Wurttembergische 0-6-0 Locomotives in Germany

Class ALBMASCHINE / IV (Locobase 624)

Data from Gustav Reder, The World of Steam Locomotives (1974)

Reder noted that these engines were designed for Josef Trick for the Geislinger Steige (incline). They had a domed firebox, tall steam dome between the sandbox and the cone-shaped stack. Cylinders were outside, valve gear inside. Most parts made of cast iron for increased adhesion. The small driver diameter resulted in a relatively high tractive effort. The suspension consisted of balance beams linking all of the springs and created an unsteady ride. The balance beams were removed and, after the six-coupled action damaged the track, the shops uncoupled the leading axle.

These engines were not considered a success, although their size and availability meant long service for some of them. The Ulm, Blau, and Hilfenberg were converted to Class T a 2-4-0Ts between 1869 and 1875. The Ulm and Geislingen were later converted to 4-4-0s.

Class F (Locobase 5818)

Christian Lindecke's website [] (visited 28 November 2003) for data.

These were the first series-production goods locomotives produced for the K.W.St.E, being delivered from 1864 to 1880. A short wheelbase meant an overhanging smokebox; another distinguishing feature was the large steam dome.

Obviously successful at least in longevity and ubiquity. The F2 class is an enlargement - see Locobase 5819--and was the model for modification to the F class. Boiler pressure was raised 2 bars (to 12 bar) and the grate grew to 1.4 sq m (15.16 sq ft). Over a twenty-year period from 1890 to 1910, most of the F class were so converted. As such, they continued in service into the 1920s.

Class F2 / BR 53.8301 (Locobase 5819)

Christian Lindecke's website [] (visited 28 Nov 2003), supplemented by Albert Gieseler at [], last accessed 9 May 2011,

The F2 class is an enlargement of the long-building F class - see Locobase 5818 -- and was the model for modifications to the earlier locomotives. There are interesting trade-offs between cylinder size (reduced 30 mm), boiler pressure (up 4 bar/57 psi), heating surface (increased 39% or 32.78 sq m/353 sq ft) and grate area (up 36% or 0.37 sq m/4 sq ft). Like all the low-drivered goods loks, these engines had a 45-km/h (28-mph) top speed.

Although few of this class were newly built, many more simple-expansion locomotives of this size were created by modifying the F class, some with new boilers.Only one F 2 class was taken into the DRG, occupying its own class.

Class Fc /BR 53.8 (Locobase 5820)

Christian Lindecke's website [] (visited 28 Nov 2003) for data, supplemented by [] . Keeping the same boiler and grate dimensions as the contemporaneous F2 simple-expansion engine, the K.W.St.E procured a large stud of these cross-compounds. After delivery of the first 30 in 1890-1892 with 12-bar boilers, a four-year lull was followed by a ten-year delivery period in which 87 arrived with 14-bar boilers and a longer wheelbase. Over that period, the Esslingen works numbers accumulated as follows:

1890-91 2398-2403

1891 2415-2423, 2465

1892 2474, 2539-2543

1896-97 2807-2816

1897-98 2890-2903

1898 2954-2957

1898-99 3003-3012

1899-1900 3074-3083

1900-01 3110-3119

1901-02 3151-3153

3216-3225, 3302-3306, 3434-3438, 3494-3499.

Like the F 2s, the Fc's had a 45-km/h (28-mph) top speed.

When the DRG classified locomotives in 1923, 65 Fc's were put into Class BR 53.8