Bahnbetriebswerk (steam locomotives)

These were of great importance during the steam locomotive era to ensure the smooth running of locomotive-hauled services.

Before a steam locomotive was allowed onto the line, the crew had to carry out a large number of preparatory jobs.

In accordance with the enginemen roster, the locomotive crew – engine driver and fireman – reported to the running foreman of the Betriebswerk in question.

Once all the checks had been carried out and the boiler had reached its operating pressure, the locomotive could drive out of the shed and onto the turntable.

After the tracks had been cleared by the signal box, the locomotive officially began its duties and ran out onto the main line.

[1][2] During the final kilometres to the terminal station the fireman began to prepare for disposal (Abrüsten) by letting the fire slowly burn down depending on demands of the route.

[4] Whilst the shed hands were busy washing out a locomotive, fitters carried out routine examinations and scheduled repair tasks.

The most important units are breakdown trains (for re-railing derailed rolling stock) and rotary snow ploughs.

Key: 1 - Water crane, 2 - Coaling point, 3 - Signal box, 4 - Roundhouse, 5 - Locomotive repair shop, 6 - Washout equipment, 7 - Inspection pit, 8 - Turntable.

When Betriebswerke were eventually connected to the regional water network, their drinking waterworks was usually closed down.

As a result, the railway waterworks developed their own filtering systems, where the water for operations was made usable.

Large and medium-sized Bahnbetriebswerke had their own laboratory that continuously monitored the water processing; in particularly checking the preparation of the boiler feedwater which was tested regularly.

In addition to testing the water, the laboratory was also responsible for checking oils and greases delivered to the depot.

The roundhouse was reliant on the turntable; if it became incapacitated the entire shed was out of commission because locomotives could not be run in or out of it.

Coal was delivered was by rail, either using normal goods wagons or with special self-discharging hoppers.

Many Betriebswerke ferried the coal from the bunkers using small narrow gauge tub wagons on rails to a rotating crane which then lifted them and tippled their contents into the tender of the locomotive.

Because these two variants needed rather a lot of space, small and medium-sized Betriebswerke had an overhead chute.

At the ashpits, the grate, ashpan and smokebox of the steam locomotive were cleaned as part of its disposal routine after duties.

During locomotive running, unburnt pieces of coal, ash and cinders lodged in the heating and smoke tubes, which therefore had to be cleaned out at specified intervals.

Although boiler feedwater was thoroughly filtered, it contained a number of chemical compounds that did not fully evaporate.

Higher than normal wear and tear on the tyres made it necessary to reprofile them ahead of scheduled overhauls.

Because Bahnbetriebswerke often had a lot of trackage, many were allocated their own signal box from which the various activities were controlled and directed.

In addition they were responsible for the overall budget (awarding of fuel efficiency bonuses and payment of holiday and sickness pay).

At a large depot, they were headed by an inspector (Inspektor), who was usually also the deputy to the shedmaster (Dienstvorsteher), and who was supported by various assistants and running foremen (Lokdienstleiter).

Group C was responsible for carrying out repair and maintenance jobs, transferring damaged rolling stock to the main repair shops, ordering spare parts and materials including management of the spare parts store, monitoring new vehicle systems, keeping the breakdown train ready and recovering broken down vehicles.

Smaller Betriebswerke allocated these tasks to a master tradesman's gang in group C, that had a maximum of 40 staff.

Both the DB and the DR during the 1950s established larger D groups at independent locations, known as Betriebswagenwerke or wagon depots.

Where this was not the case, Group D was headed by another inspector to whom, depending on the size of the depot, up to three wagon foremen (Wagenmeister) reported.

Their range of tasks included looking after the gas, water, steam and heating installations as well as coaling, sanding and loading stations (cranes, turntables, and traversers also fell into their area of responsibility), maintaining the electrical installations, weighbridges and track brakes, ordering spare parts and materials including management of the spares store and the instruction and control of the machine operators.

Group K was run by a Reichsbahn inspector and had the job of tasking and maintaining motor vehicles, sending them to the main workshops (Ausbesserungswerke), controlling and managing their fuel stores and drivers.