Th102

Fc No. 692 (Esslingen 3113/1900), factory photo. Source: www.commons.wikimedia.org.

Side drawing of class 53⁸, © Lokomotiv-Revue (source: TB vol. 1).

Royal Württemberg State Railways (Königlich Württembergische Staats-Eisenbahnen) had considerable number of class F 0-3-0 freighters with single-expansion steam engines, built by Maschinenfabrik Esslingen between 1864 and 1880. From 1890 onwards they were supplemented by more powerful compounds with the same axle arrangement and steam pressure increased from 9 to 12 bar. Until 1892 Esslingen built thirty such locomotives, classed Fc; they were assigned service numbers 611 through 640 and all had individual names. Production was resumed in 1896 and until 1908 further 87 examples were built, with steam pressure increased to 14 bar. These were assigned service numbers 641 through 731 with gaps (see below) and had no individual names. Eight more were assembled by Staatsbahnwerkstätte Esslingen railway works: two in 1907 (717 and 718), two in 1908 (724 and 725) and four in 1909 (732 through 735). This gives 125 locomotives in all. They were typically coupled with two-axle 2T10 tenders.

In early 1920s 98 engines of this type were still in use, assigned to four regional managements. In 1925 DRG classed 65 of them 53⁸; this number included eleven of the earlier variant and 54 of the later. Last were withdrawn in 1929 and none has been preserved. According to TB vol. 1, Polish state railways took over 21 examples; however, LP lists only twenty classed Th102 in 1925. Possibly one engine was withdrawn earlier. Assignment of service numbers to individual examples is not known. These obsolescent and untypical locomotives were all withdrawn before 1927.

Main technical data

No.	Parameter	Unit	Value
1.	Years of manufacture	-	1890 – 1909
2.	Total built / used in Poland	-	125 / 20
3.	Tender class	-
4.	Axle arrangement	-	0-3-0
5.	Design maximum speed	km/h	45
6.	Cylinder bore	mm	480 / 685
7.	Piston stroke	mm	612
8.	Engine rating	kW/hp
9.	Tractive effort	kG
10.	Boiler pressure	MPa	1.22 / 1.43^1)
11.	Grate dimensions	m X m	1.39 m^2
12.	Firebox heating surface	m^2	8.01
13.	Distance between tube plates	mm	4 169
14.	Number of flue tubes	-	205
15.	Heating surface of flue tubes	m^2	110.08
16.	Number of smoke tubes	-	-
17.	Heating surface of smoke tubes	m^2	-
18.	Evaporating surface, total	m^2	118.09
19.	Superheater heating surface	m^2	-
20.	Diameter of drivers	mm	1 230
21.	Diameter of idlers front/rear	mm	- / -
22.	Total weight, empty	kg	35 600
23.	Total weight, working order	kg	39 600
24.	Weight on drivers, working order	kg	39 600
25.	Weight with tender, empty	kg
26.	Weight with tender, working order	kg
27.	Maximum axle load	T	13.2
28.	Axle base (with tender)	mm	9 850
29.	Overall length (with tender)	mm	14 099
30.	Brake type	-	hand, later Westinghouse

1) From 1906 onwards (starting from the 31^st production engine).

References and acknowledgments

- www.lokomotive.de/lokomotivgeschichte/datenbank (Ingo Hütter’s database);

- LP, TB vol. 1;

- Lokomotiv-Archiv Württemberg by Hermann Lohr and Georg Thielmann (Transpress, 1988);

- Charakterystyka parowozów (Steam Locomotive Characteristics) by A. Czeczott (Ministry of Transport, 1927).