Prussian S 4

The Prussian S 4's were German superheated express steam locomotives with the Prussian state railways, later grouped as DRG Class 13.5 in the Deutsche Reichsbahn. They were an evolutionary development of the Prussian S 3. The first locomotive was built in 1898 by Vulcan, Stettin as a modified S 3. She was the first superheated locomotive in the world.^[1] She was initially designated as Hannover 74 and towards the end as the S 4 Cassel 401. Two further trials locomotives appeared in 1899 and 1900 as Hannover 86 and Berlin 74 also classed as S 3's. They were later reclassified as S 4's Hannover 401 and Posen 401.^[1]

Not until the teething troubles had been resolved was the S 4 put into series production in 1902 in Borsig, from 1906 also in Henschel and Humboldt.^[1] Unlike the prototypes the production engines were developed independently of the S 3, and 104 examples were built in the years to 1909 when procurement was halted in favour of the Prussian S 6. Up to 1906 a smokebox superheater was installed; afterwards smoke tube superheaters were used.^[1]

The S 4's star waned even before the First World War, so that within a few years most of the engines had disappeared from the tracks. The remainder were employed on passenger train or even goods train duties.

In 1923 the Deutsche Reichsbahn recorded 44 S 4's in its provisional renumbering plan as 13 501-544. But by 1925 only four of them were left. These were given running numbers 13 501–504 in 1925^[1] and were retired by 1927.

After the First World War, six locomotives were given to the Polish State Railways (PKP), where they were classified as Pd2 class, numbers 1 to 6.^[1] During the Second World War five S 4s came into the Reichsbahn holdings from Poland as 13 401–405.^[1] Two of them were eventually given back to Poland in 1955 by the DR.

The locomotives were equipped with tenders of Prussian classes pr 2’2’ T 16, pr 3 T 13 and pr 3 T 15.

See also

• Prussian state railways
• List of DRG locomotives and railcars
• List of Prussian locomotives and railcars

References

• Herbert Rauter, Günther Scheingraber, 1991: Preußen-Report. Band 2: Die Schnellzuglokomotiven der Gattung S 1 - S 11. Hermann Merker Verlag, ISBN 3-922404-16-2 (in German)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Prussian S 4.

• There is a relevant English-language forum at Railways of Germany

v t e Classes of Prussian locomotive and railcars Express train locomotives S 1 S 2 S 3 S 4 S 5.1 S 5.2 S 6 S 7 S 8 S 9 (Exp.) S 9 S 10 S 10.1 S 10.2 S 11 Passenger and express train locomotives P 1 P 2 P 3 P 3.1 P 3.2 P 4 P 4.1 P 4.2 P 6 P 7 P 8 P 10 Goods train locomotives G 1 G 2 G 3 G 4.1 G 4.2 G 4.3 G 5.1 G 5.2 G 5.3 G 5.4 G 5.5 G 7.1 G 7.2 G 7.3 G 8 G 8.1 G 8.2 G 8.3 G 9 (Mallet) G 9 G 10 G 12 (C.F.O.A) G 12 G 12.1 Tank locomotives T 0 T 1 T 2 T 2/T 4 T 2.1 T 2/T 3/T 4 T 3 T 4 T 4.1 T 4.2 T 4.3 T 5.1 T 5.2 T 6 T 7 T 8 T 9 Elberfeld T 9 Langenschwalbach T 9.1 T 9.2 T 9.3 T 10 T 11 T 12 T 13 Hagans T 13.1 T 14 T 14.1 T 14 (Exp.) T 15 T 16 (Exp.) T 16 T 16.1 T 18 T 20 T 26 T 28 Narrow gauge locomotives T 31 T 32 T 33 T 34 T 35 T 36 T 37 T 38 T 39 T 40 Electric locomotives to follow Railbuses to follow Prussian state railways