Alsace-Lorraine G 8.1
The Alsace-Lorraine Class G 8.1 was a superheated, goods train, steam locomotive with four driving axles, and was based on the Prussian G 8.1. There were no design differences between the two. The Imperial Railways in Alsace-Lorraine (Reichseisenbahnen in Elsaß-Lothringen) received a total of 137 G 8.1 engines between 1913 and 1919, of which eleven were built by Henschel and the rest by the Grafenstaden.
| Alsace-Lorraine G 8.1 DRG Class 55.25–56 SNCF Class 040-D | |
|---|---|
| Number(s) | DRG 55 2946, 3338-3340, 4275-4279, 4285 and 5665 |
| Quantity | 137 |
| Manufacturer | Grafenstaden, Henschel |
| Year(s) of manufacture | 1913–1919 |
| Retired | 1966 |
| Wheel arrangement | 0-8-0 |
| Axle arrangement | D h2 |
| Length over buffers | 18,290 mm (60 ft 0.1 in) |
| Service weight | 69.9 t (68.8 long tons; 77.1 short tons) |
| Adhesive weight | 69.9 t (68.8 long tons; 77.1 short tons) |
| Axle load | 17.6 t (17.3 long tons; 19.4 short tons) |
| Top speed | 55 km/h (34 mph) |
| Indicated Power | 927 kW (1,243 hp) |
| Driving wheel diameter | 1,350 mm (53.15 in) |
| No. of cylinders | 2 |
| Cylinder bore | 600 mm (23.622 in) |
| Piston stroke | 660 mm (25.984 in) |
| Boiler Overpressure | 14 bar (1,400 kPa; 200 psi) |
| Grate area | 2.58 m2 (27.8 sq ft) |
| Evaporative heating area | 143.28 m2 (1,542.3 sq ft) |
| Tender | pr 3 T 16.5 |
| Water capacity | 16.5 m3 (583 cu ft) or 16,500 L (3,629 imp gal; 4,359 US gal) |
After the First World War ten locomotives were left in Germany and were later given the numbers 55 2946, 3338–3340, 4275-4279 and 4285 by the Deutsche Reichsbahn. A further one, 55 5665, returned to the Reichsbahn in 1935 along with the G 8.1s from the Saar area. AFter the end of the war, 72 Prussian G 8.1 engines remained in Alsace-Lorraine and went into the fleet of the AL, the successor to the Reichseisenbahnen. They were joined by a further 138 Prussian G 8.1s handed over as reparations. Several locomotives were passed on to the French Eastern Railway and the Algerian State Railway. The SNCF took over the G 8.1 as Class 040-D. The last G 8.1 in France was number 040-D-260, which was retired in 1966.
The engines were coupled with Prussian class 3 T 16.5 tenders.