DRG renumbering plan for steam locomotives explained

In 1922 the Deutsche Reichsbahn began to develop a renumbering plan to standardize the numbering of steam locomotives that had been taken over from the state railways (Länderbahnen). Its basis was the corresponding DRG classification system.

The first renumbering plan in 1922 envisaged more class numbers than the later plans. The development of this scheme was discontinued because it was seen that there would be problems in practically adopting it.

The second, provisional, renumbering plan of 25 July 1923 was very like the final version of 1925 in its basic structure. It incorporated space for the new standard locomotives (Einheitslokomotiven) that were planned. The third and final renumbering plan of 1925 differed from its predecessor primarily in that all the locomotives retired up to that point – in some cases entire classes – were deleted; in addition several mistakes in the numbering were corrected.

With the exception of Bavarian classes, new locomotives built after 1923 were delivered from the outset with their new operating numbers. The actual renumbering of older engines did not begin until 1926.

Locomotives that were seen as obsolete and which would therefore soon be retired, were given serial numbers from 7001 after their class number.

Express train locomotives

Original operating numbers 1923 - 2nd renumbering plan	Final operating numbers 1925 renumbering plan	State railway class	Remarks
12 7001 - 7004
13 002 - 007	13 001		Rebuild of a S 2 to a compound locomotive
13 008 - 457	13 002 - 028
13 501 - 544	13 501 - 504
13 601 -647*, 651 - 904	13 651 - 850		Wrongly thought to be S 5.1s and so grouped into their own number range
13 1001 - 1442	13 1001 - 1286
13 1501 - 1512	13 1501 - 1511		Built 1900
13 1601 - 1697	13 1601 - 1624
13 1701 - 1714	13 1701 - 1714
13 1801 - 1806	13 1801 - 1806
13 1851 - 1861	13 1851 - 1861
13 7001 - 7020	13 7001 - 7012
13 7101 - 7120	13 7101 - 7112		Built 1896/97
14 001, 002	14 001, 002		Rebuild of S 9 into superheated steam version
14 031 - 081	14 031
14 101 - 112	14 101 - 105
14 121
14 131, 132			Vauclain compounds
14 141 - 150	14 141 - 145
14 151 - 161	14 141 - 145
14 201 - 215	14 201 - 215
14 301 - 318	14 301 - 317
14 401 - 403, 451 - 454
15 001	15 001
16 001 - 003	16 001 - 003
17 001 - 127	17 001 - 135
17 201 - 292	17 201 - 296
17 301 - 326	17 301 - 322
17 401 - 420	17 401 - 420
17 501 - 524	17 501 - 524
17 601 - 606	17 601 - 606
17 701 - 734, 751 - 755	17 701 - 734, 751 - 755
17 801 - 804	17 801 - 804
17 1001 - 1208	17 1001 - 1209		1911 and 1914 versions
18 001 - 010	18 001 - 010
18 101 - 137	18 101 - 137
18 201...258	18 201...256		Not all numbers were utilised
18 301 - 303, 311 - 319, 321 - 328	18 301 - 303, 311 - 319, 321 - 328
18 401 - 447, 451 - 463, 471 - 480	18 401 - 434, 441 - 458, 461 - 508		18 509 - 548 were follow-on orders by the DRG
19 001 - 023	19 001 - 023

Passenger train locomotives

Original operating numbers 1923 - 2nd renumbering plan	Final operating numbers 1925 renumbering plan	State railway class	Remarks
33 7001 - 7007
34 7001 - 7012
34 7101 - 7134
34 7201 - 7204
34 7301 - 7318, 7354 - 7366, 7370 - 7377	34 7301 - 7308, 7351 - 7364
34 7351 - 7353			Ex Prussian P 3.2, transferred in 1920 to Mecklenburg
34 7401, 7402
34 7411 - 7415
34 7421 - 7440
34 7451
34 7461, 7462
34 7501 - 7513
34 7601 - 7604, 7611 - 7633	34 7611
34 7701 - 7882	34 7701, 7702, 7721 - 7807	Saxon IIIb
34 7901 - 7918	34 7901, 7902	Saxon IIIb V
34 8001 - 8003
34 8011 - 8023	34 8011
34 8101 - 8123	34 8101, 8102
34 8131 - 8134
34 8201 - 8231	34 8201 - 8209
35 7001 - 7020
36 001 - 002	36 001		Rebuild of P 4.1, Erfurt version, to compound working
36 003 - 540	36 002 - 438		Standard version
36 601 - 626, 651 - 662	36 601 - 620, 651 - 662
36 701 - 731	36 701 - 708		Two-cylinder locomotive
36 751 - 850	36 751 - 826		Compound locomotive
	36 861		Not included in the second renumbering plan
36 901 - 919, 921 - 1018	36 901 - 919, 921 - 948, 951 - 1014
36 1101-1106			Built 1900
36 1201 - 1219	36 1201 - 1219
36 1251 - 1258	36 1251 - 1258
36 7001, 7002			Erfurt version
36 7003 - 7168	36 7001 - 7009		Standard version (so-called Hannover version)
36 7201, 7202			Ex Prussian P 4.1, transferred in 1920 to Mecklenburg
36 7301 - 7303, 7311 - 7314, 7321 - 7323
36 7331 - 7335
36 7351, 7361 - 7371, 7381, 7382			Built 1892 - 1897
37 001 - 151	37 001 - 163
38 001 - 013	38 001 - 013
38 101 - 108
38 201 - 324	38 201 - 324		38 325 - 334 were follow-on orders by the DRG
38 401 - 480	38 401 - 480
38 1001 - 3825, 3951 - 4051	38 1001 - 3832, 3951 - 4051
38 7001...7080	38 7001...7073		Not all numbers were utilised
39 001 - 209	39 001 - 230		39 231 - 260 were follow-on orders by the DRG

Goods train locomotives

Original operating numbers 1923 - 2nd renumbering plan	Final operating numbers 1925 renumbering plan	State railway class	Remarks
51 7001 - 7019
52 7001 - 7006	52 7001
52 7101
53 001 - 297	53 001 - 025
53 301 - 337	53 301 - 327
53 401 - 405, 451
53 501 - 504
53 601 - 740, 751	53 601 - 729, 751		53 751 was a follow-on order with a different boiler
53 801-898	53 801 - 865
53 901-926			Built 1901/02
53 1001 - 1011, 1051–1058	53 1001 - 1011, 1051–1058
53 7001 - 7522	53 7001 - 7157
53 7601 - 7692	53 7601 - 7617
53 7701 - 7705
53 7801 - 7821
53 7831 - 7833			Sigl version
53 7834 - 7868			Ex Bavarian Ostbahn
53 7871 - 7990
53 7991 - 8009
53 8011 - 8080	53 8011 - 8076		Two-cylinder locomotive
53 8081 - 8170	53 8081 - 8168		Compound locomotive
53 8201 - 8294	53 8201 - 8211
53 8301 - 8387	53 8301
53 8401-8411
53 8451, 8452
53 8501 - 8596	53 8501...8586		Last number range was not fully utilised
53 8597 - 8599	53 8587, 8597, 8598
53 8601 - 8665			Built 1893 - 1899
54 001 - 193	54 001 - 071
54 201 - 517	54 201 - 386		53 368 - 386 and other ex-Alsace-Lorraine G 5.2
54 601 - 708	54 601 - 671
54 801 - 1156	54 801 - 1092
54 1201 - 1204	54 1201 - 1203
54 1301 - 1359	54 1301 - 1364
54 1401 - 1427	54 1401 - 1432
54 1501 - 1725	54 1501 - 1725
55 001 - 680	55 001 - 660
55 701 - 1533	55 701 - 1392
55 1601 - 2266	55 1601 - 2256
55 2301 - 2432	55 2301 - 2433
55 2501 - 5667	55 2501 - 3366, 3367 - 5622
55 5701 - 5705	55 5701 - 5705
55 5801 - 5810, 5851 - 5852	55 5801 - 5810, 5851 - 5852
55 5901 - 5922	55 5901 - 5922
55 6001 - 6023	55 6001 - 6013
55 6101 - 6119
55 6201 - 6213	55 6201 - 6213
55 7001-7006
55 7101, 7102
55 7201 - 7215	55 7201 - 7215
56 001 - 005	56 001 - 005
56 101 - 185	56 101 - 185
56 201 - 205	56 201 - 205
56 301 - 353
56 401 - 404	56 401 - 404
56 501 - 516	56 501 - 516
56 601 - 625	56 601 - 625
56 701...785	56 701...785		Not all numbers were utilised
56 801 - 809, 901 - 1034, 1101–1125	56 801 - 809, 901 - 1035, 1101–1125
56 2001 - 2485	56 2001 - 2485, 2551 - 2905		56 2906 - 2916 were follow-on orders by the DRG
57 001 - 014, 021 - 083	57 001 - 014, 021 - 083
57 101 - 105	57 101 - 105
57 201 - 218	57 201 - 218
57 301 - 304	57 301 - 304
57 401 - 417	57 401 - 417	Württemberg Hh
57 501 - 508, 511 - 590	57 501 - 507, 511 - 590
57 1001 - 1394, 1396 - 2740, 2892 - 3100	57 1001 - 2726, 2892 - 3524
58 001 - 015	58 001 - 015
58 101 - 114	58 101 - 114		Built 1917, like the Prussian G 12.1
58 201...318	58 201...318		Not all numbers were utilised
58 401 - 462	58 401 - 462		Built 1919 - 1924, wie Prussian G 12
58 501 - 543	58 501 - 543
58 1001	58 1001		Built for the CFOA (Turkey), taken over by Prussia
58 1002 - 2143	58 1002 - 2143
59 001 - 034	59 001 - 044

Passenger train tank locomotives

Original operating numbers 1923 - 2nd renumbering plan	Final operating numbers 1925 renumbering plan	State railway class	Remarks
69 7001 - 7003*			69 7001, 7002 wrongly classed as T 4 of the 2nd Berlin variant
70 001 - 097	70 001 - 097
70 101 - 105, 111 - 125	70 101 - 105, 111 - 125		70 126 - 133 were follow-on orders by the DRG
70 7001			1. Magdeburg variant
70 7002 - 7004, 7015 - 7016			2nd Berlin variant
70 7005 - 7014, 7017 - 7033, 7036 - 7038
70 7034, 7035
70 7101 - 7155	70 7101 - 7154
71 001 - 116*	71 001 - 026		71 019, 020, 029 - 031 wrongly classed T 5.2
71 201 - 212	71 201 - 212
71 301 - 391	71 301 - 385
71 401 - 420	71 401 - 420
71 7001 - 7005
72 001 - 016*	72 001, 002		72 016 wrongly classed T 5.1
72 101, 102	72 101, 102
73 001 - 028	73 001 - 028
73 031 - 124	73 031 - 125		73 125 ex Alsace-Lorraine T 5
73 131 - 139	73 131 - 139
73 201	73 201
74 001 - 368	74 001 - 358
74 401 - 1396	74 401 - 543, 545 - 1300
75 001 - 093	75 001 - 093
75 101...302	75 101...302		Not all numbers were utilised
75 401...494	75 401...494		Built 1914 - 1918, Not all numbers were utilised
75 501 - 505, 511 - 588	75 501 - 505, 511 - 588	Saxon XIV HT
75 1001 - 1023, 1101–1120	75 1001 - 1023, 1101–1120		Built 1920/21
76 001 - 011	76 001 - 011
77 001 - 012	77 001 - 012
77 101 - 129	77 101 - 129
78 001 - 281, 321 - 371	78 001 - 282, 351 - 523		78 524 - 528 were follow-on orders by the DRG
79 001, 002	79 001, 002

Goods train tank locomotives

Original operating numbers 1923 - 2nd renumbering plan	Final operating numbers 1925 renumbering plan	State railway class	Remarks
88 7001 - 7003
88 7011 - 7017
88 7021 - 7026			ex-Bavarian Ostbahn
88 7101 - 7232	88 7101 - 7201
88 7301 - 7331	88 7301 - 7321
88 7401	88 7401
88 7501 - 7503	88 7501 - 7503
88 7511...7563	88 7511...7563		Not all numbers were utilised
89 001 - 080	89 001 - 078
89 101 - 121	89 101 - 121
89 201 - 274	89 201 - 269		Built 1896 - 1901
89 281 - 295	89 281 - 295		Built 1914 - 1919
89 301 - 403	89 301 - 410
89 411 - 414	89 411
89 501 - 506
89 601 - 670	89 601 - 670
89 701 - 717	89 701 - 717
89 801 - 890	89 801 - 890		Built 1921 - 1922
89 7001 - 7745	89 7001 - 7511
89 7801 - 7937	89 7801 - 7868
89 8001 - 8045, 8050 - 8051	89 8001 - 8022, 8050 - 8051	Mecklenburg T 3a
89 8053 - 8069	89 8053 - 8068	Mecklenburg T 3b
89 8101 - 8110	89 8101 - 8110
89 8201 - 8233, 8251 - 8272	89 8201 - 8221, 8251 - 8267		Built 1872 - 1895
89 8301 - 8307	89 8301, 8302		Former cog locomotives
90 001 - 328 (including T 9 and wrongly classed T 9.2)	90 001 - 115, 117 - 231*		90 022, 023, 123, 124 wrongly classed T 9.2
90 002, 003, 066, 067			Langenschwalbach version
90 154, 155, 167, 180 - 183, 351 - 363	90 116		Elberfeld version
91 001 - 162 (including the wrongly classed T 9.1)	91 001 - 115*
91 301 - 1771 (including the wrongly classed T 9.1)	91 301 - 1805*		91 301, 302 wrongly classed T 9.1
91 1901 - 1950	91 1901 - 1950
91 2001 - 2010	91 2001 - 2010
92 001 - 011	92 001 - 011
92 101 - 108	92 101 - 108
92 201...320	92 201...320		Not all numbers were utilised
92 401 - 413	92 401 - 413
92 501 - 505			Hagans type
92 506 - 986	92 501 - 913, 1001–1072
92 2001 - 2040	92 2001 - 2049
93 001 - 405	93 001 - 406
93 406 - 739	93 501 - 1261
94 001 - 004	94 001 - 004
94 101 - 130	94 101 - 130
94 201 - 462	94 201 - 467*		94 465 - 467 wrongly classed T 16.1, reclassified in 1934 to 94 1378 - 1380
94 501 - 1390	94 501 - 1377*, 1501–1740		94 501 wrongly classed T 16
94 1901 - 1908	94 1901 - 1908		Axle load 15 t
94 2001 - 2087	94 2001 - 2139		Axle load 16 t
94 7001 - 7022			Hagans version
	95 001 - 045
96 001 - 025	96 001 - 025

Cog locomotives

Original operating numbers 1923 - 2nd renumbering plan	Final operating numbers 1925 renumbering plan	State railway class	Remarks
97 001 - 034	97 001 - 030
97 101 - 104	97 101 - 104
97 201 - 204, 251 - 253	97 201 - 204, 251 - 253
97 301 - 309	97 301 - 307
97 401	97 401
	97 501 - 504

Branch line locomotives

Original operating numbers 1923 - 2nd renumbering plan	Final operating numbers 1925 renumbering plan	State railway class	Remarks
98 001 - 015	98 001 - 015
98 101 - 138	98 101 - 137
98 201 - 215	98 201 - 215
98 301 - 306			Krauss type, inside drive
98 311 - 339	98 301 - 309		Krauss type, jackshaft
98 340 - 352	98 310 - 322		Krauss type, standard drive
98 361 - 383			Maffei version
98 401 - 403	98 401 - 403
98 411 - 423, 431 - 556	98 411 - 423, 431 - 556
98 561 - 568	98 561 - 568
98 571 - 577	98 651 - 657
98 581 - 588	98 681 - 688
98 591 - 600	98 661 - 669		Built 1888-1893
98 601 - 609	98 671 - 679		Built 1898-1903
98 701 - 731	98 701 - 731
98 801 - 853	98 801 - 900		98 901-917 were follow-on orders by the DRG
98 7001
98 7011 - 7016	98 7011
98 7021			ex Berlin-Dresden line, Hanomag version, built 1884
98 7031	98 7031		Hartmann version, built 1885
98 7041	98 7041		Karlsruhe version, built 1873
98 7051 - 7088	98 7051 - 7079		Hartmann version, built 1882 - 1894
98 7091 - 7093	98 7091		Schichau version, Years of manufacture 1873/74
98 7101, 7111 - 7120	98 7111 - 7113
98 7201 - 7204, 7211 - 7239	98 7211, 7212, 7221 - 7227
98 7301, 7302, 7311-7316	98 7311, 7312
98 7401 - 7406	98 7401 - 7405
98 7501 - 7545	98 7501 - 7526
98 7601 - 7614, 7621 - 7681	98 7601 - 7614, 7621 - 7681
98 7691, 7692	98 7691, 7692	Bavarian PtL 3/3
98 7701 - 7709	98 7701 - 7709

Narrow gauge locomotives

1000 mm Gauge

Original operating numbers 1923 - 2nd renumbering plan	Final operating numbers 1925 renumbering plan	State railway class	Remarks
99 001 - 005	99 001 - 005
99 011	99 011
99 021 - 023	99 021 - 023
99 031, 032, 041 - 045, 051, 052, 061 - 063	99 031, 032, 041 - 045, 051, 052, 061 - 063
99 071 - 075	99 071 - 075
99 081 - 092	99 081 - 092
99 093	99 093
99 101 - 103	99 101 - 103
99 121	99 121
99 131 - 133	99 131 - 133
99 141
99 151	99 151
99 161 - 163	99 161 - 163
99 171 - 173	99 171 - 173
	99 181 - 183
			99 191 - 194 were follow-on orders by the DRG
99 201	99 201
99 7101, 7102	99 7102

900 mm Gauge

Original operating numbers 1923 - 2nd renumbering plan	Final operating numbers 1925 renumbering plan	State railway class	Remarks
99 301, 302			Built 1891 - 1898
99 303 - 305	99 301 - 303		Built 1910 - 1914
99 311 - 313	99 311 - 313	(Mecklenburg T 42)

785 mm Gauge

Original operating numbers 1923 - 2nd renumbering plan	Final operating numbers 1925 renumbering plan	State railway class	Remarks
99 401 - 408	99 401 - 408
99 411 - 421	99 411 - 421
99 431 - 435	99 431 - 435		99 441 - 446 were follow-on orders by the DRG
99 7401 - 7404
99 7411 - 7413

750 mm Gauge

Original operating numbers 1923 - 2nd renumbering plan	Final operating numbers 1925 renumbering plan	State railway class	Remarks
99 501 - 504	99 501 - 504
99 511 - 546, 551 - 558, 561 - 579, 581 - 608	99 511 - 546, 551 - 558, 561 - 579, 581 - 608
99 611 - 619	99 611 - 619
99 631 - 623	99 621, 622
99 631 - 639	99 631 - 639
99 641 - 655, 99 671 - 717	99 641 - 655, 99 671 - 717
99 7501 - 7537	99 7501 - 7527
99 7541 - 7546	99 7541 - 7546
99 7551			Double locomotive, comprising two I Ks

Literature

Helmut Griebl, Fr. Schadow: Verzeichnis der deutschen Lokomotiven 1923 - 1965; Transpress VEB Verlag für Verkehrswesen Berlin, Verlag Josef Otto Slezak Wien 1967
Valtin, Wolfgang: Verzeichnis aller Lokomotiven und Triebwagen - Band 2; Transpress Verlagsgesellschaft mbH Berlin 1992;
Herbert Rauter, Dr. Günter Scheingraber, Manfred Weisbrod: Preußen-Report, Bände 3 - 8; Herrmann Merker Verlag Fürstenfeldbruck 1991 - 1994