Bavarian BB II

The Bavarian Class BB II engines were Mallet saturated steam locomotives in the service of the Royal Bavarian State Railways (Königlich Bayerische Staats-Eisenbahnen).

Bavarian BB II DRG Class 98.7
DRG 98 727 in Bochum-Dahlhausen (1985)
Number(s)	DRG 98 701–371
Quantity	31
Manufacturer	Maffei
Year(s) of manufacture	1899–1908
Retired	1940 (?)
Wheel arrangement	0-4-4-0
Axle arrangement	B'B n4vt
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in)
Length over buffers	10,010 mm
Service weight	42.6 t
Adhesive weight	42.6 t
Axle load	10.7 t
Top speed	45 km/h
Indicated Power	280 kW
Driving wheel diameter	1,006 mm
No. of cylinders	4
LP cylinder bore	490 mm
HP cylinder bore	310 mm
Piston stroke	530 mm
Boiler Overpressure	12 bar
Grate area	1.40 m^2
Evaporative heating area	67.70 m^2
Locomotive brakes	Vacuum brakes, later compressed air brakes

They were specially designed for branch lines with tight curves and supplied in two series. The first series comprised 29 engines and was built between 1899 and 1903. The other two machines were delivered in 1908 to the state railway and were somewhat longer and heavier than the other locomotives.

Although the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft took over all the vehicles in 1925 as DRG Class 98.7, all bar three were retired during the 1930s due to their unsatisfactory riding performance. The last three engines were used after 1940 as industrial locomotives.

One example, the 98 727, was sold in 1943 to the Regensburg factory of Südzucker AG and was given the operating number 4. It was donated in 1972 to the Darmstadt-Kranichstein Railway Museum (Eisenbahnmuseum Darmstadt-Kranichstein) and is still preserved today.

External links

• Photograph of 98 727 as a museum locomotive (1973)