DRG Class 43

DRG Class 43

Company type	Steam locomotive
Industry	Railway transport
Founded	1926
Headquarters	Germany
Products	Freight steam locomotives

DRG Class 43

The DRG Class 43 locomotives were standardized freight steam engines operated by the Deutsche Reichsbahn. These German-built machines fall under the category of Einheitsdampflokomotive, representing a uniform design approach for goods train service.

History

This class represented the second locomotive series constructed following the Einheitslok standardization concept. Under the initial categorization framework developed by the DR's Standardisation Bureau, freight locomotives with a 2-10-0 wheel arrangement were to be designed with an axle load of 20 tons. To meet this requirement, two variants were planned: a two-cylinder model (Class 43) and a three-cylinder model (the Class 44), since it was uncertain which would prove more cost-effective. Consequently, ten units of each type were produced simultaneously. The Class 43 locomotives were manufactured by both Henschel and Schwartzkopff.

Testing revealed that the Class 43 was more economical when operating below 1500 PSi power output. This finding led to an additional order of 25 Class 43 units by 1928. However, with the rise in freight train speeds during the 1930s, priority shifted to the Class 44. The latter was favored not only for its efficiency at higher velocities and superior running characteristics due to its three-cylinder drive but also because it was authorized for speeds up to 80 km/h. Consequently, no further Class 43 locomotives were commissioned.

Some sources have suggested that the locomotive lacked sufficient overall power. To address this claim, locomotive number 43 013 was subjected to a test haul involving a 5000-ton train—more than double the maximum load specified in official hauling tables—and performed without issue. This feat established 43 013 as a record holder; no other German locomotive has ever managed such an extraordinary load.

After World War II, all Class 43 engines, numbered 43 001 through 43 035, remained in service with the DR in East Germany. In 1960, these locomotives underwent another modernization phase, featuring powerful boilers that enabled them to pull freight trains exceeding the previously authorized maximum weights. However, this increased strain caused damage to their frames, which the Reichsbahn was unable to repair. As a result, these engines were withdrawn from service relatively quickly, with the final unit retired in 1968 at the Cottbus locomotive depot. Locomotive number 43 001 has been preserved as a museum exhibit and is part of the collection at the Dresden Transport Museum, although it is currently housed at the Saxon Railway Museum, which served as one of the original depots for this class.

Each locomotive in this series was paired with a 2Template:Prime2Template:Prime T 32 tender.

See also

• List of DRG locomotives and railbuses
• List of preserved steam locomotives in Germany

Further reading

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