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This list contains an overview of Mecklenburg locomotives built from 1848 to 1922, and is based on the classification scheme of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg Friedrich-Franz Railway (Großherzoglich Mecklenburg Friedrich-Franz-Eisenbahn).
Contents
Context
Mecklenburg is a region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the present day state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Its largest cities are Rostock, Schwerin, and Neubrandenburg. In 1815, the two Mecklenburg duchies – Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz – were raised to Grand Duchies, and subsequently existed separately in Germany until the end of World War I. The earlier private railways were nationalised by 1890 into the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg Friedrich-Franz Railway.
Overview of the locomotives
Mecklenburg locomotives were given a name as well as a number at the outset, the names being mainly chosen from geographical features in Mecklenburg. This naming of locomotives ceased in 1895.
Originally, locomotive numbers followed the sequence in which they were produced. In 1890, on nationalisation, however, a new numbering scheme was introduced. Each class was allocated a specific range of numbers. The Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg Friedrich-Franz Railway divided the locomotives into the following different classes:
In 1910 a new scheme was introduced that broadly conformed to the Prussian system. This entailed allocating group letters as follows: the letter P to passenger train locomotives (Personenzuglokomotiven), G to goods train locomotives (Güterzuglokomotiven) and T to tank locomotives (Tenderlokomotiven). Individual classes were distinguished by an Arabic numeral after the letter. To specify the sub-class, superscripts were used. So, for example, locomotives with simple steam expansion were to be given a "1" and compound locomotives a "2".
Early locomotives for mixed traffic
These locomotives were all built for the Mecklenburg Railway Company and went into the fleet of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg Friedrich-Franz Railway on nationalisation.
Narrow gauge locomotives
The Mecklenburg narrow gauge locomotives were built for a rail gauge of 900 mm (2 ft 11 7⁄16 in) and were procured for duties on the Bäderbahn Doberan-Heiligendamm–Arendsee.