Vulcan 0-8-0t Saxon tank engine...

Whilst researching for my latest project I came across this information on a German website - after running it through Google translate I got the following...

Heeresfeldbahnlok to the genus of the VI K of KSächs.Sts.EB 


In 1917, the military testing department in Berlin placed an order with Vulcan Stettin for 10 locomotives specifically for two military narrow-gauge railways. In November 1918 the 8-coupled superheated steam engines were at Vulcan ready for collection. 


The locomotives were designated with the names 7420V to 7429V however on 11 November 1918 Germany agreed to truce, so that these locomotives should no longer be required by the Heeresfeldbahn. In Saxony the IVK was at its limit and these Vulcan tanks in their low numbers could improve the situation. The Saxon State Railways seized the opportunity and bought all the machines at a price of 75,000 Reichsmarks. The first locomotive arrived already on Aug 28, 1919, 8 more followed in September and November and one straggler was delivered in May 1920. The locomotives were assigned to the genus VI K and obtained the car numbers 301-310. The first four-axle superheated steam for narrow gauge was also the penultimate of Sächs.Sts.EB new acquisitions for the 750 mm track. The first test runs of the new species were completed in mid- September 1919, No. 301 between Kipsdorf and Dresden I. During the test drive the locomotive Nr.302 on 23 September 1919 was carried out a performance comparison with IV K No. 194th. The K VI was able to develop an approximately 25% higher performance. However, the four coupled axles derailed on the track quite often, so that the intended routes had to have immediate measures for strengthening and renewal. The extensive trial dragged on (unlike today) over 9 months to June 7th 1920. 


After the test drives, the engines were on the gradients of the Erzgebirge mountain grove after Kipsdorf and Heidenau to Altenberg and on the busy line Potschappel - stationed Nossen. The German State Railroad Company took over all the machines and strung them together as 99470-99479 in the operation of the genus K44.6. The high-performance locomotives proved themselves generally very good, but the smoothness was due to the lack of forward axes something to be desired because the locomotives and rolling tended to swing. This was found to be the case with the Henschel VK five coupled tank engines also and the DRG therefore decided to obtain more copies of the Henschel to replace the last IK and decommission the oldest K to IV. 


War losses and reparations
Had 99471 and 99472 according to the Eastern Front 1940-1943 Gozdow, but returned to the depot Nossen. Fared worse 99474 came from the Eastern Front in the RVD Kiev did not return. 99 470 and 99 473 were used from 1944 to 1948 on the Lower Austrian forest district before 99470 was shipped to Mittersill. 99470 was lost to the EJ&KLR and 99473 to the USSR as reparations.

Yes - a work of fiction, but now you have the background on my latest LGB bash!