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Prussian S 6
German Reichsbahn class 1310-12
Germany | 1906
584 produced
S 6 No. 606 with a wind cutter cab, built in 1906
S 6 No. 606 with a wind cutter cab, built in 1906
DB Museum

In 1904, the Locomotive Committee of the Prussian State Railways determined that, in addition to the S 4 and S 5 that had been procured at the time, there was still a need for faster and more powerful express locomotives. Linke-Hoffmann in Breslau presented a design with a 4-4-0 wheel arrangement and a two-cylinder superheated steam engine. By then, many locomotives with saturated compound engines had been built in Prussia. However, Robert Garbe, Head of Development and Procurement, wanted to prove the superiority of superheated steam technology with this design.

As with its predecessors, it still had a total of four axles, so the required power caused problems with the axle load, which was limited to 16 tonnes at the time. The solution was to move the boiler far forward to allow the two leading axles to carry a larger proportion of the overall weight. In addition, lightweight construction was practiced in order to be able to accommodate the largest possible boiler while complying with the required total weight. The diameter of the coupled wheels was initially planned at 2,200 mm in order to be able to keep the speeds low and also to improve running smoothness. With an overall wheelbase that was as long as possible, the overhangs at the front and rear could be almost completely eliminated, which should also improve smooth running at high speeds. A particularly strong coupling between the locomotive and the tender reduced the snaking movements.

Although the coupled wheels finally only got a diameter of 2,100 mm, the locomotive was able to reach speeds of up to 140 km/h or 87 mph during test runs and still ran very smoothly. The maximum operating speed was set at 110 km/h or 68 mph, which was slightly lower than the express locomotives of other railways. Despite the comparatively small mass, the S 6 was also able to pull heavier express trains on flat land at a high average speed. The Berlin-Halle route was given as an example with an average speed of 88 km/h or 55 mph. When the axle load limit fell in 1910, the locomotive was strengthened. With an axle load of over 17 tonnes, the indicated power could be increased from 911 to 1,167 hp

S 6 No. 618 from a later year of construction with a conventional cab
S 6 No. 618 from a later year of construction with a conventional cab
Die Lokomotive, May 1915

Just two years later, the S10 pushed them out of fast express service, although production of the S 6 was still going on at the time. A total of 584 pieces were made by three manufacturers, of which 126 had to be handed over to various countries as reparations after the First World War. The Reichsbahn took over 286 units, which were given the numbers 13 1001 to 13 1286 and were retired by 1931.

Variantvariant 1906variant 1910
General
Built1906-19091910-1913
ManufacturerLinke-Hofmann, Henschel, Humboldt
Axle config4-4-0 (American) 
Gauge4 ft 8 1/2 in (Standard gauge)
Dimensions and Weights
Length60 ft 2 7/16 in
Wheelbase26 ft 2 15/16 in
Rigid wheelbase9 ft 10 1/8 in
Empty weight123,459 lbs
Service weight129,852 lbs135,805 lbs
Adhesive weight72,752 lbs76,059 lbs
Total weight237,658 lbs247,138 lbs
Axle load36,376 lbs38,030 lbs
Water capacity5,680 us gal
Fuel capacity15,432 lbs (coal)
Boiler
Grate area24.8 sq ft
Firebox area127.3 sq ft129.7 sq ft
Tube heating area1,365.7 sq ft1,344.7 sq ft
Evaporative heating area1,493.1 sq ft1,474.4 sq ft
Superheater area415.5 sq ft434 sq ft
Total heating area1,908.5 sq ft1,908.4 sq ft
Variantvariant 1906variant 1910
Power Plant
Driver diameter82.7 in
Boiler pressure174 psi
Expansion typesimple
Cylinderstwo, 21 5/8 x 24 13/16 in
Power
Power sourcesteam
Indicated power911 hp (679 kW)1,167 hp (870 kW)
Optimal speed28 mph36 mph
Top speed68 mph
Starting effort20,805 lbf
Calculated Values
steam locomotive
express
last changed: 04/2022
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