Steam traction was the predominant form of motive power used by the Deutsche Reichsbahn on its narrow-gauge railways. For certain duties diesel locomotives were also used, albeit these were usually second-hand or rebuilt engines.
Locomotives with a gauge of 750mm (2ft5+1⁄2in) were classified as Kö 6001ff. and 1,000mm (3ft3+3⁄8in) locomotives as Kö 6501ff.. From 1970 they were incorporated into Class 100 without regard to their gauge. This applied to all Kleinlokomotiven and they were given serial numbers from 901ff.. Due to the risk of confusion, in 1973 the narrow-gauge diesel locomotives were reclassified to 199. In addition, from 1992 they became DBAG Class 399; and once more the gauge was deducible from the serial number as follows: 1,000mm = 399.1, 600mm (1ft11+5⁄8in) = 399.6, 750mm = 399.7.
Two former three-axled Heeresfeldbahnloks of Type HF130C were refurbished by the DR for various 750mm (2ft5+1⁄2in) narrow-gauge lines. They were given the numbers Köf6001 and 6003, the first was deployed to Dahme, the second to Nauen. Following the dismantling of the Nauen line in 1963 it, too, went to Dahme. When that line closed in 1965 both locomotives were transferred to Rügen. Köf6001 (from 1970: 100 901 and from 1973: 199001) was retired in 1985, the other one (from 1970: 100902 and from 1973: 199002), last used by the DR as no. 399703 and is still in service today under its old number of Kö6003.
This engine of Type FD 80 with a gauge of 750mm (2ft5+1⁄2in) was delivered to the Kleinbahnen in the district of JerichowI in 1936 . She had three axles, all coupled, and a centrally positioned driver's cab. On one side was the engine, on the other the mechanical four-geared drive which drove the axles. It was mainly used as a shunter in Burg station. In the Reichsbahn she was given the number Kö6002. She was retired in 1962.
A twin-axled former pit locomotive from the Heeresfeldbahn fleet, built in 1944 at Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz, which was stored after the war at Dahme. It was renovated in 1959 for use at RAW Dessau, the main change being a larger driver's cab. The axles were driven via a gear train and roller chains. In 1967 she was sold to Pretzien to the Ballerstedt Transport KG, where she hauled gravel trains until 1980.
During the 1950s, VEB Lokomotivbau Karl Marx in Babelsberg built diesel locomotives for industrial and field railways, which were also suited to various (narrow) gauge uses (s = Schmalspur or narrow gauge). The first engines of Type Ns3 were delivered in 1952. A total of 280 locomotives of this class were built. The locomotive drive was achieved by means of a mechanical, three-stage gear train with friction clutch via a jackshaft lying between the axles and connecting rods to the axles. The locos were with equipped with water-cooled, four-cylinder, four-stroke diesel engines generating a nominal 60horsepower.
They had an outside frame, the drive was achieved using a mechanical, three-stage gear and a reverse gear unit. The axles were driven by connecting rods via a jackshaft. The Treibzapfen and crank pins were located outside the frame.
One locomotive of Type Ns3 with a gauge of 750mm (2ft5+1⁄2in) ended up at Rügen, where it was initially used in the Stubben Chalk Factory and, from 1954, on the Rügen Railways as Kö6005 for shunting duties. On the withdrawal of goods services she was stored in 1970.
Two metre-gauge examples of this class were originally built for the Soviet Army and ended up in the Industriebahn Halle in 1965 where they were used to shunt the sidings. They had numbers Kö6501 and 6502. The first was initially used from 1963 to 1965 in Barth on the Franzburg lines. The technically identical locomotives only differed in appearance: The second was given a 2800mm wide driver's cab, so that the vision when shunting with standard-gauge wagons was better. Instead of a buffer this locomotive had a long coupling rod (Kuppelbaum) for rollbock work.
They were renumbered in 1970 to 100903 and 904, and in 1973 to 199003 and 004. In 1983/1984 they were retired. Shortly beforehand they had been given the numbers 199991 and 992 to distinguish them from their successors.
From 1970
The remaining Kleinloks, Kö6001, 6003, 6501 and 6502, were incorporated as Class 199.0. They were joined by other locomotives:
The most powerful locomotive of the first LKM type had a power output of 90 horsepower (90 PS). In 1954 two prototypes of the Ns 4 were built for were for export to Hungary. In 1955 18 locomotives were built for Indonesia with the type designation of Ns 4 a. There is still at least one locomotive of Type Ns 4 a in Indonesia today. Production of the Ns 4 b did not begin until 1957. Twenty-two units were manufactured from 1957 to 1958. Four examples remain in Germany. The three aforementioned types all had outside frames suitable for gauges from 600mm (1ft11+5⁄8in) to 760mm (2ft5+15⁄16in). In 1957 and 1959, 18 examples of Type Ns 4 c were built, designed for rail gauges from 600mm to 760mm and which already had the exterior of the V 10 C. No surviving example is known. Of the outside frame series from the year 1958, at least two of the locomotives had the new superstructure, although certainly not all of them. Whether this intermediate series should be designated as Ns 4 b or Ns 4 c is not absolutely clear.
In the DR there were at least 3 locomotives of Type Ns 4 b, of which all have survived. Their histories are given below.
199 007
The DR bought locomotive no. 250029/1957 from VEB Feinspinnerei Venusberg in 1972 and deployed it until 1991 in Wilischtal on the industrial line of the paper factory, VEB Papierfabrik Wilischthal (Thumer Netz). It was given no. 199007. In 1992 it was sold to the Preßnitz Valley Railway Society.
199 008
In 1957 the locomotive with factory number 250027 was delivered to the VEB Kieswerk Ottendorf-Okrilla gravel works with a gauge of 600mm (1ft11+5⁄8in) . In 1962 it was regauged to 750mm (2ft5+1⁄2in) and transferred to the sugar factory, VEB Zuckerfabrik Döbeln. In 1970 they sold it to the VEB Gießerei foundry and engineering works of "Ferdinand Kunert" (GISAG) at Schmiedeberg and operated it as loco no. 2 on the factory siding. In 1987 they sold it to the DR who and used it as "199 008", later as "399 702" for various tasks include the dismantling of the Preßnitz Valley Railway and on the industrial railway of the paper factory, VEB Papierfabrik Wilischtal. In 1993 it was sold to the Döllnitz Valley Railway.
199 103
In 1957 locomotive 250026 was delivered to the ballast works of VEB Schotterwerk Althüttendorf with a gauge of 750mm (2ft5+1⁄2in). Later it was sold to the brick factory of VEB Ziegelwerk Ueckermünde and regauged to 600mm (1ft11+5⁄8in) . In 1983 the DR bought it for the "Berline Pioneer Railway" (Pioniereisenbahn Berlin, today the Berlin Park Railway). It was given the designation 199103.
The locomotives of Type V 10 C were further developed by LKM Babelsberg from the Ns4, production of which had ceased in 1958. The first engines were delivered in 1959. They inherited the drive concept from the Ns 4, which was achieved once again via a jack axle under the driver's cab with coupling rods to the axles. Once again four gears were provided. On locomotives up to 760mm (2ft5+15⁄16in) gauge the axles had an outside frame, on larger gauges they had an inside frame. The engines were equipped with air-cooled diesel engines, 6 KVD 14.5 SRL generating 102 horsepower (76kW), made by the VEB Diesel Engineering Works at Schönebeck.
Two 1,000mm (3ft3+3⁄8in), metre-gauge, examples of this type, built in 1964, initially in service in Gotha at an industrial firm, went to the Spreewald Railway in 1970. There they were given numbers 100 905 and 906; from 1973: 199 005 and 006. Later they went to the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways. They were retired in 1991 but were given, on paper at least, numbers 399112 and 113. No. 199005 is now with the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways Society.
Two 600mm (1ft11+5⁄8in) locos of this type used on the Berlin Park Railway in Berlin (formerly the Pioniereisenbahn Wuhlheide) were numbered as 199 101 and 102 in DR vehicle fleet.
Existing locomotives of Type KöII and KbII were re-gauged and reclassified for shunting duties on 1,000mm (3ft3+3⁄8in) lines.
199003II, regauged in 1983 in RAW Halle, ex 100128, from 1992 renumbered to 399 110, mustered out in 1992. This loco comes from a series of Köf remakes that were built in RAW Dessau in the 1960–1962 (Kö 4001 to 4032).
199004II, regauged in 1983 in RAW Halle, ex 100287, from 1992 renumbered to 399 111, mustered out 1992.
Both locomotives were substitutes for the Ns3 on the Halle industrial line. After its closure, both locos were stored for years on a flat wagon, which was stabled in Bw Halle G, and finally ended up in the Harz, from there it went in 2006 to BSW Gruppe Traditionsgemeinschaft Bw Halle P e. V., Halle: "199 003-5" and "199 004-3". Since 11 June 2007, no. 199 003 has belonged to the IG Hirzberg Railway and since 13 June has been based in Georgenthal.
199010: regauged in 1985, ex Kb 4325 bzw. 100325, in service with the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways (in 1992 for a while as 399114).
199011 and 012: regauged in 1991, ex Kö4639 and 100639 and Kb 4113 and 100213, in service with the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways (in 1992 for a while as 399115 and 399116).
The Indian Railways primarily operates fleet of electric and diesel locomotives, along with several compressed natural gas (CNG) locomotives. Steam locomotives are operated on a few World Heritage Sites and also run occasionally as heritage trains. A locomotive is also known as a loco or more popularly as an engine. The country's first steam locomotive ran on the Red Hill Railway from Red Hills to the Chintadripet bridge in Madras in 1837.
This is a list of narrow-gauge locomotives that have been or are being operated by Indian Railways. All railways except the heritage ones are closed or under conversion/are converted to the nation-wide standard 5 ft 6 in gauge, under Project Unigauge. So narrow-gauge locomotives are operating only on the heritage routes as of 2021.
The Duffield Bank Railway was built by Sir Arthur Percival Heywood in the grounds of his house on a hillside overlooking Duffield, Derbyshire in 1874. Although the Ordnance Survey map circa 1880 does not show the railway itself, it does show two tunnels and two signal posts.
Rollbocks, sometimes called transporter trailers, are narrow gauge railway trucks or bogies that allow a standard gauge wagon to 'piggyback' on a narrow-gauge line. The Vevey system enables a coupled train of standard gauge wagons to be automatically loaded or rolled onto Rollbocks, so that the train can then continue through a change of gauge.
The Brocken Railway is one of three tourist metre gauge railways which together with the Harz Railway and Selke Valley Railway form the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways railway network in the Harz mountain range of Germany.
TU2 (ТУ2) is a Soviet narrow gauge diesel locomotive for the track gauge of 750 mm
Gauge conversion is the change of one railway track gauge to another. This may be required if loads are too heavy for the existing track gauge or if rail cars are of a broader gauge than the existing track gauge. Gauge conversion may become less important as time passes due to the development of variable gauge systems, also called Automatic Track Gauge Changeover Systems.
The Lxd2 is a B′B′ narrow gauge diesel-hydraulic locomotive of the Polish state railway Polskie Koleje Państwowe (PKP), produced in Romania by FAUR.
A Luttermöller axle is an unusual steam locomotive component. Steam locomotives with several axles or wheelsets connected to one another by coupling rods are not able to negotiate tight curves well. In order to assist such locomotives, the manager of the Orenstein & Koppel factory in Berlin, Dr. Luttermöller, built the axle system named after him.
The German Class 99.73-76 engines were standard locomotives (Einheitslokomotiven) in service with the Deutsche Reichsbahn for Saxony's narrow gauge railways. Together with their follow-on class, the DR Class 99.77-79, they were the most powerful narrow gauge locomotives in Germany for the 750 mm track gauge.
German Kleinlokomotiven like the DRG Kö II were developed as locomotives with a low weight and driving power for light shunting duties. There were two classes, based on engine power. The Class II were engines which developed more than 40 HP.
The DR locomotive classification scheme in East Germany in the initial post-war period used the DRG system, consisting of a class number (Baureihennummer) followed by a serial number (Ordnungsnummer). With the introduction of computerised (EDP) numbers in 1970 as part of the UIC framework, the system was fundamentally changed for the first time.
Gmeinder GmbH was a German locomotive and engineering company based in Mosbach. Its products included diesel engines, small locomotives (shunters) and other railway locomotive parts. Much of its business came through the German railways, though it also exported to the rest of Europe and the rest of the world.
The DB Class V 51 and DB Class V 52 are classes of almost identical narrow gauge 4 axle diesel hydraulic locomotives built in 1964 for the Deutsche Bundesbahn, being built for 750 mm and 1,000 mm gauge lines respectively.
The GE U26C diesel locomotive model was introduced by GE Transportation Systems in 1971. All examples of this model are six axle units, and have the wheel arrangement C-C or Co'Co'.
The DR Class V 100, redesignated the Class 110 in 1970, was a four-axled diesel locomotive for medium duties operated by the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany. Locomotives of the type were also supplied to railways in China and Czechoslovakia and to various industrial operators.
The HK 94–100 is a series of four-axled, German Mallet locomotives with a 1,000 mm track gauge.
The NWE No. 21II, later DR 99 6001 is a narrow gauge steam locomotive that was built in 1939 for a track gauge of one metre and is still on duty with the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways (HSB) today.
The PKP class Lyd1 is a narrow gauge diesel locomotive class, covering two similar models built in Poland: WLs150 built by Fablok, and its development WLs180 (803D) manufactured by Zastal. It was used by Polish State Railways (PKP) on the narrow gauge railways in Poland, and on industrial railways.
The WLs40 and WLs50 are narrow gauge diesel locomotives built in Poland, used mostly on industrial railways. A small number was used by Polish State Railways (PKP) as Ld1 class on narrow gauge railways in Poland.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
