Brawa Prussian Steam Locomotive S9 Class

The two new models that Brawa is launching are beautiful, fast and enduring. The S9 Länderbahn in green and the DRG's BR 14 in black are genuinely beautiful steam locomotives. Brawa's models are just as appealing as the originals, and they incorporate a whole host of precision details such as accurately replicated paintwork and true-to-epoch lighting. The boiler, chassis, gangplank, tender box and spoked wheels are also precision made in die-cast zinc, and the locomotives have doors that open and close.

Locomotives with a 4-4-0 or 2B wheel arrangement (i.e. with a two-axle bogie and two driving axles) dominated the European express train and passenger train scene for around 20 years. The Prussian State Railway alone purchased 3472 locomotives with this wheel arrangement; the last ones as late as 1913.

At the turn of the 20th century, trains started getting heavier and heavier, and many of the 2B locomotives were reaching their performance limits. Another carrying axle had to be added so that the locomotives could be -fitted with more efficient boilers. This gave birth to the 4-4-2 or 2B1 wheel arrangement, which was also called the "Atlantic" type. The Atlantic Coast Line in the USA first used this locomotive type, which is where it got its name from. Locomotive experts know that the Atlantics were the most -elegant and aesthetic steam locomotives ever built. They were also a great deal more powerful and ran a lot more quietly than their predecessors. Atlantic locomotives could travel at speeds of up to 200 km/h.

The KPEV (Königlich Preußische Eisenbahn Verwaltungen) was the first railway company to purchase S7 Atlantics starting in 1902 in two types - the Hanoverian type and the Graffenstaden type, each named after its -supplier. The locomotives ran extremely quietly and they were much more powerful than the 2B predecessors. Soon, however, they weren't able to meet the increasingly demanding requirements and the Hanoverian S7 was upgraded into a kind of "Super Atlantic", creating the S9. Designed and built at Hanomag in Hanover, 99 S9s were delivered from 1908 onwards.

The S9's excellent running properties and its powerful boiler made it perfect for the flat terrain of northern Germany. Its maximum permissible speed was 110 km/h, though the large tender made long-distance journeys of over 250 km possible. It was also visually appealing and is considered to be one of the most beautiful Prussian locomotives of all time. It is strange, however, that these locomotives did not incorporate the efficient superheated steam process which was already in use at the time. This was corrected in 1914 when the process of retrofitting the locomotives with superheated steam capability began. Unfortunately, though, it was interrupted by the outbreak of the first world war and only two locomotives were retrofitted. The retrofitted models did, however, perform better. After the war, 17 locomotives had to be transferred to Belgium and four to French railway companies. The Deutsche Reichsbahn only took over three of the remaining ones. They were allocated to the 14.0 locomotive category in 1925 but taken out of service a short time later. There was no demand in Germany at that time for locomotives that could pull light trains at high speeds. The Belgian State Railway continued to use its S9 very successfully, and the last S9 wasn't taken out of service until after the second world war, which is -further proof of its efficiency and excellent design.

Delivery Date: October 2008

This model is being offered at a cheaper price if ordered before 28/12/07. Is this a new marketing strategy? It does look very good and will be up to Brawa's usual standards. However how many people will order a year in advance? I might be persuaded.