
The Klien-Lindner axle (German: ''Klien-Lindner-Hohlachse'') is a special type of hollow
driving axle on
steam locomotives that enable better curve running due to its ability to slide transversely. It was developed by the German engineers, Ewald Klien and Heinrich Lindner, of the
Royal Saxon State Railways (''Königlich Sächsische Staatseisenbahnen'').
Design features

The Klien-Lindner axle uses a double, or hollow, axle, one inside the other. It has a hollow axle (''Hohlachse'') on the outside, connected at its centre by a
Cardan joint to a fixed
driving axle running through it. The Cardan joint comprises two spherical elements that are interlinked - a solid one on the fixed axle and a hollow one on the outer hollow axle, each oriented at 90° to the other that transfer the driving forces from the rigid axle to the hollow one. The hollow spheroid acts as a sort of link motion. In this way the hollow axle can be turned by the fixed axle. In addition, the connecting link is shaped so that the axles can slide relative to one another, parallel to their axes, to a small extent. The degree to which the hollow axle can swivel is set by the outer diameter of the fixed axle and the internal diameter of the hollow one.
This system is used on steam locomotives with fixed outer
frames
A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent.
Frame and FRAME may also refer to:
Physical objects
In building construction
*Framing (co ...
and
coupled axles. Typically the conventionally driven wheels are in the centre and there are outer Klien-Lindner axles, front and rear. In this way the wheels, which are fixed to the hollow axles, are 'steered' by shafts that pivot on the frame when the locomotive is curve running.
Coupling rods from the conventional driving wheels in the centre act on drive cranks on the inner axles fixed to the frame.
In spite of their relatively simple design Klien-Lindner axles were not widely used. Derailments were common when they were used as
leading axle
The leading wheel or leading axle or pilot wheel of a steam locomotive is an unpowered wheel or axle located in front of the driving wheels. The axle or axles of the leading wheels are normally located on a leading truck. Leading wheels are us ...
s. The axles often caused uneven, jerky running as a result of the resistance forces that arise from this type of Cardan joint, and they were expensive to maintain, something which was not offset by the reduced wear and tear on wheel flanges and rails.
Examples

Several locomotives of this type were ordered for the
Matheran Hill Railway in
India, which has curves as sharp as , traversed at a speed of . Consulting engineer
Everard Calthrop designed a 0-6-0T with Klien-Lindner articulated coupled axles to provide a flexible wheelbase, and four were supplied by
Orenstein & Koppel.
Steam locomotives with Klien-Lindner axle are still widely used for narrow gauge sugarcane railway in
Java, Indonesia.
Locomotives with Klien-Lindner hollow axles (selection):
*
BBÖ Kh
*
DR Class 99.331 (''Brigadelok'')
*
HF 210 E, a military field locomotive
*
MLR Class ML, used on the Matheran Hill Railway.
*
Prussian T 37
The Prussian T 37s were German steam locomotives operated by the Prussian state railways. They replaced the smaller locomotives on the railway line between Beuthen and Kattowitz. In all 20 engines were supplied to Prussia, of which eight were ta ...
*
Nos. 1 to 3 of the Rosenberg–Korytnica branch line
*
Saxon I K
The Saxon I K (one-K) were a class of German narrow-gauge locomotives of the Royal Saxon State Railways (''Königlich Sächsischen Staatseisenbahnen, K.Sä.St.E.'') with a track gauge of . In 1925, Deutsche Reichsbahn grouped these locomoti ...
(some)
*
Saxon V K
The Saxon Class V K were German narrow gauge steam locomotives operated by the Royal Saxon State Railways which had been primarily intended for the '' Müglitztalbahn''. In 1925 the Deutsche Reichsbahn incorporated arranged these locomotives as ...
*
Saxon XV HTV
The Saxon Class XV \textstyle \mathfrakT\textstyle \mathfrak was a class of goods train steam locomotive operated by the Royal Saxon State Railways, which had been conceived for hauling trains and acting as banking engines for routes in the Ore ...
*
Saxon IX V
The Saxon Class IX \textstyle \mathfrak was a class of German, eight-coupled, tender locomotives built for the Royal Saxon State Railways (''Königlich Sächsische Staatseisenbahnen'') for goods train duties.
History
These steam locomotives we ...
*
''GLÜCKAUF'' and ''TRUSETAL'' of the ''Trusebahn''
Literature
* Deutsches Reichspatent DRP 27.892 und 68.932, 1893
* Lionel Wiener: ''Articulated Locomotives'' Kalmbach Publishing Co., Waukesha 1970
See also
*
Heywood radiating axle locomotives
*
Klose-Lenkwerk
*
Minimum railway curve radius
The minimum railway curve radius is the shortest allowable design radius for the centerline of railway tracks under a particular set of conditions. It has an important bearing on construction costs and operating costs and, in combination with ...
*
Trench railways
*
Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway steam locomotive number 19
References
External links
English description with clear photographs and diagramsHungarian locomotive of 1916forums.lrpresse.fr
{{Locomotive running gear
Steam locomotive technologies
Train axles
Articulated locomotives