MaK 240 B / MaK 240 C

Updated: August 2026 – Two type names, one power class, one difference: with MaK 240 B and MaK 240 C, the decisive information sits in the final letter. This page shows what it means, why the same manufacturer built both variants, and how to count axles reliably out in the field.

What’s behind the MaK 240 B and MaK 240 C?

Both are diesel locomotives for shunting and industrial railway service from the type programme of Maschinenbau Kiel. The type code follows the logic typical of MaK: the number denotes the engine power in horsepower, the letter that follows the number of coupled driving axles. B means two axles, C means three – each rigidly mounted in the main frame, without bogies.

That also makes clear why both types exist side by side: they cover the same power class for different track layouts. Within the UIC type codes, both belong to group 98 for diesel shunting and light locomotives, as distinct from 92 for diesel main-line locomotives.

Counting axles: the one decisive step

For these two types, counting replaces all further research. It works from a distance, in moderate light and without prior knowledge – provided you do it carefully.

The general order for identification – from the broad vehicle type to the specific type – is described in the guide to identifying rolling-stock classes.

Why both variants exist

The choice between two and three axles is not a question of power, but of the track layout. This comparison shows the trade-off.

Criterion	Two-axle version	Three-axle version
Wheelbase	short	longer
Negotiable curve radii	very tight possible	larger radii needed
Adhesion weight	spread over two axles	spread over three axles
Axle load at the same weight	higher	lower
Typical track in use	tight industrial and port tracks	siding and transfer tracks
Manoeuvrability in shunting service	very high	high

The same logic in the next power class up is shown by the MaK 450 C. How another manufacturer solved the two-axle task can be seen in the Henschel DH 240 B; from the later MaK programme comes the MaK G 320 B, where the letter keeps the same meaning.

Spotting and photography

Shunting locomotives of this size class run to no timetable. They work wherever wagons need moving – at loading points, interchange sidings and factory gates. Anyone wanting to photograph one looks for the interface between the siding and the public network.

• Side-on shot before front-on shot. Only from the side can axles be counted and rods identified. For these types, that’s the crucial piece of information.
• Capture the data panel too. Keeper markings, running number and inspection dates are gathered together on the side wall.
• Show movement. The rod drive becomes visible when starting off – a detail lost in a static shot.
• Include the surroundings. A loading point, factory gate or port backdrop tells you what the locomotive is there for.

How to log such observations systematically is described in the guide to the sighting log.

How industrial railways choose their locomotives

The fact that there are two variants of the same type is no coincidence, but the result of a sober selection process on the buyer’s part. Anyone operating an industrial or siding railway decides on quite different criteria from a state railway.

The track layout comes first. Tight curves on a grown-up factory site, level crossings over site roads, limited axle loads on older bridges – all of this sets hard limits. A locomotive that’s too long is no use if it can’t reach the crucial loading track.

Then comes the task. Are individual wagons being delivered to loading points, or complete groups of wagons hauled up an inclined siding? In the first case, manoeuvrability counts; in the second, adhesion weight.

Only after that comes power. This is the point outsiders usually overestimate. Whether a locomotive can start a group of wagons moving depends chiefly on adhesion weight and the gradient of the track – not on engine power. A powerful engine on too little axle load simply spins its wheels.

Finally, maintenance. Industrial railways rarely have their own locomotive workshop. Types for which spare parts and expertise are available prevail – one reason certain types persist for decades in certain regions. This continues in heritage operation too: at the Museumseisenbahn Ammerland-Saterland, north German MaK shunting locomotives are a familiar sight. On the line of the Museumseisenbahn Küstenbahn Ostfriesland you’ll encounter the same class of vehicle.

This logic explains why entirely different vehicles can stand on neighbouring siding railways even though the task looks similar. For spotters that means it’s worth thinking about the location too. How to build up such connections systematically while observing is described in the guide to spotting at a marshalling yard.

Common mix-ups

Conclusion

MaK 240 B and MaK 240 C are a lesson in how precise manufacturer type designations can be. Number and letter together describe power class and running gear, and the difference between the two variants can be settled in five seconds by counting. Everything beyond that – keeper, livery, location – changes constantly anyway.