Prussian state railways History of rail transport in Poland

an economic crisis caused speculation in railway shares hit stocks in germany , austria in 1875. chancellor of germany, otto von bismarck, supported elimination of speculation on railway joint-stock companies. supported state s compulsory purchase of railways private owners, introduction of exclusive goods rate transport of agricultural products pomerania , east prussia berlin.

prussia nationalized railways in 1880 in effort both lower rates on freight service , equalize rates among shippers. however, instead of lowering rates far possible, government ran railways profit-making undertaking, , railway profits became major source of state revenue. nationalization of railways slowed economic development of prussia because state favoured relatively backward agricultural areas in railway building. moreover, railway surpluses substituted development of adequate tax system.

in 1893, prussian state railways introduced first modern fast trains (in german d-zug ) using new steam locomotive (s2/pkp class pd1) reach speed of 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph). trains included 4-axle bogie coaches compartments , side corridor , covered gangways (corridor trains). 1 such fast train route berlin bromberg , danzig. in 1898, first locomotive using superheated steam in world, designed wilhelm schmidt, produced vulkan company in stettin prussian state railways (kpev hannover 74 s4). opened new age of steam locomotive development. construction of prototypes of superheated steam locomotive classes robert garbe started in 1902. these were: s4 (pkp class pd2) fast trains, p6 (pkp class oi1) per passenger trains , g8 (pkp class tp3) goods trains.

in same year malborsko–mławska railway (the last large private railway under prussian rule) nationalized.

1906 saw continued production of famous standard superheated steam locomotive classes garbe in linke-hofmann locomotive factory in breslau prussian state railways. 584 of s6/pkp class pd5 produced, of 82 units operated polish state railways (pkp). approximately 4000 of p8/pkp class ok1 produced, of 257 operated pkp before world war ii, , 429 after war. 1 of these, ok1-359, preserved in working order @ wolsztyn museum.