Brawa German Steam Locomotive BR 19.1 of the DRG  
    

On 29 August 1941, the central office of the Reichsbahn in Berlin published a reclassification plan for numerous locomotives which were taken over as a result of the occupation of Poland. These included 54 remarkable 1´D1´h2 express train locomotives classified as BR 19.1. Twelve locomotives of the corresponding construction type had been delivered directly to the DR in 1940 as 39?1001 to 39 1012 and were now in service under the numbers 19 155 to 19 166.

This was a Polish express train locomotive, 110 of which had originally been built as Class Pt 31 as part of a “unit locomotive programme”. As with the passenger coaches (order nos. 45308 - 45310), the locomotives were heavily based on the German designs and only superheated steam locomotives with two cylinders and single cut-off were built. Here the “P” stands for express train locomotive, whereas the “t” designates the wheel arrangement 1´D1´. In 1932, the first engines were delivered from Chrzanów. In 1938 the Pt 31s were used in five divisions. After the Polish Railways came under German administration, first redeployments quickly began due to the great lack of locomotives. A large number were first allocated to the western centres of the RBD in GdaÄsk, Opole and PoznaÄ. Word soon got around of the excellent service provided by the locomotive in heavy express train traffic. The locomotive was powerful yet economical and easy to maintain thanks to its two cylinder engine. Therefore the RZA arranged trial runs which proved that the locomotive was superior to many German designs and that there was a complete lack of this construction type in particular (eight-coupled express train locomotive for hilly terrain). Therefore further redeployments took place in railway depots of the “Altreich” and “Ostmark”.  

Later the 19.1 replaced the streamlined locomotives of the BR 03.10 at the RBD Linz and ran between Linz and Passau. In the Bw Regensburg, the unit locomotives of the BR 03 were relieved. Turn-around was in Passau and Nuremberg. Nuremberg main station also received the BR 19.1 and reached Leipzig and Frankfurt am Main. The Bw Oderberg of the RBD Opole also ran express trains from Berlin through the corridor (occupied Czechoslovakia) to Vienna. After the end of the war, the stock was distributed to several European countries. First decommissionings had already taken place during the war. In the territory of the later DB, there were seven engines, but they were still used in Hof and Treuchtlingen up to 1950. 13 locomotives remained in the SBZ, of which at least 8 were operational. Up to 1955, all were returned to the PKP. Eight Pt 31 each remained in Hungary and Czechoslovakia. They were then exchanged with Poland by 1947 (CSD) and 1953 (Hungary). In Poland immediately after the war, there were only 12 locomotives remaining. After the aforementioned returns there were a total of 65 engines, but these were not all part of the stock at the same time. After the war, the PKP acquired a total of 160 new locomotives of Class Pt 47 on the basis of the Pt 31 with few changes. The decommissionings began from 1965 onwards and were completed by 1980. Only the Pt 31-64 was kept.