'Series 92'?

[Derekstuart]

Hello all

I have a question about a German locomotive and I know very little indeed about Continental stuff, despite inheriting my late Dad's rather large collection.

 

I was watching 'Colditz' (the 1970s series) and the POWs make their escape by train pulled by a small-ish tank locomotive, numbered 92 011. It didn't take long to find this is just called a 'series 92'- at least, one site called it that. NB it seems that a series 92 can also apply to a tender locomotive- presumably they are related in design.

 

A few seconds of it can be seen here 

 

 

Anyway, my questions are A) am I correct ^^^^ and B) is this locomotive still extant? being filmed in 1972-1974 and may well have been filmed in or around Rottweil (certainly it appears the exterior of the station was the genuine Rottwei). I'm guessing the filming date would be late 1972 to early 1973. I have no idea what the status of steam was in Germany then- in UK nothing was on the main line. In Germany this could have been still in service, or withdrawn except for this special or in preservation.

Apologies but I lack the knowledge of this loco to interrogate search engines.

TIA

Derek

Edited March 4, 2022 by Derekstuart

[EddieB]

The unified German classification system grouped similar locomotives into a single class (baureihe), such that 92 011 was the last of eleven Württembergische Staatsbahn (WüSt) type T6 locos inherited by the DRB (series 92 001-011), being built by Esslingen (works number3830) in 1918. 

 

After WW2 it was sold to the private railway Südwestdeutsche Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft (SEG), being withdrawn in 1974 and put on display at Europa Park, Rust (Baden Württemburg) in 1975.  From the dates, it is likely that filming took place with the assistance of the SEG.  By then the locomotive would have lost its pre-war number, so it would be a nod towards historical accuracy were it given that number again (as in the film clip).

 

As far as I know, it is still on public display in that theme park.

 

A full history can be found by entering the number into this database search engine: https://www.beitraege.lokomotive.de/datenbank/e_datenbank.html

 

Just to add that steam working in West Germany ended in 1977.  I don't have an exact date for Rottweil, but there was certainly steam activity there into the early 1970s.

 

 

Edited March 4, 2022 by EddieB

[5944]

https://www.dampflokomotivarchiv.de/index.php?nav=1412418&lang=1&id=101518&action=portrait

 

A couple of recent photos of the loco at the bottom of the above link.

Edited March 4, 2022 by 5944

[Derekstuart]

Many thanks @EddieB and @5944

 

After looking through the above links and seeing the references, it seems I've inherited at least one model of that class. I've never really taken much of an interest in German (or any non-British) railway before, but I think it's time I had a closer look at my Dad's collection. There are rooms stacked with stuff (literally).

 

Thanks again.

[Gordonwis]

There is a long history of course of film and TV makers putting spurious numbers on locos for filming, but it does look like this really was the genuine DRG  '92011'. If so the programme makers of Colditz did an unusually superb job of getting something close to correct.

 

From 1953 to 1974, the loco was MEG 394. MEG = Mittelbadische Eisenbahnen AG, Lahr (Schwarzwald).

 

This all makes very logical sense as the MEG railway is on the West side of the Black Forest, with Rottweil not far across the hills to the West.

 

Rottweil was one of the last steam sheds in southern West Germany and certainly had active steam in 1973 - 74 (the last Prussian steam locos in west Germany ended here in Dec 1974)

lots of youtube stuff if you put a search for 'dampf Bw Rottweil'

In one scene in the Colditz episode a Class 50 2-10-0 can be seen.

 

I have seen reference to some Colditz scenes being filmed in northern Switzerland, and this makes sense as well because I recognised the girder bridge as the bridge across the Rhine on one of the only Swiss railways never to be electrified (Etzwilen (CH ) - Singen (D) ). So it seems the makers did an even better job of realism as the scene depicts the escapees  reccying the bridge which would have been there way  into Switzerland

 

 

[Bill Jamieson]

On 04/03/2022 at 08:58, EddieB said:

 

Just to add that steam working in West Germany ended in 1977.  I don't have an exact date for Rottweil, but there was certainly steam activity there into the early 1970s.

I spent a couple of days at Rottweil in early September 1974. By that time steam was at a very low ebb but it was still worth a visit for the DB's last T18 4-6-4T (078 246) which was employed as station pilot, and the last P8 4-6-0 (038 772) which worked an early morning stopping train to Tuttlingen and back. There was also an early morning passenger duty for a class 50 2-10-0 to Villingen and back, plus another class 50 departed southwards mid morning (with a diesel pilot) on a freight, probably bound for Singen. But that was about it. As has been mentioned by Gordonwis above, the P8 and T18 lasted until the end of 1974 and I assume their withdrawal coincided with the closure of Rottweil depot to steam.

Bill

Edited April 26, 2022 by Bill Jamieson