TKi1

TKi1-9 (former Kattowitz 7254, Union 813/1895), photographed in Rozwadów in February 1940. Still displaying PKP emblem and service number, this engine is operated by DRG. Renumbered 90 247, it was returned by DR in 1955 and scrapped. Source: National Digital Archives (used by permission).

Preserved DRG 90 009 (formerly Köln 7270, Borsig 4431/1892) in its original KPEV livery. Photographed in Bochum-Dahlhausen on September 12, 1982, by someone who wishes to be known as MPW57. Source: www.wikipedia.de.

The same locomotive, photographed at the Interlok premises shortly after refurbishment on May 8, 2015. Photo by Hermann Schmidtendorf; source: www.commons.wikimedia.org.

Class 90^0-2 side drawing from TB vol.2; © Lokomotiv-Revue.

This T9¹ is probably Cöln 1828, Borsig 4423/1892. Location and date unknown, possibly factory photo. From my collection.

Last T9 Bauart Langenschwalbach built, Frankfurt 1919 (BMAG 2207/1895). Later re-numbered Frankfurt 7247, it was withdrawn before 1925. Factory photo, source: Lokomotiv-Archiv Preußen Band 3 (see References).

Side drawing of T9 Bauart Langenschwalbach; source: as above.

In late 19^th century Prussian state railways KPEV were developing rapidly and needed many freight tank locomotives for light trains, branch lines and switching. Classes T1 and T2 with two driven axles were followed by T3 with the 0-3-0 axle arrangement, built in large numbers (over 1500 examples for KPEV and several other operators). Classes T7 and T8 of the same layout were far less numerous; the latter, intended for higher speed, was particularly unsuccessful due to very poor running qualities and had to be relegated to switching. Next class, T9, included six distinct versions, differing not only in details; their combined number was almost 2800 examples. Three of these variants, of completely different designs (T9 Bauart Elberfeld, T9 Bauart Langenschwalbach and a single T9 of the Oberhessischen Eisenbahn), were included into this class for administrative reasons only.

Prototype T9¹, with the 0-3-1 axle arrangement, was built by Borsig in 1892 (s/n 4412). It was followed by 419 engines for KPEV and six for the Kronberger Bahn (impressed into the state railways in January 1914) plus six more for the Lübeck-Büchener Eisenbahn (LBE), the latter operator later acquiring four more second-hand machines from KPEV. They were built by seven manufacturers: Borsig, Grafenstaden, Hanomag, Henschel, Hohenzollern, Schichau and Union. Production was terminated in 1903. In service class T9¹ turned out to be not entirely satisfactory. With rear Adams idle axle, running qualities still left something to be desired, the more so that maximum speed was increased to 60 km/h. In class T9² axle arrangement was reverted, but major improvement was achieved only with class T9³, which featured Krauss-Helmholtz lead truck. T9³ was a very successful engine, of which over 2000 examples were built.

After WWI German railways were left with 328 T9¹s, but during the final DRG renumbering in 1925 (class 90^0-2) only numbers up to 231 were assigned. However, engines with service numbers 022, 023, 116, 123 and 124 were in fact T9²s – this error was never corrected. Eight more incorrectly numbered T9²s were re-classed in 1925. In 1922 three engines were handed over to the Bremen Harbor; returned to DRG in 1930, they were numbered 90 232 through 234. In 1935 DRG took over three engines from the Eisenbahnen des Saargebietes, which became 90 235 through 237. Service numbers 238, 239 and 240 were never assigned. In 1938 LBE was absorbed by DRG. At that moment the company still had five T9¹s, which were re-numbered 90 241 through 245. Almost all of these obsolete and not very successful engines were withdrawn between 1926 and 1930, probably only ten surviving until WWII. At least thirteen went to industry or private operators.

Polish state railways acquired 44 T9¹s, classed TKi1. Of these, three served in Gdańsk (TKi1-1Dz through 3Dz, with Dz standing for ‘Danzig’). PKP class TKi1 included also two T9s Bauart Langenschwalbach. Three examples (former KPEV Danzig 7113, 7115 and 7116) were re-numbered TKi1-3, TKi1-1Dz and TKi1-2Dz, but assignment of these numbers to individual engines is not known. The identity of TKi1-23 also remains unknown. Eighteen were withdrawn before the outbreak of WWII. After September 1939, 22 were taken by the Soviets (including TKi11-10, withdrawn before 1936) and three by the Germans. Nine Soviet engines fell into German hands after June 1941. In 1942, two locomotives operated by Ostbahn were handed over to Romanian state railways CFR and later taken over by the Soviets. Ultimate fate of the remaining four TKi1s is not known. DRG service numbers were assigned to six ex-PKP engines (90 246 through 251), the rest were operated by Ostbahn. Three locomotives of this type were returned after the war and re-numbered TKi1-2, -3 and -4 (pre-war TKi3-34, -39 and -40, respectively). TKi1-1 was formerly operated by Ostpreussische Haffufer Kleinbahn in Eastern Prussia, numbered 6; the identity of this engine is unknown and it is not clear whether it actually was a T9¹. Their post-war service was very short: all were scrapped in 1952. One more (former TKi1-9, then DRG 90 247) was returned by DR in October 1955 and written off two months later, without being assigned new service number.

Two T9¹s have been preserved. Former KPEV ‘Köln 7270’ can be seen at the Railway Museum in Bochum-Dahlhausen in its original Prussian livery. This engine (Borsig 4431/1892) was sold to a sugar plant in 1926 and acquired by DGEG (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Eisenbahngeschichte) in 1968. In 2015 it was completely refurbished by Interlok company of Piła. Former ‘Köln 7294’ (Hohenzollern 850/1895), sold also in 1926 to a colliery, was taken over by a railway fan society in 1972 and since 2004 is on display at the Süddeutsches Eisenbahnmuseum in Heilbronn.

Main technical data – class T9¹

No.	Parameter	Unit	Value
1.	Years of manufacture	-	1892 – 1903
2.	Total built / used in Poland	-	432^1) / 44^2)
3.	Tender class	-	-
4.	Axle arrangement	-	0-3-1
5.	Design maximum speed	km/h	60
6.	Cylinders, number x bore	mm	2 x 430
7.	Piston stroke	mm	630
8.	Engine rating	kW/hp	331 / 450
9.	Tractive effort	kG
10.	Boiler pressure	MPa	1.22
11.	Grate dimensions	m x m	1.53 m^2
12.	Firebox heating surface	m^2	7.3
13.	Distance between tube plates	mm	4 400
14.	Number of flue tubes	-	162
15.	Heating surface of flue tubes	m^2	100.7
16.	Number of smoke tubes	-	-
17.	Heating surface of smoke tubes	m^2	-
18.	Evaporating surface, total	m^2	108.0
19.	Superheater heating surface	m^2	-
20.	Diameter of drivers	mm	1350
21.	Diameter of idlers front/rear	mm	- / 1000
22.	Total weight, empty	kg	43 200
23.	Total weight, working order	kg	54 000
24.	Weight on drivers, working order	kg	41 000
25.	Weight with tender, empty	kg	-
26.	Weight with tender, working order	kg	-
27.	Maximum axle load	T	13.7
28.	Axle base (with tender)	mm	6 100
29.	Overall length (with tender)	mm	11 320
30.	Brake type	-

1) Including those for LBE.

2) Including three examples used in Gdańsk.

Main technical data – class T9 Bauart Langenschwalbach

No.	Parameter	Unit	Value
1.	Years of manufacture	-	1892 – 1895
2.	Total built / Used in Poland	-	19 / 2
3.	Tender class	-	-
4.	Axle arrangement	-	0-3-1
5.	Design maximum speed	km/h	50
6.	Cylinders, number x bore	mm	2 x 450^1) / 430^2)
7.	Piston stroke	mm	630
8.	Engine rating	kW/KM
9.	Tractive effort	kG
10.	Boiler pressure	MPa	1.22
11.	Grate dimensions	m x m	1.73 m^2
12.	Fire-box heating surface	m^2	8.6^1) / 8.4^2)
13.	Distance between tube plates	mm	4 050
14.	Number of smoke tubes	-	249
15.	Heating surface of smoke tubes	m^2	126.7
16.	Number of flue tubes	-	-
17.	Heating surface of flue tubes	m^2	-
18.	Total evaporation surface	m^2	135.3^1)/ 135.1^2)
19.	Superheater surface	m^2	-
20.	Diameter of drivers	mm	1250
21.	Diameter of idlers front / rear	mm	- / 800
22.	Total weight, empty	kg	41 900^1) / 41 100^2)
23.	Total weight, working order	kg	52 700
24.	Weight on drivers, working order	kg	41 300^1) / 39 900^2)
25.	Weight with tender, empty	kg	-
26.	Weight with tender, working order	kg	-
27.	Maximum axle load	T	13.8^1) / 13.3^2)
28.	Axle base, with tender	mm	5 200
29.	Overall length, with tender	mm	10 380
30.	Brake type	-

1) Engines from Esslingen.

2) Engines from BMAG.

List of vehicles can be found here.

References and acknowledgments

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

- TB vol. 2, LHR, LP;

- SK vol. 5/2015;

- Monographic article by Ryszard Stankiewicz (KMD wol. 1-2/2017);

- Lokomotiv-Archiv Preußen Band 3 by Andreas Wagner (Bechtermünz Verlag, 1996).