Bavarian State 4-6-0 Locomotives in Germany


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class C V /P 3/5 N/ BR 17.3 (Locobase 5924)

Data from Christian Lindecke's website [link] (visited 28 November 2003) (translated by Google), supplemented by [link], last accessed 12 May 2011.

The K.Bay.Sts.B had already tested the de Glehn compound Ten-wheeler 2301 (Locobase 5925) when it decided to put this design into series production. The result was a substantial enlargement in every respect: Much more heating surface, a slightly larger grate, much taller drivers, 6 short tons more on the drivers. Like 2301, however, its drive was pure de Glehn with the outside, LP cylinders driving the first coupled axle, the inside, HP cylinders working on the second.

Lindecke reported that although Maffei originally delivered the locomotive with 380-mm (15") HP cylinders as in the prototype, the builder switched to the smaller diameter in 1900.

After World War I, reparations settlements included sending 16 of this class to France. The other 26 were classed by the DRG when it formed as 17 301-17 326. All were out of service by 1930.


Class C V prototype (Locobase 5925)

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

This small de Glehn compound Ten-wheeler was the first of its kind on the K.Bay.Sts.B. It had appeared at the 1896 Nuremburg exposition and was then evaluated. (See Locobase 1586 for a Bulgarian class of 8 engines, also built by Maffei in the same year, that shared most of the leading dimensions.)

Locobase 5924 describes the series-production machine that resulted in 1899.

After World War I, reparations settlements included sending this locomotive to France.


Class P 3/5 H / BR 38.4 (Locobase 5930)

Data from Christian Lindecke's website [link] (visited 28 November 2003) (translated by Google); and Albert Gieseler, "Baureihe 38.4 " on his Dampfmaschinen und Locomotiven website at [link], last accessed 24 September 2022. Additional data from US Military Railway Service Equipment Data Book -- German Locomotives supplied by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange in March 2004. (NB: The MRS data appear to be exact English equivalents of metric measurements (to the 64th of an inch) but they differ to some extent from the heating surfaces shown in Lindecke and in this entry.) Works numbers were 5246-5285 and 5296-5335

Among the last locomotives to be ordered by the K.Bay.Sts.B before it was absorbed by the Deutsche Reichsbahn, this Ten-wheeler shows a high degree of superheat. According to Lindecke, the design easily exceeded its nominal 90 km/h (56 mph) speed limit, pulling 300 tons at 100 km/h (62 mph).

All of the 80 survived through World War II and were shedded at Augsburg, Lindau, and Ulm. The last of the class was retired on 12 May 1965.


Class S 3/5 H / BR 17.5 (Locobase 5992)

Data from US Military Railway Service Equipment Data Book -- German Locomotives supplied from the extensive collection of Allen Stanley (March 2004); Christian Lindecke's website [link] (visited 11 April 2004) "Bayerische S 3/5" in Wikipedia at [link], last accessed 19 October 2022; and "Baureihe 17.5" in Albert Gieseler's Dampfmaschinen und Lokomotiven website at [link], last accessed 18 October 2022. Works numbers were 2520-2521 in 1906, 2599-2608 in 1907, 3001-3015 in 1908, 3078-3087 in 1909, 3162-3165 in 1911.

This was the superheated version of the S 3/5 N (Locobase 5991) that had appeared three years earlier on the K.Bay.Sts.B. In addition to the superheater, the designers increased cylinder volume, a combination that yielded heavier train loads of 450 tons rolled on the level at 100 kph (62 mph). So convincing were the effects of superheating such as greater economy that the saturated-steam version was no longer produced.

After World War I, Alsace Lorraine, newly restored to France sovereignty, received 5 of this class as reparations and a lone example went to Belgium. The others received DRG classification as BauReihe 17 501-024 and served for another two decades and more.


Class S 3/5 N / BR 17.4 - saturated (Locobase 5991)

Data from Christian Lindecke's website [link], last accessed 12 January 2007; and "Bayerische S 3/5" in Wikipedia at [link], last accessed 19 October 2022. (A full, contemporary German-language report in Die Works numbers were 2351-2363 in 1903, 2409-2423 in 1904

The development of these "nassdampf" (saturated) Ten-wheelers shows the state of the art in German locomotives just before superheating. Using the von Borries compound layout that put all four cylinders side-by-side and driving on the leading coupled axle. The first four had 335-mm (13.19") diameter HP cylinders. The first thirteen had slightly longer fire tubes and a total evaporative heating surface of 210.5 sq m (2,265 sq ft). Comparisons with the S 2/5 N Atlantics produced at the time established the benefits of replacing the trailing truck with a third coupled axle as the 4-6-0s hauled 300 trainload tons on the level at 100 kph (62 mph).

Production of this class ended in 1907, having been superseded in production by a superheated variant; see Locobase 5992.

As a result of the end of World War I, 19 of the original 39 went to other countries as reparations for damage to their rail networks. , twenty were incorporated into the DRG in 1925. These received smokebox superheaters; see Locobase 5990.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
ClassC V /P 3/5 N/ BR 17.3C V prototypeP 3/5 H / BR 38.4S 3/5 H / BR 17.5S 3/5 N / BR 17.4 - saturated
Locobase ID5924 5925 5930 5992 5991
RailroadBavarian StateBavarian StateBavarian StateBavarian StateBavarian State
CountryGermanyGermanyGermanyGermanyGermany
Whyte4-6-04-6-04-6-04-6-04-6-0
Number in Class421803039
Road Numbers2302-234323013837-3916/BR 38 401-4803329, 3341-3369/BR 17 501-17 5243301-3328, 3330-3340/17.401-420
GaugeStdStdStdStdStd
Number Built421803039
BuilderMaffeiMaffeiMaffeiMaffeiMaffei
Year18991896192119061903
Valve GearWalschaertWalschaertHeusingerHeusingerHeusinger
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)12.24 / 3.7314.76 / 4.5014.76 / 4.50
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)27.20 / 8.2926.74 / 8.1529.04 / 8.8524.02 / 7.32
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.46 0.51 0.61
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)52.62 / 16.0454.46 / 16.6054.82 / 16.71
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)33,951 / 15,40030,203 / 13,70034,613 / 15,70034,392 / 15,60034,392 / 15,600
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)101,853 / 46,20089,067 / 40,400103,838 / 47,100104,499 / 47,400103,176 / 46,800
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)145,946 / 66,200124,781 / 56,600158,953 / 72,100158,512 / 71,900156,528 / 71,000
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)117,041 / 53,089112,859 / 51,192123,201 / 55,883
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)275,994 / 125,189271,371 / 123,092279,729 / 126,883
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)5544 / 215755 / 21.805549 / 21.02
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) 7.70 / 7 8.80 / 8 6.60 / 6
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)57 / 28.5049 / 24.5058 / 2958 / 2957 / 28.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)73.60 / 187064.60 / 164064.60 / 164073.60 / 187073.60 / 1869
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)203.10 / 1400188.50 / 1300217.60 / 1500232.10 / 1600232.10 / 1600
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)14.17" x 25.2" / 360x64014.96" x 25.98" / 380x66014.17" x 25.2" / 360x64014.17" x 25.2" / 360x64013.39" x 25.2" / 340x640
Low Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)24.02" x 24.8" / 610x63024.02" x 25.98" / 610x66023.23" x 24.8" / 590x63023.23" x 25.2" / 590x64022.44" x 25.2" / 570x640
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)17,536 / 7954.2120,781 / 9426.1121,025 / 9536.7919,770 / 8967.5317,862 / 8102.08
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 5.81 4.29 4.94 5.29 5.78
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)227 - 1.811" / 46148 - 2.008" / 51167 - 2.008" / 51283 - 2.047" / 52
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)20 - 5.236" / 13318 - 5.236" / 133
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)14.11 / 4.3014.27 / 4.3514.93 / 4.5514.93 / 4.55
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)128.04 / 11.90142.08 / 13.20156.08 / 14.50156.02 / 14.50
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)28.51 / 2.6526.90 / 2.5029.82 / 2.7734.77 / 3.2335.51 / 3.30
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1655 / 153.801381 / 128.301534 / 142.501717 / 159.472410 / 224
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)386 / 35.90365 / 33.90
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1655 / 153.801381 / 128.301920 / 178.402082 / 193.372410 / 224
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume359.82261.29333.51373.30586.79
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation57905071648980708242
Same as above plus superheater percentage57905071778795238242
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area26,00537,10042,74736,212
Power L1439611,01313,3187874
Power MT285.46701.46842.91504.74

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