BR 05 003 coal dust fired fast steam cab forward locomotive of the German Imperial Railways (DRG)



HISTORY
Already in the first decade of the 20th century, the German county railways were interested in high speed trains. There were built some fast running steam engines like the Bavarian S2/6 or the Prussian S9 or T16(old) or electric rail cars (3 line current), achieving 141mph, which was for a long time world record. But all efforts for a fast railway transportation system in Europe were interrupted by WW1. 
After WW1 the county railway companies of Germany were joined in the DRG ("German Imperial Railway Society")
  
The early DRG was not interested in high speed trains. Being part of the reparations duties by the Contract of Versailles, they were always in lack of money. The usual top speed on German railways was 75mph.
After the unexpected success of the railway-zeppelin (a railcar driven by a prop) by Kruckenberg, the DRG felt alarmed.The lightweight construction in railway vehicles was introduced, culminating in fast running diesel railcars like the SVT series.

In 1934 the German Imperial Railway Society (DRG) built two express engines, the serial 05 (4-6-4 h3) as an "answer of steam" to fast "SVT" running rail cars like the "Flying Hamburger".
 
The 05' serials were the first streamlined steam engines in Germany,intended for the non-stop relation Hamburg - Berlin - in rivalry to the diesel rail cars. 

The streamlining in railways was a big success and produced a huge profit about 30% power, however the energy-saving took only place at a higher speeds than 75mph. The 05's top speed was 108mph. Special powerful brakes were applied. At the same time the so called "Henschel-Wegmann-Zug" was introduced for a fast railcar-like connection between Berlin and Dresden. However, the serial 05 was coming up to early. The regular max speed on the DR-rails was still 75mph. Only on exquisite routes higher speed was allowed. So it was for logical, later streamlined steam locos of the DR have had a top speed about 87 - 93mph( 140-150kmh), like the 06, 01.10, 03.10 - not really getting the physical profit of a streamlining. It was just for show, the Nazi's show.
 
In 1937 the Deutsche Reichsbahn (now DR, German Imperial Railways) called for a cab forward engine as an object for studies, in mind to improve the view of the engineer in a fast running locomotive - like in US. Known cab-forwards were built too in France and Italy. 
This forced the constructors (Borsig)  to turn round the engine running with the firebox ahead. Cause they didnt wanted seperate engineer and fireman, the firebox ahead needed another fuel as coal in pieces. Unfortunatelly the political circumstances - the wish for autarky - prevented the use of oil, the principles of the Nazis demanded regional fuel like coal dust. And while the period of testing, there was used first brown coal dust with achieving 60% calculated power, the engine was running fine, later was used the intented hard coal dust, which didnt burnt out. (Later in the GDR railways, coal dust firing became success). The main problem was not enough airflow for the fire.

So the 05 003 became a big flop: the transport of the coal dust failed because of the long winding way of the feeding tubes, the coal dust which reached at least the firebox didn't burn completely out and the residuals was ejected out of the stack, so after a little test run the coal dust was thick as finger on the wagon roofs. The passengers looked like Negroes. Another part of the coal dust caked upon the firegrate and on the smoke tubes, preventing and closing the airflow. It was a very pitty the constructors didn't use a common oil burner, what would have had avoided all that problems. 

A sister of the 05 003, the 05 002 won for a short time the world speed record, demonstrating the well working construction of the basic 05. Anyway, the max. speed for conventional cylinder driven steamers was reached in Europe, cause it was not allowed to compensate the rotating wheel masses as more than 15%. A more promising way out for a fast running steam engine would has been a drive by a turbine or a steam motor engine, like the 19 1001.

In 1944 the 05 003-locomotive was turned round, the streamlining was removed and she was adjusted to her now too naked sisters' (05 001, 05 002) outfit, with a usual coal firing system. 

1950 the German Federal Railways ( DB, Deutsche Bundesbahn) again overhauled her and her sisters and for about 8 years the 05's were used for light, long running express trains. 
The combustion chamber, a relict of the coal dust firing system, made the 05 003 more powerful as her sisters, demomstrating the superiority of this construction's detail.
The 05 003 has had a power of 2400hp, using 20bar boiler pressure, which was later reduced.  


At least the three 05 locos, being a splinter group, were scrapped in 1958. 
The 05 001 was saved and reshaped with streamline in a bright red, for the famous traffic museum at Nuermberg.

The official table of performance pretended a 150 t train with 108mph, 735t with 75mph on flat or 110t with 108mph on a 1%o grade. 