The Klien-Lindner axle is a special type of hollow driving axle on steam locomotives that enable better curve running due to its ability to slide transversely. It was developed by the German engineers, Ewald Klien and Heinrich Lindner, of the Royal Saxon State Railways

Royal Saxon State Railways

The Royal Saxon State Railways were the state-owned railways operating in the Kingdom of Saxony from 1869 to 1918...

 (Königlich Sächsische Staatseisenbahnen).

Design features

The Klien-Lindner axle uses a double, or hollow, axle, one inside the other. It has a hollow axle (Hohlachse) on the outside, connected at its centre by a Cardan joint to a fixed driving axle running through it. The Cardan joint comprises two spherical elements that are interlinked - a solid one on the fixed axle and a hollow one on the outer hollow axle, each oriented at 90° to the other that transfer the driving forces from the rigid axle to the hollow one. The hollow spheroid acts as a sort of link motion. In this way the hollow axle can be turned by the fixed axle. In addition, the connecting link is shaped so that the axles can can slide relative to one another, parallel to their axes, to a small extent. The degree to which the hollow axle can swivel is set by the outer diameter of the fixed axle and the internal diameter of the hollow one.

This system is used on steam locomotives with fixed outer frames

Locomotive frame

A locomotive frame is the structure that forms the backbone of the railway locomotive, giving it strength and supporting the superstructure elements such as a cab, boiler or bodywork. The vast majority of locomotives have had a frame structure of some kind...

 and coupled axles. Typically the conventionally driven wheels are in the centre and there are outer Klien-Lindner axles, front and rear. In this way the wheels, which are fixed to the hollow axles, are 'steered' by shafts that pivot on the frame when the locomotive is curve running. Coupling rods from the conventional driving wheels in the centre act on drive cranks on the inner axles fixed to the frame.

In spite of their relatively simple design Klien-Lindner axles were not widely used. Derailments were common when they were used as leading axles. The axles often caused uneven, jerky running as a result of the resistance forces that arise from this type of Cardan joint, and they were expensive to maintain, something which was not offset by the reduced wear and tear on wheel flanges and rails.

Locomotives with Klien-Lindner hollow axles (selection):

• Saxon I K (some)
• Saxon V K
  Saxon V K
  The Saxon Class V K were German, eight-coupled, narrow gauge steam locomotives operated by the Royal Saxon State Railways which had been primarily intended for the Müglitztalbahn...
  
  
• Saxon XV HTV
• Saxon IX V
  Saxon IX V
  The Saxon Class IX Vs were German, eight-coupled, tender locomotives built for the Royal Saxon State Railways for goods train duties.- History :...
  
  
• Prussian T 37
  Prussian T 37
  The Prussian T 37s were German steam locomotives operated by the Prussian state railways. They replaced the smaller 0-6-0T locomotives on the railway line between Beuthen and Kattowitz. In all 18 engines were supplied to Prussia, of which eight were taken over by the Reichsbahn and given numbers 99...
  
  
• BBÖ Kh
• GLÜCKAUF and TRUSETAL of the Trusebahn
• Nos. 1 to 3 of the Rosenberg–Korytnica branch line
• Military field locomotive HF 210 E
• DR Class 99.331 (Brigadelok)

Literature

• Deutsches Reichspatent DRP 27.892 und 68.932, 1893
• Lionel Wiener: Articulated Locomotives Kalmbach Publishing Co., Waukesha 1970

External links

• English description with clear photographs and diagrams
• There is a relevant English-language forum at Railways of Germany