I am hoping for a German decapod also, saw the real things double headed on log trains ............ Maybe Steinzeit can elaborate.
BTW, Lionel had some brass 2 rail German decapods made (I think in the 90's). Only a few were made, maybe only 75 total. Why they made these, I don't know.
Since you asked:
There were basically four standard German 2-10-0's: The three cylinder 44, and the general purpose two cylinder 50, plus the two wartime locomotives, the mass produced 52 and its slightly heavier cousin, the 42. The two latter had disappeared from West German rails by the early sixties, so you saw the first two types.
"However": The [ West ] German Federal switched over to computer numbering for locomotives on 1 /68, with steam locomotives generally getting a 0 prefix to their class. Because the numbers of the 50 class ran from 001 up through 50.31xx, and the system only allowed for a three digit running number, the 50's became classes 050 through 053. Thus, 052.293, say, was the former 50.2293, and not a class 52. Also, the few classes that were either coal or oil fired were shredded out; thus oil fired 44's became 043's, and oil fired Br 41 2-8-2's became 042's -- again, not a Br 42.
As far as the Lionel Br 50's, there were originally to be three versions: prewar, postwar DB, and SNCF. However Lionel did not realize that selling something with a swastika is illegal in Germany [ condensed explanation ] so the production prewar ones were converted to postwar. I've forgotten the numbers, assuming the 'real number' was public knowledge -- maybe 300 total.
Lenz will be coming out with a 2 rail DCC equipped 50; those 3 railers who use flat topped rail and have reasonably broad curves [ maybe 48" radius, O-96 ] MIGHT be able to operate one with a minor mod or two. Just a thought.
Hope that helps, SZ
