The 262T ...

A Krupp prototype for a meter-gauge Einheitslokomotive

She was built by Krupp for the NWE in 1939.

1'C1'h2t  Krupp 1875 (1939)  NWE 21  ->  DR 99 6001

Its main dimensions are in the the table summarizing the technical data of the steam locomotives of the Harz - the rigid-frame locomotives ()

She is usually considered as a prototype for a future Einheitslokomotive, i.e. a "standard" steam locomotive, for the meter-gauge, which has never been developped because of WW2... and indeed she includes most of the features of such a design: sub-assemblies, parts, etc... but it was a Krupp development.

It seems that this type of 262T steam locomotive was a successfull design in the 30's and numerous locomotives were built according to it by german firms for Greece, Spain, etc...

Probably this configuration was a good one, combining...
- a big boiler and enough power,
- good supplies allowing a long range,
- a moderate load per axle,
- ability to negociate tight curves,
- ability to run at rather high speed,
- and ability to be considered as bi-directional, eliminating the need for turning the locomotives, a major problem on many lines which only had small turntables unable to handle such large machines...

She is able to run at 50km/h in both directions, and it is globally considered as a successfull locomotive.

About her numbering schemes through the years...
- initially (1939) she was numbered NWE 21,
- then, from 1949 on, 99 6001, belonging to class K35.10,
- then 99 6001 - 4 from 1970 on,
- NWE 21 after the last HU in DR ownership, in Meiningen, along with green, black and red, as motive power for the Traditionszug...
- and 99 6001 - 4 again, in black and red, after the latest HU ordered by HSB in 1994...

A unique unit

During the fifties, the new 2.10.2T were primarily assigned to the Harzquerbahnan while unique units or old ones concentrated on the Selketalbahn (excepted units used for shunting and standard gauge car transporters service in Wernigerode and Nordhausen).

As built, she only had vaccum brakes and, after the DR took over, she was used with the Mallets on the Selketalbahn.

Then she received air-brake after both networks were reunited, so that she can handle trains of transporters, a move coherent with the decision of DR to use exclusively air-brakes on its narrow-gauge lines from 1989 on.

At that time, even the Traditionszug received air-brakes... and, as the boiler tickets of the Mallets (still equipped with vaccum brakes) came to an end, the 99 6001 was affected to this historic train.

Although she was built using standard components, and relatively "modern" (built in 1939) she was still unique and this explains her being affected to these special duties: however, she can still be found everywhere on the network, including with regular trains...

And to know more... the chronicle...

If you want to know more about the 99 6001, "the chronicle of the 99 6001"... ().