Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) was a renowned manufacturer of locomotives and rolling stock. Originally founded as early as 1839 in Breslau it moved to West Germany after the war and merged into the Alstom conglomerate in 1998 as Alstom LHB GmbH. A small private museum exists on the premises of the Alstom plant in Salzgitter. Various meetings at Alstom allowed me short visits on 13 October 2016, 31 May 2017 and 6 March 2018.
1 First a small tribute to our hosts from Alstom. I have visited the location in Salzgitter on numerous occasions and have always felt very welcome. Our hosts were always very warm-hearted in the personal relationship, despite business discussions (which were duly solved). They were also very understanding and willing to let us slip into the museum on three occasions. I am very grateful they granted us access to this publicly not accessible museum.
2 A prussian P8, built in numbers up to almost 4,000 (!) in the period from 1906-1930 (again: !) this loco is really the jewel in the crown of its designer Robert Garbe. It was a jack-of-all-trades ("Mädchen-für-alles") locomotive for everything but the heaviest and fastest trains. Meeting one of the 15 remaining examples was a happy occasion.
3 The Prussian P8 has always been in my heart. From the first moment I became aware of German steam classes the Baureihe 38, or P8 by its original Prussion designation, sprang out for its modest, functional yet graceful design. Being a class of almost 4,000 members it also had a serious impact on the traction landscape. At the tender age of sixteen I bought a book on the class bei Karl Julius Harder. It survived all storms of puberty, young adulthood and family life and now proudly resides in my book collection as one of the few youth items I managed to retain.
4 Me and P8
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6 The characteristic "gap" between the second and third coupler axle allows for a more spacious firebox.
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12 On the third occasion it was rather cold so I wore a much thicker coat
13 The P8's cab panorama
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15 The less visible and consequently more dusty driver's side of the locomotive. The museum has frosted glass pane walls, which allows comparatively much light in so photography by day is not a problem
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18 The skin of fly rust shows that the locomotive has not moved for a very, very long time.
19 The big end of the drive rod and the return crank, with an adjustable bearing
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22 Immediately behind the P8 the P10 is showing off its features. Ordered by the KPEV (Royal Prussian Railway Administration) its delivery was delayed until after the formation of Deutsche Reichsbahn. From 1922 to 1927 no less than 290 examples of the class were built to haul heavy passenger trains in medium mountainous areas. Its production was ceased as soon as the German standardisation program got into gear. With a tractive effort of 17 tons it was substantially stronger than the P8 (11,3). More on the P10 onWikipedia. The last three of the class in West Germany were withdrawn in 1967.
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24 Same wheeldiameter as the P8.
25 Two wonderful personalities together.
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27 The locomotive is in immaculate condition. Word has it it had just received a major overhaul before being withdrawn from service and offered to Linke Hofmann Busch for its museum.
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29 Boys will always be boys.
30 Which also applies to myself :-)
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32 The view on the driver's side
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35 The third cylinder between the frames. German three-cylinders used to have three seperate valve gear sets, whereas the British tried to derive the valve gear timings of the third cylinder from the outer two (see Gresley's conjugated valve gear)
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42 A tram once supplied by LHB
43 A Berlin tram car, from a class built between 1927-1933. In this museum since 1967.
44 This loco was supplied by the then independent Busch works as a battery locomotive (builder's no 1104) in 1916. It was reconstructed for catenary operation in 1961 and saw service until 1983, that is 67 years!
45 Built in Breslau in 1922 (Builder's number 2539) by LHB this loco saw service as an industrial shunter.
46 The class ET 171 (later 471) was used in de Hamburg commuter traffic (S-bahn). It was built preusmably 1939-1943. After the war a second batch was built. This unit was donated to the museum but rested (rusted) a few years in the open until it could get a sheltered place in the museum.
47 This is one half of an the articulated carriage of the double desk autotrain of the Lübeck Büchner Eisenbahn that had much in common with the Henschel Wegmann train. It was built with a bespoke streamlined 2-4-2 tender locomotive, quickly named Mickey Mouse, which could be operated from the car side cabin. Built in 1936 it caused quite a stir. Seven sets were built. The steam lcomotives were replaced by diesels after the war and the doubleedck cars saw service until 1978.
48 The bespoke built loco for the doubledeck trains, top speed 120 km/h. None was preserved
49 The Jacobs bogie
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54 This diesel railcar was built in 1938 in the wake of the streamline fashion that gripped all of Europe in the thirties. After an intiail trial of three, twelve more units were built to serve Berlin-Cologne. After the war they mainly saw service around Frankfurt until 1960
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62 A very unexpected exhibit, at least for me as I had no knowedge of it, was the imperial carriage of the last German empress Auguste Viktoria, spouse of Wilhem II. Built in 1911 this was one of no less than 22 cars that consisted the royal train. This cars came to the Deutsche Bundesbahn after WWII and was given Linke Hoffman Busch on the occassion of LHB's 120 anniversary in 1959.
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66 Entering at the servants side the attention to detail is immediately clear.
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68 Separate heating, probably to heat the car if it is stationary without a locomotive.
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70 A simple kitchen
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72 Servants coupé
73 Nevertheless not without its luxury
74 Stylish into the very last detail
75 To serve the royal needs. An Dutch TV advertisement on the score of a children's song read "Koning, keizer, admiraal, Popla kennen ze allemaal" (king, emperor, admiral they all know Popla; which was of course the particular brand of toilet paper that was being advertised)
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83 Now we appraoch the part of the carriage where mere mortals rarely went.
84 Her or his majesty's bedroom doubling as private work room
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86 In case his or her majesty might forget, this is here to remind him/her of the standing to be lived up to.
87 And the pillow does the same.
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89 Writing table with a tiny drawer with all necessities.
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91 Leaving the bedroom this private door, separate from the corridor on the other side of the carriage gives access to...
