Saxon VI K

Saxon VI K Locomotives

Company type	Steam locomotive series
Industry	Railway transport
Founded	1918
Headquarters	Germany
Products	Narrow-gauge steam locomotives (0-10-0T)

Saxon VI K Locomotives

The Saxon VI K series consisted of narrow-gauge 0-10-0T steam engines operated by the Royal Saxon State Railways, designed for tracks with a gauge of Template:Track gauge. In 1925, the Deutsche Reichsbahn (DRG) classified these locomotives under the designation class 99.64–65. Between 1923 and 1927, additional units of this model were manufactured and assigned to the DRG class 99.67–71.

Technical characteristics

The VI K locomotives were ten-coupled steam engines equipped with superheaters. A lateral motion mechanism, known as the Gölsdorf axle, was fitted to the first, third, and fifth wheelsets. To guide the first and fifth axles, a reset device was incorporated, consisting of a steel disc mounted centrally on the wheelset shaft and stabilized by spring-loaded pressure elements. This design enabled the locomotives to navigate curves with radii as tight as 50 m (164 ft). Initially, power was transmitted to the fourth axle; however, in the DR-renovated models, this was altered to the third axle. The locomotives utilized Schmidt superheaters. Braking systems included Körting-type vacuum brakes and a cable reel for the Heberlein brake. Additionally, newly constructed units featured a Knorr-type air brake as supplementary braking equipment. In contrast, the Württemberg variants were equipped exclusively with Knorr air brakes.

Initial development

These locomotives were originally designed for the military administration. A total of fifteen units were manufactured by Henschel & Sohn in Cassel. Their intended deployment was on narrow-gauge railways in Poland. However, due to the stipulations of the Peace Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, operations in eastern regions became unfeasible. Consequently, in 1919, the Saxon State Railways acquired all locomotives of this class for their narrow-gauge network, assigning them Saxon numbers 210 through 224. Later, the Deutsche Reichsbahn incorporated these engines into their fleet as series 99.64–65, with numbers ranging from 99 641 to 99 655.

By late 1928, locomotives 99 650 and 99 651 were transferred to the Reichsbahndirektion Stuttgart and stationed at Bw Aulendorf for service on the Ochsenhausen local railway. These two units served as primary motive power on the Württemberg narrow-gauge Biberach – Warthausen – Ochsenhausen line until passenger services ceased on 31 May 1964. Afterwards, they were relocated to operate on the Bottwartalbahn.

In July 1944, locomotives 99 643 and 99 647 were moved from Saxony to Austria. The former was assigned directly to the Waldviertler Schmalspurbahnen, while at least initially, 99 647 served on the Vellachtalbahn in Carinthia. According to Gemainböck, both VI K engines briefly operated there. From August 1944 onward, these Saxon VI Ks were reportedly based in Gmünd—the principal depot for the Waldviertel narrow-gauge lines—before being sent to the Soviet Union as war reparations in December 1948.

Locomotive 99 649 was lost during World War II; meanwhile, units numbered 99 641, 645, and 652 were surrendered to the Soviet Union following 1945.

The final two examples remaining with the Deutsche Bundesbahn, those from the Bottwartalbahn, were withdrawn from service on 31 July and 29 September 1969 respectively. Locomotive number 99 651 was subsequently preserved as a monument in Steinheim an der Murr. Notably, it was the sole narrow-gauge steam engine within Deutsche Bundesbahn's roster to retain an EDP fleet number.

Newly constructed locomotives of the Deutsche Reichsbahn

The Deutsche Reichsbahn expanded its fleet with additional units of the Saxon VI K design, classified as class 99.67–71, produced between 1923 and 1927. These locomotives bore numbers from 99 671 to 99 717. A total of 47 engines were manufactured by three companies: Henschel & Sohn contributed 13 units, the Sächsische Maschinenfabrik vormals Richard Hartmann AG in Chemnitz built 22, and Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft Karlsruhe supplied 12.

Several of these locomotives found use in Württemberg, operating on the Bottwartalbahn and Zabergäubahn lines. Initially, units numbered 99 679 to 99 683 were delivered directly to Württemberg; later, locomotives 99 671, 672, 698, 701, 704, and 716 were transferred from Saxony to Württemberg. Most remained active within the Deutsche Bundesbahn fleet until approximately 1965, with number 99 704 being the last withdrawn in 1967.

Apart from minor variations, these additional locomotives closely resembled their original counterparts. Visually, they could be distinguished primarily by the steam dome’s cladding, which featured a less rounded profile.

In 1927, Maschinenfabrik Esslingen constructed four meter-gauge locomotives of a similar type, which the Deutsche Reichsbahn designated as class 99.19.

During the 1960s, the Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) undertook a general overhaul (GR) on seven locomotives—specifically numbers 99 673, 678, 685, 692, 703, 713, and 715—installing newly welded boilers. Some also received updated water tanks and coal bunkers.

Between 1964 and 1965, an additional seven locomotives underwent extensive "renewals" at RAW Görlitz. Although commonly referred to as "reconstructions," no formal reconstruction program existed for narrow-gauge engines and wagons in the GDR. Instead, these efforts effectively amounted to new-builds. The rebuilt locomotives featured new boilers, welded driver’s cabs and storage tanks modeled after Einheitslokomotiven (standard locomotives), along with new frames standardized to a 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) axle spacing—an increase from the former 930 mm (3 ft 5⁄8 in) spacing. The drive was repositioned from the fourth to the third coupled axle, which was fixed within the frame without lateral movement; meanwhile, the second and fourth axles were equipped with side play. These updated engines incorporated vacuum and compressed air brakes for locomotive braking systems while continuing to use Körting-type vacuum brakes or Heberlein brakes for train braking. This renewal applied to original VI K locomotives numbered 997 648, 99 653, and 99 654 as well as four later models numbered 99 687, 694, 696, and 706.

In 1970, remaining locomotives in the Reichsbahn's operational fleet received revised numbering by inserting a "1" between the "99" class designation and their last three digits; this was followed by a hyphen and an EDP check digit.

By 1975, both the seven overhauled and seven renewed VI K locomotives had been retired by the Dresden Reichsbahndirektion.

Operation Abroad

Following the conclusion of the Second World War, locomotive 99 702 remained stationed in Frýdlant v Čechách. After undergoing repairs, it was commissioned in 1948 by the Czechoslovak State Railways (ČSD) as U58.001 and operated on the Třemešná ve Slezsku–Osoblaha Railway. In 1957, it returned to Frýdlant, where it served on the Frýdlant–Heřmanice Railway until 1960. The locomotive was withdrawn from service at the end of 1962 and dismantled shortly thereafter.

Locomotives Preserved

Locomotive 99 651 represents the sole survivor of the original series. On 10 June 2016, it was transported from Steinheim an der Murr to sheltered storage at the Öchsle Museum Railway in Ochsenhausen. The initial objective was to restore its mobility.

Locomotives 99 713 and 99 715 have also been preserved, initially housed in Radebeul-Ost. While 99 713 was maintained operational by the DR as a traditionslokomotive, 99 715 functioned as a source for spare parts and was officially designated a monument locomotive displayed before the museum train in Radebeul Ost. In 1992, 99 713 was reassigned the fleet number 099 720 on paper, although this designation saw limited use. The locomotive 99 715 was sold in 1991 to the later GbR 99 715 Wilsdruff and underwent refurbishment completed by 2003. Since 2004, it has been actively operating on the Preßnitztalbahn. The locomotive 99 713 transferred to the Sächsische Dampfeisenbahngesellschaft (SDG) in 2004. After extended storage, it was moved to Oberwiesenthal in October 2015 for a comprehensive inspection and has been operational again since July 2017.

Locomotive 99 716 was exhibited for twenty-five years at the local history museum in Güglingen before being loaned to the Öchsle Museum Railway in 1993 by the Nuremberg Transport Museum. It returned to service in 1997. In summer 2008, Öchsle-Bahn AG acquired ownership of this steam engine from the DB Museum in Nuremberg. Due to expired certifications, it has not been operational since December 2011, with restoration efforts for a new general inspection underway since 2017.

Fleet No.	Year Built	Manufacturer	Serial Number	Owner	Preserved on	Preserved at	Operational Status
99 651	1918	Henschel	16132	City of Steinheim an der Murr	Öchsle	Ochsenhausen	No, awaiting overhaul
99 713	1927	Hartmann	4670	Sächsische Dampfeisenbahngesellschaft (SDG)	Lößnitzgrundbahn	Radebeul	Yes
99 715	1927	Hartmann	4672	GbR 99 715 group	Preßnitztalbahn	Jöhstadt	Yes
99 716	1927	Hartmann	4673	Öchsle Bahn AG	Öchsle	No, under overhaul

References

• Bartsch, Torsten; Galistel, Hans; Wunderwald, Peter. 99 713 die Geschichte einer Schmalspurdampflok. Nossen: Verlag Wunderwald Bahnbücher, 2018. (German)
• Endisch, Dirk. Generalreparatur und Großteilerneuerung. Die "Reko-Loks" 99.15–60, 99.64–71, 99 73–76, 99.450, 99.464 und 99.470. Leonberg-Höfingen: Verlag Dirk Endisch, 2004. ISBN 3-936893-04-7. (German)
• Lenhard, Dirk; Rost, Marko; Schlegel, Dietmar. Die Baureihen 99.64–71 und 99.19. Freiburg: EK-Verlag, 2012. ISBN 978-3-88255-197-6. (German)
• Marks, André. "Die 'Sechse Ka'. 100 Jahre sächsische Gattung VI K." In Modelleisenbahner. Magazin für Vorbild und Modell, April 2018, pp. 14–21.
• Weisbrod-EFA1.4, pp. 168–173.
• Weisbrod, Manfred; Wiegard, Hans; Müller, Hans; Petznick, Wolfgang. Dampflokomotiven 4. Baureihe 99. Deutsches Lok-Archiv series. Berlin: Transpress, 1995. ISBN 3-344-70903-8, pp. 89–93, 251. (German)
• Friedliche Kriegslok. Die Dampflokomotive 99 651, Steinheim an der Murr und die Bottwartalbahn. Eigenverlag Berner-Knupfer, 2016. (German)
• Hundert Jahre Sächsische VI K. In Dampfbahn-Magazin Spezial, issue 28, Verlag SSB Medien, 2018. ISSN 1866-2374. (German)