Prussian G 7.2

Prussian G 7.2
Company type	Steam locomotive class
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	1895
Headquarters	Germany (Prussia)
Products	Tender compound steam locomotives

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Prussian G 7.2, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 29 November 2025

Prussian G 7.2 Overview

The Prussian G 7.2 represents a series of 0-8-0 tender compound steam locomotives that were operated by the Prussian state railways. Following the 1925 reclassification by the Deutsche Reichsbahn, the locomotives originally built between 1895 and 1911 for Prussia were assigned to class 55.7–13. Meanwhile, those originating from the former Mecklenburgische Friedrich-Franz-Eisenbahn (MFFE) were designated as class 55.57.

Prussian State Railways

In 1895, the Prussian Ministry of Public Works authorized the construction of compound locomotives. Consequently, the development of a compound variant of the G 7.1 based on diagram (Musterblatt) III 3i commenced. By 1911, the Prussian State Railways had introduced 1,642 units into operation, produced by all major locomotive manufacturers in Prussia. The G 7.2's design closely mirrored that of the G 7.1; however, to accommodate the heavier low-pressure cylinder, the boiler barrel was shortened and the smokebox extended.

These locomotives were required to haul a 1,400-tonne (1,380-long-ton; 1,540-short-ton) load on flat terrain at speeds of 40 km/h (25 mph), and a 690-tonne (680-long-ton; 760-short-ton) load on a 5‰ (0.5%, 1 in 200) incline at 30 km/h (19 mph). Due to their fuel efficiency, compound locomotives proved more economical than two-cylinder simple engines, particularly in mainline operations; however, they were less effective for shunting tasks. Except for the Berlin Division (Direktion Berlin), this design was procured across all Prussian railway divisions and assigned number ranges from 4601 to 4800 and 5801 to 6000.

An experimental fitting of a Lentz-type corrugated tube boiler on Hannover 1302 in 1903 did not yield successful results.

Following World War I in 1919, numerous locomotives were handed over as reparations to railways in Poland (PKP Tp2), Lithuania (LG P 7.2), Belgium (Type 72), and France. Thirty-one units were transferred to the Imperial Railways in Alsace-Lorraine (Reichseisenbahnen in Elsaß-Lothringen) and subsequently incorporated into the Chemin de fer d’Alsace-Lorraine. These received fleet numbers ranging from 4321 to 4351 and operated throughout the entire route network.

The locomotives allocated to France were distributed among four networks:

The Administration des chemins de fer d’Alsace et de Lorraine (AL) acquired 20 locomotives numbered G7.2 4321–4340; an additional 11 units (G7.2 4341–4351) were added as war booty;
The Compagnie des Chemins de fer de l’Est (Est) received a single G7.2 locomotive (numbered 4704), which was retired by 1926;
The Compagnie des chemins de fer du Nord (Nord) obtained 98 locomotives (4.1001–4.1098), all but one originating from the Prussian State Railways; the exception being unit 4.1076 from the MFFE;
The Compagnie du chemin de fer de Paris à Orléans (P.O.) took delivery of six locomotives (1306–1311), later renumbered to 1387–1392 in 1924.

In 1938, twenty-three Alsace-Lorraine locomotives were incorporated into the SNCF, assigned numbers from 1-040.B.301 to 1-040.B.351. The final unit was withdrawn from service in 1951. Most Nord locomotives also transitioned to SNCF ownership and were renumbered within the range of 2-040.B.1 to 2-040.B.97.

By 1925, the Deutsche Reichsbahn intended to renumber 691 units as series 55 702 through 55 1392; however, number 55 701 was mistakenly allocated to a G 7.3 locomotive. The majority of these engines were phased out by the late 1930s. In addition, in 1935, the Reichsbahn acquired eighteen former Prussian locomotives from the Saarland Railways, which were renumbered as units 55 1393 to 55 1410; notably, the last three had been recently obtained from Alsace-Lorraine for border service duties.

After the Invasion of Poland in 1939, locomotives previously surrendered to Poland and Lithuania were reintegrated and renumbered within ranges from 55 701 to 55 894 and number 55 1412 by the Reichsbahn. Following World War II, these locomotives entered service with both West Germany's Deutsche Bundesbahn and East Germany's Deutsche Reichsbahn.

Mecklenburg Friedrich-Franz Railway

In 1914, the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg Friedrich-Franz Railway placed its initial order for the G 7.2 locomotives with Linke-Hofmann, three years subsequent to the final delivery of this model to the Prussian state railways. Due to the MFFE workshops lacking equipment for superheated steam engines, a saturated steam design was selected. Deliveries continued through 1916, with the locomotives assigned fleet numbers ranging from 466 to 476. Unlike the Prussian variant, these locomotives featured a Knorr feedwater heater installed on the second boiler ring behind the steam dome, which increased the locomotive’s total weight. Following World War I, five units were ceded to Belgium (registered as État Belge 7295–7299) and one was transferred to France (CF du Nord 4.1076) in 1919. Those locomotives incorporated into the Deutsche Reichsbahn fleet were renumbered between 55 5701 and 55 5705 in 1925 and were withdrawn from service by 1930.

Service elsewhere

The Deutsche Bundesbahn divested several locomotives to private rail operators such as Mindener Kreisbahnen and Kahlgrund-Eisenbahn. A number of these engines remained in Eastern European countries, with most eventually being sold to the Polish State Railways.

Construction features

These locomotives utilized a riveted and bolted plate metal frame construction. The long boiler consisted of three rings joined by riveting. Positioned on the first ring was the sandbox, while the steam dome sat atop the second ring. The Ramsbottom safety valve was mounted on the firebox wrapper just ahead of the cab. Boiler water was supplied via two Strube injectors.

The external two-cylinder saturated compound engine drove the third coupled axle. The high-pressure cylinder on the right and low-pressure cylinder on the left were inclined at a ratio of 1:20. A starting valve of Mallet/von Borries design was employed, with units manufactured after 1897 fitted with a Dultz-type valve instead. The Allan valve gear was located between the frames.

Support for the frame came from four points, with leaf spring assemblies positioned beneath each axle bearing. Compensating levers connected the spring sets of both the first and second axles as well as those of the third and fourth axles.

The steam brake operated from above on the second and fourth wheelsets. Sanding equipment delivered sand ahead of the second wheelset for traction enhancement. These locomotives were paired with type 3 T 12 tenders capable of carrying between five and seven tonnes of coal.

Early models produced during the initial two years featured cabs with short roofs, whereas from 1897 onward, cab roofs were extended over the tender’s fallplate.

Notes

References

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Spielhoff, Lothar (1991). Dampflokomotiven: Bahnen in Elsaß-Lothringen (EFA F.1) (in German). Düsseldorf: Alba. ISBN 3-87094-142-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
Weisbrod, Manfred (1991). Dampflok-Archiv 5 (Von der DRG übernommene Dampflokomotiven privater Eisenbahnen) (in German). Berlin: transpress. ISBN 3-344-70703-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)