effort by 11%. (See Locobases 21156 and 5787 for the two earlier variants.

But time and increased traffic demands were catching up to the VIIa class. The GBE began using them as shunters. By the time the national Deutsches Reich Gesellschaft (DRG) stood up in 1925, it kept 44 of the three variants. By 1930, however, the last of the class went to the scrapper.

Class VIIa4-VIIa15 (Locobase 5787)

Christian Lindecke [] (visited 12 December 2003) for data; and "Badische X d (alt)" in Wikipedia at []), last accessed 7 October 2023. 121 delivered between 1868-1889.

Although a useful six-coiupled goods locomotive design, the 1866 Xd1 batch's small grate area (Locobase 21 156 doubtlessly restricted the benefit of a relatively large boiler. A revision in the design reduced tube count slightly and increased grate area. Perhaps more important was the adoption of a Belpaire square-shouldered firebox.

Even though the heating surface:grate ratio still exceeded 90:1, the Baden railway bought ten dozen engines in this class in twelve batches. Plate frames provided the skeleton. Cast steel was used in the coupling rods (both drive and coupling).

At first, suspension details included overhead leaf springs on the front two axles and opposing elliptical springs. Starting with the VIIa9, the rear axle was unsprung and compensating levers worked the front two axles. "This meant", says Google's translation of the Wikipedia account,"that the locomotives were only supported on four points instead of siz."

Many received replacement boilers, which gave them the power to haul 875 ton trains on the level at 45 kph (28 mph) and 230 tons up a 2% grade at 20 kph (12.5 mph).

Class Xa/VII b (Locobase 5775)

Christian Lindecke [] (visited 12 December 2003) for data. Sporting a deep, narrow Crampton boiler with two steam domes and a smokebox of larger diameter than the boiler, these freight engines were built in preference to the Crampton express locomotives originally envisioned.

They were easy-riding steeds with a useful drawbar effort of 634 tons up 1/3% at 23 kph (14 mph). Redesignated VII b in 1868, the class was overhauled in 1870-1875 with new boilers using an regulator located in the front dome. This allowed a pressure increase to 8 bar (113 psi). Although gradually taken off main-line service between 1881 and 1891, several carried on branches near Mannheim and Heidelberg until 1910.

Class Xb (Locobase 5776)

Christian Lindecke [] (visited 12 December 2003) for data.

Building on the success of the X A 6-couples, Kessler supplied 8 engines with higher-pressure boiler pitched higher and larger cylinder s. Like the X A, the X b were redesignated VII b in 1868. By 1891, all of this class were out of mainline service and all had been scrapped by 1897.

Class Xc/VI alt (Locobase 11165)

Data from "Locomotive Engines at the Paris Exhibition", The Artizan, Vol II, 4th Series, #2 (11 February 1868), p. 27 and "Sir David Campbell on Railway Apparatus", Reports on the Paris Universal Exhibition 1867, Volume IV (London: George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode, 1868), pp. 497. See also Wikipedia [], last accessed 3 February 2010.

Wikipedia's data show a smaller locomotive, but the timing of the 1867 exhibit suggests that that locomotive was part of this class. The Artizan report described as the engine as "...destined for working the heavy traffic between Heidelburg and Wurzburg." All of the moving parts (axles, tires, piston rods, connecting/main rods, coupling/side rods) were made of steel and the boiler of iron.

On its first trial, one of the class took 220 tons up the 1 in 80 (1 1/4% grade) at 16 mph.

Class Xd1-Xd3 (Locobase 21156)

Christian Lindecke [] (visited 12 December 2003) for data. "Badische X d (alt)" in Wikipedia at []), last accessed 7 October 2023. Works numbers were 269-280 in 1866, 296-298, 459-460 in 1867

This wound up being quite a large class that was built over 25 years; successors like the VII C (Locobase 5788) and VII D-BR 53.90 (Locobase 5789) perpetuated the basic design another ten years .

Based initially on the Xc class (Locobase 5786), the first batches had the Crampton boiler with a high dome over the firebox itself. Their 98:0 heating surface to grate ratio led to conversions and production batch upgrades led to increased grate areas in later variants (Locobase 5787 and Locobase 21157, e.g.) while the heating surfaces remained about the same.

Later engines were delivered with the square-shouldered Belpaire firebox and the dome was moved either to just behind the stack or just ahead of the cab.