DR Class 250

The Deutsche Reichsbahn (East Germany) Class 250 (known since 1992 as Deutsche Bahn AG Class 155) is a German electric locomotive used on freight trains. Nicknamed the “Electric Container” or “Powercontainer” due to its distinctive carbody shape. The less favorable nickname “Stasi-Container” is also heard every now and then. It was the most powerful locomotive in the former GDR.

History

In the mid-1960s, it became apparent that engine classes 211 and 242, in production since 1961, were not powerful enough, so DR built a new, 6-axled, electric locomotive suitable for all classes of traffic. In 1974 three prototypes were built by LEW Hennigsdorf, the leading builder of railway locomotives in the GDR. A series of 270 locomotives were delivered between 1977 and 1984. They were mainly used for heavy cargo trains as well as the fast Städteexpress-train services of DR (comparable with InterCity).

After the reunification of Germany, railway traffic in East Germany slumped. The locomotives were renumbered as class 155, and many of them also operated in West Germany. After Deutsche Bahn was restructured, the engines were assigned to DB Cargo (later Railion, now DB Schenker Rail) for freight services. Since 1998, some locomotives have been used for spare parts. Approximately 200 are still in existence and can be seen throughout Germany pulling all sorts of freight trains. Today the 155s remain indispensable for DB Schenker, Deutsche Bahn's railway cargo carrier.

Construction

Driver's desk of class 155

The locomotives have two 3-axled bogies. Each axle is powered by a single-phase, series-wound, AC motor. The torque is transferred by a double-sided spur gear to a hollow shaft, and by an elastic rubber cone flange to the wheels. Each motor has an own cooling blower. Two scissor-shaped pantographs collect the current of 15 kV / 16.7 Hz from the catenary. Recently, many of these pick-ups have been refitted as modern single-arm pantographs.

The core of the electric system is the 3-blade main transformer with oil-cooling. The control unit has 30 power notches, semi-automatic in operation. The settings are thyristor controlled and the thyristor voltage is regulated by phase cutting, which was a novelty for series locomotives in the GDR. All units are equipped with a catenery-current-controlled electric brake. The safety equipment in the driver's cab has an electronic deadman's brake (Sifa), “punctiform” automatic train controls (PZB 90), and train radio equipment with GSM-R communication. Relatively recently, computers were added for the electronic timetable EBuLa.

Some of the models have been equipped with the LZB System. Recently, these are used to haul heavy and fast container trains on the German high-speed network.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to DR Class 250.

Classes of German electric locomotives
Current class numbering	101 103 104 109 110 111 112 112 (old) 113 114 114 (old) 115 116 117 118 119 120 127 128 132 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 146.1 146.2 150 151 152 152 (DB) 155 156 160 163 169 171 175 180 181 182 182 (old) 183 183 (old) 184 185 186 188 189 190 191 193 193 (old) 194
Pre-1968 class numbering	E 03 E 04 E 05 E 10 E 10.12 E 15 E 16 E 17 E 18 E 19 E 21 E 32 E 36 E 40 E 41 E 44 E 50 E 52 E 60 E 61 E 62 E 63 E 69 E 70.2 E 71 E 72 E 73 E 75 E 77 E 79 E 80 E 91 E 91.3 E 92 E 93 E 94 E 95 E 244 E 310 E 320 E 344 E 410
DR classes	204 211 212 218 230 242 243 244 250 251 252 254
Older DR classes	E 04 E 05 E 11 E 17 E 18 E 21 E 42 E 44 E 77 E 94 E 95 E 251
see also Category:Deutsche Bundesbahn locomotives, Category:Deutsche Reichsbahn (East Germany) locomotives, Category:Deutsche Bahn locomotives