Royal Bavarian State Railways

The management of the Bavarian railway network was divided into four Reichsbahn divisions: Augsburg, Munich, Nuremberg and Regensburg.

As a nation-state, Germany did not come into being until the creation of the German Empire in 1871 from the various German-speaking states, such as Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, Baden and Württemberg.

After 1815, the territory of Bavaria included the Palatinate, or Pfalz, which was west of the Rhine and bordered on France and became part of the newly formed German state of Rhineland-Palatinate in 1946.

The constant ringing of bells (German: bimmeln) as they crossed ungated tracks gave rise to the nickname Bimmelbahn.

By contrast, some lines are enjoying new-found museum status, such as Mellrichstadt–Fladungen, and others continue to thrive as a result of border re-opening and holiday traffic, as in the Bavarian Forest (Bayerische Wald).

Specially designed branch line coaches (Lokalbahnwagen) were produced from the 1890s onwards, initially in green livery with white outlines.

The latter were located in Augsburg, Bamberg, Ingolstadt, Kempten, Munich, Nuremberg, Regensburg, Rosenheim, Weiden and Würzburg.

Prior to 1886 they were subordinated to the "Head Office of the Royal Transport Institution" (Generaldirektion der königlichen Verkehrsanstalten).

From 1886 to 1906 they came under the "Head Office of the Royal Bavarian State Railways" (Generaldirektion der königlich bayerischen Staatseisenbahnen).

For many enthusiasts this is the most beautiful German steam locomotive and its popularity is testified by the numerous models produced in recent years by manufacturers such as Roco, Märklin and Trix.

Their design was radically new, the most striking features being the large driver’s cab which surrounded the entire boiler and the semi-automatic firing which enabled one-man operation.