steam locomotive 50 3624-9| Builder: | Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabrik in Posen | | Constructed: | 1942 | | Works number: | 401 | | State: | Exhibit |
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Built by the German Weapons and Ordnance Factory, Poznan, she was put into service with the DRG (German State Railway) on 20.5.1942 as 50 2228. From a look in her log book, it is immediately obvious that when she was built, the isolation of Germany after three years' war was already having a drastic effect. There was only limited availablility of essential metals, so we find entries such as "Die Lokomotive ist mit Heimstoffen gemäss Heimstoffliste ausgerüstet" ("The locomotive has been built with domestic [ersatz] materials, according to the domestic materials list") or "Die Achs- und Stangenlager sind als Dünngusslager mit nur 1,5 mm dickem Weissmetalleinguss ausgeführt" ("The whote metal axle bearings and motion bearings are only 1.5 mm thick"). The loco was also fitted with special frost-protection for the advance to the eastern front and later on with cab armour to protect against attack from low-flying aircraft. She was one of the type known as a "transitional war locomotive". Complete reconstruction took place in 1960, when she was also provided with a new boiler. |
