Bavarian State 2-4-0 Locomotives in Germany

Class B IX / BR 34.74 (Locobase 5920)

Data from Christian Lindecke's website [] (visited 28 Nov 2003) (translated by Google).

With the B VIII (Locobase 5920) showing the way, the B IXs went into series production. As production went on, heating surface dropped from 91 sq m to the 87.7 sq m shown in the specs as grate area increased from 1.59 sq m to 1.76 sq m. Driver diameter increased significantly. Together with a relocation of the cylinders rearward to near the carrying axle and a lower location for the firebox, the higher drivers permitted a speed increase to 56 mph (90 km/h).

Lindecke says that on the level a B IX could pull 150 tons at 70 km/h (43 mph). It must have been a good combination; 20 received DRG numbers in 1923 (34 7421 to 34 7440) although they were all retired in the next year.

Class B V (Locobase 5916)

Data from Christian Lindecke's website [] (visited 28 November 2003) (translated by Google) and [] (accessed 27 August 2005).

He says there were no fewer than 4 versions built over a period of 10 years. The 14 Naab-class engines had a domeless boiler and raised grate and the next 15 - Altenburg class -- had a smooth, domeless ("Crampton" type) boiler. At around this time (1857), the Hall crank was fitted to B VI locomotives. Third-series locomotives had a steam dome mounted on the second boiler course, while the last series had the dome forward.

Whatever the details, the class was successful and ran until 1910.

Class B VI (10 bar) / BR 34.74 (Locobase 5918)

Data from Christian Lindecke's website [] (visited 28 November 2003) (translated by Google). This was the second half of the B VI series; see Locobase 5752 for the earlier version. It's interesting to see the trade-off of a smaller and lighter boiler operated at a higher boiler pressure. These locomotives were also fitted with steam injectors and the engine crew rode in an enclosed cab. Top speed rating was 75 km/h (47 mph).

Illustrations show the locomotive to have had a stubby wheelbase with overhanging firebox and smokebox. The latter was topped by flared, spark-arresting stack that implies the brown coal these engines burned. Another feature was the enclosed tender that reduced the fuel's tendency to absorb moisture.(Another website -- [] 34, visited 2 March 2004 -- brings home the low calorie value of this stuff: The writer noted that every kilogram of peat burned yielded 3 to not quite 4 kg of steam. By contrast, burning a kg of hard coal generated 8-10 kg of steam.)

These were very successful engines and durable as well. Although the last was delivered in 1871 and retirements began in 1895, 13 were still in use in 1920 and two received DRG class numbers -- 34 7461 & 34 7462 -- in 1923.

Class B VI (8 bar) / BR 34.74 (Locobase 5752)

Data from Christian Lindecke's website [] (visited 28 November 2003) (translated by Google). Works numbers were 519-530 in 1864, 549-560 in 1865, 635-644 in 1867, 706-717 in 1869, 741-750 in 1870

Lindecke wrote about two versions of the B VI - the first 57 with 8-bar (114-psi) boilers shown here and the remaining 50, which had 10-bar (142-psi) boilers shown on Locobase 5918.

Illustrations show the locomotive to have had a stubby wheelbase with overhanging firebox and smokebox. The latter was topped by flared, spark-arresting stack that implies the brown coal these engines burned. Another feature was the enclosed tender that reduced the fuel's tendency to absorb moisture. In these earlier engines, the crew were protected only by a windscreen.

These were very successful engines and durable as well. Although the last was delivered in 1871 and retirements began in 1895, 13 were still in use in 1920 and two received DRG class numbers -- 34 7461 & 34 7462 -- in 1923.

Class B VIII (Locobase 5919)

Data from Christian Lindecke's website [] (visited 28 Nov 2003) (translated by Google). See also [] (accessed 27 August 2005).

Using the same cylinders as the recently completed B VI class, Maffei slightly increased the boiler and substantially enlarged the grate. Also, the second coupled axle was moved to the rear to support the firebox and the cylinders were driven by inside valve gear. The result was a smoother ride and the engines were rated at 80 km/h (50 mph).

This class was superseded in production by the B IX of 1874, but the sextet continued in service until 1911.

Class B X / BR 34.75 (Locobase 5921)

Data from Christian Lindecke's website [] (visited 28 Nov 2003) (translated by Google). This would seem to be about the limit of the 2-4-0 layout and, according to Lindecke, the design reached a compact sophistication. The lead truck was of the Helmholz radial type. The cylinders were mounted behind the front truck, which shortened the rods and reduced the amount of unsupported weight.

Reder (1974, p 183) adds the nickname -- "Empire Camels" -- which referred to the "two-hump" look of the sand dome positioned immediately ahead of an even taller steam dome.

Although two were completed as simple-expansion engines, they were soon converted to compound working. One of the 14 -- Stettin -- was scrapped in 1922. The other 13 lasted long enough to be given DRG numbers 43 7501-34 7513, but were retired by early 1924.

Class Pt 2/3 // BR 70.0 (Locobase 6037)

Data from the US Military Railway Service Equipment Data Book for German Locomotives (obtained from Allen Stanley's extensive Rail Data Exchange of diagram books in March 2004) and Lindecke [].., 8 May 2004).

Originally produced for Bavaria's local network, this class was taken into the DRG in 1925. It's interesting to note that even so small a locomotive had a high degree of superheat. Note the difference between the driving wheelbase (the two axles flanked the firebox) and the engine wheelbase -- the latter was 3 3/4 times the former. This interesting arrangement seems to put a lot of weight on a small percentage of the wheelbase, but it must have been well-founded. The Pt 2/3 put up a good performance in pulling trains of 375 tons on the level at 65 km/h (40 mph).

After World War II, all but 8 survived to continue in localbahn service in Bavaria. The last was retired only in 1963.