Deutsche Reichsbahn / Deutsches Reichbahn 2-6-0 Locomotives in Germany

Class BR 24 (Locobase 4313)

Data from [] (June 2002). See also [] (December 2001); and Albert Gieseler, "Baureihe 24", Dampfmaschinen und Lokomitven website at [], last accessed 27 January 2019; and Tomasz Galka, "Oi 2-Passenger Steam Locomotives", Standard-Gauge Locomotives in Poland at [], last accessed 6 February 2025.

One of the series of Einheitsloks (standard designs) built between the World Wars. This class and the BR 64 2-6-2 tanks shared most components. The Fleischmann site has a full history of this class and tells us their nickname was "Steppenferd" (Steppe horses). It comments that these engines were well suited for long runs on branch lines in the North and East of Germany.

The Japanese website [] credits this Mogul with 920 horsepower and is the source of the number built (between 1926-1938). Thomas Galka pointed out the area where Steppenferds worked best:"Class 24 proved most useful on long, flat routes with small gradients, so most of these machines were used in the northern and north-eastern parts of Germany, mainly Pomerania and Eastern Prussia."

West Germany's Bundesbahn operated 38 survivors after World War Ii, retiring the last in 1966. East Germany's Deutches Reichbahn had five (002, 004, 009, 021, 030), which they used in branch line service on the Genthen Line in Saxony-Anhalt.

After World War II, Poland took over the 34 BR 24s left in the country and redesignated them Oi2. Undergoing only relatively minor changes, such as removing the feed water heaters and steam-operated bells, and changing the smokebox doors to a flat-faced design, wrote Galka,"Oi2s gave useful, if inconspicuous service with light passenger and suburban trains; later some were used as switchers."

Other than 3 clapped-out BR 24s, the class operated for another 30 years, the last one retiring only in 1976.

Class G5.4H/BR 54.8-10 (Locobase 5799)

Christian Lindecke, in [] (29 Dec 2003) gave the above information about the small number of ex-KPEV Moguls that were superheated by the DRG. Locobase later supplemented Lindecke's info with a US Military Railway Service Equipment Data Book -- German Locomotives supplied from the extensive collection of Allen Stanley (March 2004); and Albert Gieseler, "Baureihe 54.8-10 ", Lokomotiven in his Dampmaschinen und Lokomotiven website,at [], last accessed 6 February 2025.

Locobase 1275 describes the original saturated-boiler version of this freight Mogul. Of the 770 originally delivered to the Prussian State railways, a later administration chose to superheat only 23 of them.

The last of these carried on until 1948.