DRG Class 24

DRG Class 24

Company type	Steam locomotive class
Industry	Railway
Founded	1928
Defunct	1966 (retirement of last locomotive in DB service)
Headquarters	Germany , Germany
Area served	Germany, Poland
Products	Steam locomotives

The DRG Class 24 locomotives were standardized German steam engines (known as Einheitsdampflokomotive#Einheitslokomotiven) constructed for the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft between the years of 1928 and 1939, primarily designed for passenger service hauling.

History

Often referred to by the nickname Steppenpferd or "prairie horse," these locomotives were specifically engineered for the extensive, level tracks found in West and East Prussia. A total of 95 units were manufactured by companies such as Schichau, Linke-Hofmann, among others. Notably, two engines bearing the numbers 24 069 and 24 070 were produced by Borsig featuring a medium-pressure boiler. These particular locomotives operated with a boiler pressure of 25 bar (25.5 kgf/cm²; 363 psi) but underwent reconstruction by the Deutsche Bundesbahn in 1952.

The Deutsche Bundesbahn inherited 38 of these locomotives, which remained in service until their retirement by 1966. The final locomotive in DB service was number 24 067, housed at the Rheydt depot and withdrawn from operation in August 1966. The entire class was designated operating numbers ranging from 24 001 to 24 095.

Following the conclusion of the Second World War, units numbered 24 002, 004, 009, 021, and 030 remained with the DR. By 1960, all were stationed at the Jerichow depot and primarily served on the branch line network of the Kleinbahn AG in Genthin until 1968. Locomotive 24 009 was renumbered to 37 1009 in 1970 and functioned as a standby breakdown engine based in both Güsten and Stendal. In 1972, this unit was sold to the West German railway publication Eisenbahn-Kurier.

After World War II, Poland retained thirty-four of these locomotives, which were classified by the PKP as Oi2. They remained operational until the last one was withdrawn from service in 1976. One preserved locomotive in Germany, number 24 083, had previously been active in Poland.

These locomotives were paired with tenders of types 3 T 16 and 3 T 17.

Currently, four Class 24 locomotives are preserved: three located in Germany (numbers 24 004, 24 009, and 24 083) and one preserved example in Poland (Oi2-29).

See also

• List of DRG locomotives and railbuses

Literature

• Klaus-Detlev Holzborn (2015): Der Sonderling 24 061. In: Eisenbahn-Magazin. Nr. 7, Template:ISSN, S. 14.
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• Wenzel, Hansjürgen (2012). Die Baureihe 24. Die kleinste Einheits-Schlepptenderlok (in Deutsch). Freiburg: EK-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-88255-124-2.
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