Test run of steamlocomotive E 3/3 # 853 of the Dampfbahn Bern (DBB) in Walkringen. The locomotive E 3/3 # 853 belongs to a series of 4 locomotives which were put into service in 1890 at the Jura Simplon railroad. It is a replica of the locomotives # 851 and #
852, which were procured in 1875 under the numbers 201 and 202 by the Jura-Bern-Luzern Bahn (JBL). Numbers 853 to 856 were also ordered by this railroad company in 1888, but when they entered service, the JBL was already called the Jura-Simplonbahn (JS).
It is a shunting tender locomotive, as it was also used by the Sihltalbahn (SiTB) at that time. In 1902, the JS was absorbed into the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). The locomotives of the JS are taken over by the SBB and number 853 is given the number 8573.
In 1911, the locomotive 8573 together with its sister 8575 went to the railroad "Régional
du Val de Travers" (RVT) where, after replacement of the boilers, they are put into service with the numbers 7 and 8.
In 1928, the two locomotives changed hands again and were transferred as works locomotives Nos. 10 and 11 to the von Roll ironworks. Depending on demand, they were used in the Gerlafingen or Klus plant. With their short axle base, they proved their worth on the narrow curve radii
of the plant tracks. In 1949, both locomotives were fitted with new fireboxes, so that they would remain serviceable for years to come. At von Roll-Werke, too, time cannot be stopped and soon diesel traction was introduced for shunting and works traffic. For some steam locomotives, this means scrapping. Locomotives 10 and 11 were still in service in the 1970', locomotives 10 and 11 could still be found in occasional service at the Gerlafingen plant. In 1973 the works locomotives 10, 11 and 17 were given away. In the process, No. 17 was sold to Eurovapor (today VHE), locomotive 11 to the Düby Foundation and from there on loan to the SBB, and locomotive 10 (E 3/3 853 ex JS) directly to the Dampfbahn Bern (DBB). Locomotive 11 was loaned by the SBB to the
DBB, which used it from 1973 to 1983 in the Sensetal. Loco 10 was immediately
disassembled. However, the actual overhaul work on this locomotive does not begin until 1978. It then returned to service with DBB under its original JS road number 853.
Due to a damaged boiler tube and a lack of operational possibilities, it was not operational anymore since 2009.
