DRG Class 86

DRG Class 86

Company type	Locomotive class
Industry	Railway transport
Founded	1928
Defunct	1988 (last operational use)
Area served	Germany, Austria, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Soviet Union (SZD)
Products	Goods train tank locomotives
Parent	Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft

DRG Class 86 Overview

The DRG Class 86 represented a standard design (refer to Einheitsdampflokomotive) of goods train tank locomotive operated by the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft. Specifically engineered for service on branch lines, it was produced by nearly all locomotive manufacturers contracted by the Reichsbahn. Starting in 1942, production shifted to a simplified variant known as the 'transitional war locomotive' (Übergangskriegslokomotive or ÜK). Key distinguishing features of this version included the removal of the cab’s second side windows and the use of solid disc wheels.

History

Nearly every German locomotive manufacturer contributed to the production of these engines, with a total of 775 units built between 1928 and 1943. Their primary deployment was on routes traversing Germany's Central Uplands (Mittelgebirge); consequently, the initial ten locomotives were equipped with a Riggenbach counter-pressure brake. During the Second World War, twenty units were lost, while those sustaining minor damage were restored. Of the original 775 locomotives, 175 were allocated to the GDR railways, 385 to the Deutsche Bundesbahn, 29 to the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), 44 to the PKP in Poland where they were designated Class TKt3, 73 to the SZD, and 62 to the CSD (with six later transferred to the SZD and one, number 86 043 in 1958, sent to the GDR). Among these 62 CSD locomotives, 28 were classified as CSD Class 455.2. Only two locomotives remain unaccounted for: numbers 86 016 and 86 469. The ÖBB began phasing out their fleet as early as 1945, though the final unit was withdrawn in 1972. Notably, Austrian engines undertook some of the most demanding assignments, such as double-heading heavy, empty ore trains alongside a DRB Class 52.

TKt3-16

The Bundesbahn primarily based its Class 86 locomotives in Nuremberg for use on branch lines in Franconia and for operations within its marshalling yards. Another hub well known for its Class 86 activity was the locomotive depot at Hof, Germany. These engines frequently hauled short-distance semi-fast services as well. The DB retired its last Class 86 locomotive in 1974.

Within the GDR railways, the majority of Class 86 engines were stationed at Aue engine shed, housing over fifty units servicing routes throughout the surrounding Ore Mountain region. Some locomotives assigned to the Heringsdorf shed on the island of Usedom were fitted with smoke deflectors. A notable service included a fast-stopping train comprising seven Bghw coaches; light express trains also featured regularly on their timetable across the Central Uplands. Officially, Class 86 locomotives were withdrawn from DR service in 1976; however, several continued operating into the early 1980s. Since its introduction in 1928, locomotive no. 86 001/86 1001 was almost continuously under steam but was often relegated to heating duties in later years. Its final operational assignment was on the branch line between Schlettau and Crottendorf, where it concluded steam service in 1988. Alongside engine number 86 501, it was briefly returned to scheduled operation for a week in 1989 to commemorate the route's centenary. With a service life spanning six decades, it holds the distinction of being the longest-serving standard locomotive operated by a national railway. Since 1999, no. 86 001 has been placed in storage. Locomotive no. 86 1056 met an unfortunate fate in 1989 when it became the last casualty of extensive scrapping efforts in the GDR; it was converted into a mobile steam heater with its driving gear and cylinders scrapped.

Preserved locomotives

Preserved locomotives from this class include the 86 001 (located in Chemnitz), recognized as the oldest unit of its type, alongside 86 049 (VSE Schwarzenberg), 86 056 (ÖGEG), 86 333, 86 457, 86 501 (ÖGEG), 86 607 (a ÜK variant on loan from VMD to Adorf), and the GDR example 86 744. Both 86 056 and 86 501, originally from the GDR, were transferred to Austria. Among the Deutsche Bahn collection, the locomotive numbered 86 457 is housed at the DB Museum; however, it suffered significant damage due to a fire at the Nuremberg 1 engine shed, which is part of the Nuremberg Transport Museum's depot. Overall, more than a dozen locomotives have been preserved (excluding those kept solely as memorials), with nine of these remaining within Germany.

In Poland, locomotive number 86 240 survives under the designation Tkt3-16. Additionally, unit 86 348 is currently undergoing restoration by the GES; this locomotive was previously displayed as a monument at Breuningerland in Ludwigsburg/Tamm.

See also

• List of DRG locomotives and railbuses

References

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• Knipping, Andreas (2008) [1987]. Die Baureihe 86 Das Arbeitstier für Nebenstrecken (Neuauflage ed.). EK-Verlag Freiburg. ISBN 978-3-88255-186-0.
• Obermayer, Horst J.; Weisbrod, Manfred (1994). Die Baureihe 86 Eisenbahn-Journal Sonderausgabe II/94. Hermann Merker Verlag Fürstenfeldbruck. ISSN 0720-051X.
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• Günter Kettler et al.: ÖBB-Reihe 86, (this publication documents all Class 86 locomotives operated by the Austrian Federal Railways within Austria); Verlag www.bahnmedien.at, Vienna 2021, ISBN 978-3-903177-33-8