List of Alsace-Lorraine locomotives

This list covers the locomotives of the Imperial Railways in Alsace-Lorraine ("Reich railways in Alsace-Lorraine") (EL) and those of the Chemins de fer d'Alsace et de Lorraine (AL). Alsace-Lorraine is a region in northeastern France that was under the control of the German Empire between 1871 and 1920, during which time its railway network was expanded and operated by the EL.

Locomotive Classification and Numbering

The Reich railways in Alsace-Lorraine numbered their locomotives sequentially and gave them names as well. The names depended on the type of locomotive.

In addition the locomotive fleet was organised into classes from the outset. The system was based on the Bavarian state railways with capital letters followed by Arabic numerals.

*A – Express and passenger train locomotives (named after rivers)
*B – Locomotives for mixed traffic (named after rivers)
*C – Goods train locomotives (named after towns and villages)
*D – Tank locomotives (named after people, forenames)
*E - Narrow gauge locomotives (unnamed)

A class number was issued to each delivery batch.

In 1906 all the vehicles were renumbered and a new classification system was introduced, this time based on the Prussian system. The different types of locomotive were given a specific range of numbers.

*S - Express train locomotives (numbers 1–500)
*P - Passenger train locomotives (numbers 501–1000)
*G - Goods train locomotives (numbers 1001–2000)
*T - Tank locomotives (numbers 2001–2600)

In 1912 the locomotives were again given new numbers and in some cases were reclassified. In addition, locomotive names were done away with.

*S - Express train locomotives (numbers 1–2000)
*P - Passenger train locomotives (numbers 2001–3000)
*G - Goods train locomotives (numbers 3001–6000)
*T - Goods train locomotives (numbers 6001–9000)

Narrow gauge locomotives were given the class letter ‘’’T’’’ and number range 3001–3042. This meant that two engines could have the same number. Older locomotives were no longer renumbered and retained their number until retirement.

In 1919 the French regional railway, “Chemins de fer d' Alsace et de Lorraine“ (AL) took over the system and continued with it until 1938, when the company went into the French national railways, the SNCF.

Steam locomotives

Passenger and express train locomotives

Narrow gauge locomotives

The narrow gauge locomotives of the Reich railways were built for the metre gauge lines of Lützelburg–Drulingen/Pfalzburg, Colmar–Ensisheim and Colmar–Markolsheim.

Literature

*Jean-Marc Dupuy, Jean Buchmann, Bernard Mayer: "L'encyclopédie des Chemins de Fer d'Alsace Lorraine", Loco revue, Paris 1998, ISBN 2-903651-29-9
* Lothar Spielhoff: "Dampflokomotiven – Bahnen in Elsaß-Lothringen", Alba, Düsseldorf 1991, ISBN 3-87094-142-1
* Wolfgang Valtin: "Deutsches Lok-Archiv: Verzeichnis aller Lokomotiven und Triebwagen Band 1 – Nummerierungssysteme", transpress, Berlin 1992, ISBN 3-344-70739-6
* Wolfgang Valtin: "Deutsches Lok-Archiv: Verzeichnis aller Lokomotiven und Triebwagen Band 2 – Dampflokomotiven und Dampftriebwagen", transpress, Berlin 1992, ISBN 3-344-70740-x
* Verein Mitteleuropäischer Eisenbahnverwaltungen (Hrsg.): "Die Entwicklung der Lokomotive im Gebiete des Vereins Mitteleuropäischer Eisenbahnverwaltungen II. Band 1880–1920", Oldenbourg, München und Berlin 1937

See also

*History of rail transport in France
*History of rail transport in Germany
*Länderbahnen
*Alsace-Lorraine
*UIC classification

External links

* There is an English-language discussion forum at [http://germanrail.8.forumer.com/ Railways of Germany]