Prussian G 5.3

The Prussian G 5.3 was a class of 2-6-0 goods locomotives. They were the two-cylinder-simple version of the compound G 5.4. As with many Prussian locomotive design, simple and compound versions of the same type built. The G 5.3, like the G 5.4, differed from the G 5.1 and G 5.2 as it had a shorter wheelbase and a higher-pitched boiler. The Krauss-Helmholtz bogie was intended to improve the driving characteristics, especially at higher speeds. Production of the G 5.3 was from 1903 until 1906, and 206 units were built.

At the end of World War I, 36 locomotives were surrendered as war reparations: 29 to Belgium as État-Belge Type 75, six to France, where they became 1851 to 1856 on the Chemin de fer de Paris à Orléans, and one to Italy where it became FS 603.001. In addition five were left in Alsace-Lorraine, where they became AL 4241–4245; 16 in Poland (PKP Ti3), three to Lithuania (LG class P 5.3, numbered 659 to 661) and one to Latvia (LVD class Pn, number 303, later to PKP).^[1]

In 1923, The Deutsche Reichsbahn listed 108 locomotives in its 1923 renumbering plan as 54 601 to 54 708;^[2] with a further 24 locomotives mis-classified as G 5.1,^[1] with the numbers 54 169 to 54 181, 54 183 to 54 193 allocated. In the final 1925 DRG renumbering plan for steam locomotives there were only 71 locomotives left, with numbers 54 601 to 54 671. The Reichsbahn retired its last G 5.3 in 1930.

During World War II four G 5.3 were repatriated from Poland as 54 651 to 54 654. The 54 655 to 54 659 were a mixed bag consisting of two former G 5.4 locomotives from Yugoslavia, a former G 5.3 from Poland, a G 5.4 from Lithuania, and G 5.3 also from Lithuania; the last three having been reclaimed from the Russians.^[3] The 54 651 and 654 had been used in Poland to power Armoured trains. The 54 656 was returned to the JDŽ in 1947.^[4]

• Hütter, Ingo (2015). Die Dampflokomotiven der Baureihen 54 bis 59 der DRG, DRB, DB, und DR (in German). Werl: DGEG Medien. pp. 37–41. ISBN 978-3-937189-85-7.
• Wagner, Andreas; Bäzold, Dieter; Zschech, Rainer; Lüderitz, Ralph (1990). Lokomotiven preußischer Eisenbahnen, Güterzuglokomotiven (EFA 2.3.2) (in German). Düsseldorf: Alba. pp. 55–57. ISBN 3-87094-134-0.

• Vandenberghen, J (1989). La guerre 1914 - 1918 et les locomotives "Armistice", 2. Description des locomotives K.P.E.V. (PDF) (in French). Brussels: SNCB. pp. 171–175.
• Weisbrod, Manfred; Müller, Hans; Petznik, Wolfgang (1978). Dampflokomotiven deutscher Eisenbahnen, Baureihe 41–59 (EFA 1.2) (in German) (3rd ed.). Düsseldorf: Alba. pp. 106–108, 207. ISBN 3-87094-082-4.