DR Class 01.5

DR Class 01.5
Type and origin Build date 1962–1965
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-6-2  • UIC 2’C1’ h2  • German S 36.20 Gauge 1,435 mm Leading dia. 1,000 mm Coupled dia. 2,000 mm Trailing dia. 1,250 mm Wheelbase: ​  • Overall 12,400 mm  • incl. tender 20,320 mm Length: ​  • Over buffers 24,350 mm Axle load 20.1 t Adhesive weight 60.4 t Empty weight 98.9 t Service weight 110.0 t Tender type 2’2’ T34 Fuel capacity 10 t coal or 13.5 m³ heavy oil Water cap. 34 m³ Firebox: ​  • Grate area 4.87 m² Boiler: ​  • Small tubes 125 Heating tube length 5,500 mm Boiler pressure 16 bar Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 23.5 m²  • Tubes 301.0 m²  • Total surface 224.5 m² Superheater: ​  • Heating area 97.5 m² Cylinders 2 Cylinder size 600 mm Piston stroke 660 mm Valve gear Walschaerts (Heusinger) Train heating Steam
Performance figures Maximum speed 130/50 km/h fwds/bwds Indicated power 2,500 psi
Career Numbers 01 501–01 535 Retired 1991

The DR Class 01.5 was the designation given by the Deutsche Reichsbahn in East Germany to express train locomotives that were 'reconstructed' from those of the pre-war DRG Class 01.

History

01 0528-8 about to enter Honebach tunnel (near Bebra station and the DDR, Easter 1972

In 1962 the repair shop (Reichsbahnausbesserungswerk) of RAW Meiningen rebuilt 35 Class 01 engines. At that time the locomotives were still vital for heavy passenger train duties, but the locomotive frame and boiler were so worn that it was essential to replace them. Like the DB rebuilds in West Germany after the Second World War, only those locomotives with more powerful brakes (i.e. those from no. 01 102 onwards) and 1000 mm carrying wheels were converted.

The rebuild did not just involve the installation of a new boiler; the entire locomotive underwent modification. The most obvious external change was the steam space cover running the length of the boiler barrel and copied from the ČSD Class 477.0, which lent the locomotives a sleek, modern appearance. The large smoke deflectors too were replaced by smaller ones with the upper front corners clipped off at an angle.

The new boiler made the so-called Reko-01 (Reko is short for Rekolokomotive) into the most powerful German express train steam locomotive. In addition to a combustion chamber and the well-known IfS mixer-preheater, the 01.5's boiler was fitted with three full bore boiler safety valves (Ackermann valves, nominal width 60). The engines were given Trofimoff valves and, apart from 01 501 and 01 520, new welded cylinders. The new boiler came with a new, welded driver's cab with upholstered seats, side-pull regulator and other improvements to the working conditions of the locomotive crew, as well as an Indusi system. The latter was required for the border-crossing traffic to Bebra and Hamburg-Altona and services on the Dresden-Berlin line. Because the coupled wheelsets on many engines had to be replaced due to fractured spokes, eight examples were fitted with Boxpok wheels made of cast iron, like those already used in the Soviet Union and the USA. These did not prove themselves, however, due to manufacturing defects and were later swapped out for spoked wheels from retired 01s. In order to hide the ugly wheelsets, the Boxpok locomotives and several other vehicles were fitted with full skirts.

01 0507-1 with Boxpok wheels, 1972

From locomotive number 01 519, all the locomotives were given oil-firing systems when rebuilt, which enabled a further increase in performance. Apart from the seven engines at Berlin Ostbahnhof locomotive depot, all the other engines were later converted to primary oil-firing. The tenders could carry 13.5 tonnes of heavy fuel oil. During the course of the oil crisis in the early 1980s all the oil-fired locomotives were withdrawn. All of the locomotives were originally meant to remain in service for two maintenance periods (each of 6 years), however every locomotive exceeded this. After they were withdrawn from active duty, several engines were used as heating locomotives. Number 01 519 was refurbished in 1990-91 from being a heating engine, and was made fully operational by the DR. It was not taken out of service until 1991.

Accident

Number 01 516, at the time already sporting its computer number 01 1516-2, achieved regrettable notoriety, when on 7 November 1977 its boiler exploded at Bitterfeld station due to a lack of water. This was the last boiler explosion in Germany. Such a mishap had been seen at the time as inconceivable because the technical condition of the boilers was checked thoroughly and it was believed that appropriately trained crews - not least for their own interests - would follow the proper safety procedures.

On a similar journey with experienced staff in spring 1978 an attempt was made to investigate the circumstances of the accident. The DR's investigation report, which was not made public, showed that the regular engine driver was being retrained as an electric locomotive driver and had been replaced by a engine driver who was more actively involved in everything. Because the stoker formed a close-knit team with his regular driver and was not used to this situation, a lack of communication led to a shortage of water on the approach to Bitterfeld station.

The accident had no knock-on effect on the employment of steam locomotives in the GDR.

Preserved locomotives

Five DR Class 01.5 steam locomotives have been preserved (as at 08/2008):

ÖGEG 01.533

• 01 509 – Preßnitztalbahn, oil-fired, currently being refurbished at the Meiningen Steam Locomotive Works
• 01 514 – Technik Museum Speyer
• 01 519 – Zollernbahn Railway Friends
• 01 531 – DB Museum; museum loco at Arnstadt locomotive depot.
• 01 533 – ÖGEG / Austria (operational)

Rebuilds

Number after rebuild	Number before rebuild	Rebuild year	Number after rebuild	Number before rebuild	Rebuild year
01 501	01 174	1962	01 519	01 186	1964
01 502	01 157	1962	01 520	01 162	1964
01 503	01 142	1962	01 521	01 144	1964
01 504	01 224	1962	01 522	01 184	1964
01 505	01 121	1962	01 523	01 191	1964
01 506	01 127	1962	01 524	01 129	1964
01 507	01 136	1962	01 525	01 219	1964
01 508	01 153	1963	01 526	01 163	1964
01 509	01 143	1963	01 527	01 225	1964
01 510	01 139	1963	01 528	01 119	1964
01 511	01 218	1963	01 529	01 205	1964
01 512	01 175	1963	01 530	01 221	1964
01 513	01 152	1963	01 531	01 158	1964
01 514	01 208	1963	01 532	01 135	1964
01 515	01 160	1963	01 533	01 116	1964
01 516	01 117	1963	01 534	01 203	1965
01 517	01 107	1963	01 535	01 156	1965
01 518	01 185	1963

Literature

• Weisbrod, Manfred and Petznick, Wolfgang. Baureihe 01, transpress Verlag, Berlin, 1979
• Großes Lok-Portrait 01.5 – EK-Themen 19, EK-Verlag, Freiburg, 1995
• Lucas, Volker and Schnabel, Heinz, Die Baureihe 01.5. Die legendäre Reko-01 der Deutschen Reichsbahn, EK-Verlag, Freiburg, 2002, ISBN 3-88255-113-5
• Endisch, Dirk, Baureihe 01.5, 1st edition, transpress, Stuttgart, 2001, ISBN 3-613-71167-2
• Weisbrod, Manfred and Rittig, Franz, Reko-Lokomotiven – Eisenbahn-Journal Spezial, Verlagsgruppe Bahn, Fürstenfeldbruck, 2002, ISBN 3-89610-092-0

See also

• List of East German Deutsche Reichsbahn locomotives and railbuses
• Rekolok

External links

• There is a relevant English-language forum at Railways of Germany