DRG Class 64

DRG Class 64
Company type	Steam locomotive class
Industry	Railway
Founded	1928
Defunct	1940
Area served	Germany, Austria, Poland, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland
Products	Passenger tank locomotives

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article DRG Class 64, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 29 November 2025

DRG Class 64 Overview

The DRG Class 64 (Baureihe 64) was a standardized passenger tank locomotive utilized by the Deutsche Reichsbahn. It featured a wheel configuration classified as 1′C1′ under the UIC classification system, corresponding to a 2-6-2 arrangement in Whyte notation. This design was notable for its relatively low axle load, making it suitable for various routes. Development of this class began in 1926, with production spanning from 1928 until 1940. The manufacturing of the Class 64 locomotives involved numerous German firms collaborating on the series.

Construction

The boiler and components of the driving mechanism were identical to those found on the DRG Class 24. These locomotives featured Bissel bogies, except for the final ten units, which were equipped with a Krauss-Helmholtz bogie. Starting from engine number 64 368, the locomotives were extended by 100 millimetres (3+7⁄8 in) compared to earlier models. The Class 64 engines earned the nickname "Bubikopf" ('bob'), inspired by a popular women's hairstyle during that era.

Service

Following the Second World War, 393 units remained operational; of these, 278 were allocated to the Deutsche Bundesbahn while 115 served with the Deutsche Reichsbahn (East Germany). Locomotive number 64 311 stayed in Austria post-1945 and was incorporated into the fleet of the Austrian Federal Railways (Österreichische Bundesbahnen, ÖBB) as class 64 (Reihe 64). Engines left in Poland received the designation OKl2 from the PKP. By 1968, the Bundesbahn still operated 60 of these locomotives. Currently, twenty Class 64 engines have been preserved, most of which are located in Germany.

Preserved Locomotives

While the majority of preserved Class 64 locomotives remain in Germany, seven examples are maintained abroad:

Locomotive 64 250 is part of the Chemin de Fer à Vapeur des 3 Vallées collection in Mariembourg, Belgium
Number 64 305 belongs to the Bavarian Railway Museum in Germany and is currently awaiting restoration
Locomotive 64 344 is under renovation by the Passau Railway Society
Number 64 415 operates with the Veluwsche Stoomtrein Maatschappij located in Beekbergen, Netherlands
Locomotive 64 419 is preserved by the DBK Historic Railway in Crailsheim
Number 64 491 is part of the collection at the Dampfbahn Fränkische Schweiz based in Ebermannstadt, Bavaria
Locomotive 64 518 is maintained by Verein Historische Eisenbahn Emmental (VHE) in Huttwil, Switzerland
Number 64 061 (designated OKl2-6 by the Polish State Railways) is preserved in Jaworzyna Śląska, Poland

References

Braun, Andreas (1986). Baureihe 64 Portrait einer Deutschen Dampflokomotive (in Deutsch). Bayerisches Eisenbahn-Museum Nördlingen. ISBN 3-925120-04-1.
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Melcher, Peter (1988). Die Baureihe 64 Der legendäre Bubikopf (in Deutsch). EK-Verlag Freiburg. ISBN 3-88255-872-5.
Obermayer, Horst J.; Weisbrod, Manfred (1998). Die Baureihe 64 Eisenbahn-Journal Sonderausgabe II/98 (in Deutsch). Hermann Merker Verlag Fürstenfeldbruck.
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External links

64 491 hosted by the Dampfbahn Fränkische Schweiz e. V.