DRG Class 44

Deutsche Reichsbahn Class 44
Company type	Steam locomotive
Industry	Railway
Founded	1926
Headquarters	Germany
Products	Heavy freight steam locomotives

The Class 44 (German: Baureihe 44 or BR 44) was a heavy freight steam locomotive featuring ten coupled driving wheels, developed for the Deutsche Reichsbahn as part of the standard steam engine series (Einheitsdampflokomotive). Classified under the G 56.20 sub-category, it employed a triple cylinder configuration. Engineered to pull freight trains weighing up to 1,200 tonnes on Germany's hilly terrain (Mittelgebirge) and up to 1,400 tonnes on steep gradients, these locomotives bore numbers ranging from 44 001 to 44 1989.

History

Construction of the initial 10 Class 44 locomotives occurred in 1926. These early models exhibited greater steam consumption compared to the concurrently produced two-cylinder DRG Class 43 engines. Production resumed in 1937 to address increasing rail freight demands, introducing an enhanced triple-cylinder design for improved efficiency.

Between 1926 and 1949, a total of 1,989 units were manufactured. During the Second World War, a simplified version known as Class 44ÜK was developed, emphasizing austerity by using primarily domestic materials and streamlined construction techniques. Notable modifications included the removal of smoke deflectors and elimination of front side windows in the driver's cab.

Following the war, Class 44 locomotives were allocated among various railway organizations:

DB (post-1949): 1,242 units
DR (East Germany): 335 units
PKP: 67 units (designated Ty4)
ČSD: 3 units
ÖBB: 11 units plus an additional five seized by the Soviet Union as war reparations
SNCF: 14 units (Class 150 X), alongside 226 domestically built French locomotives
SNCB: one unit later transferred to France
Unknown disposition: 74 units

In 1952, nine locomotives were returned from the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) to the DB. The DB also handed over at least 291 locomotives to France’s SNCF as part of war reparations; most of these were French-built and many were scrapped without entering service. In 1955, SNCF sold 48 engines to the Turkish State Railways (TCDD).

Until their replacement by modern diesel and electric traction, Class 44 locomotives were central to heavy freight transport in Germany. Known among railway personnel as "Jumbo" due to their substantial power output, only East Germany’s rebuilt (Reko) Class 58.30 engines matched their performance on level track.

Construction

The standard model reached a maximum speed of 80 km/h, whereas initial prototypes (units 44 001 through 44 010) had a speed limit of 70 km/h. The locomotive utilized a three-cylinder arrangement with one internal cylinder driving the second axle and two external cylinders powering the third axle.

They were paired with standard tenders of types 22 T 32 and 22 T 34, each capable of carrying ten tonnes of coal.

Variants

Due to high coal consumption, efforts were made to enhance fuel efficiency while preserving power output. In 1958, the DB converted thirty-two locomotives to oil-firing systems, followed by the DR converting ninety-one units in 1963. The oil-firing process involved heating viscous fuel oil with steam to liquefy it before atomizing and burning it, thus easing stoker workload.

Under the DB’s electronic data processing numbering system introduced in 1968, oil-fired locomotives received the classification 043, while coal-fired ones remained as 044. Additionally, the DR converted twenty locomotives to Wendler coal dust firing technology for improved performance on steep grades; however, oil-firing was generally preferred for its operational advantages.

After the oil crisis in 1973, operational requirements forced the DR to revert all oil-fired engines back to coal-firing and restore their original numbers. The DB did not perform reconversion due to impending retirement of their fleet. The final coal-fired Class 44 in DB service was withdrawn in 1977 from Gelsenkirchen-Bismarck depot. Notably, locomotive number 043 903-4 hauled Deutsche Bundesbahn’s last scheduled steam train on October 26, 1977.

Preserved Locomotives

There are two Class 44 locomotives still in operational condition: locomotive number 44 1486, housed at the Traditionsbetriebswerk Staßfurt in Germany, and locomotive number 44 1593, maintained by the Veluwsche Stoomtrein Maatschappij (VSM) located in Beekbergen, Netherlands.

Several other Class 44 engines, though not operational, are displayed within various German railway museums:

44 1093 is exhibited at the DB Museum’s Arnstadt depot
44 1338 can be found at the Saxon Railway Museum in Chemnitz-Hilbersdorf
44 404 is part of the collection at the Darmstadt-Kranichstein Railway Museum
44 1558 is preserved at Gelsenkirchen-Bismarck
44 508 is kept at the Westerburg (Westerwald) branch shed

Monumental displays include:

043 903, situated on the railway forecourt in Emden
044 389-5, located in Altenbeken

Additional preserved locomotives are detailed in the list of preserved steam locomotives in Germany.

Trial Locomotives

During 1932 and 1933, Henschel constructed two experimental locomotives within the Class 44 series featuring an elevated boiler pressure and a four-cylinder compound configuration. Initially designated M 01 1004 and M 01 1005, these units were later renumbered as 44 011 and 44 012. Despite their impressive power, these machines demanded extensive upkeep. As a result, their boiler pressure was lowered to in 1935 and further decreased to by 1939.

Following World War II, locomotive 44 011 was allocated to the Deutsche Bundesbahn but was withdrawn from service by 1950 due to its rarity. The second trial engine, 44 012, became part of the DR fleet and functioned as a braking locomotive with FVA Halle until it was retired in 1962.

In 1975, the Brunswick maintenance facility equipped locomotive 44 404 with a Riggenbach counter-pressure brake, which was utilized by the Bundesbahn Federal Railway Office in Minden for testing electric traction units. This locomotive was taken out of service in 1977 and is now preserved at the Darmstadt-Kranichstein Railway Museum.

References

External links