The Class S 3/6 steam locomotives of the Royal Bavarian State Railways (DRG Class 18.4-5 of the Deutsche Reichsbahn) were express train locomotives with a 4-6-2 (Whyte notation) or 2'C1' (UIC classification) wheel arrangement.
History[]
With the impressive result of the Baden VIf Pacific class engines, the chief mechanical engineer Anton Hammel, was charged with Heinrich Leppla to create a new series of express steam engines, for the Könighlich Bayerischen Staaeisenbahnen (K.Bay.Sts.B). With very short lead times, Hammel retook the main ideas which leads to the creation of the Baden VIf Pacifics. The end result was the creation of a four cylinders compound engine equipped with the same superheater as on the second sub-class of Bavarian S 3/5, very similar in appearance to the Baden VIf Pacifics, that became the class S 3/6. The construction of the engines began in 1908.
Germany[]
K.Bay.Sts.B S 3/6 3601 to 3691[]
The 7 prototypes where built by Maffei locomotive works at Munich, and delivered in 1908 to the Bavarian railways. As thoses engines showed remarkable performances, the K.Bay.Sts.B would ordered new engines. And the construction of this class would continue during the entire existence of the Bavarian states railways, even after nationalization in 1920. During the pre-grouping era, those Pacifics were produced in many sub-classes, which are identical to the biggest part:
- Series 0: Those engines were the seven prototypes built by Maffei in 1908, and numbered 3601 to 36O7
- Series a: They were identical to the Series 0's engines, built in 1909, and numbered 3608 to 3617.
- Series b: Consisting of only one engine built in 1910, and numbered 3618.
- Series c: A batch of four engines produced in 1911, identical to the preceding classes, and numbered 3619 to 3624
- Series e and d: Eighteen engines built in 1912. They differs to the preceding series with bigger driving wheels with a diameter of 2,000mm, for flat profile lines, they would received the nickname of Hochhaxigen, "High stepper" in English. They would received the numbers 3625 to 3642.
- Series f: A new batch of three engines built in 1913, identical to the series a to c, and numbered 3643 to 3645.
- Series g: Originnaly built for needs of the Bavarian Palatinate railways, a batch of three engines was built in 1913 for the Bavarian state railways. They differed from the other classes being shorter about 150mm. They were numbered 3642 to 3644.
- Series h and i: The final batch of S 3/6s produced during World War I, 35 examples were built, and were numbered 3645 to 3691.
The S 3/6 were put foward to the public during exhibitions. Number 3602, was presented to the Muich exhibition in 1908, and was painted in a special ochre yellow livery for the occasion. Number 3618, from the series b, was presented to the Brussels International Exposition, adorned with brass trim and dark blue bright sheet metal trim.
The new class of Pacific would be allocated to the depot of Munich from where they were used to pull expresses on the Munich-Nuremberg, Munich-Würzburg and Munich - Augsburg lines. The Bavarian state railways would used them to pull the Orient Express on its Bavarian path.
No. 3672, at the American camp of Is-sur-Tile before being delivered for the Etat Railway.
In 1918, Germany was defeated. The treaty of Versailles of 1919, required the Germans railways to give 5000 engines to the winners. The Bavarian State Railways had to split up from 19 S 3/6. 16 engines took the direction of France, while 3 other where given to Belgium.
Pfälzischen Eisenbahnen 341 to 350[]
In 1913, the Bavarian Palatinate Railway ordered ten engines. However as the turntables had length pf 19m, the length of the S 3/6 produced have been reduced about 150mm, giving birth to the series g. Those Palatinate S 3/6 were numbered 341 to 350 and they were used to pull expresses. The engines made incursions on the EL railway network, by pulling trains from Ludwigshafen to Basel (Switherland), via Strasbourg.
DR then DB 184–5 18 401 to 18 434, 18 441 to 18 458 and 18 461 to 18 528[]
In 1920, with the reaction of the Deutsche Reichsbahn, the remaining S 3/6 formed the class 184 and were renumbered 18 401 to 434, 461 to 548 and 461 to 478 for the series a, b, c, f, g, h and i, while the series d and e received the numbers 18 441 to 18 458.
As at this time the new national railway would not have a standard locomotive programm, the DRG continue to order new S 3/6 engines, again spread in a multitude of sub-classes:
- Series k: Between 1923 and 1924, Maffei produced 30 engines of this sub-class, numbered 18 479 to 508. They shows differences from the previous series by having a larger superheater, and receiving a new cab without a windbreaker and with angled walls just like the standard engines from the DRG.
- Series l and m: In 1927, 12 units of series l were delivered, numbers 18 509 to 520; between 1927 and 1928 they were followed by eight engines of series m, numbered 18 521 to 528. If they kept the same cabs as for the series k, the superheater was somewhat larger again; in addition, the diameter of the high-pressure cylinder was increased from 425 mm to 440 mm.
- Series n: This series was planned to be composed of 20 engines and entirely been build by Maffei. However the constructer could only built 2 engines, numbers 18 529 and 530, before before going bankrupt.
- Series o: Henschel & Sohn was charged to built the 18 remaining engines, forming the series o, and were numbered 18 531 to 548. The eleventh last engines (18 538 to 548), were equiped with a new developed tender with the designation 2'2' T 31.7.
In addition to the regions of Bavaria and Palatinate, some ex-S 3/6 were allocated to the Hessian depot of Wiesbaden. From there, they would been use to ensure Expresses, fast trains, and other important trains along the Rhine, such as the 'FD' long-distance express trains, the Rheingold.
Between 1953 and 1957, the Deutsche Bundesbahn mordenized his fleet of steam engines. 30 engines of the series i to o, were rebuilt with new welded boilers by Krauss-Maffei and Henschel. These units were given a newly developed replacement boiler with combustion chamber at the Ingolstadt and Munich-Freimann repair sheds by the Minden engine shed and Krauss-Maffei. In addition the locomotives were given a new driver's cab and multiple-valve superheated steam regulator. Further planned modifications, such as new cylinder blocks, were not carried out. Those 30 engines form the 186 class and received the numbers 186 601 to 630.
The unmodified S 3/6 engines were all withdrawn by 1962. Apart from the engine number 18 505.
The rebuilt locomotives were used in express train services, where they almost matched the Class 01 in their performance. They were stationed in the engine sheds of Darmstadt, Hof, Regensburg, Nuremberg Main, Lindau and Ulm. Although the modernised locomotives were very powerful and the most economical steam engines in the Deutsche Bundesbahn fleet, they were all withdrawn from service between 1961 and 1965. The reason was that, during the rebuild the pump mounting had been directly welded to the boiler which had led to the formation of cracks. The boiler pressure had therefore to be reduced from 16 to 14 bar, which meant the locomotives lost a considerable amount of power.
Several locomotives were rebuilt into heating locomotives (Heizlokomotive). Number 18 602, stationed in Saarbrücken was mustered out in 1983. Only the wheelsets remain and may be seen in the main railway station. Before its refurbishment, 18 612 was last used as a heating engine.
The last engine of the class, number 185 505 had been withdrawn from service in 1969.
France[]
État 231-981 to 996[]
In 1919, France received 16 Bavarian S 3/6, numbers: 3602, 3605, 3618, 3622, 3665, 3666, 3668 to 3670, 3672 and 3674 to 3679. At their arrival they formed the class 231-981 to 996. The railway would invest in those engines, giving them some modifications:
- Modify the driver’s cab by postponing the driving controls and the hoist shaft;
- Exchange of the original paraboloid smokebox door by a bullet-shaped new on;
- Installation of smoke deflectors unique for this class.
They were allocated to the depots of Le Mans, Thouars, Saintes and Nantes. The État used them to ensure express trains between Paris and Bordeaux, via Chartres, Château-du-Loir, Saumur, Thouars, Niort and Saintes. However with their weight, they were finnaly used on the western Coastline, where they continue to ensure Expresses. They were very appreciate for their good performances, as they could run between Nantes and Bordeaux without stop. The ex-S 3/6 ensured also during their career on the Etat the Manche-Océan Express between Nantes and Bordeaux.
SNCF 3-231.A.981 to 996[]
At the creation of the SNCF, on January 1st 1938, the ex-S 3/6 were registered as class 3-231.A.981 to 996 of the western region. They were grouped at Saintes from were they ensured expresses in direction of Nantes and Bordeaux.
In 1942, during World War 2, the Deutsche Reischbahnen was in short supply of engines. The 16 Bavarian Pacifics were requisitioned and sent back to Bavaria. In 1945, some of them came back, although in bad condition. And as the reparations whould be expensive, they were parked at Achères, Versailles-Matelots and Saintes, and they were withdrawn from services between 1945 and 1951.
Belgium[]
État Belge/Staatsspoorwegen 3620, 3646 and 3649[]
After the Treaty of Versailles, in 1919, The Chemins de fer de l'Etat Belge (or Belgische Staatsspoorwegen) received 3 Bavarian Pacific S 3/6, numbers 3620, 3646 and 3649. Those three engines would kept their original number for the rest of there working live in Belgium.
On January 1920, began there moving career, they were allocated at Bruxelles-Nord and were they were used to pull international trains from Bruxelles to Ostende and to Herbesthal. During the month of June, they have been moved to the depot of Arlon and where sometimes seen at Namur. On June 1922, they moved to the district of Ghent, probably to Ostende, and were again used for trains between Ostende and Bruxelles-Nord. During the month of June 1922, the three Bavarian engines were not in activity. In 1923, they moved again to the district of Bruxelles-Nord.
They were withdrawn from service during the winter 1923 - 1924, finishing their short career in Belgium.
Preserved Engines[]
Six engines of the class S 3/6 have been preserved in Germany and Switherland:
- N°18 451 (ex-K.Bay.Sts.B 3634), was an engine from the series d and e, and is currently exposed at the Deutschen Museums, at Munich.
- N°18 478 (ex-K.Bay.Sts.B 3673), from the series h and i, is currently owned by Bavarian Railway Museum (Bayerisches Eisenbahnmuseum) in Nördlingen, in working condition.
- N°18 505, from the serie k, is curretly exposed at the German Railway History Society (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Eisenbahngeschichte e. V. or DGEG) in Neustadt an der Weinstraße.
- N°18 508, from the serie k, is currently owned by the association Locorma, and based at Romanshorn in Switherland.
- N°18 528, from the serie m, is currently owned by the Siemens Mobility GmbH-Werksgelände (ehemals Kauss-Maffei) in Allach, Munich, but is not accessible to the public.
- N°18 612, the only rebuilt S 3/6, currently owned by the German Steam Locomotive Museum (Deutsches Dampflokomotiv-Museum).
Sources[]
- BUCHMANN, Jean, L'épopée des locomotives "Armistice 1918", Les Éditions du Cabri, Menton, 2010