Tr3

KPEV Cöln 5901 (Henschel 16443/1919), location and date unknown. Re-numbered 56 101, this locomotive remained with DR until withdrawal in June 1967. Source: Lokomotiv-Archiv Preußen Band 2 (see References).

Side drawing of class G8³, © Lokomotiv-Revue (TB vol. 1).

An unidentified KPEV G8³ locomotive (from Henschel?), location and date unknown. Source: Die Lokomotive July 1926.

DR 56 106 (ex Breslau 5381), Henschel 16448/1919, photographed between Klingenberg and Columitz in 1951. This locomotive was withdrawn in 1967 and scrapped in 1970. Photo from my collection.

DRG 56 127 (ex KPEV Kassel 5342, Henschel 17129/1920), location unknown, May 9, 1930. Taken over by DR, it was written off in June 1967. Source: www.commons.wikimedia.org.

The most powerful freight locomotive designed and built for Königlich Preußische Eisenbahnverwaltung (Prussian state railways, KPEV), was three-cylinder Decapod G12. This type remained in production between 1917 and 1921, 1509 examples being delivered by eight manufacturers. After the war a ‘scaled-down’ variant was proposed by Henschel, with shortened boiler and 1-4-0 axle arrangement. The idea was to develop a modern replacement for older medium freighters, many of which had to be handed over to foreign railway managements as a part of war reparations. Such locomotive finally emerged as class G8³, with prototype (s/n 16443) being outshopped in 1919.

Although the design was basically successful, the very idea of producing a three-cylinder medium freighter was not particularly favored by KPEV, who tended to value simplicity of manufacturing and maintenance. It was soon found that cheaper and less complex two-cylinder locomotives could do the same job. Such engine, classed G8², was also developed from G12 and remained in production until 1930, with almost 1,000 examples built. Production run of class G8³ was much shorter, only 85 engines being built between 1919 and 1920, all by Henschel. Later they were classed 56¹. After WWII most of them (62) went to Eastern Germany, remaining there in use until late 1960s. Four remained with DB, but between 1946 and 1948 were sold to Osthannoversche Eisenbahnen and immediately rebuilt into a two-cylinder variant; the last one was withdrawn in 1964. One example became Soviet war booty and the fate of two is unknown. PKP took over sixteen examples, classed Tr3. These complex locomotives found little favor with Polish railwaymen and their service was comparatively short: the last one, Tr3-16 (ex 56 181, Henschel 17183/1920) was written off in June 1955. Five were handed over to industry. Not a single example of this locomotive has been preserved.

Main technical data

No.	Parameter	Unit	Value
1.	Years of manufacture	-	1919 – 1920
2.	Total built / used in Poland	-	85 / 16
3.	Tender class	-
4.	Axle arrangement	-	1-4-0
5.	Design maximum speed	km/h	65
6.	Cylinder bore	mm	3 x 520
7.	Piston stroke	mm	660
8.	Engine rating	kW/hp	1 390 / 1 850
9.	Tractive effort	kG
10.	Boiler pressure	MPa	1.43
11.	Grate dimensions	m x m	3.43 m^2
12.	Firebox heating surface	m^2	12.5
13.	Distance between tube plates	mm	4 100
14.	Number of flue tubes	-	189
15.	Heating surface of flue tubes	m^2	154.5
16.	Number of smoke tubes	-	34
17.	Heating surface of smoke tubes	m^2
18.	Evaporating surface, total	m^2	167.0
19.	Superheater heating surface	m^2	58.5
20.	Diameter of drivers	mm	1400
21.	Diameter of idlers front/rear	mm	1000 / -
22.	Total weight, empty	kg	76 900
23.	Total weight, working order	kg	84 500
24.	Weight on drivers, working order	kg	70 900
25.	Weight with tender, empty	kg
26.	Weight with tender, working order	kg
27.	Maximum axle load	T	17.7
28.	Axle base (with tender)	mm	13 895
29.	Overall length (with tender)	mm	16 995
30.	Brake type	-

List of vehicles can be found here.

References and acknowledgments

- www.beitraege.lokomotive.de/datenbank (databank by Ingo Hütter);

- Lokomotiv-Archiv Preußen Band 2 by Andreas Wagner (Bechtermünz Verlag, 1996);

- TB vol. 1;

- Lokomotiven der alten deutschen Staats- und Privatbahnen by Hermann Maey and Erherd Born (Transpress, 1983).