2-8-0 Steam Locomotives in Germany

Class VIII e / BR 56.7 (Locobase 5792)

Christian Lindecke [] (visited 12 December 2003) for data with additional information from Albert H Bone, "Some Recent Designs of Locomotives for Service on Continental Railways", Cassier's Magazine, 1910, pp. 561-609.. Power for the grade was represented by these Consolidations, supplied by MGK (5 locomotives) and Maffei. The pony truck had 65 mm of lateral play while the 3rd and 4th driven axles had 25 mm (1") each.

The slide valves for both the high and the low-pressure cylinders shared a common housing. (Schieberstange); all four pistons drove on the third coupled axle. The Clench superheater, which occupied part of the boiler barrel and was credited with 538 sq ft (50 sq m), proved a mediocre component and was later removed.

Nine of this class received a DRG class ID in 1923 and as DRG 56 701-56 709 operated until 1931.

Class VIII e / BR 56.711 (Locobase 5793)

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

Series-production variants of the VIII e first introduced three years earlier, these engines also had the lackluster Clench superheater. The principal difference was in a slight reduction in size all around, which resulted in lower weights including axle loadings a short ton lighter.

When the DRG was formed in 1923, these took the next numbers in Class 56.7 -- 56 711-56 738 -- and, like the 9 earlier engines, were retired in 1931.

Class VIII e / BR 56.751 (Locobase 5794)

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

At last the Baden State designers bowed to the inevitable and installed Schmidt superheaters in these compound Consolidations from the start, as opposed to the less capable superheaters adopted in earlier locomotives (see Locobase 5793). Worth noting is the continued reduction in heating surface size and engine weight; axle loading went up a little from the immediately previous group but still came in lower than the 1908 prototypes. Also, the ratio of HP to LP volumes now fell more into the typical range. But the boiler grew in combined heating surface through a 21" lengthening of the tubes and flues.

All of this class were adopted by the DRG in 1923, when they were numbered 56 751-56 776 and 56 781-56 785. Like the other VIII e Consolidations, these engines were retired in 1931.