Prussian G 8.1

The Steam Locomotive Type Prussian G 8.1 was conducted by Robert Garbe development of the G-8 and was initially referred to as " Enhanced Normal type ". It had a larger vessel and a consequent higher weight was intended to increase due to the higher friction by weight, the tensile force, as well. Due to the high axle load, however, the G 8.1 could only be used on the main railway lines. As application area came to a heavy freight added later also the heavy shunting.

The 8.1 G was the most frequently built provincial railroad locomotive and after 20 years later built DR 52, the second most -built locomotive type in Germany. For the Prussian state railways and last for the German Reichsbahn only 4,958 copies were produced. 137 received the Imperial Railways in Alsace-Lorraine (see Alsace -Lorraine G 8.1), the ten Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg Friedrich- Franz Railway, 50 the German army trains in World War I, six or ten trade union German Emperor. 185 units have been sold abroad, for example in Poland and Romania.

Sweden received the 1916 ordered 20 loco only in the year 1918 you were as G.1408 -. G.1427 supplied by Linke -Hofmann with the factory numbers from 1609 to 1628 and identified in Sweden from 1919 as Ga. After several renovations, the last ones in 1973 there were retired.

The Lithuanian Railways Lietuvos Geležinkeliai (LG) took over in 1920 a total of 22 G 8.1 and strung them together as a series P8. In 1932, the LG as a resupply of Škoda four more, slightly modified locomotives of this type.

The Reichsbahn took over 1925 3.121 Prussian locomotives as class 55.25-56 with numbers 55 2501-5622 (excluding 55 3367 ), the twelve Mecklenburg locomotives (two of them had the railway bought in 1920 by the Prussian State Railway ) were designated as the class with 55.58 points 55 5801-5810 and 55 5851-5852 filed. Among the Prussian locomotives Also present were 10 G 8.1 of the Imperial Railways in Alsace- Lorraine. In 1935 a further 43 locomotives from the Saarland came as 55 5623-5665 in the stock of the Reichsbahn, the last of which came originally from the Imperial Railways in Alsace- Lorraine. In World War II numerous locomotives from Poland and Lithuania were classified as understudies in the 55 series. From Belgium acquired the machine numbers 55 5666-5699 received. After 1945 the German Reichsbahn arranged in the GDR another locomotive from Poland 55 5898 and several from Belgium and France 55 7251-7260 and 55 8170 a.

In the years 1934-1941 a total of 691 G were 8.1 equipped with a front drive axle to increase the speed and reduce the average axle load. The rebuilt locomotives were renumbered in the DR series 56.2-8.

More than 1,000 vehicles were still after the end of World War II. In 1968 the German Reichsbahn further 150 vehicles and the German Federal Highway 50, which they designated as the class 055 from 1968. The last G 8.1 of the German Federal Railways, which 055538-3, was removed from service on 21 December 1972.

Have been preserved 55 3345 (ex Cassel 5159, Henschel 1915) in the Railway Museum Bochum- Dahlhausen and 55 3528 (ex Münster 5256, Hanomag 1915 Fabriknr. 7587 ) in Speyer.