Key takeaways
- Light locomotive is a functional description: low power, short distances, light shunting duty – not just a size statement.
- B stands for two coupled axles in a rigid frame, without bogies.
- The power class determines the body style: the smaller the class, the shorter the frame and the fewer the axles.
- Type code 98 groups shunting and light locomotives together and separates them from main-line locomotives with code 92.
- Many light locomotives are now preserved or in works service – fleet and locations change constantly.
Contents
Fact file
| Vehicle type | Small two-axle diesel locomotive for shunting duty |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Maschinenbau Kiel (MaK), Kiel |
| Power transmission | diesel-hydraulic – the letter "G" denotes the gearbox design |
| Axle arrangement per type suffix | B – two coupled axles in a rigid frame |
| UIC type code | 98 – diesel shunting and light locomotive |
Identifying features
Is this really the class in front of you?
- Only two axles in a rigid frame – type suffix B
- Very short wheelbase, compact body, low overall weight
- Bonnet with a small cab and sight lines to both sides
- Builder's plate with the manufacturer name MaK and works number
- Used on works, siding and port tracks, often for no more than a few hundred metres at a time
Updated: August 2026 – Two axles, a short frame, a small cab: the MaK G 320 B sits at the lower end of Kiel’s type programme, which makes it a good teaching example. It shows what the term light locomotive actually means in Germany, how power classes shape body style, and why the letter after the number is so useful.
Found a light locomotive? That's a rare sight.
Two-axle shunting locomotives appear in no timetable – log your find directly in Traintrack.
What is the MaK G 320 B?
The MaK G 320 B is a small two-axle diesel-hydraulic locomotive from the type programme of Maschinenbau Kiel, designed for light shunting duty. The designation is fully readable: “G” for the design with hydraulic power transmission, the number for the power class in the programme, “B” for two coupled axles in a rigid frame. Kiel’s type programme was later continued by Vossloh, which is why closely related machines carry different builder’s plates depending on the year of construction.
It is, then, a light locomotive in the classic sense – a vehicle for short distances with few wagons. Above it come the three-axle C types such as the MaK G 500 C; in Kiel’s older programme, roughly the same size range is matched by the MaK 240 B and 240 C. Comparable vehicles from other manufacturers include the Gmeinder D 25 B, for instance.
Understanding the light-locomotive system
“Light locomotive” is more than a size description in Germany. Such vehicles were historically grouped by power group, because that grouping guided the intended use, operation and training of the crew.
Power determines the purpose
Low power means: few wagons, short distances, low speed. That's not a limitation, it's the design intent.
Purpose determines the body style
Short distances call for a short, agile frame. Two coupled axles in a rigid frame are the simplest solution for that.
Body style determines the appearance
A low cab, a bonnet, a running board with a handrail, shunter's steps – these tell you it's a light locomotive from a great distance.
The letter reveals the running gear
B means two coupled axles, C three, D four. Double letters such as BB stand for two two-axle bogies.
Count first, then guess
The number of axles is the one feature of a type designation you can verify without any tools. Two axles immediately rule out all the BB and C types in the programme. This one observation clears away most of the possibilities with small shunting locomotives – and it works in poor light too.
How to build such a process of elimination in general is described in the guide to identifying classes.
Placing it in railway operations
Light locomotives work wherever things are tight, short and slow. Type code 98 groups them together with the larger shunting locomotives; 92 stays reserved for diesel main-line locomotives.
| Task | Suitable body style | Typical location |
|---|---|---|
| Moving individual wagons | two-axle light locomotive (B) | works track, loading point, heritage site |
| Short delivery of several wagons | three-axle shunting locomotive (C) | siding, small station |
| Transfer between network and siding | four-axle shunting locomotive (BB) | port, terminal, marshalling yard |
| Trains over longer distances | main-line locomotive (type code 92) | main line |
| Heritage operation and demonstration | any body style | society site, heritage railway |
Part of the surviving fleet of light locomotives now stands at heritage and society railways. There, visits are usually expressly welcome – an important difference from a works site. Where a particular machine currently stands, though, changes constantly, because vehicles of this size class are often sold and relocated.
Small locomotives, big gaps
Public fleet lists are especially thin for light locomotives – your sighting in Traintrack fills a real gap.
Spotting and photography
Light locomotives are photographically rewarding and tricky at the same time: they move slowly, but often stand in a cramped setting between sheds, wagons and vegetation.
- Get down to eye level. A low locomotive photographed from above looks like a model. A lower vantage point gives it presence.
- Include the surroundings. Light locomotives tell their story through the place: loading point, shed, works gate. Too tight a crop throws that away.
- Photograph the builder’s plate separately. For vehicles like this, it’s the key source of information.
- Secure the number, if there is one. If the locomotive is registered, the number begins with 98 80; the system is explained in the guide to the UIC number and its check digit.
Even small locomotives move without warning
Their small size is deceptive: even a two-axle shunting locomotive weighs many times more than a car and brakes accordingly slowly. In a shunting area, vehicles are moved without warning and without a signal. Works, port and siding railways are private property. Stay on publicly accessible paths and keep your distance from the track.
What distances apply, and why they’re not negotiable, is covered in the article on safe distances at the track.
Light locomotive, works locomotive, shunting locomotive: telling the terms apart
Several terms circulate around small diesel locomotives that often get mixed up in everyday use. They each mean something different – and knowing them apart lets you describe your sightings far more precisely.
Shunting locomotive is the umbrella term for vehicles whose job is moving and marshalling wagons. It says nothing about size: a four-axle transfer machine is just as much a shunting locomotive as a small two-axle one.
Light locomotive additionally describes a size range. It means vehicles of low power for light duty, historically grouped into power groups because that guided intended use and operation. A light locomotive is always a shunting locomotive, but not every shunting locomotive is a light locomotive.
Works locomotive doesn’t name a vehicle type but a place of work: a locomotive working on a business’s non-public track network. That can be a light locomotive, but equally a large four-axle machine.
The official system doesn’t recognise these distinctions. Type code 98 groups diesel shunting and light locomotives together, while 92 stays reserved for diesel main-line locomotives. For the vehicle number, it therefore makes no difference whether you’re looking at a two-axle light locomotive or a four-axle transfer locomotive.
For your notes, the more precise language is still worthwhile: “two-axle light locomotive, MaK, builder’s plate read, working on a works track” describes an observation in a way that’s still understandable later. “Saw a small diesel locomotive” doesn’t.
Common mix-ups
It fits the G 320 B if …
- you count exactly two axles in a rigid frame
- the builder's plate names MaK as the manufacturer
- the locomotive is built very short and low
- the type designation begins with "G"
Look more closely if …
- the locomotive is two-axle but the plate is illegible
- rebuilding has changed the cab or bonnet
- only an internal works number is marked on it
It isn't a G 320 B if …
- you count three or four axles
- the axles run in bogies – then it's a BB type
- the builder's plate names a different manufacturer
Conclusion
The MaK G 320 B is small, unspectacular and remarkably useful for understanding this group of vehicles. It shows how power class, axle count and intended use fit together – and why these vehicles are better approached through their type designation than through data tables, which rarely exist for them anyway.
In short
Two axles in a rigid frame, diesel-hydraulic, small power class: a genuine light locomotive. Counting beats guessing – and the builder's plate settles it in the end.
Document what would otherwise be lost
Light locomotives change keeper and location faster than lists get updated – Traintrack keeps your observation on record.
Summary
- The MaK G 320 B marks the lower end of the Kiel type programme and is designed as a light locomotive for light shunting duty.
- Two axles in a rigid frame are the defining feature and easily recognisable from a distance.
- The German light-locomotive system groups such vehicles by power and purpose, not by class.
- Where locomotives like this stand today changes often – heritage railways, works railways and private keepers share the fleet.
Frequently asked questions
What is a light locomotive?
A locomotive with low power for light shunting duty – for moving individual wagons, short delivery runs and work on works tracks. In Germany, a dedicated grouping by power group has historically been established for these. The term therefore describes a function and a size range, not a particular design.
What does the B in MaK G 320 B stand for?
B denotes two coupled axles in a rigid frame. A C denotes three such axles, a D four. Double letters such as BB, by contrast, mean two two-axle bogies. This suffix is the part of the type designation you can count directly on the vehicle.
What does the number 320 tell you?
It places the type in a power class of the Kiel programme; MaK based these figures on engine power. So the number is a class feature, not a number built, a year built or a speed. Together with the letter before it and the suffix after it, it gives a complete short profile.
Why do light locomotives only have two axles?
Because more axles bring no benefit at low power. Two coupled axles keep the frame short, make the locomotive agile on tight curves, and reduce weight and cost. For short distances with few wagons, this is the right body style – only at higher power do three axles or bogies become worthwhile.
Are locomotives like this still in service today?
Part of the fleet keeps working on works and siding railways, another part is preserved by heritage and society railways. Where a particular machine stands today changes constantly, though – sales, leases and changes of location are the rule for this group of vehicles. Check the current state before planning a trip.
How do I tell a light locomotive from a regular shunting locomotive?
By size and proportions: a very short frame, a low cab, often only two axles, overall noticeably smaller than a four-axle shunting locomotive. The operating pattern fits that too – few wagons, short distances, slow running. As always, the builder's plate gives you the final answer.
Does a light locomotive carry a twelve-digit vehicle number?
Only if it's registered for use on public track. Then the number on a German vehicle begins with 98 80 and ends with the keeper marking. Locomotives running exclusively on non-public works tracks often only carry an internal operating number.
Am I allowed to photograph a light locomotive on a works site?
Only from publicly accessible locations. Works, port and siding railways are private property; entering without express permission isn't allowed. On top of that: in a shunting area, vehicles are moved without warning and without a signal. At heritage railways, by contrast, a visit is usually expressly welcome.
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Related classes
MaK 240 B / MaK 240 C
MaK 240 B and 240 C share the same power class but differ in their running gear. The letter in the type name tells you how many axles are at work.
ShunterMaK G 500 C
The MaK G 500 C is a three-axle shunting locomotive from Kiel. The letter C is the key – it describes the running gear and clearly sets the type apart.
ShunterGmeinder D 25 B
The Gmeinder D 25 B is a two-axle small locomotive from Mosbach. Its type code reveals the drive and wheel arrangement – the rest is on the builder's plate.
ShunterMaK 450 C
The MaK 450 C is a three-axle shunting locomotive in a rigid frame. Its coupling gear and shunting equipment reveal a lot about its work.
ShunterMaK 600 D
The MaK 600 D is a four-axle shunting locomotive in a rigid frame. Its brake equipment explains why shunting service needs its own rules.
ShunterMaK 650 C
The MaK 650 C is a three-axle shunting locomotive with a rigid frame. Many machines in this group have been retrofitted for radio remote control – and it shows.
Who is behind it
Groups, brands, manufacturers and operators – who owns whom and how to recognise them out in the field.
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