DSB class D
Encyclopedia
The Danish State Railways (DSB) class D steam locomotive was a 1C (2-6-0
2-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Mogul...

) freight steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...

 developed in coorporation between the DSB central engineering department and the German locomotive manufacturer Henschel. Class D with 100 units became the backbone of the DSB freight locomotives from the start of its delivery in 1902 until the start of the 1950s when the significance of the railroad traffic started to decline. Together with the previous deliveries of the heavier 1D (2-8-0
2-8-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels...

) freight engine class H tender locomotive and the in 1952 purchased 10 Belgian-built German class 50 UK locomotives, pushed the class D to the sidelines. When the light GM diesel locomotive class MX was delivered in the start of the 1960s, it was the swansong for class D. Only two class D engines were serviceable when DSB abandoned steam in 1970; D 825 and D 826.

History

The need for stronger freight train locomotives in the start of the 20th century made DSB order five 1D tender locomotives by Henschel in the very start of the century. The so far strongest DSB freight locomotive was the C coupled G class tender locomotive which started to be delivered in the 1880s and actually the final units were delivered when the first D class engine was ordered in 1901.

Class D was a 1C (2-6-0) two-cylinder wet steam tender locomotive with 430 mm (16.9 in) cylinder bore, 1404 mm (55.3 in) driving wheel
Driving wheel
On a steam locomotive, a driving wheel is a powered wheel which is driven by the locomotive's pistons...

 diameter and 47 tons serviceable weight. The engine yielded approx 580 HP.

DSB acquired in total 100 D class engines between 1902 and 1922 to be numbered D 801 – 900. They were delivered from such different manufacturers as; Henschel , Hartmann and Schwartzkopff (Germany), Tubize (Belgium), Nydquist (Sweden), Baldwin
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...

(USA) and Frichs (Denmark). The delivery from Baldwin was quite a special story. The State of Denmark sold the West Indian Islands to The US in 1917 and part of the money was used to buy 16 class D engines from Baldwin. The first version called class D I (one), was quite an old fashioned construction without superheater. It including the engines D 801 – 841. The next series of engines delivered from 1910–1922, were delivered in two versions: One version numbered 842 – 851 and 865 – 900, was provided with a superheater (the very first DSB superheated locomotives) to be called D II (two). Another version numbered 852 – 864 to be called D III (three), had a larger boiler but no superheater. The engines with superheater made good experience as well as the series with the larger boiler, so DSB decided between 1925 and 1950 to modernize all D I and some D II engines into a modernized version with superheater, larger boiler and larger cab which version was called D IV (four).

Class D was a dedicated freight locomotive and became the backbone of DSB freight traffic on main and branch lines for half a century, though the class was also seen on passenger trains after World War 2 because of the serious lack of traction power. Its popularity earned the class, as one of the few in Denmark, a nickname; "Dagmar" which is a traditionally Danish ladies name. When the heavy ex. DR 50 class N arrived in 1952 and later the large deliveries of MY and MX diesels started in the end of the 1950s it was the swansong for class D. The first non modernized locomotives of class D III started to be withdrawn already in the 1950s followed by a massive withdrawal of the class in the first half of the 1960s. Few class D engines could still be found in service on the minor DSB branch lines until around 1967.

Preservation

Five class D locomotives have survived. D 802 (Henschel 5982/1902) and D 871 (Baldwin 52434/1919) are owned by The DSB Railway Museum . D 825 (Hartmann 2944/1905) and D 826 (Hartmann 2945/1905) are owned by The Danish Railway Club (DJK), and D 857 (Schwartzkopff 4374/1909) is owned by Kolding Locomotive Club (KLK).

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK