Key takeaways
- The G 12 is a five-coupled locomotive with a carrying axle: wheel arrangement 1'E, procured from 1917 as a heavy freight locomotive.
- Three cylinders are the standout feature: alongside the two outside cylinders, a third works inside – unusual for a Prussian freight locomotive.
- Class 58 means 1'E in the Reichsbahn scheme: freight tender locomotive, five coupled driving axles, one leading carrying axle.
- No regular service: the class is historic; encounters happen only in museum and society operation.
- Risk of confusion exists with the carrying-axle-less G 10 of Class 57 and with later 1'E standard locomotives such as Class 44.
Contents
Fact file
| Vehicle type | Freight tender locomotive |
|---|---|
| Wheel arrangement | 1'E – one leading carrying axle, five coupled driving axles |
| State railway class | Prussian G 12, procured from 1917 |
| Motion | Three cylinders – two outside, one inside under the smokebox |
| DRG class | 58 – freight tender locomotives of the 1'E design |
| Service status | No longer in regular service; preserved machines in museum and society collections |
Identifying features
Is this really the class in front of you?
- Five coupled driving axles with a noticeably smaller carrying axle in front – the wheel arrangement 1'E
- Three cylinders: two visible outside, one inside between the frame plates – giving the locomotive an extra motion
- A powerful, high-set boiler; the locomotive looks more massive than older Prussian freight locomotives
- Tender behind the cab, no side water tanks
- Vehicle number begins with 58; the following digits denote the sub-class
- Found only in a museum setting – heritage railway, special train or memorial
Updated: August 2026 – Five coupled driving axles, a carrying axle in front and a third motion in the middle: Class 58 was the most technically advanced Prussian freight locomotive of its time. Behind the number stands the G 12 class, procured from 1917. There’s long been no regular service left – but in museum operation it’s an especially rewarding subject.
Three-cylinder locomotive in front of the lens?
Log the number, date and occasion in Traintrack – with such rare machines, every single encounter counts.
What is Class 58 (Prussian G 12)?
Class 58 is the Reichsbahn designation for freight tender locomotives of wheel arrangement 1’E, chief among them the Prussian G 12 class. These machines have five coupled driving axles, a carrying axle in front, and work with three cylinders – two outside and one inside.
The G 12 emerged from 1917 under the pressure of wartime traffic and marked a clear leap forward: more power, a more powerful boiler, and a motion that delivers power to the rail more evenly. After the Second World War, part of the fleet was rebuilt and reconstructed, which led to its own sub-classes. Today, Class 58 is a purely historic vehicle with no scheduled service. Preserved machines stand, among other places, in the Saxon Railway Museum Chemnitz-Hilbersdorf.
Why the Reichsbahn gave it exactly the number 58
The Deutsche Reichsbahn’s class scheme orders steam locomotives by purpose and design. Within the freight tender locomotives – the 40 to 59 range – the number rises with axle count and wheel arrangement. The 58 sits there at the upper end of the classic five-coupled locomotives.
| Class | Wheel arrangement | Cylinders | Well-known example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | D | two | Prussian G 8 / G 8.1 |
| 56 | 1’D | two | Prussian G 8.2 |
| 57 | E | two | Prussian G 10 |
| 58 | 1’E | three | Prussian G 12 |
| 44 | 1’E | three | DRG standard freight locomotive |
| 50 | 1’E | two | DRG standard freight locomotive |
The direct neighbour in the scheme is Class 57 with the Prussian G 10 – the same number of coupled axles, but without a carrying axle and with only two cylinders. Also interesting is the comparison with the later Class 44: it too is a three-cylinder 1’E freight locomotive. The G 12 anticipated this design – around a decade earlier. The simpler two-cylinder variant of the same wheel arrangement is found in Class 50.
How to identify a G 12 in the field
Look for the carrying axle
A smaller, free-running wheel right at the front under the smokebox is the first clue. If it's missing, you're more likely looking at Class 57.
Count the coupled axles
Five large wheels, connected by coupling rods. Together with the carrying axle, that gives the wheel arrangement 1'E.
Look for the third cylinder
Between the two outside cylinders, the G 12 has an additional motion. Seen from an angle, the area under the smokebox looks built up rather than open as a result.
Check the sound
Under steam, a three-cylinder locomotive has a denser, less pounding exhaust beat than a two-cylinder machine. That's not proof, but a strong indicator.
If you want to learn identification systematically instead of memorising individual classes, the guide to identifying classes helps – it explains the sensible order for working through the features.
Count the cylinders from a photo
The cylinder count is hard to see at the lineside, but almost always clear on a clean side shot taken from an angle. Take this one extra photo – it often settles the identification later.
Placing it in railway operations: what a heavy freight locomotive had to deliver
Freight locomotives were built for tractive effort, not speed. Five driven axles put a lot of adhesive weight onto the rail without exceeding a route’s permitted axle load. The leading carrying axle also improves running through curves and allows a slightly larger boiler set further forward.
The G 12’s three-cylinder motion had a practical advantage still audible in museum operation today: the power impulses spread more evenly over one wheel revolution, the locomotive runs more smoothly and is less prone to wheel-slip when starting off. For photographers that means a somewhat more even steam plume and a distinctive sound that differs clearly from the typical two-cylinder rhythm.
Because such machines travel slowly, a special train often gives you several opportunities a day – for example on gradients, at water stops, or while shunting at a station. The basics for this are explained in the guide how to photograph steam trains.
Where is a steam locomotive out right now?
Community sightings show you current movements of historic vehicles – useful before every trip.
Spotting: the research chain for historic locomotives
For a class with no regular service, research replaces the timetable. This chain has proved reliable:
- Clarify the museum fleet. Which railway museums and heritage railways run vehicles of this design at all? Their fleet lists are the starting point and usually also state the condition. For Class 58 it’s worth looking at central German institutions such as the Bavarian Station Railway Museum Leipzig.
- Find the owning society. Many locomotives belong to societies, not museums. Their sites report restorations, boiler certification and planned duties fastest. An overview of the society landscape is given in the article on railway societies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
- Gather dates. Operating days, anniversaries and steam festivals are fixed months in advance. Note them down early – popular events are hard to plan for at short notice.
- Follow up on short-notice items. Transfer runs, test runs and load test runs usually only appear in forums and sighting reports. How to search there specifically is shown by the guide to the Historic Railway section on Drehscheibe Online.
Operational railway land stays off limits
Engine sheds, turntables, stabling sidings and workshop areas are operational railway land and mostly private property. House rules apply on museum premises, and the usual safety distance from the track applies on the open line. Barriers and staff instructions are binding – with no exception for a photo.
Common mix-ups
It points to Class 58 if …
- a carrying axle sits at the front and five coupled axles behind it
- a third, inside motion is visible
- the locomotive carries a tender
- the number begins with 58
Look more closely if …
- you count five coupled axles but the carrying axle is hidden
- the locomotive has been reconstructed and carries a different boiler
- you only have a front shot with no running gear visible
It's not a 58 if …
- no carrying axle is present at all – then the G 10 of Class 57 comes into question
- you only count four coupled axles – then more likely Class 55 or 56
- the number begins with 44 or 50 – then it's a standard locomotive of the same wheel arrangement
Verdict
Class 58 shows how much engineering history can sit in a single class number: the 1’E wheel arrangement, three cylinders, a boiler that was large for its time – and later rebuilds that gave the vehicle a second life. In the field you identify it by the carrying axle, five coupled axles and the extra motion. You’ll only encounter it in a museum setting – for instance at the Schwarzenberg Railway Museum – and that’s exactly why every documentation is worth it.
In short
Carrying axle plus five coupled axles plus a third motion: that's the G 12 of Class 58. No regular service, but a strong subject in museum operation – found through societies, heritage railways and event calendars.
Collect your steam locomotive encounters
Logged with number, date and occasion – so you keep track of which historic machines you're still missing.
Summary
- The Prussian G 12 marked a technical leap forward in German freight locomotive construction and was taken into the Reichsbahn scheme as Class 58.
- Two observations are enough for identification: a leading carrying axle plus five coupled axles, and a third motion in the middle.
- Later rebuilds and reconstructions led to their own sub-classes – the basic form stayed recognisably the same.
- The class is sought through heritage railways, societies and event calendars, not through timetables.
Frequently asked questions
What is Class 58?
Class 58 is the Reichsbahn designation for freight tender locomotives of the 1'E design – best known is the Prussian G 12 class, procured from 1917. It has five coupled driving axles, a leading carrying axle, and works with three cylinders. There's no scheduled service left today.
What was technically special about the G 12?
Above all the three-cylinder motion. A third, inside cylinder distributes the power impulses more evenly over the revolution, giving smoother running and gentler power transmission. Combined with the powerful boiler, that made the G 12 one of the most capable German freight locomotives of its time.
How do I identify three cylinders from the outside?
Look at the middle of the locomotive below the smokebox. On a three-cylinder locomotive, an extra motion sits there, whose drive usually acts on a cranked axle. From an angle you'll also see that the front between the two outside cylinders isn't open, but looks built up.
What sets Class 58 apart from Class 57?
The carrying axle. Class 57 with the G 10 runs as a pure five-coupled locomotive (wheel arrangement E), while Class 58 additionally has a leading carrying axle (1'E). On top of that comes the motion: the G 10 is a two-cylinder machine, the G 12 a three-cylinder one.
Does a Class 58 still run today?
Not in regular service. The class is a historic vehicle. Preserved locomotives belong to museums, societies and collections; whether one is operational depends on boiler certification, overhauls and the resources of the relevant custodian, and changes over the years.
What do additions like 58.10 or 58.30 mean?
They denote sub-classes and hence number ranges. The Reichsbahn, and later the Deutsche Reichsbahn of the GDR, used such ranges to separate designs and rebuilt machines from one another. Reconstructed locomotives with a new boiler got their own designation this way.
Why were steam locomotives reconstructed instead of built new?
Because the frame and motion were often still usable, while the boiler, as the most expensive and heavily stressed component, had to be replaced. A new boiler on an old chassis extended the service life considerably – a common approach in times of limited resources.
How do I find dates featuring historic freight locomotives?
Through the operators. Heritage railways and societies announce operating days, steam festivals and special trains on their own channels, often months ahead. You're more likely to hear about short-notice transfer runs through community sightings. Don't rely on older overviews – operational status and locations change.
Log your sighting of the Class 58 (Prussian G 12)
Date, location and vehicle number logged in seconds – and visible to the community.
Related classes
Class 57.10–35 (Prussian G 10)
Class 57.10–35 is the Prussian freight locomotive G 10: five coupled axles, no carrying axle, tender. Here's how to identify and find it today.
Steam/specialDR/DB Class 44
The Class 44 was the heavy freight locomotive of the standard-design classes: five coupled axles, three cylinders, around 1,989 built. The "Jumbo" now only runs in preservation.
Steam/specialClass 55 (Prussian G8 / G8.1)
Class 55 groups together the Prussian freight locomotives G 8 and G 8.1: four-coupled tender locomotives with no leading or trailing axle. Here's how to identify them.
Steam/specialDB Class 41
Class 41 was the fast freight locomotive among the standard-design locomotives: 366 engines, wheel arrangement 1'D1', 90 km/h. Today it only runs as a museum and special-train locomotive.
Steam/specialDR Class 42
The Class 42 was the heavy war locomotive KDL 3: 1,061 built, 1'E wheel arrangement, constructed from 1943. Today it survives only as a preserved museum vehicle.
Steam/specialClass 50
Class 50 is the most successful German freight steam locomotive: over 3,000 built, five coupled axles, low axle load. Today it only runs in heritage service.
Who is behind it
Groups, brands, manufacturers and operators – who owns whom and how to recognise them out in the field.
Eisenbahnmuseum Bayerischer Bahnhof zu Leipzig
At the Bayerischer Bahnhof in Leipzig stands Germany's oldest surviving terminus station – and alongside it a society maintains a collection of operational and under-restoration vehicles. The site combines two things that rarely coincide: the earliest railway history and active steam operation.
Heritage railwayEisenbahnmuseum Schwarzenberg (VSE)
The Verein Sächsischer Eisenbahnfreunde has built up one of the largest collections of Saxon vehicles in the former Schwarzenberg locomotive depot. On top of that comes running operation on an Ore Mountains line that is itself already a subject worth photographing.
Heritage railwaySächsisches Eisenbahnmuseum Chemnitz-Hilbersdorf
The Sächsisches Eisenbahnmuseum Chemnitz-Hilbersdorf isn't a heritage line, but a preserved motive power depot. Roundhouse, turntable and the neighbouring marshalling yard together form a site whose completeness has become rare – and which gave the place its name, 'Schauplatz Eisenbahn' (Railway Scene).
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