The Prussian G 8.2 class of locomotives actually incorporated two different locomotive types: one was the Prussian/Oldenburg G 8.2, for which the Deutsche Reichsbahn subsequently issued follow-on orders; the other was the G 8.2 of the Lübeck-Büchen Railway.
Prussian G 8.2
The Prussian G 8.2 was a 2-cylinder version of the Prussian G 8.3. It had been established that the inside third engine of the G 8.3 was not absolutely necessary and discontinued the G 8.3 as a consequence. Like that engine the G 8.2 had been developed from the G 12 and was in essence a shorter version of it. The locomotives were employed on heavy goods train duties on main lines. Later the top speed on some units was raised to 75 km/h so that the G 8.2 could also be used to haul passenger trains. A total of 846 examples of the locomotive were built between 1919 and 1928 for the Prussian state railways and the Deutsche Reichsbahn. Five vehicles, that had been delivered in 1921 to the Reichsbahndirektion of Oldenburg, had been equipped with Lentz valve gear as was usual on the Oldenburg machines. The locomotives delivered in 1922 were Cassel division numbers; in 1923 several were supplied as DRG Class 31 before they were allocated their eventual DRG numbers in 1923. Another 150 vehicles were supplied to the Turkish and Rumanian railways. The firm of AEG converted four engines to coal-dust firing in 1930. 650 examples of these locos were still present in Germany after the Second World War. The Deutsche Reichsbahn had given them operating numbers 56 2001–2485 and 2551–2916. In the Deutsche Bundesbahn this class was very quickly retired; the last one to go being no. 56 2637, withdrawn in 1963 and retired in 1965. The Deutsche Reichsbahn in East Germany used these locomotives right up to the early 1970s - a number even being given computer numbers. Its last stronghold was Bw Vacha in Thuringia, which had both the first and last engine to be built: nos. 56 2001 and 56 2916. In Germany no Class 56.20–29 has been preserved. No. 56 2795 is in the Warsawrailway museum as no. Tr6-39.
G 8.2 of the LBE
The G 8.2s with the Lübeck-Büchen Railway were certainly similar to the Prussian G 8.2s, but were in fact an independent design with numerous differences. For example, they were noticeably longer and did not appear quite as stocky. They were intended to take charge of heavy goods trains running between Hamburg and Lübeck. Because these locomotives were also to be used in passenger services, the running gear and brakes were designed so that the top speed could be raised to 75 km/h. A total of eight engines was delivered between 1923 and 1930 by Linke-Hofmann. In 1938 they were given Reichsbahn numbers 56 3001-3008. The Deutsche Bundesbahn took over locomotives 56 3001 and 56 3003-3008 and retired them by 1951. No. 56 3002 was left to the Deutsche Reichsbahn in the east, who retired her in 1956. Locomotive 56 3007 has been preserved and is in the Darmstadt-Kranichstein Railway Museum. The engines were equipped with tenders of classes pr 3 T 16.5, pr 3 T 20 or pr 2'2' T 21.5.
