#1382

Bavarian S 3/6

🇩🇪 Germany ·built by Henschel & Sohn· from 1908· class of 159 German 4-6-2 locomotives

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences

1. Joseph Anton von Maffei 03: Karel K.· Public domain
2. Steam Engine 18 478 S 3-6 2009-10-11: Bergfalke2· CC BY-SA 3.0
3. Steam Engine 18 478 S 3-6 near Oberstaufen 2 2011-09-10: Bergfalke2· CC BY-SA 3.0
4. Bavarian S 3-6 in Meiningen (2): NearEMPTiness· CC BY-SA 4.0
5. Bavarian S 3-6 in Meiningen: NearEMPTiness· CC BY-SA 4.0
6. Bavarian S 3-6 locomotive at Camp Williams at Is-sur-Tille, France, 10 April 1919 (111-SC-157281): Pvt. James W. Morse, U.S. Army Signal Corps photo 111-SC-157281· Public domain
7. Bavarian S 3-6 locomotive at Camp Williams, Is-sur-Tille, France, 9 June 1919 (111-SC-159671): Sgt. Musler, U.S. Army Signal Corps photo 111-SC-159671· Public domain
8. Bavarian S3-6 in Meiningen (3): NearEMPTiness· CC BY-SA 4.0
9. Bavarian S3-6 in Meiningen (4): NearEMPTiness· CC BY-SA 4.0
10. Bavarian S3-6 in Meiningen (5): NearEMPTiness· CC BY-SA 4.0

what is it?

The Class S 3/6 steam locomotives of the Royal Bavarian State Railways (later Class 18.4-5 of the Deutsche Reichsbahn) were express train locomotives with a 4-6-2 Pacific (Whyte notation) or 2'C1' (UIC classification) wheel arrangement. Of all the state railway locomotives, these engines are remarkable because they were made over a period of almost 25 years, even during the Deutsche Reichsbahn era. A total of 159 units were manufactured, more than all the other state railway Pacifics taken together.

who runs it

Deutsche Reichsbahn Royal Bavarian State Railways Deutsche Bundesbahn Palatinate Railway Chemins de fer de l'État Belgian State Railways

base stats

speed 120 km/htop speed
built 159made in total

Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.

fun facts

First built 118 years ago, in 1908.

steam locomotive: Burns coal, wood or oil to boil water; the steam drives pistons that turn the wheels.

spec sheet

built: 1908–1931
in service from: 1908
number built: 159
kind: steam locomotive
traction: steam
origin: 🇩🇪 Germany
builders: Henschel & Sohn, Maffei
operators: Deutsche Reichsbahn, Royal Bavarian State Railways, Deutsche Bundesbahn, Palatinate Railway, Chemins de fer de l'État, Belgian State Railways
top speed: 120 km/h
power: —
gauge: 1,435 mm standard gauge
wheel arrangement: 4-6-2

From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.

Sources: Wikidata Q455569, Wikipedia: Bavarian S 3/6 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.