Because the Prussian P 6 steam locomotive, manufactured since 1902, was regarded as unsatisfactory, the railway engineer Robert Garbe designed another one, the Prussian Class P 8, a 4-6-0 locomotive, which will prove a success. Because Garbe was an advocate of the simplest possible designs, a straightforward, superheated steam, two-cylinder driving gear was envisaged. The P 8 benefited from superheated steam technology, which had just been developed by Wilhelm Schmidt (nicknamed 'hot steam Schmidt'), that led to outstanding performance for those times.
The P 8 could haul 300t at 100 km/h and 400t at 90 km/h on the flat and, after the world wars, could be found in almost the whole of Europe. Even the railway authorities were very pleased with these engines, so more than 500 were in service for 50 years, and the last were retired in 1974. In total 3,556 or 3,561 units were built for Germany between 1906 and 1923 by the Berliner Maschinenbau and twelve other German factories, 65 units for Poland in 1922-1923 (as the Ok1) and 95 for Romania in 1921-1930.
Thanks to its qualities and excellent adaptation to the conditions of the infrastructure from Romania, in 1932 began manufacturing of 230 series at Steel Works and Domains of Reşiţa. UDR manufactured in the period 1932-1937 (or 1939), a total of 139 (or226) units. So a total of 3948 P 8 locomotives were built (including the inter-war copies in Romania), which makes it the most numerous passenger train locomotive ever to be built in the world. The locomotive 230.516 was built in 1936 (manufacturing number 372) and it's still functional, being removed from the depot where it is preserved to participate in various events.
For example, in 2012, with the occasion of the celebration of 140 years since the manufacturing of the first locomotive at Reşiţa, it hauled the Royal Train. Commissioned by King Ferdinand to the society Ernesto Breda in Milan, the trainset was completed in 1928, after his death. It was instead both Royal Train for Queen Maria, Princess Mother Elena, King Carol II, and King Mihai, and Presidential Train for communist leaders Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej and Nicolae Ceauşescu (until 1977).
About the stamp
On the postcard 2344
The stamp, designed by the omnipresent Mihai Vămăşescu, was introduced into circulation on November 20th, 2015, under the name Angels Tears. In this way, Romfilatelia wanted to be alongside those who suffered in the tragedy that has happened in Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest on 30 October 2015. "The funds from the sale of the philatelic issue run printing will support the medical recovery process of the tragedy's victims from the Colectiv club (October 30th, 2015)." I don't know if the money were used or not for this purpose.
On the postcard 2775
The stamp, depicting Viper's Grass (1.00 RON), is part of the series Flowers’ Clock I, about which I wrote here
Postmark
The postmark was issued to celebrate 110 years since the inauguration of the narrow gauge railway Satu Mare - Bicsad.
References
Prussian P 8 - WIkipedia
11 – CFR 230.128 (rom) - The Steam Locomotives Museum in Reşiţa official website
Fotoreportaj: Trenul Regal (rom) - Dordetur
Senders 2344: Dănuţ Ivănescu and the Romanian postcrossers who participated to the first train traveling Postcrossing meet-up which held between Bucharest and Ploieşti on February 29, 2016
Sent from Ploieşti (Prahova / Romania), on 29.02.2016
Senders 2775: Radu Toussaint and other Romanian postcrossers
Sent from Livada (Satu Mare / Romania), on 20.04.2016
Photo: Mihai Răitaru
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