Key takeaways
- The G stands for the shunting and industrial programme from MaK, and the C at the end for three coupled axles in a rigid frame.
- Diesel-hydraulic means: the engine drives a torque converter, from which cardan shafts run to the axle gearboxes – no traction motors on the axles.
- Type code 98 stands for diesel shunting and light locomotives, and 92 for diesel main-line locomotives.
- Three axles in a rigid frame are the quickest feature to tell apart from any design with bogies.
- Keeper and livery change often on industrial locomotives – the builder's plate stays.
Contents
Fact file
| Vehicle type | Three-axle diesel-hydraulic shunting locomotive |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Maschinenbau Kiel (MaK) |
| Type range | G programme for shunting, works and industrial locomotives |
| Wheel arrangement | C – three coupled axles in a rigid frame |
| Power transmission | diesel-hydraulic via torque converter |
| UIC type code | 98 – diesel shunting and light locomotive |
| Reliable identification | Builder's plate with manufacturer, works number and year of construction |
Identifying features
Is this really the class in front of you?
- Three coupled axles in a rigid frame, no bogies
- A long engine bonnet, cab arranged noticeably off-centre or at one end
- Running board with shunter's steps and grab rails at both ends of the vehicle
- A sturdy, boxy basic shape with no gangway doors or train heating cable
- Builder's plate naming MaK as manufacturer from Kiel, on the frame or cab
- Type designation or internal fleet number instead of a classic class number
Updated: August 2026 – Three axles, a long bonnet, a cab set far back: the MaK G 765 C is a typical representative of Kiel’s shunting programme. Machines like this never appear in a timetable, rarely carry a class number, and change owner over the years – yet their type designation reveals a surprising amount. This page shows you how to read it and how to spot the power transmission.
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What is the MaK G 765 C?
The MaK G 765 C is a three-axle diesel-hydraulic shunting locomotive from Maschinenbau Kiel. It belongs to the so-called G programme – the class family that MaK developed specifically for works, port and siding railways as well as for heavy shunting duty. Kiel’s type range was later continued by Vossloh, which is why closely related machines carry different builder’s plates depending on their year of construction.
The type key can be broken into parts. The G stands for this shunting and industrial programme. The C at the end is the classic German wheel-arrangement notation: three coupled axles in a rigid frame, all powered. The number in between places the machine within a size and generation tier inside the programme. That means you already know how many axles a vehicle has and which league it plays in before your first proper look at it.
Operationally it’s therefore clearly sorted: it’s not a main-line locomotive but a working machine for short distances, tight curves and heavy starts. Anyone wanting to understand the whole family’s system will find the smaller and larger tiers at the MaK G 700 C and the MaK G 1204 BB.
Reading the MaK type key step by step
You don’t need factory documents to decode the designation. Three glances are enough.
Letter at the front
A G points to the shunting and industrial programme, a DE to the diesel-electric class family. That's the first broad fork.
Letter at the end
C means three coupled axles in a rigid frame, BB two two-axle bogies, B two axles. That can be counted on the vehicle.
Number in the middle
It places the machine within a size and generation tier in the works programme. It doesn't replace a works number – for a specific vehicle you need the builder's plate.
Anyone wanting to learn the order in which such features are generally worked through will find it in the guide to identifying classes. One special point applies to industrial locomotives: the type designation is the design, the works number is the vehicle.
Diesel-hydraulic, diesel-electric or rod drive?
Power transmission is the most interesting technical distinguishing feature on shunting locomotives – and it’s partly recognisable from outside. MaK’s G family works diesel-hydraulically: the engine drives a torque converter, from which cardan shafts lead to the axle gearboxes.
| Design | Principle | Recognisable from outside by |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel-hydraulic | Engine → torque converter → cardan shafts → axle gearbox | Clear view between the wheels, no large motor housings on the axles |
| Diesel-electric | Engine → generator → traction motors on the axles | Large ventilation areas on the body, cabling running to the axle bearings |
| Diesel-mechanical | Engine → gearbox → jackshaft or chain | Very small vehicles, often with a visible chain or coupling rod |
| Rod drive | Power is distributed via external coupling rods | Clearly visible rods between the wheelsets |
The quickest glance
Look at the area between wheel and frame. If external coupling rods are visible there, the matter is settled. If the area is clear and the drive is obviously internal, you're looking at cardan shafts – typical of the hydraulic design.
The diesel-electric counterpart in the same works programme is shown by the MaK DE 1002. Comparing both concepts on a real vehicle is one of the most instructive exercises for anyone wanting to identify shunting locomotives systematically.
Where three-axle shunting locomotives work
Shunting locomotives don’t follow a timetable, but the workload. That gives a simple rule for the search: it’s not the time of day that decides, but the location.
| Setting | Chance of a sighting | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Port and industrial railways | High | Classic working area, often with level crossings on public roads |
| Siding tracks at works | Medium | Movement only on delivery, often irregular |
| Station forecourts and loading roads | Medium | Transfer runs between works and network are visible from outside |
| Workshop areas and depots | Low | Private property, no access, often enclosed |
| Heritage and club sites | Medium | Preserved machines, plannable on event days |
Fleet and keeper change constantly
Industrial locomotives are sold, leased, repainted and renamed. Details on keeper, livery and location are only a snapshot. Check the current status before you plan a trip – and document every sighting with a date.
See where industrial locomotives were last reported
Community sightings show you which vehicles are currently turning up in your area – before you set off.
Spotting and photography in the shunting area
Shunting locomotives rarely sit conveniently and rarely run predictably. These four points make the difference between a record shot and a genuinely usable photo.
Side view before a head-on shot
The side view shows axle count, frame type and the arrangement of bonnet and cab – exactly the features that lead to identification.
Builder's plate as the second shot
A legible photo of the plate replaces any guesswork. Only take it from a permitted vantage point with a telephoto lens.
Be ready for movement without warning
In the shunting area, vehicles move without signals, often propelled and in reverse. Keep a permanent distance and stay on publicly accessible ground.
Bring the context into the shot
A loading facility, a crane, a works gate: the background turns a vehicle photo into a documentary shot that still tells a story in ten years.
Which focal length makes sense for this is covered in the guide to focal length in railway photography. How to behave correctly, both legally and practically, is covered in the guide to safe distance from the track and in the overview on spotting at marshalling yards.
Common mix-ups and how to rule them out
Most misidentifications don’t arise from exotic designs, but from similarly proportioned shunting locomotives from other manufacturers, and from genuine light locomotives such as the Gmeinder D 25 B, which is noticeably smaller but can be deceptive in photos without a size comparison.
It points to a three-axle MaK shunting locomotive when …
- you count three axles in a continuous frame
- the cab sits noticeably off-centre
- the builder's plate points to Maschinenbau Kiel
- there's no train heating cable and no gangway fittings
Look more closely when …
- the locomotive has been rebuilt or re-engined and the appearance differs
- it carries a company livery with no manufacturer marking at all
- you only see it from the front or against the light
It's not a three-axle design when …
- the axles clearly sit in two bogies – then you're looking at a BB design
- only two axles are present – then a two-axle light locomotive is more likely
- traction motors are visible on the axles – then the transmission is electric
Conclusion
The MaK G 765 C is a good practice subject because its designation tells you almost everything important on its own: programme, wheel arrangement, size class. What it doesn’t tell you is on the builder’s plate. Anyone who records both together – type designation and works number – has a sighting that still holds after the next change of keeper.
In brief
G for the shunting programme, C for three axles in a rigid frame, diesel-hydraulic transmission: that places the design. For the specific vehicle, the builder's plate counts – and a dated sighting, because keeper and livery change.
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Summary
- The MaK G 765 C belongs to Kiel's G programme, developed specifically for shunting, works and siding-railway duties.
- Axle count, frame type and power transmission are enough for a rough classification of the machine.
- A definite match to a specific vehicle runs via works number and year of construction, not via the type designation.
- Because such locomotives often change owner, location, date and condition belong in every sighting.
Frequently asked questions
What does the designation G 765 C stand for?
The G marks MaK's shunting and industrial programme – the class family developed for works, port and siding railways. The C at the end is the wheel arrangement: three coupled axles in a rigid frame. The number in between places the machine within a size and generation tier inside this programme.
What does diesel-hydraulic power transmission mean?
The diesel engine doesn't drive a generator but a torque converter. From there, cardan shafts lead to the axle gearboxes. The advantage lies in a compact build and a high tractive-effort range at low speed – exactly what's needed for shunting. From outside it's recognisable by the absence of traction-motor housings between the wheels.
What's the difference to a diesel-electric locomotive?
With diesel-electric transmission, the engine drives a generator, which in turn feeds traction motors on the axles. There's no mechanical gearbox between engine and wheel. From outside you often recognise it by large engine housings and ventilation grilles on the bodyshell, plus cabling running to the bogies.
What does type code 98 mean?
The first two digits of the twelve-digit vehicle number give the vehicle category. 98 stands for diesel shunting and light locomotives, 92 for diesel main-line locomotives. The split follows the intended use, not the size. Pure works vehicles often carry no such number at all, because they never run on the public network.
How do I tell C from BB?
Count the axles and look at how they sit in the vehicle. With C, three axles sit in one continuous frame, with no pivoting bogies. With BB, two times two axles sit in two bogies that can swivel relative to the body. A look from below at an angle at the axle bearings makes this unambiguous.
Where do you find such shunting locomotives?
On industrial and port railways, at siding tracks, in workshop areas and with private railway operators. A fixed timetable generally doesn't exist for them. Sightings come from publicly visible fringe areas – not from entering the site.
Am I allowed to photograph on works premises?
Only from publicly accessible areas or with the express permission of the operator. Works, port and siding railways are private property. In the shunting area, movements also happen without signals, often propelled and without a clear line of sight – entering is not permitted and is dangerous.
What belongs in a solid sighting?
Works number or internal fleet number, manufacturer, location, date and condition. Plus two photos: a side view showing axle count and frame type, and a legible shot of the builder's plate. That keeps the sighting unambiguous, even if the locomotive is later repainted or sold.
Log your sighting of the MaK G 765 C
Date, location and vehicle number logged in seconds – and visible to the community.
Related classes
MaK G 761 C / MaK G 763 C
MaK G 761 C and G 763 C are three-axle shunting locomotives of the same power class. The final digit separates the versions – you can hardly tell from outside.
ShunterMaK G 700 C
The MaK G 700 C is a three-axle shunting locomotive from Kiel. With manufacturer types, it always pays to ask about the gauge – it's never a given.
ShunterMaK DE 501 / MaK DE 502
MaK DE 501 and DE 502 are small diesel-electric shunting locomotives from Kiel. For these, the builder's plate is the most reliable route to a firm identification.
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.
ShunterMaK 650 D
The MaK 650 D is a four-axle shunting locomotive with a rigid frame. To identify one, read the data panel – not the paint job.
ShunterMaK DE 1002
The MaK DE 1002 is a diesel-electric shunting locomotive from Kiel's type programme. Here's how to read the type designation and identify the machine in the field.
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