Prussian S 10
| Company type | Steam locomotive class |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1910 |
| Headquarters | Germany |
| Products | Express steam locomotives |
Template:No footnotes The Prussian Class S 10 encompassed all express locomotives within the Prussian state railways featuring a 4-6-0 wheel configuration. This class was divided into four variants: the S 10, S 10.1 (which included models from 1911 and 1914), and the S 10.2.
Prussian S 10
Template:Infobox locomotive During the early years of the twentieth century, the Prussian state railways faced a shortage of robust express locomotives, prompting them to commission the Class S 10 from Berliner Maschinenbau AG. This model represented an advancement from the passenger locomotive known as the Prussian P 8, evident in their comparable locomotive frames. However, unlike the P 8, the S 10—drawing inspiration from the Saxon XII H—was equipped with a four-cylinder engine operating on simple expansion.
A total of 202 units were produced between 1910 and 1914. Initially, the two prototypes were classified under the S 8 designation but were reclassified as S 10 in 1912. The Lübeck-Büchen Railway also acquired five similar locomotives, slightly less powerful, which they labeled as LBE S 10.
Over time, various modifications were implemented; nevertheless, the S 10 ultimately underperformed compared to the S 101, a four-cylinder compound locomotive, particularly regarding steam and coal efficiency, making it one of the least economical locomotives within Prussia.
The Deutsche Reichsbahn incorporated 135 of these engines into its roster as Class 17.0-1, assigning them numbers ranging from 17 001 to 17 135. Due to their excessive fuel consumption, these locomotives were withdrawn by 1935. Only three units—17 039, 102, and 107—remained after Second World War, serving as braking locomotives. The final retirement of an S 10 occurred in 1954.
Locomotive number 17 008 has been cut open for educational purposes and is exhibited at the German Museum of Technology in Berlin.
These engines were paired with tender types pr 2'2' T 21.5 and pr 2'2' T 31.5.
Prussian S 10.1 (1911 Model)
Template:Infobox locomotive While production of the S 10 was underway, Henschel received a commission to build a compound locomotive designed to reduce coal consumption.
This new engine, designated the S 10.1, was an entirely different design rather than a variation of the S 10. It featured a four-cylinder compound configuration of the de Glehn type, where the outer cylinders, positioned well to the rear, powered the second coupled axle, and the inner cylinders drove the first axle. These locomotives were larger and delivered greater power compared to the S 10, while also offering improved fuel efficiency due to their compound mechanism.
Between 1911 and 1914, a total of 135 units were produced for Prussia and an additional 17 for Alsace-Lorraine. Initial dissatisfaction with these locomotives prompted several adjustments that eventually achieved the expected performance. For instance, to save weight, no feedwater preheater was initially installed; however, one was added later on. Other drawbacks such as difficult access to the inside drive led to the creation of an updated version in the form of the model introduced in 1914.
Following World War I reparations that transferred three locomotives abroad, the Deutsche Reichsbahn incorporated the remaining fleet of 132 units as Class 17.10–11, numbered from 17 1001–1123 and from 17 1145–1153.
In Austria, three locomotives taken over by the Austrian Federal Railway in 1945 were renumbered as 617.1004, 617.1089, and 617.1099 before being retired in 1957.
The last S 10.1 units operated by the Deutsche Bundesbahn were withdrawn in 1952. Meanwhile, the Deutsche Reichsbahn in East Germany retained these engines longer and converted thirteen of them to coal-dust firing technology. Locomotive number 17 1119 was equipped with a condensing tender. The final retirements by the DR occurred in 1963.
Locomotive number 17 1055 (previously "Posen 1107" and later running as "Osten 1135") has been partially restored to its original state and is currently part of the collection at the Dresden Transport Museum.
The S10.1 class was paired with Prussian tender types pr 2'2' T 21.5 and pr 2'2' T31.5.
Prussian S 10.1 (1914 version)
Template:Infobox locomotive To address several shortcomings found in the earlier 1911 S 10.1 model—such as the challenging access to the internal driving gear and the extensive steam piping between high- and low-pressure cylinders—the Prussian state railways commissioned a redesign.
The updated design positioned the four cylinders on an incline, following the example of the von Borries compound, while retaining the twin-axle drive arrangement. Enhancements were also made to the boiler, increasing the size of both the grate and firebox heating surfaces as well as the superheater. The relocation of the cylinders allowed for a raised running plate, giving these locomotives a taller and more contemporary silhouette, although the boiler’s axis height relative to the rails remained consistent.
Despite these significant modifications, this model continued to be classified as the S 10.1. These locomotives represented the most powerful express engines in the Prussian fleet, with the state railways opting not to adopt Pacific-type locomotives. Notably, during a test run in 1914 with three coaches attached, one locomotive achieved a speed of 152 km/h; some accounts suggest it may have reached up to 156 km/h.
The Deutsche Reichsbahn incorporated 77 of these machines into their roster as Class 17.11-12, assigning them numbers from 17 1124 to 1144 and from 1154 to 1209.
Within the East German Deutsche Reichsbahn, two of these locomotives were converted to use Wendler coal-dust firing technology. The final unit was withdrawn from service in 1964. Unlike their predecessors from the 1911 series, no specimens of this later variant have been preserved.
Prussian S 10.2
Template:Infobox locomotive Constructed by Stettiner Maschinenbau AG Vulcan, the Class S 10.2 was developed as an evolution of the S 10 series but featured only three cylinders instead of four, while maintaining much of the original design.
Between its introduction in and after 1914, a total of 124 units were procured by the Prussian state railways. Although these models offered improvements over the original S 10, they did not surpass the performance of the S 10.1.
Following World War I, twenty-eight locomotives were allocated to foreign railway companies under post-war agreements. The remaining ninety-six were absorbed into the Deutsche Reichsbahn fleet as Class 17.2, numbered from 17 201 through 17 296. These units primarily operated within northern and central German regions under various Reichsbahndirektion administrations until many began to be replaced by Class 03 engines starting around 1930.
After World War II, eighty-eight units survived and were incorporated into the Deutsche Bundesbahn inventory before being fully retired by 1948.
The S 10.2 locomotives were paired with pr 2'2' T 31.5 type tenders for their fuel and water supply needs.
Trial locomotives
For experimental purposes, three S 10.2 locomotives were equipped with Stumpf parallel-flow cylinders (Gleichstromzylinder). Unlike the standard production units, these featured outer cylinders driving the second coupled axle. Despite later modifications reverting them to the conventional layout, the dual-axle drive arrangement remained intact. Following World War I, one of these machines was transferred to Poland, while the remaining two received the numbers 17 203 and 17 204 under the Deutsche Reichsbahn.
In 1925, locomotive 17 206 was outfitted with a Schmidt-Hartmann high-pressure boiler operating at a boiler overpressure of 5.884 MPa (58.84 bar), and its drive system was converted to a compound setup. Although this modification enhanced the performance of the H 17 206 compared to the standard model, the elevated manufacturing expenses were not justified. Consequently, it was reverted to its original configuration in 1929 and eventually withdrawn from service in 1936.
Two additional locomotives, bearing numbers 17 236 and 17 239, were fitted in 1933 with medium-pressure boilers pressurized at 2.452 MPa (24.52 bar) and simultaneously converted to compound operation. Their output was comparable to that of the DRG Class 03, allowing them to operate alongside Class 03 engines in regular service. However, recurring boiler damage incidents necessitated reducing the boiler pressure to 16 bar (1.6 MPa) to prevent further failures. During the 1930s, these medium-pressure locomotives were restored to their original configurations once again. Both survived World War II and were retired alongside other S 10.2 units in 1948.
See also
- Prussian state railways
- List of Prussian locomotives and railcars
- List of preserved steam locomotives in Germany
Sources
- Template:Hütter-01bis45
- Weisbrod; Bäzold; Obermayer (1994). Das große Typenbuch deutscher Dampflokomotiven (in Deutsch). Transpress Verlag. ISBN 3-344-70751-5.
- Reuter, Wilhelm (1978). Rekordlokomotiven (in Deutsch). Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart. ISBN 3-87943-582-0.
- Template:Vandenberghen-SNCB12.2
- Template:Wagner-EFA2.3.1
- Template:Weisbrod-EFA1.1
