DRB Class 03.10 - The further development of the 03 series

DRB Class 03.10 - DR standard express locomotives

The DRB Class 03.10 were unit express train locomotives of the Deutsche Reichsbahn. They were built by the companies Borsig, Krupp and Krauss-Maffei. The steam locomotive DRB Class 03.10 is a further development of the class 03 and is comparable to the class 01.10, which preceded the class 01.

Initially 140 units were planned, but only 60 locomotives were completed. The reason for this was the beginning of the Second World War and the associated conversion of production to “war important” goods.

Details of the steam locomotive DRB class 03.10

Manufacturer: Borsig, Krupp, Krauss-Maffei
Length: 23,905 mm
Numbering: 03 1001-1022,
03 1043-1060,
03 1073-1092
Weight: 103.2 t
Years of construction: 1939-1941
Top speed: 140 km/h
Retirement: 1980
Fuel supply: 10 t coal
or 13.5 m³ oil
Water supply: 34.0 m³
Number: 60
Power: 1317 kW
Train heating: Steam
Boiler
overpressure:
16 bar
Grade: S 36.18
Type: 2'C1' h3
Details about the DRB class 03.10 - DR series 03.10

Length: 23,905 mm
Weight: 104 t
Top speed: 140 km/h
Retirement: 1980
Fuel supply: 10 t hard coal
Water supply: 34.0 m³
Number: 18
Power: 1729 kW
Train heating: Steam
Boiler
overpressure:
16 bar
Details of DRB class 03.10 Oil firing

Years of construction:Construction from 1965
Fuel supply: 13.5 m³ oil
Water supply: 34.0 m³
Retirement:by 1978
Details of DB class 03.10

Years of construction: Rebuild 1949-1950
Weight: 104.2 t
Power: 1375 kW
Fuel supply: 10 t of hard coal
Water supply: 34.0 m³
Reirement: 1966
Boiler-
overpressure:
16 bar
Train heating: steam
Interesting facts
The steam locomotive DRB 03.10, like the 01, belongs to the type 2'C 1' h3. They have 2 consecutive running axles united in one bogie, independent of the main frame, and 1 running axle independent of the main frame. The steam type is superheated steam and the engines have 3 cylinders.

More interesting facts

Steam locomotive DRB Class 03.10 - The history

In the 1930s, speed played a major role. Tests in the wind tunnel made it clear that higher speeds could be achieved even with locomotives with streamlined fairings. The first tests were carried out with locomotive 03 154. For this purpose, the running gear and drive unit were covered. The locomotive 03 193 was provided with a full fairing, since the Class 05 and 61 were already ordered with full fairing. The locomotive was used as a reserve for the 05 series. By cladding the locomotive, the air resistance was reduced by 50%, which was confirmed by measurements. In 1936 it was decided that fully clad locomotives with a triple engine of the 01.10 series and a steam locomotive BR 03.10 would be built.

The locomotive series were coupled with the tender 2’2′ T34, which was also fully faired. The vehicles produced by Borsig, Krupp and Krauss-Maffei were all initially clad with closed engine skirts. Because of the impairment of the cooling of the engine, locomotives manufactured by Krupp were only produced with a partial fairing in the engine area. On the former, manufactured around 1942, the fairing underneath the circuit was removed and adapted to the partially faired locomotives. The operating numbers of these locomotives were 03 1001 – 1022, 03 1043 – 1060 and 03 1073 – 1092.

After the end of the Second World War 45 locomotives remained in Germany. 26 locomotives were taken over by the DB and 19 by the DR in the later GDR. The Polish state railway PKP got nine locomotives, which were classified as class Pm3. The locomotive 03 1092 had to be taken out of service in 1944 due to war damage. Three locomotives came to the Soviet Union. The maximum speed was reduced due to damage to the track during the war.

This made a streamlined fairing uneconomical, furthermore it made the maintenance of the engine more difficult. In Germany, the fairings of all locomotives were therefore completely removed. Except for 03 1079 of the Deutsche Reichbahn, as this locomotive was already taken out of service in 1951. The 03.10 in Poland and the Soviet Union remained unchanged.

The original boilers of the series were made of steel grade St47K, which has proven not to be resistant to ageing (on October 10, 1958 the boiler of 03 1046 cracked due to material fatigue). For this reason the locomotives were equipped with new boilers.

DRB Class 03.10 - The reconstruction

DRB Class 03-1010 The locomotives remaining with the Deutsche Reichsbahn underwent major conversion measures.

The locomotives 03 1077 and 03 1088 were fitted with replica boilers in 1957, and the other 16 remaining locomotives were rebuilt in 1959 with the new 39E high-performance boilers and a number of other assemblies. This made the locomotives even more economical. In 1957 the German Reichsbahn introduced the term reconstruction locomotive (Rekolok). As so-called Rekoloks, these vehicles were equipped with a trapezoidal mixing preheater with a piston compound mixing pump VMP 15-20, which was installed horizontally in front of the chimney.

Trofimoff sliders were also installed. Only today’s museum locomotive 03 1010, the VES-M hall, retained the round surface preheater during the reconstruction, as it was equipped with a Riggenbach counterpressure brake. In 1961, 03 1074 was rebuilt to the original surface preheater for the same reason.

In 1952 the 03 1087 was converted to pulverised lignite firing system Wendler. However, as the firing system did not prove itself, the locomotive was rebuilt to coal grate firing in 1959. From 1965 on, all Rekoloks except 03 1057 were converted to oil-fired main firing. The engines 03 1077 and 03 1088 were reconstructed in 1966 after the end of the boiler period with simultaneous installation of the main oil firing system.

With a mileage of 22,000 km per month, the three-cylinder express locomotives belong to the top of the high-quality express train traffic of the DR. And this until their retirement at the end of the 1970s. The 19 locomotive engines of the Deutsche Reichsbahn had the following road numbers: 03 1010, 03 1019, 03 1020, 03 1046, 03 1048, 03 1057, 03 1058, 03 1059, 03 1074, 03 1075, 03 1077, 03 1078, 03 1079 (not a Rekolok, since it was taken out of service in 1951), 03 1080, 03 1085, 03 1087, 03 1088, 03 1089 and 03 1090.

DRB Class 03.10 - The reconstruction at the DB

DRB Class 03.10 The 26 locomotives of the DRB Class 03.10 series were refurbished at Henschel in Kassel for Deutsche Bundesbahn. Because of the bad condition of all locomotives the fairing was completely removed and replaced by a normal boiler fairing and Witte wind deflectors. The external difference to the DRB Class 03 became obvious by the cut-off smoke chamber door, the superheated steam regulator, the arrangement of the air tanks, the non-existent front skirt, as well as the shape of the cab and tender. The locomotives were stationed in Dortmund, Ludwigshafen am Rhein and Offenburg.

The locomotives 03 1014, 03 1022 and 03 1043, which were stationed at the Dortmund Bbf, received a steel-blue paint job on the cab, the boiler and the cylinder blocks in 1950. The smoke chamber and the chimney remained black. The feed water heater was moved near the chimney in 1952 and a round smoke chamber door was installed. During the general inspection in 1954, 03 1014, 03 1022 and 03 1043 were given back their original paintwork. The 03.10 from the DB also got new boilers. They received welded boilers with combustion chambers, which were used in the class 41 and were manufactured by the Krupp company. Furthermore, the vehicles received mixing preheaters.

The driving and coupling rods got roller bearings and all locomotives were equipped with new build tenders, which had a cover for the coal box and supply equipment. The installation work was carried out between 1957 and 1961 at the Braunschweig repair works. In autumn 1958, all 26 locomotives were moved to the Hagen Eckesey depot. Prior to this, the locomotives were also at home in Hamburg-Altona, Dortmund Bbf, Ludwigshafen am Rhein and Paderborn.

The 26 locomotives of the German Federal Railways had the following car numbers: 03 1001, 1004, 1008, 1009, 1011-1014, 1016, 1017, 1021, 1022, 1043, 1045, 1049-1051, 1054-1056, 1060, 1073, 1076, 1081, 1082 and 1084. Between November 1965 and September 1966 the locomotives of the class 03.10 were given z-series by the German Federal Railways, taken out of service and scrapped.

Preserved locomotives of steam locomotive DRB Class 03.10

The locomotive 03 1010 has been restored to coal-fired operation and has been preserved as a museum locomotive in the Deutsche Bahn AG collection. It is housed in the DB Museum Halle (Saale) and is looked after by the BSW Group Traditionsgemeinschaft Bw Halle P e.V. With the help of the Förderverein Schnellzugdampflok 03 1010 e.V. the locomotive is used in front of special trains throughout Germany. In 2011, it received the general inspection by the Meiningen steam locomotive works.

The non-operational, oil-fired Reichsbahn locomotive 03 1090 has also been preserved as a museum locomotive, owned by the DB AG. It is on loan from the Mecklenburg Railway and Technology Museum. The museum is located in the former Bw Schwerin.

The 03 1015, which still has its streamlined fairing, is owned by the PKP and is on display in the Warsaw Railway Museum as a non-operational exhibit.