The RüKB Nos. 51Mh–53Mh were German
narrow gauge steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...
s operated by the
Rügen narrow gauge railway on the island of
Rügen
Rügen (; la, Rugia, ) is Germany's largest island. It is located off the Pomeranian coast in the Baltic Sea and belongs to the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
The "gateway" to Rügen island is the Hanseatic city of Stralsund, where ...
in the
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain.
The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...
. They were absorbed in 1949 into the
Deutsche Reichsbahn in
East Germany
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
as their Class 99.463.
History
In 1913 and 1914 the Pomeranian provincial authorities, who had running powers for the following narrow gauge lines, bought a total of eight eight-coupled locomotives from
Vulcan
Vulcan may refer to:
Mythology
* Vulcan (mythology), the god of fire, volcanoes, metalworking, and the forge in Roman mythology
Arts, entertainment and media Film and television
* Vulcan (''Star Trek''), name of a fictional race and their home p ...
in
Stettin
Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin language, Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital city, capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the Po ...
grouping them as Class M:
*
Kleinbahn Casekow–Penkun–Oder
The term ''Kleinbahn'' (literally 'small railway', plural: ''Kleinbahnen'') was a light railway concept used especially in Prussia for a railway line that "on account of its low importance for general railway transport" had less strict requirements ...
(1)
*
Greifswald–Jarmener Kleinbahn (GJK) (1)
*
Rügensche Kleinbahn (RüKB) (2)
*
Demminer Kleinbahn West (2)
*
Demminer Kleinbahn Ost (1)
*
Kleinbahn Greifswald–Wolgast (1).
Because they proved themselves well, in 1925 a second locomotive was procured for both the GJK and the RüKB. These two engines were amongst the first superheated steam locomotives, unlike the first batch. They were therefore classified as the Mh.
Because the superheated locomotives performed even better, in 1928 the RüKB decided to convert their older machines to superheating.
After the RüKB was taken over by the
Deutsche Reichsbahn in 1949, the three engines were given the new running numbers 99 4631 to 99 4633.
In 1992 nos. 99 4632 and 4633 were given new boilers and cylinders at Raw
[''Reichsbahn]ausbesserungswerk
An Ausbesserungswerk (abbreviation AW or Aw) is a railway facility in German-speaking countries, the primary function of which is the repair (and formerly also the construction) of railway vehicles or their components. It is thus equivalent to a ...
'' or 'Reichsbahn repair shop' Görlitz. Both locos were finally in service in the original green RüKB livery as locomotives 52 and 53 Mh.
No. 99 4631 became a monument from 1984 to 2002 at
Lehrte
Lehrte is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 17 km east of Hanover. In the 19th century Lehrte was the most important railway junction in the former Kingdom of Hanover. As of the 21st ...
but is now back with the RüKB, the others are still in operation as before on the island of Rügen. No. 99 4632 phase been working in black Reichsbahn colours since 2003.
See also
*
*
List of preserved steam locomotives in Germany
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
*
Rügensche Kleinbahn
References
Sources
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rukb Nr. 51Mh-53Mh
Narrow gauge steam locomotives of Germany
0-8-0T locomotives
Private locomotives of Germany
Railway locomotives introduced in 1913
750 mm gauge locomotives