Pk3

17 254 (ex Münster 1213, Hanomag 7697/1916), location and date unknown. Source: Lokomotiven der alten deutschen Staats- und Privatbahnen by H. Maey and E. Born. This locomotive survived in the DR service until September 1948.

Side drawing of the S10² by M. Kratochvil; source:

TB vol. 1.

DRG 17 286 (Hanomag 7867/1916), photographed at the Leipzig West depot in 1931. This locomotive, originally KPEV Münster 1216, remained with DR and was withdrawn in September 1948. Photo from my collection.

Dutch NS 4051 (former KPEV Bromberg 1202, Hanomag 7691/1916, still with DRG service numbers 17 248), Eindhoven, January 1, 1946. Photo by D.C. Gerdessen (source: www.commons.wikimedia.org).

Class S10, first Prussian express locomotive with three driven axles, was developed from very successful P8, but featured four-cylinder single-expansion steam engine. As it was not entirely satisfactory, further modifications followed. Class S10¹ (built in two different variants) featured four-cylinder compound engine and class S10² was fitted with three-cylinder single-expansion unit. Prototype of the latter was built by Vulcan (2899/1914, Halle 1201). Until 1916, 124 examples were delivered by Hanomag (67), Vulcan (41) and BMAG (16). Class S10² was clearly superior to S10, but its performance did not surpass that of S10¹. Three examples (Vulcan 2902 through 2904) were built with Stumpf uniflow steam engine (Gleichstromzylinder); they were known as Bauart Stumpf. Contrary to other S10²s, in these experimental locomotives outer cylinders drove the second coupled axle. This modification was not successful and all were later converted to standard variant, but their motion gear remained unchanged. Between 1922 and 1932 Henschel built eight very similar machines for the Lübeck-Büchener Eisenbahn (LBE). After this railway was taken over by DRG in 1938, they became 17 305 through 312, inheriting these numbers after old Bavarian class C V, withdrawn in 1920s. LBE also had four their four-cylinder locomotives rebuilt to this standard between 1924 and 1925; later they became DRG 17 301 through 304.

After WWI Prussian railways were left with 96 examples, classed 17² by DRG in 1925. Of these, 88 survived until 1945 and remained in use until 1948. In 1925 17 206 (Hanomag 7434/1915) was experimentally fitted with high-pressure (60 bar) Schmidt-Hartmann boiler, supplied by Henschel, and duly re-designated H 17 206, where H stood for Hochdruckkessel, or high-pressure boiler. It was re-engined with compound steam engine. Performance increase did not justify higher manufacture cost and maintenance problems; this locomotive was withdrawn in March 1937 and converted to standard configuration. It remained in use with DR until 1948. In 1932 17 236 (BMAG 5592/1915) and 17 239 (BMAG 5595/1915) were fitted with medium-pressure (25 bar) boilers and compound engines for test purposes. Their performance was comparable to that of Class 03 Einheitsloks, but due to boiler problems pressure had to be reduced to 16 bar. Later both were also converted to standard variant and ended up with DR until withdrawal in 1948.

Fifteen locomotives of this type went to Belgium and ten to France (Chemins de fer du Nord). Danzig 1203 (Vulcan 3003/1915) was transferred to Italy. Classed 677 by FS, this locomotive was found to have excessive axle load and was written off in 1927. In August 1945 one example (17 248, former KPEV Bromberg 1202, Hanomag 7691/1916) was taken over by Dutch state railways Nederlandse Spoorwegen and numbered 4101, later re-numbered 4051. In 1948 it was returned to Western Germany and soon scrapped. One locomotive (the prototype) went to Poland and was numbered Pk3-1 in 1925. This leaves one locomotive missing. According to several sources, including TB vol. 1 and Lokomotiv-Archiv Preußen Band 1, Polish example was one of the three initially fitted with the Stumpf steam engine. Furthermore, the latter source, as well as Dampflok-Archiv 1, claim that two S10²s went to Poland. This needs clarification and I shall be grateful for a hint. According to LP, the sole Polish Pk3 was taken over by DRG, re-numbered 17 297, then went to DB and was withdrawn in 1948.

No locomotive of this type has been preserved. One example (17 218, Vulcan 2982/1915) was used as an educational exhibit until 1957, but was finally scrapped in 1970.

Main technical data

No.	Parameter	Unit	Value
1.	Years of manufacture	-	1914 – 1916
2.	Total built / used in Poland	-	124 / 1
3.	Tender class	-	32D2
4.	Axle arrangement	-	2-3-0
5.	Design maximum speed	km/h	110^1)
6.	Cylinder bore	mm	3 x 500
7.	Piston stroke	mm	660
8.	Engine rating	kW/hp	883 / 1200
9.	Tractive effort	kG
10.	Boiler pressure	MPa	1.43
11.	Grate dimensions	m x m	2.86 m^2
12.	Firebox heating surface	m^2	14.6
13.	Distance between tube plates	mm	4 900
14.	Number of flue tubes	-	129
15.	Heating surface of flue tubes	m^2
16.	Number of smoke tubes	-	26
17.	Heating surface of smoke tubes	m^2
18.	Evaporating surface, total	m^2	153.09
19.	Superheater heating surface	m^2	61.5
20.	Diameter of drivers	mm	1980
21.	Diameter of idlers front/rear	mm	1000 / -
22.	Total weight, empty	kg
23.	Total weight, working order	kg	80 900
24.	Weight on drivers, working order	kg	53 400
25.	Weight with tender, empty	kg
26.	Weight with tender, working order	kg
27.	Maximum axle load	T	17.8
28.	Axle base (with tender)	mm
29.	Overall length (with tender)	mm	21 200
30.	Brake type	-	Knorr / Westinghouse

1) Later increased to 120 km/h.

References and acknowledgments

- LP, DL;

- www.lokomotive.de (Ingo Hütter’s locomotive database);

- Lokomotiv-Archiv Preußen Band 1 by Andreas Wagner, Dieter Bäzold, Rainer Zschech and Ralph Lüderitz (Bechtermünz Verlag, 1996);

- Dampflok-Archiv 1 by Manfred Weisbrod, Hans Müller and Wolfgang Petznick (Transpress, 1976);

- www.de.wikipedia.org.