#2462
DRG Class 61
🇩🇪 Germany ·built by Henschel & Sohn· from 1935· class of 1+1 German 4-6-4T and 4-6-6T locomotives
2 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Henschel Wegmann Zug: Scan by de:Benutzer:Erfurth· Public domain
- 2. 2011-03-05-eisenbahnmuseum-nuernberg-by-RalfR-27: Ralf Roletschek ( talk ) - Fahrradtechnik auf fahrradmonteur.de· FAL
what is it?
The two German DRG Class 61 steam engines were express train locomotives specifically built by Henschel for the Henschel-Wegmann train in service with the Deutsche Reichsbahn. The Henschel-Wegmann train was an initiative of the German locomotive construction industry, intended to be able to demonstrate a powerful steam locomotive-hauled train alongside the emerging express diesel multiple units, such as the Hamburg Flyer.
who runs it
base stats
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 91 years ago, in 1935.
- Top speed is 1.3× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
- At full speed it would cover Amsterdam–Utrecht (≈ 40 km) in 14 minutes.
- Weighs about as much as 17 African elephants (~6 t each).
- Served for 26 years (1935–1961).
steam locomotive: Burns coal, wood or oil to boil water; the steam drives pistons that turn the wheels.
spec sheet
- built
- 1935
- in service from
- 1935
- retired
- 1961
- status
- retired
- number built
- 2
- kind
- Steam
- traction
- steam
- origin
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- builders
- Henschel & Sohn
- operators
- Deutsche Reichsbahn, Deutsche Bundesbahn, Deutsche Reichsbahn (GDR)
- top speed
- 175 km/h
- power
- —
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- wheel arrangement
- 4-6-4
- weight
- 101 t
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q882681, Wikipedia: DRG Class 61 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.