Bavarian Eastern Railway
Encyclopedia
The Royal Bavarian Eastern Railway Company (Königlich privilegirte Actiengesellschaft der bayerischen Ostbahnen) or Bavarian Ostbahn was founded in 1856. Within just two decades it built an extensive railway network in the eastern Bavarian provinces of Upper Palatinate
(Oberpfalz) and Lower Bavaria
(Niederbayern) that had previously been largely undisturbed by the railway. Much of this network is still important for local and long distance rail traffic operated by the Deutsche Bahn
today.
The construction of the Bavarian state railway network had concentrated, during the first decade, on the 3 major lines: Ludwig's South-North Railway, Ludwig's Western Railway
and the Bavarian Maximilian's Railway. At that point the majority of the Bavarian State Parliament rejected any further expansion of the state railway network due to the state's financial situation and the fact that railway operations were still largely unprofitable in those days. As a result, large parts of eastern Bavaria
would still have remained unconnected to the railway network had not parliament passed a law on 19 March 1856, which permitted more private railway companies to be established and simplified their financing by the offer of guaranteed, state interest rates.
As well as private individuals, businessmen, factory owners and brewers from eastern Bavaria, others from outside the region became involved in order to improve their own businesses. These included Maximilian Karl, 6th Prince of Thurn and Taxis
and four commercial institutions from Regensburg
, as well as the manufacturers Theodor von Cramer-Klett of Nuremberg
and J.A. Maffei of Munich
. They generated a start-up capital of 60 million gulden
for railway construction in eastern Bavaria and for the associated running and rolling stock. In the same year they founded the Bavarian Eastern Railway.
King Maximilian II of Bavaria authorised the founding of the company on 12 April 1856 and awarded it the concession they had applied for:
...for the construction and operation of railways
from Nuremberg via Amberg to Regensburg,
from Munich via Landshut to the Danube,
from Regensburg via Straubing and Passau to the state border,
from the Amberg-Regensburg line at Schwandorf to the state border at Furth near Pilsen.....
The manager of the new company was the well-known railway engineer, Paul Camille von Denis
(1795 – 1872), who had not only built the first German railway line from Nuremberg to Fürth
, but also the first railway lines in other German states. Von Denis succeeded in building the routes named in the concession to operational status within just 5 years and delivered them at a saving of 17 million gulden against the estimated costs of 60 million.
, via Freising
to the Lower Bavarian capital of Landshut
, a total of 71 kilometres. Goods services started up 12 days later. In Munich, the Ostbahn had its own station on the site of the present-day Starnberg station. One year later, on 12 December 1859, the route was extended via Neufahrn
and Geiselhöring
to Straubing
on the Danube (57 km). From Geiselhöring a branch also ran in the direction of Regensburg
and on through the Upper Palatinate via Schwandorf
, Amberg
and Neukirchen
to Hersbruck
(left of the Pegnitz River
)—a total of 133 km of line. The Hersbruck–Nuremberg section (28 km) was already being worked from 9 May 1859. The Straubing–Plattling
–Passau
line, 77 km long, was opened by the Ostbahn on 20 September 1860. In Landshut and Regensburg, terminal stations were built that were converted to intermediate stations in 1880 and 1873 respectively.
For the businessmen participating in the Ostbahn the continuation of historical trade links across the borders to Austria
and Bohemia
, albeit using the faster railways, was extremely important. As a result the first link to the Austrian railway network was made as early as 1 September 1861 at Passau
via a junction with the Empress Elisabeth Railway. In the same year a connexion with the Bohemian Western Railway to Pilsen followed. This line ran from Schwandorf via Cham (reached on 7 January) and Furth im Wald
(20 September) to the border (15 October). Inside five years 446 kilometres of track had been built for the railway network authorised in the first concession of 1856.
Schwandorf station soon became the railway hub in central Upper Palatinate. At Irrenlohe station—situated 4 km north of Schwandorf on the line to Nuremberg—the 40 km line to Weiden
was started, which ran along the Naab
valley. There it divided into two branches: the one to Bayreuth (58 km) being completed on 1 December 1863 and the second to Mitterteich
(39 km) on 15 August 1864. From there the junction at Eger
in Bohemia was reached on 15 October 1865, establishing a third link, 21 km long, with the Austrian/Bohemian railway network. The construction of two short harbour railways to the Danube docks in Regensburg and Passau on 1 October 1865 brought the second construction phase, approved by a concession of 3 January 1862, to a close.
After a pause in investment of several years, a further concession was granted on 3 August 1869 under which problems and detours in the network from the early years were ironed out between 1871 and 1873, so that the largest cities of the region could be connected by the shortest routes, for example Nuremberg with Regensburg via Neumarkt
, Regensburg with Straubing via Radldorf, and Regensburg with Landshut via Neufahrn. These roughly 160 kilometre long links, together with a stub line from Wiesau
to Tirschenreuth
, went into service in 1872/73. Operation of the direct route from Nuremberg to Regensburg via the Franconian/Upper Palatine Jura mountains, that shortened the distance by about 40 kilometres, was only possible with the use of powerful new locomotives. Also in this construction programme were the 81 km long Mühldorf (Obb)–Neumarkt (Rott)–Pilsting–Plattling route, opened on 15 October 1875, and the Weiden–Neukirchen bei Sulzbach line, 51.5 km long, that was opened the same day.
A fourth, 72 kilometre long, railway connexion running over the border from Plattling via Deggendorf
and Zwiesel
to Bayerisch Eisenstein
(the so-called Bavarian Forest Railway
) with its junction to the Pilsen-Priesen-Komotau railway, for which the Ostbahn had been granted a concession in 1872, was still under construction when nationalisation occurred. It was opened in 1877 by the Royal Bavarian State Railways
. The same was true for the 41.6 km long link line
from Landshut to Pilsting
, opened on 15 May 1880, with a junction to the Mühldorf (Obb)–Plattling line.
of 1870/71 the Ostbahn's economic situation worsened, so that in 1874 a claim was made on the state interest guarantee. As a result the Bavarian state decided to take over the private railway. With a law passed on 15 April 1875 the Ostbahn was bought out on 10 May 1875 and merged with the Royal Bavarian State Railways
on 1 January 1876. The Bavarian Eastern Railway at this point had a railway network 905 kilometres long and capital stock of 80 million gulden. To pay for the takeover, the Bavarian state issued bonds totalling around 167 million marks
. In addition it took on the company's major debts of around 40 million marks. For each share valued at 200 gulden, shareholders were given this 4% Bavarian state bond worth 400 marks.
in Munich. This is understandable because Maffei's managing director had played a key role in the provision of start-up capital for the Ostbahn. From that fund, the company had earmarked 6.6 million gulden for the procurement of vehicles. In addition to locomotives, the company planned to purchase of 200 passenger coaches, 30 luggage vans, 720 covered vans and 398 open wagons for various purposes.
On December 1857 the company procured Crampton locomotives (Class A) with a 4-2-0
wheel arrangement for fast passenger services. These 12 engines had 1,219 mm diameter carrying wheels
and 1,829 mm diameter driving wheels. From 1859 a further 12 engines were bought from Maffei with a wheel arrangement of 2-2-2
. All the engines were rebuilt in 1869 to 2-4-0
and grouped as Class B locomotives.
In the early period, no goods-only trains were operated; instead goods wagons were attached to the passenger trains. For these mixed train
s and, later on, the passenger-only trains, a total of 85 Class B locomotives with a 2-4-0 wheel arrangement were procured over the years.
Not until 1862 did the Ostbahn procure Class C six-coupled engines with a 0-6-0
arrangement and, initially, with large wheels, 1,524 mm in diameter. A total of 64 such locomotives were bought in various wheel sizes, later mainly with a 1,253 mm diameter, that also hauled goods-only trains from 1867.
The Ostbahn procured 12 Class D tank locomotives and two more were taken over from the Deggendorf-Plattling Railway
.
/*after rebuilding into 2-4-0 engines around 1870
Details of the individual locomotive classes may be found in the List of Bavarian locomotives and railbuses.
Upper Palatinate
The Upper Palatinate is one of the seven administrative regions of Bavaria, Germany, located in the east of Bavaria.- History :The region took its name first in the early 16th century, because it was by the Treaty of Pavia one of the main portions of the territory of the Wittelsbach Elector...
(Oberpfalz) and Lower Bavaria
Lower Bavaria
Lower Bavaria is one of the seven administrative regions of Bavaria, Germany, located in the east of the state.- Geography :Lower Bavaria is subdivided into two regions - Landshut and Donau-Wald. Recent election results mark it as the most conservative part of Germany, generally giving huge...
(Niederbayern) that had previously been largely undisturbed by the railway. Much of this network is still important for local and long distance rail traffic operated by the Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
today.
Foundation
Ludwig's Western Railway
Ludwig's Western Railway is a German railway line that was originally funded by the Kingdom of Bavaria. It runs from Bamberg via Würzburg to Aschaffenburg and on into the former 'Kurhessian' Hanau.- History :...
and the Bavarian Maximilian's Railway. At that point the majority of the Bavarian State Parliament rejected any further expansion of the state railway network due to the state's financial situation and the fact that railway operations were still largely unprofitable in those days. As a result, large parts of eastern Bavaria
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
would still have remained unconnected to the railway network had not parliament passed a law on 19 March 1856, which permitted more private railway companies to be established and simplified their financing by the offer of guaranteed, state interest rates.
As well as private individuals, businessmen, factory owners and brewers from eastern Bavaria, others from outside the region became involved in order to improve their own businesses. These included Maximilian Karl, 6th Prince of Thurn and Taxis
Maximilian Karl, 6th Prince of Thurn and Taxis
-Titles and styles:*3 November 1802 – 13 November 1805: His Serene Highness Prince Maximilian Karl of Thurn and Taxis*13 November 1805 – 15 July 1827: His Serene Highness The Hereditary Prince of Thurn and Taxis...
and four commercial institutions from Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
, as well as the manufacturers Theodor von Cramer-Klett of Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
and J.A. Maffei of Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. They generated a start-up capital of 60 million gulden
Bavarian gulden
The Gulden was the currency of Bavaria until 1873. Between 1754 and 1837 it was a unit of account, worth of a Conventionsthaler, used to denominate banknotes but not issued as a coin...
for railway construction in eastern Bavaria and for the associated running and rolling stock. In the same year they founded the Bavarian Eastern Railway.
King Maximilian II of Bavaria authorised the founding of the company on 12 April 1856 and awarded it the concession they had applied for:
...for the construction and operation of railways
from Nuremberg via Amberg to Regensburg,
from Munich via Landshut to the Danube,
from Regensburg via Straubing and Passau to the state border,
from the Amberg-Regensburg line at Schwandorf to the state border at Furth near Pilsen.....
The manager of the new company was the well-known railway engineer, Paul Camille von Denis
Paul Camille von Denis
Paul Camille Denis, later von Denis, was an engineer, railway pioneer and participant in the Hambach Festival, the German political protest of 1832....
(1795 – 1872), who had not only built the first German railway line from Nuremberg to Fürth
Fürth
The city of Fürth is located in northern Bavaria, Germany in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. It is now contiguous with the larger city of Nuremberg, the centres of the two cities being only 7 km apart....
, but also the first railway lines in other German states. Von Denis succeeded in building the routes named in the concession to operational status within just 5 years and delivered them at a saving of 17 million gulden against the estimated costs of 60 million.
Railway Construction
Passenger services began operating on the first railway line in eastern Bavaria on 3 November 1858. This line ran from the state capital, MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, via Freising
Freising
Freising is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and capital of the district Freising. Total population 48,500.The city is located north of Munich at the Isar river, near the Munich International Airport...
to the Lower Bavarian capital of Landshut
Landshut
Landshut is a city in Bavaria in the south-east of Germany, belonging to both Eastern and Southern Bavaria. Situated on the banks of the River Isar, Landshut is the capital of Lower Bavaria, one of the seven administrative regions of the Free State of Bavaria. It is also the seat of the...
, a total of 71 kilometres. Goods services started up 12 days later. In Munich, the Ostbahn had its own station on the site of the present-day Starnberg station. One year later, on 12 December 1859, the route was extended via Neufahrn
Neufahrn
Neufahrn may refer to two municipalities in Bavaria, Germany:*Neufahrn bei Freising, in Upper Bavaria*Neufahrn , in Lower Bavaria...
and Geiselhöring
Geiselhöring
Geiselhöring is a town in the Straubing-Bogen district, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 14 km southwest of Straubing, and 30 km southeast of Regensburg.-External links:*...
to Straubing
Straubing
Straubing is an independent city in Lower Bavaria, southern Germany. It is seat of the district of Straubing-Bogen. Annually in August the Gäubodenvolksfest, the second largest fair in Bavaria, is held....
on the Danube (57 km). From Geiselhöring a branch also ran in the direction of Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
and on through the Upper Palatinate via Schwandorf
Schwandorf
The town of Schwandorf is the seat of the district of Schwandorf in Bavaria in Germany. It is situated on the river Naab.-International relations:Schwandorf is twinned with:*Libourne *Sokolov...
, Amberg
Amberg
Amberg is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in the Upper Palatinate, roughly halfway between Regensburg and Bayreuth. Population: 44,756 .- History :...
and Neukirchen
Neukirchen bei Sulzbach-Rosenberg
Neukirchen bei Sulzbach-Rosenberg is a municipality in the district of Amberg-Sulzbach in Bavaria in Germany....
to Hersbruck
Hersbruck
Hersbruck is a small town in Middle Franconia, Bavaria, Germany, belonging to the district Nürnberger Land. Famous for the late-gothic artwork of the Hersbruck altar, the "Hirtenmuseum" and the beautiful landscape of the "Hersbrucker Schweiz".-History:...
(left of the Pegnitz River
Pegnitz River
The Pegnitz is a small river in Franconia in the German federal state of Bavaria. The Pegnitz has its source in the city of the same name at an altitude of and meets the Rednitz at northwest of Fürth...
)—a total of 133 km of line. The Hersbruck–Nuremberg section (28 km) was already being worked from 9 May 1859. The Straubing–Plattling
Plattling
Plattling is a town in the district of Deggendorf, in Bavaria, Germany.During World War II, a subcamp of Flossenburg concentration camp was located here...
–Passau
Passau
Passau is a town in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is also known as the Dreiflüssestadt or "City of Three Rivers," because the Danube is joined at Passau by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north....
line, 77 km long, was opened by the Ostbahn on 20 September 1860. In Landshut and Regensburg, terminal stations were built that were converted to intermediate stations in 1880 and 1873 respectively.
For the businessmen participating in the Ostbahn the continuation of historical trade links across the borders to Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, albeit using the faster railways, was extremely important. As a result the first link to the Austrian railway network was made as early as 1 September 1861 at Passau
Passau
Passau is a town in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is also known as the Dreiflüssestadt or "City of Three Rivers," because the Danube is joined at Passau by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north....
via a junction with the Empress Elisabeth Railway. In the same year a connexion with the Bohemian Western Railway to Pilsen followed. This line ran from Schwandorf via Cham (reached on 7 January) and Furth im Wald
Furth im Wald
Furth im Wald is a town in the District of Cham, in Bavaria, Germany, near the Czech border. It is situated in the Bavarian Forest, 16 km northeast of Cham, and 17 km southwest of Domažlice....
(20 September) to the border (15 October). Inside five years 446 kilometres of track had been built for the railway network authorised in the first concession of 1856.
Schwandorf station soon became the railway hub in central Upper Palatinate. At Irrenlohe station—situated 4 km north of Schwandorf on the line to Nuremberg—the 40 km line to Weiden
Weiden in der Oberpfalz
Weiden in der Oberpfalz is a district-free city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located 100 km east of Nuremberg and 35 km west of the Czech border. A branch of the German Army's NCO Academy is located here...
was started, which ran along the Naab
Naab
The Naab is a river in Bavaria, Germany, and is a left tributary of the Danube. It is approx. long, including its main source river Waldnaab....
valley. There it divided into two branches: the one to Bayreuth (58 km) being completed on 1 December 1863 and the second to Mitterteich
Regensburg–Hof railway
The Regensburg–Hof railway is a main line railway about 180 km long which links the Upper Palatine regional capital of Regensburg via Schwandorf and Weiden in der Oberpfalz to Marktredwitz and Hof in Upper Franconia. Because the section from Regensburg to Wiesau runs parallel to the River...
(39 km) on 15 August 1864. From there the junction at Eger
Cheb
Cheb is a city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic, with about 33,000 inhabitants. It is situated on the river Ohře , at the foot of one of the spurs of the Smrčiny and near the border with Germany...
in Bohemia was reached on 15 October 1865, establishing a third link, 21 km long, with the Austrian/Bohemian railway network. The construction of two short harbour railways to the Danube docks in Regensburg and Passau on 1 October 1865 brought the second construction phase, approved by a concession of 3 January 1862, to a close.
After a pause in investment of several years, a further concession was granted on 3 August 1869 under which problems and detours in the network from the early years were ironed out between 1871 and 1873, so that the largest cities of the region could be connected by the shortest routes, for example Nuremberg with Regensburg via Neumarkt
Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz
Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz is the capital of the Neumarkt district in the administrative region of the Upper Palatinate, in Bavaria, Germany. With a population of about 40,000, Neumarkt is the seat of various projects, and acts as the economic and cultural center of the western Upper Palatinate,...
, Regensburg with Straubing via Radldorf, and Regensburg with Landshut via Neufahrn. These roughly 160 kilometre long links, together with a stub line from Wiesau
Wiesau
Wiesau is a municipality in the district of Tirschenreuth in Bavaria, Germany....
to Tirschenreuth
Tirschenreuth
Tirschenreuth is the capital city of the district of Tirschenreuth. It is located in the northeast of Bavaria, very close to the Czech-Bavarian border.-Geography:...
, went into service in 1872/73. Operation of the direct route from Nuremberg to Regensburg via the Franconian/Upper Palatine Jura mountains, that shortened the distance by about 40 kilometres, was only possible with the use of powerful new locomotives. Also in this construction programme were the 81 km long Mühldorf (Obb)–Neumarkt (Rott)–Pilsting–Plattling route, opened on 15 October 1875, and the Weiden–Neukirchen bei Sulzbach line, 51.5 km long, that was opened the same day.
A fourth, 72 kilometre long, railway connexion running over the border from Plattling via Deggendorf
Deggendorf
Deggendorf is a town in Bavaria, capital of the district Deggendorf.The earliest traces of settlement in the area are found near the Danube, about 8,000 years ago. Both Bronze Age and Celtic era archeological finds indicate continuous habitation through the years...
and Zwiesel
Zwiesel
Zwiesel is a town in the district of Regen, in Bavaria, Germany.-Geography:Zwiesel is situated in the Bavarian Forest, lying south of Bodenmais and to the northwest of Grafenau...
to Bayerisch Eisenstein
Bayerisch Eisenstein
Bayerisch Eisenstein is a village and a municipality in the Regen district, in Bavaria, Germany.-Geography:Bayerisch Eisenstein is part of Bayerischer Wald and borders the first German national park established in 1968. The town is both winter and summer resort. In the summer walking in the...
(the so-called Bavarian Forest Railway
Bavarian Forest railway
The Bavarian Forest Railway links the heart of the Bavarian Forest around Regen and Zwiesel to Plattling and the Danube valley on one side, and the Czech Republic through Bayerisch Eisenstein on the other...
) with its junction to the Pilsen-Priesen-Komotau railway, for which the Ostbahn had been granted a concession in 1872, was still under construction when nationalisation occurred. It was opened in 1877 by the Royal Bavarian State Railways
Royal Bavarian State Railways
As a nation-state, Germany did not come into being until the creation of the German Empire in 1871 from the various German-speaking states such as Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, Baden and Württemberg. By then each of the major states had formed its own state railway and these continued to remain...
. The same was true for the 41.6 km long link line
Landshut–Plattling railway
The Landshut–Plattling railway is a single-tracked, electrified main line in Lower Bavaria, in southern Germany. It runs along the Isar river and is part of the line between Munich and Passau.- History :...
from Landshut to Pilsting
Pilsting
Pilsting is a municipality in the district of Dingolfing-Landau in Bavaria in Germany....
, opened on 15 May 1880, with a junction to the Mühldorf (Obb)–Plattling line.
Nationalisation
In the years of recession after the Franco-Prussian WarFranco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
of 1870/71 the Ostbahn's economic situation worsened, so that in 1874 a claim was made on the state interest guarantee. As a result the Bavarian state decided to take over the private railway. With a law passed on 15 April 1875 the Ostbahn was bought out on 10 May 1875 and merged with the Royal Bavarian State Railways
Royal Bavarian State Railways
As a nation-state, Germany did not come into being until the creation of the German Empire in 1871 from the various German-speaking states such as Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, Baden and Württemberg. By then each of the major states had formed its own state railway and these continued to remain...
on 1 January 1876. The Bavarian Eastern Railway at this point had a railway network 905 kilometres long and capital stock of 80 million gulden. To pay for the takeover, the Bavarian state issued bonds totalling around 167 million marks
German gold mark
The Goldmark was the currency used in the German Empire from 1873 to 1914.-History:Before unification, the different German states issued a variety of different currencies, though most were linked to the Vereinsthaler, a silver coin containing 16⅔ grams of pure silver...
. In addition it took on the company's major debts of around 40 million marks. For each share valued at 200 gulden, shareholders were given this 4% Bavarian state bond worth 400 marks.
Locomotives and Wagons
It should be mentioned at the outset that all the locomotives bought by the Bavarian Ostbahn were built by J.A. MaffeiJoseph Anton von Maffei
Joseph Anton von Maffei was a German industrialist. Together with Joseph von Baader and Baron Theodor Freiherr von Cramer-Klett , Maffei was one of the three most important railway pioneers in Bavaria.-Early life:Joseph Anton Maffei was born in Munich, the son of an Italian tradesman from Verona...
in Munich. This is understandable because Maffei's managing director had played a key role in the provision of start-up capital for the Ostbahn. From that fund, the company had earmarked 6.6 million gulden for the procurement of vehicles. In addition to locomotives, the company planned to purchase of 200 passenger coaches, 30 luggage vans, 720 covered vans and 398 open wagons for various purposes.
On December 1857 the company procured Crampton locomotives (Class A) with a 4-2-0
4-2-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-2-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, two powered and coupled driving wheels on one axle, and no trailing wheels...
wheel arrangement for fast passenger services. These 12 engines had 1,219 mm diameter carrying wheels
Carrying wheels
The carrying wheels on a steam locomotive are those wheels that are not driven, i.e. they are uncoupled and run freely, unlike coupled or driving wheels. They are also described as running wheels and their axle may be called a carrying axle. Carrying wheels are referred to as leading wheels if they...
and 1,829 mm diameter driving wheels. From 1859 a further 12 engines were bought from Maffei with a wheel arrangement of 2-2-2
2-2-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-2-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle two powered driving wheels on one axle, and two trailing wheels on one axle. The wheel arrangement both provided more stability and enabled a larger firebox...
. All the engines were rebuilt in 1869 to 2-4-0
2-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels....
and grouped as Class B locomotives.
In the early period, no goods-only trains were operated; instead goods wagons were attached to the passenger trains. For these mixed train
Mixed train
A mixed train is a train that hauls both passenger and freight cars or wagons. In the early days of railways they were quite common, but by the 20th century they were largely confined to branch lines with little traffic. As the trains provided passengers with very slow service, mixed trains have...
s and, later on, the passenger-only trains, a total of 85 Class B locomotives with a 2-4-0 wheel arrangement were procured over the years.
Not until 1862 did the Ostbahn procure Class C six-coupled engines with a 0-6-0
0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
arrangement and, initially, with large wheels, 1,524 mm in diameter. A total of 64 such locomotives were bought in various wheel sizes, later mainly with a 1,253 mm diameter, that also hauled goods-only trains from 1867.
The Ostbahn procured 12 Class D tank locomotives and two more were taken over from the Deggendorf-Plattling Railway
Deggendorf-Plattling Railway
The Deggendorf–Plattling Railway company was an early German railway company founded in 1865 with an original capital of 300,000 gulden and established to build a railway line between Deggendorf and Plattling in Bavaria, southern Germany...
.
| Class Class (locomotive) Class refers to a group of locomotives built to a common design for a single railroad. Often members of a particular class had detail variations between individual examples, and these could lead to subclasses. Sometimes technical alterations move a locomotive from one class to another... |
Quantity | Type UIC classification The UIC classification of locomotive axle arrangements describes the wheel arrangement of locomotives, multiple units and trams. It is set out in the International Union of Railways "Leaflet 650 - Standard designation of axle arrangement on locomotives and multiple-unit sets". It is used in much... |
Delivered | K.B.Sts.B. Class | Retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 24 | 2A n2 | 1857-59 | B IX* | 1902-08 |
| B | 66 | 1B n2 | 1858-66 | B V | 1900-11 |
| B | 19 | 1B n2 | 1873-75 | B IX | 1907-12 |
| C | 12 | C n2 | 1862-63 | C II | 1899-06 |
| C | 52 | C n2 | 1867-75 | C III | 1921-24 |
| D | 14 | B n2t | 1866-71 | D II | 1895-24 |
| E | 2 | B n2 | 1869 | B V | 1900-08 |
/*after rebuilding into 2-4-0 engines around 1870
Details of the individual locomotive classes may be found in the List of Bavarian locomotives and railbuses.
Sources
- Born, 100 Jahre Bayerische Ostbahn und ihre Fahrzeuge, München 1958
- Bräunlein, Manfred Die Ostbahnen, Königlich privilgiert und bayerisch; 1851 bis 1875; Nürnberg 2000
- Ücker, Bernhard, 150 Jahre Eisenbahn in Bayern, Fürstenfeldbruck 1985
- Wolfgang Klee/Ludwig v. Welser, Bayern-Report, Bände 1 – 5, Fürstenfeldbruck, 1993-1995.
- Dt. Reichsbahn, Die deutschen Eisenbahnen in ihrer Entwicklung 1835-1935, Berlin, 1935.
- Böhm, Karl: Eisenbahnbau München - Straubing, in Jahresbericht des Historischen Vereins für Straubing und Umgebung, 82. Jg. 1980, Straubing 1981.
- Zeitler, Walther, Eisenbahnen in Niederbayern und in der Oberpfalz, 2. Auflage Amberg, 1997
See also
- History of rail transport in GermanyHistory of rail transport in GermanyGerman Railway history began with the opening of the steam-hauled Bavarian Ludwig Railway between Nuremberg and Fürth on 7 December 1835. This had been preceded by the opening of the horse-hauled Prince William Railway on 20 September 1831...
- Royal Bavarian State RailwaysRoyal Bavarian State RailwaysAs a nation-state, Germany did not come into being until the creation of the German Empire in 1871 from the various German-speaking states such as Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, Baden and Württemberg. By then each of the major states had formed its own state railway and these continued to remain...
- List of Bavarian locomotives and railbuses
External links
- There is a relevant English language discussion forum at Railways of Germany