Description
The U series was originally a narrow-gauge steam locomotive of the k.k. Austrian State Railways (KStB) for 760 mm gauge. It is one of the most built narrow-gauge locomotives in Europe. The locomotives proved so good that they were procured by almost all operators of narrow-gauge railway lines in Austria in large quantities and built by several locomotive factories. The last copy of the U series was only built for the STLB in 1922, when more modern locomotive types had long existed. Those locomotives of the U series, which became the property of the Austrian Federal Railways until after the Second World War, were given the series designation 298 with double digit numbers from 1953 onwards. Due to their large number of units, many machines of this type are still in operation at museum and tourist railways. Some specimens were also erected as locomotive monuments.
The locomotive with number 298.05 fits very well with the ÖBB narrow-gauge wagons of the LILIPUT program, because as U 25 and 298.05 it did not only drive in the Steyr valley, but also traveled on other narrow-gauge railways of Austria. Today she travels again as a museum locomotive in Steyrtal.
