New steam locomotives for the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways

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If you look at the passenger numbers, the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways (HSB) are very successful. The financial situation is not so good, which is why HSB ordered an expertise from SCI Verkehr GmbH. They recommend to purchase railcars. Steam operation, which forms the basis for HSB's success, is to be greatly reduced for cost reasons. Here a decisive error of thought occurred, because the HSB steam locomotives are not more expensive to maintain and operate because they are steam locomotives, but because of age. With new steam locomotives, considerable cost savings could be achieved without losing its attractiveness:

  • DLM's light oil firing system, which successfully works for more than 30 years, allows clean, spark-free combustion enabling train operation even at the highest level of fire risk
  • Thanks to light oil firing and video support, new steam locomotives can operate without a fireman. This concept works splendidly on the Brienz-Rothorn and the Schafberg Railways since 1992
  • Sealed, grease-lubricated roller bearings instead of the maintenance-intensive, oil-dripping plain bearings reduce maintenance costs of the motion to a fraction
  • Boilers insulated according to the state of the art reduce radiation losses to a minimum and significantly save on fuel costs. No need for a fireman guarding the locomotives overnight
  • Electric preheating devices of DLM allow a cold locomotive to be heated up unattended and kept warm unattended, even for several days for constant operational readiness
  • The Riggenbach backpressure brake serves as a wear-free service brake going downhill, especially useful on the Brocken line, giving brake blocks and tyres of the locomotives and carriages a much longer life
  • In general locomotive-hauled trains offer a high flexibility in terms of capacity and services. Passenger cars, dining cars, open cars, saloon cars can be put together as desired and according to demand.
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