45 011 - Photo courtesy Bellingrodt (EG 11.05)

With the advent of the BR 45 in the Märklin inventory (34450/37450) by the end of the year, I thought it appropriate to find out more about this magnificent giant. Let’s face it, I really have a thing about the “Einheits” freight steam locomotives. It’s not that I ignore other Loks, steam or electric, it’s just that the first mentioned are my favorites. So, now that a Märklin BR 45 is no longer a vague rumor, I still wanted to know more about this magnificent 1’E1’. Turning to “Das grosse Typenbuch deutscher Lokomotiven”, I quickly learned that there were two variations of this machine, the initial construction and then the post-World War 2 updated machines. Then, I was fortunate to find, among my miscellaneous magazines, an old issue of M+F Journal with an article about the BR 45.

            On December 9, 1933 the Reichsbahn Direktion (RBD) in Karlsruhe proposed development of a new freight locomotive to the Deutsche Reichsbahn Gesellschaft (DRG). The new engine was to be capable of hauling a train of 1,000 to 1,200 tons at 50 mph (80 km/h) on level track. On grades of 1 in 600 (1.67%) the new engine would still be able to deal with a 1,000 ton train at the designated speed. The same load would have to be pulled at 37 mph (60 km/h) on a 1 in 200 (5%) grade. To meet these demands would require at least 2,800 hp (2,087 kW) or 2,200 hp (1,640 kW) at the drawbar.

            An additional requirement was to be able to negotiate the 1:8 switches with their 540 ft (165 m) turnout radii. The requests for proposals also stipulated a three-cylinder engine of 1’E1’ or 1’E axle configuration, Krauss-Helmholtz leading and trailing trucks and a 2’2’T32 tender. The tender used two two-axle trucks and contained 8,448 gal (32 m³) water.

The competition

Three companies competed – Henschel & Sohn (Kassel), Friedrich Krupp AG (Essen)and BMAG (Berlin), formerly Schwartzkopff. The competition for the new engine was just one of several projects occupying the DRG. The DRG also had to deal with a new high speed passenger locomotive (the BR 06) and a replacement for the overworked BR 56^20-29  (Prussian G 8²). In both cases engines with four driven axles were foreseen.

            Since formation of the DRG’s Bureau for the Design and Development of Standard Locomotives in Berlin all of the Standard locomotives were to come from this bureau but that changed with the selection of three locomotive builders to submit designs for what was eventually to become the BR 45. There was little leeway in the specifications set out by the above bureau. In addition, it was well known the sort of designs favored by DRG as well as by R.P. Wagner, the director of the design bureau. This is the same Wagner whose name is associated with the large smoke deflectors on German locomotives.) This it was no surprise that the three competitors submitted three-cylinder superheater (h3) designs operating at 20 kp/cm² and based on the 1’E1’ axle configuration and using the 2’2’T32 tender.

            Still, the three competitors offered additional designs. Henschel offered the same locomotive with a 2’3T38 tender, a 1’E1’-h4v (four cylinder compound) with either a 2’2’T32 or 2’3T38 tender and operating at 25 bar (363 psi). In addition, Henschel proposed that the three-cylinder design and the compound engine were to be fired with powdered coal.

            Krupp also submitted several designs along the lines of those offered by Henschel. One was for a four cylinder compound machine fired by powdered coal with either the T32 or T38 tenders. The also was a choice of boiler pressures at 20 or 25 bar (290 or 363 psi).

            BMAG proposed the 1’E1’ outfitted for use of powdered coal, the 2’2’T32 tender and boiler pressure of 20 bar (290 psi).

            There were only minor variations in the dimensions of the basic designs submitted by Henschel, Krupp and BMAG. It is noteworthy that BMAG’s designs made use of a combination firebox combustion chamber even though such a design would not stand a chance with R.P. Wagner despite the Americans’ good experience with such designs. He simply did not like any designs which shortened boiler tubes. Even though the Krupp and Henschel designs called for boiler tubes 24.6 ft (7,500 mm) long, this untried approach stood a better chance in the eyes of Herr Wagner.

            The solutions to negotiating the 1:8 and 1:7 turnouts without derailing found on the various Badische and Prussian rail networks, respectively. To that end, Henschel and BMAG opted for 71 in. (1,800 mm) drivers while Krupp favored 59 in. (1,500 mm).

And the winner is…

In comparing the three main designs, i.e., what the DRG asked for, Wagner, on behalf of all the evaluators, noted, “we are convinced that overall the Henschel design for the 1’E1’-h3 is the most suitable; however, we feel that the production locomotive should use the heating surface area (2,917 ft²; 271 m²) of the Krupp design.

The DRG intended for the BR 45 to provide greater all-around performance than the widely used heavy freight BR 44. In 1936 and 1937 Henschel delivered engines 45 001 and 45 002. The boiler with its 24.6 ft (7,500 mm) long boiler tubes operated at 20 bar (290 psi) pressure. The boiler used St 47K pressure vessel steel, the same material that was in use on the BR 06 express locomotive. Series production of the BR 45 did not begin until the end of 1940 and continued into 1941. Plans called for 130 locomotives but the war reduced this to a mere 28. Engine 45 001 was evaluated at LVA Grunewald (Berlin) and was followed later by 45 002, 015 and 024. Maximum drawbar pull of the BR 45 exceeded the BR 44 by some 25.3% or 580 hp (432 kW). The BR 45 and BR 41 were then the DRG’s fastest freight engines. All of the BR 45s were stationed at the Würzburg service facilities. They were used for heavy freight service but also express freight. Occasionally they were used in place of the BR 01 in passenger service.

Because of its large grate area of 54 sq ft (5.04 m²), the BR 45 needed two firemen. By the end of World War 2 all of the BR 45s, with exception of 45 024, were in the DB region of Germany. Three were in no condition to be used. Engines 45 003, 004, 011 and 020 were put into service as braking locomotives.

DB conversions

At war’s end and for about five years after that, the DB wanted to repair and update its BR 45s with new high pressure boilers and fireboxes. Initially, 45 010, 016, 019, 021 and 023 were so equipped. New boilers and fireboxes were installed in 45 008, 009, 012, 014 and 022. In all BR 45s the grate area was reduced to 48.1 ft² (4.47 m²). All ten engines were fitted with mechanical stokers.

The locomotives were stationed at Bw Würzburg and were integrated into the rosters and schedules of the BR 44s. Eventually, however, boiler problems began to surface and sidelined these locomotives. Soon, cracks began to appear in the cylinders. In August 1954, engine 45 021 was sidelined along with 45 004 and 011 following in January 1955. In 1962, 45 016 followed.

Over time, BZA (Bundesbahn Zentralamt – DB Central Agency) Minden received 45 010, 012, 016, 019, 020 and 023 for use as braking locomotives. In 1958, the stokers were removed from those BR 45s still in service. Lok 45 023 was transferred to BZA München for use as a development and test engine. By 1968, engines 45 010 and 019 were taken out of service with 45 010 being turned over to DGEG (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Eisenbahngeschichte – German Association for Railroad History).

So, it’s pretty clear that the BR 45 never achieved its full potential but, nevertheless, it is a machine that is very pleasing to the eye , at least my eyes.

BR 45s that never were

Since the three competitors for this engine also submitted, it is interesting to look at some of the designs. Henschel’s design for a 25 bar (363 psi) required that such an engine be a compound machine because the pressure was too great to be handled by as single-expansion system. Further, a three-cylinder compound system was ruled out because it would also impose extremely high stresses on the crankpins of the first driven axle during start-up. The four-cylinder compound engine using pulverized coal would have featured a more streamlined cab, something along the lines of the Bavarian S 3/6 locomotives.

Krupp’s 1’E1’ 3-cylinder with superheater, the 3-cylinder compound and 4-cylinder compound versions were, for all practical purposes, identical and bore a striking resemblance to the engines ultimately manufactured by Henschel. The Krupp machines used two sand domes and a cab found on most of the DRG standard locomotives.

For one of its additional designs, BMAG, i.e., Schwartzkopff, chose the boiler of the 2’D2’ high speed passenger engine. The proposed firebox was justified by the company with the comment, “There is no reason that the proposed cannot be used. This design has been proven by various British railroads as well as the colonial railroads and some standard German locomotives furnished to India.”

Neither the conventional nor coal dust fired designs put forth by Schwartzkopff stood a chance. The new firebox-boiler combination was not acceptable to the board responsible for design of standard locomotives (Lokausschuss). Even three years later when the BR 50 was being designed, Witte (Yes, Witte whose name will always be associated with the small smoke deflectors) had to have been embarrassed when he proposed the once rejected firebox-boiler system.

The coal dust powered BR 45 never saw the light of day. Despite AEG’s (Allgemeine Elektrizitäts Gesellschaft) successful conversion of a G 82 and G 12 to coal dust, the board pointed out that there were too few coaling facilities that provided coal dust fuel.

Then there was the matter of getting the vast quantities of coal into the firebox of a BR 45. The proposed 54 ft² (5 m²) (54.5 ft² [5.06 m²] Schwartzkopff) firebox grating was the limit of what one fireman could handle. Use of mechanical stokers was rejected but the designers did want to conduct further study of such systems. The result was that most BR 45s used two firemen. Only after the second World War were mechanical stokers installed.

Specifications

Sources:

"Das grosse Typenbuch deutscher Lokomotiven," Weisbrod, Bäzold, Obermayer, Transpress 1992, ISBN 3 334 70751-5.

“Die Entstehungsgeschichte der Baureihe 45,” M+F Journal, 1/1978, p. 42.

URL www.dlok.de/BR45.htm