Steam Locomotives
The basic numbering system for steam locomotives comprised a class number and a serial number. The class number had two digits, the serial number had three to four digits.
New locomotives procured by the DRG were allocated their own class number. Locomotives taken over from the state railways on the foundation of the DRG were grouped into overall classes according to wheel arrangement and role, with each sub-class (Gattung, the equivalent of a former state railway 'class') being allocated its own range of serial numbers within its class.
A system of 99 class numbers (Baureihennummer, originally called Stammnummer) was established which were grouped as follows:
- 01–19: Express train locomotives
- 20–39: Passenger train locomotives
- 40–59: Goods train locomotives
- 60–79: Passenger train tank locomotives
- 80–96: Goods train tank locomotives
- 97: Rack railway locomotives
- 98: Branch line locomotives
- 99: Narrow gauge locomotives (Lokalbahnlokomotiven or Kleinbahnlokomotiven)
The lower class numbers in each of the first five groups were reserved for the new standard locomotives Einheitslokomotiven that were to be built. The higher numbers in each group were given to the state railway locomotives inherited by the DRG. Their division into state railway sub-classes was achieved by allocating sequential serial numbers, with the last two digits of the serial number being used to denote the individual vehicle and the one or two preceding digits indicating its sub-class.
Locomotives that were on the verge of retirement, were given serial numbers from 7001 onwards. Locomotive sub-classes were indicated by a superscript such as '983'. The simplified way of writing this was to write the sub-class after a decimal point so that a 'Class 983' could also be written 'Class 98.3'. The class number was independent of the type of tender attached. Tenders did not have their own numbers but displayed the number of their locomotive at the rear. The Deutsche Bundesbahn and the East German Deutsche Reichsbahn later incorporated additional classes within the classification scheme for new locomotives as well as for many of the rebuilt engines.
Read more about this topic: DRG Locomotive Classification
Famous quotes containing the words steam and/or locomotives:
““If Steam has done nothing else, it has at least added a whole new Species to English Literature ... the booklets—the little thrilling romances, where the Murder comes at page fifteen, and the Wedding at page forty—surely they are due to Steam?”
“And when we travel by electricity—if I may venture to develop your theory—we shall have leaflets instead of booklets, and the Murder and the Wedding will come on the same page.””
—Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson] (1832–1898)
“The flower-fed buffaloes of the spring
In the days of long ago,
Ranged where the locomotives sing
And the prairie flowers lie low:—”
—Vachel Lindsay (1879–1931)