Steam Locomotive BR 38.4

After the Second World War, all BR 384 locomotives found themselves in the inventories of the Western occupation zones. Many locomotives had been damaged by shelling or bombing of the railway installations, but because of the extreme shortage of equipment for passenger trains, most went back into operation. There were trials as early as 1949 and 1950 to separate the 384 from the locomotives in use at that time. The main reason was the very high repair costs in the EAW (railway repair shop). At the same time, EZA G&ouml, ttingen tried to demonstrate in an extensive invoice that use of the 71 locomotives in BR 384 instead of BR 50 for local train service would save 750,000 Marks a year. BR 50 (and 42) were used exclusively for passenger trains due to a shortage of passenger train engines in many depots in the French Zone. This proposal, however, met with resistance in the affected ED (railway district management). Most 384 thus went out of use in 1950/51. A small inventory remained in use in the Lindau depot on an island in Lake Constance, in 1950, the last five locomotives to undergo general inspection were all stationed here. These five machines were still in daily use in 1953. Veteran photographer Carl Bellingrodt documented these services at the last minute, as it were, in the scenic Lake Constance area. The 384 was also used here for an express train from Lindau to Paris for the French occupation forces. At the end of 1954, there were only two locomotives in stock, only one of which was in working order. This last locomotive - 38 432 - was retired on 12/05/1955. Some 384 were used afterward as heating engines, but unfortunately, none of them survived until today.

Delivery date: 1st Quarter 2012

Model: Boiler and chassis in die-cast zinc, close coupling between locomotive and tender, doors open and close, extra mounted metal handrails, finest paintwork and printing, illuminated driver's cab, finest metal spoked wheels, smoke generator and sound decoder, either built in or as a retrofit option, true-to epoch lighting, multipart lamp housing, train driver an fireman in driver's cab, perfectly replicated back boilerplate, filigree reversing gear, original colour replication: body black, wheelsets and chassis red

Charlie's Tip: Recommended products: Suitable for the order nos. Brawa 2445, 2446, 2448, 2449, 45311, 45312, 45405