Oi2
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Oi2-29 + 16C1-11, PKP,
Zajączkowo Tczewskie loco depot, Poland, March 16, 2002.
Another picture of this machine, taken on the same
occasion.
DR class 24 side drawing by K.-E. Hertam (TB
vol.1).
Oi2-26, photographed in
DRG 24 018 (Schichau 3133/1928), photo from my collection.
This engine after WWII went to DB
and was withdrawn in December 1961. |
In 1920 all railway services in German lands merged
to form new Deutsche Reichsbahn
Gesellschaft (DRG). As it might
be expected, equipment unification immediately became a major problem, as all
previously independent national companies had ordered locomotives and rolling
stock in accordance with their own specific demands, so DRG roster represented a collection of various types, often
obsolete. Many of these engines were promptly withdrawn and scrapped (1515
locomotives in 1924 alone) and obviously new ones had to follow. A special
commission for locomotive design unification was formed and its activity was
to have a profound influence on German locomotives between two world wars and
appearance of new, standardized types.
Among
others, a light steam locomotive for local traffic was necessary. It was
intended for service on secondary lines, so axle load was limited to 15
tonnes, quite low by German standards. Such machine, designated class 24,
with 1-3-0 axle arrangement, was ordered in 1924 and built at F.Schichau
in Elbing (now Elbląg, Poland) in 1927. Many elements (including boilers,
wheels and cylinders) were the same as used in class 64 light tank
locomotives (axle arrangement 1-3-1). New machine proved successful and was
soon ordered in quantity. Production was continued until 1940 and, despite
such long period, only 95 examples were built, most of them by Schichau
(67) – the rest came from Borsig (2), Hanomag (8), Henschel
(5), Krupp (6) and Linke-Hofmann (7). Orders for further twenty
machines were cancelled in 1940. This diversification was the result of
deliberate policy to keep German locomotive industry running even during
crisis years. Later examples had several modifications, including larger
smoke lifters (from 24 064 onwards) and idle axle brakes. Most machines had
3T16 tenders, but last 25 examples had larger 3T17s. Several improvements
were also tested. 24 069 and 24 070 had high-pressure (25 bar) boilers, which
proved generally successful (in service, however, boiler pressure was reduced
to 20 bar – mainly for safety reasons). 24 064 was later fitted with
Krauss-Helmholtz lead truck (instead of Bissel-type idle axle). Running
qualities improved and maximum speed was increased to 100 km/h, but this
feature was not introduced in further examples, as production of this type
was terminated (orders for 24 096 through 24 115 were cancelled). Class
24 proved most useful on long, flat routes with small gradients, so most of
these machines were used in the northern and north-eastern parts of Germany,
mainly Pomerania and Eastern Prussia. In 1945 a number of these machines were
taken over by Poland; PKP rosters
from October 1946 list 31 examples, later designated Oi2. Not all of them
were serviceable (for example, in October 1948 only 24). A few damaged
locomotives were also taken over, but only three were given PKP service numbers. 51 (some sources
give 53) machines remained in Germany. Most of them served with DB (withdrawn 1966); DR had only five machines that
survived in service for two years more. The final fate of several examples
remains unknown – most probably they remained in the Königsberg area and
later fell into Russian hands. Some sources give that a number of machines
(eight?) found in Poland were also handed over to the USSR shortly after the war, so total number of these machines in
Poland had been 42. If that is true, there is no trace of these ‘additional’
machines ever being given PKP
service numbers. First
three Oi2s were withdrawn in 1951; most probably, however, these were
unserviceable machines which had service numbers allocated but in fact had
never been put into use. The rest remained in operation for much longer,
being based in northern Poland and thus remaining more or less where they had
previously served with DRG.
Modifications in the PKP service
were few and included removing feedwater heaters and steam bells and fitting
new, flat smoke-box doors. Oi2s gave useful, if inconspicuous service with
light passenger and suburban trains; later some were used as switchers.
Withdrawals began in 1968 and last two examples (Oi2-29 and Oi2-31) remained
in use until 1976. The former of these (ex-DRG 24 092, Schichau 3419/1939) has been preserved in good
condition at the locomotive depot at Zajączkowo Tczewskie and can be seen
there (sometimes you only have to persuade the guardsman to let you in...).
Oi2-22 (ex-DRG 24 083, Schichau 3323/1938, withdrawn in 1974)
was sold to the German Eisenbahn-Kurier in 1975; this machine is now
operated by Dampfzugbetriebgemeinschaft
Hildesheim and still hauls tourist
trains, its original designation having been restored. Two more examples
(24 004, Schichau 3119/1927,
and 24 009, Schichau
3124/1928) have been preserved in Germany, in Chemnitz and Zeven,
respectively. The latter is still in working order. Thus, four examples of 95
have survived through WWII and demise of steam traction on European tracks:
not a bad result... Main technical data
1) Some (8?) later handed over to the References and acknowledgments
-
Monographic article by Roman Witkowski (SK
vol. 2/2000); -
Ingo Hütter’s locomotive database (available at www.lokomotive.de); -
SK, various issues. |
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