DB Class V 160
Encyclopedia
The Class V 160 is a class of diesel-hydraulic locomotives of the German railways. It is the first variant of the V160 family, built for the Deutsche Bundesbahn
for medium/heavy trains.
The Class were successful locomotives, eventually leading to a family of similar locomotives (see DB V 160 family
). Due to them having steam heating, and a lack in later years of suitable coaching stock they were amongst the first of the family to be withdrawn, no examples being operated by Deutsche Bahn AG by 2004.
A few examples were converted to the short lived DBAG Class 226, with other examples being rebuilt and still in service with private operators.
, in the period of history of the German Railways sometimes known as Epoch III, the Deutsche Bundesbahn planned (in 1953) to build several types of new diesel locomotive, primarily to replace steam powered locomotives; these were: V 60
, and V 65
, both shunters, the V 65.2, also for shunting as well as light freight trains, DB Class V 200
, for express passenger trains, and the V 160 for both freight and passenger work on the main network.
Initially a 1600 hp machine using two engines of the type used in the V80 was planned; in a similar fashion to the V200, which was powered by two engines of the type used in the V100. However it was realised that if a single high powered engine could be used, then maintenance and other costs would be reduced.
The new class would replace engines such as the BR 03
, BR 23
, BR 38.10 (pr P 8
), BR 39 (pr P 10
), BR 50
, BR 57 (pr G 10
) and BR 78 (pr T 18
). Steam heating (for passenger coaches) was necessary, and a top speed of 120 km/h was specified.
In the spring of 1956 development began at Krupp, the first unit being delivered on 6 August 1960, with eight more units being delivered by 1962 from both Krupp and Henschel. These prototype units were later to become unusual amongst the entire V 160 family, due to their rounded front end – in a similar but less sophisticated design to the V 200s – because of this 'bulbous' front end the locomotives earned the nickname lollo (in allusion to Gina Lollobrigida
). A final prototype V 160 010, the tenth, and the first with the angled front end, was manufactured by Henschel in 1963; the more modern looking front end was derived from the Henschel prototype locomotive V 320 001 of which only one was built.
The protypes performed well, and volume production began, numbers V 160 011 to V 160 224 being built between 1964 and 1968 by Krupp
, Henschel, KHD, Krauss-Maffei
and MaK
. By the time the 156th example had been produced the Deutsche Bundesbahn had changed its numbering system; from then on the class had reporting number 216 with the individual unit numbering continuing as before.
Over the next decade, because of changing requirements – mostly in terms of increased power, and speed, as well as the requirement for electrical passenger heating a number of related classes sprang up – the Classes 210, 215, 217, 218 and 219 (see DB Class V 160 family); although some were a little longer, and carried additional components, all were essentially based on the original V 160; over 800 machines of all types were eventually built.
engine of the type MD 16 V 538 TB. The others were powered by a MTU 16 V 538 TB 10 or MTU 16V 653 TB 10 (16 cylinders and a power of 1900 hp at 1500 rpm). In all examples both bogies are powered via drive shafts from a two speed hydraulic drive from Voith
The welded steel chassis (formed of U beams and transverse members) and the body shell form the load-bearing frame, which rests on the two welded steel bogies, supported by helical springs, the engine is centrally located, with the fuel, batteries, oil, and fuel oil being hung below the chassis frame, between the bogies. The welded steel components along with other light weight materials were used to keep the axle load below 20t. However in the main production series of locomotives some of the lighter weight welded construction was abandoned in favour of less expensively produced components - leading to an increase in axle weight from ~18.5 to ~20t.
In addition to the main engine a small auxiliary diesel engine available, driving a generator providing the 110 V electrical supply for lighting as well as driving an electric air compression for the brakes.
The steam heating apparatus took up one end of the locomotive, between the engine and drivers cabin; powered by fuel oil, it had the capacity to satisfactorily heat 10 coaches when the outside temperature was -10 degrees C. The equipment was sourced from Hagenuk, the full capacity being 670 l of fuel oil and 2850 l of water.
Most of the locomotives were also equipped for push-pull operation, as well as for multiple working, controlled via a 36 pin control cable
The safety devices Sicherheitsfahrschaltung
(or Sifa) and Punktförmige Zugbeeinflussung
(also known as PZB or Indusi) are fitted. Later on Zugbahnfunk; a cab to control room analogue radio system was installed. Other equipment includes sand boxes, a whistle and on some machines automatic door locking (when moving).
to Lübeck
line, working push-pull double decked passenger trains, and replacing the BR 38.10 and BR 78 steam engines. The engines were also used on freight workings as well. On push-pull passenger working the locomotives were sometimes found in the middle of the train - which facilitated easier separation of carriages on route.
Since the 1990s the Class 216 locomotives started to work more on freight than on passenger trains because of the lack of steam heated passenger stock. Between 2000 and 2004 the Deutsche Bahn AG fleet was phased out, with the last locomotive being decommissioned in 2004. However several locomotives were sold to private operators, where they are still in use.
sets - for this purpose they were fitted with Scharfenberg couplers and the steam heating removed and repand replaced with ballast. They were replaced by conveted DB Class 218s (subclass 218.8) in 2004 and scrapped in 2005.
The first of the series of rebuilt Class 216s, DH 1504, was created in 1998 by the firm 'On Rail'. The concept was to create a new 'Class 216' medium power locomotive from retired state owned Class 216 locomotives; the result was an almost completely new locomotive, only the transmission, bogies and frame were saved from the original locomotive. The engine is a 1500 kW MTU
engine, and the units are fitted for remote control operation.
Overall, 6 of these locomotives were built, three locomotives are now in the use of the Osthannoversche Eisenbahnen (OHE)
, two work for Niederrheinische Verkehrsbetriebe (NIAG) and one for the Mindener Kreisbahnen (MKB).
Whether or not further modified locomotives will be built is questionable, since very few donor locomotives are available.
In January 1975, 216 071 was the first locomotive to be painted in the then new ocean blue-beige color scheme.
In February 1988 216 068 was the first locomotive of this series to receive the somewhat unpopular orientrot livery - an orient red lacquer with a white "bib" on the front.
The other livery carried by DB Class 160's was the verkehrsrot (traffic red) colour scheme with mid grey skirts and ventilation grills.
Deutsche Bundesbahn
The Deutsche Bundesbahn or DB was formed as the state railway of the newly established Federal Republic of Germany on September 7, 1949 as a successor of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft '...
for medium/heavy trains.
The Class were successful locomotives, eventually leading to a family of similar locomotives (see DB V 160 family
DB V 160 family
The DB V 160 locomotive family comprises several classes of closely related 4 axle diesel-hydraulic locomotives built in the 1960s and 1970s for the Deutsche Bundesbahn which take the moniker from the earliest built model: the 'DB Class V 160'....
). Due to them having steam heating, and a lack in later years of suitable coaching stock they were amongst the first of the family to be withdrawn, no examples being operated by Deutsche Bahn AG by 2004.
A few examples were converted to the short lived DBAG Class 226, with other examples being rebuilt and still in service with private operators.
Background and history
Following good performance from the diesel-hydraulic locomotive the DB Class V 80DB Class V 80
The Class V 80 is a type of German diesel locomotive operated by theDeutsche Bundesbahn, that was redesignated as Class 280 from 1968.- History :...
, in the period of history of the German Railways sometimes known as Epoch III, the Deutsche Bundesbahn planned (in 1953) to build several types of new diesel locomotive, primarily to replace steam powered locomotives; these were: V 60
DB Class V 60
The DB Class V 60 is a German diesel locomotive operated by the Deutsche Bundesbahn and later, the Deutsche Bahn AG , which is used particularly for shunting duties, but also for hauling light goods trains. Seventeen locomotives were bought used by the Norwegian State Railways and designated NSB...
, and V 65
DB Class V 65
The DB Class V 65 locomotives were German, eight-wheeled, rod-coupled diesel locomotives operated by Deutsche Bundesbahn intended for light railway services and medium-heavy shunting duties...
, both shunters, the V 65.2, also for shunting as well as light freight trains, DB Class V 200
DB class V 200
DB Class V 200.0 was one of the first diesel-hydraulic express locomotives of the German Deutsche Bundesbahn and - as Am 4/4 - of the SBB-CFF-FFS in Switzerland.-DB Service:...
, for express passenger trains, and the V 160 for both freight and passenger work on the main network.
Initially a 1600 hp machine using two engines of the type used in the V80 was planned; in a similar fashion to the V200, which was powered by two engines of the type used in the V100. However it was realised that if a single high powered engine could be used, then maintenance and other costs would be reduced.
The new class would replace engines such as the BR 03
DRG Class 03
The Class 03 steam engines were standard express train locomotives in service with the Deutsche Reichsbahn.- History :...
, BR 23
DB Class 23
The steam locomotives of Class 23 were German passenger train locomotives developed in the 1950s for the Deutsche Bundesbahn. They had a 2-6-2 wheel arrangement and were equipped with Class 2'2' T 31 tenders...
, BR 38.10 (pr P 8
Prussian P 8
The Prussian Class P 8 steam locomotive of the Prussian state railways was built from 1906 onwards by the Berliner Maschinenbau and the Linke-Hofmann factory in Breslau by Robert Garbe...
), BR 39 (pr P 10
Prussian P 10
The Prussian state railways' Class P 10 were 2-8-2 "Mikado" type passenger-hauling steam locomotives built for hauling heavy express trains in the hilly and mountainous terrain of the Mittelgebirge...
), BR 50
DRB Class 50
Because the Deutsche Bundesbahn had sufficient goods train locomotives, they could quickly phase out the DRB Class 52 engines, so that the ageing boilers on the Class 50s could be replaced by those of the Class 52s. Even the 'bathtub' tender of the Kriegslokomotiven was used by the 50s amongst...
, BR 57 (pr G 10
Prussian G 10
The Prussian G 10 was a German goods train, steam locomotive, whose design was based on a combination of the running and valve gear from the Prussian T 16 and the boiler from the Prussian P 8. In developing the G 10, however, the T 16 running gear with side play on the first and fifth axles was...
) and BR 78 (pr T 18
Prussian T 18
The Prussian Class T 18s were the last tank locomotives developed for the Prussian state railways. They were originally intended for services on the island of Rügen as replacements for Class T 12 and T 10 engines. They emerged when a class of locomotive was conceived in 1912 that was to handle...
). Steam heating (for passenger coaches) was necessary, and a top speed of 120 km/h was specified.
In the spring of 1956 development began at Krupp, the first unit being delivered on 6 August 1960, with eight more units being delivered by 1962 from both Krupp and Henschel. These prototype units were later to become unusual amongst the entire V 160 family, due to their rounded front end – in a similar but less sophisticated design to the V 200s – because of this 'bulbous' front end the locomotives earned the nickname lollo (in allusion to Gina Lollobrigida
Gina Lollobrigida
Gina Lollobrigida is an Italian actress, photojournalist and sculptress. She was one of the most popular European actresses of the 1950s and early 1960s. She was also an iconic sex symbol of the 1950s. Today, she remains an active supporter of Italian and Italian American causes, particularly the...
). A final prototype V 160 010, the tenth, and the first with the angled front end, was manufactured by Henschel in 1963; the more modern looking front end was derived from the Henschel prototype locomotive V 320 001 of which only one was built.
The protypes performed well, and volume production began, numbers V 160 011 to V 160 224 being built between 1964 and 1968 by Krupp
Krupp
The Krupp family , a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, have become famous for their steel production and for their manufacture of ammunition and armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp, was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th...
, Henschel, KHD, Krauss-Maffei
Krauss-Maffei
The Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co KG or simply Krauss-Maffei is an injection molding machine manufacturer and defence company based in Munich, Germany...
and MaK
Mak
Mak is a Chinese surname. It is commonly transliterated as Mak in Hong Kong, based on the Cantonese pronunciation of the Chinese character; and is commonly transliterated as Mai in China, based on the Mandarin pronunciation. Other transliterations of the surname include Mack, Mark, Mac, and Mach...
. By the time the 156th example had been produced the Deutsche Bundesbahn had changed its numbering system; from then on the class had reporting number 216 with the individual unit numbering continuing as before.
Over the next decade, because of changing requirements – mostly in terms of increased power, and speed, as well as the requirement for electrical passenger heating a number of related classes sprang up – the Classes 210, 215, 217, 218 and 219 (see DB Class V 160 family); although some were a little longer, and carried additional components, all were essentially based on the original V 160; over 800 machines of all types were eventually built.
Design
The initial ten pre-production machines with the exception of V 160 006 were powered by a MaybachMaybach
Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH is a German luxury car manufacturer. It was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son. The company was originally a subsidiary of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH and was itself known as Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH until 1912.Today, the ultra-luxury car brand is owned by...
engine of the type MD 16 V 538 TB. The others were powered by a MTU 16 V 538 TB 10 or MTU 16V 653 TB 10 (16 cylinders and a power of 1900 hp at 1500 rpm). In all examples both bogies are powered via drive shafts from a two speed hydraulic drive from Voith
Voith
The Voith GmbH, which is headquartered in Germany, is a family-run corporation in the mechanical engineering sector with worldwide operations....
The welded steel chassis (formed of U beams and transverse members) and the body shell form the load-bearing frame, which rests on the two welded steel bogies, supported by helical springs, the engine is centrally located, with the fuel, batteries, oil, and fuel oil being hung below the chassis frame, between the bogies. The welded steel components along with other light weight materials were used to keep the axle load below 20t. However in the main production series of locomotives some of the lighter weight welded construction was abandoned in favour of less expensively produced components - leading to an increase in axle weight from ~18.5 to ~20t.
In addition to the main engine a small auxiliary diesel engine available, driving a generator providing the 110 V electrical supply for lighting as well as driving an electric air compression for the brakes.
The steam heating apparatus took up one end of the locomotive, between the engine and drivers cabin; powered by fuel oil, it had the capacity to satisfactorily heat 10 coaches when the outside temperature was -10 degrees C. The equipment was sourced from Hagenuk, the full capacity being 670 l of fuel oil and 2850 l of water.
Most of the locomotives were also equipped for push-pull operation, as well as for multiple working, controlled via a 36 pin control cable
The safety devices Sicherheitsfahrschaltung
Sifa
Sifa or the deadman's control system is a safety device in a train intended to bring the train automatically to a stop if the driver becomes incapacitated.-Description:...
(or Sifa) and Punktförmige Zugbeeinflussung
Punktförmige Zugbeeinflussung
PZB or Indusi is an intermittent cab signalling system and train protection system used in Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Romania, Israel and on one line in Canada....
(also known as PZB or Indusi) are fitted. Later on Zugbahnfunk; a cab to control room analogue radio system was installed. Other equipment includes sand boxes, a whistle and on some machines automatic door locking (when moving).
Operations
The first locomotives entered service on the HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
to Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
line, working push-pull double decked passenger trains, and replacing the BR 38.10 and BR 78 steam engines. The engines were also used on freight workings as well. On push-pull passenger working the locomotives were sometimes found in the middle of the train - which facilitated easier separation of carriages on route.
Since the 1990s the Class 216 locomotives started to work more on freight than on passenger trains because of the lack of steam heated passenger stock. Between 2000 and 2004 the Deutsche Bahn AG fleet was phased out, with the last locomotive being decommissioned in 2004. However several locomotives were sold to private operators, where they are still in use.
Variants
In addition to the machines built in the 1970s, a few other variants have arisen subsequently, by rebuilding of existing machines.DBAG Class 226
The seven examples of the 226 Class were created by Deutsche Bahn AG for towing ICE 3ICE 3
ICE 3 is a family of high-speed EMUs of Deutsche Bahn. It includes classes 403 and 406, which are known as ICE 3 and ICE 3M respectively...
sets - for this purpose they were fitted with Scharfenberg couplers and the steam heating removed and repand replaced with ballast. They were replaced by conveted DB Class 218s (subclass 218.8) in 2004 and scrapped in 2005.
DH 1504
The first of the series of rebuilt Class 216s, DH 1504, was created in 1998 by the firm 'On Rail'. The concept was to create a new 'Class 216' medium power locomotive from retired state owned Class 216 locomotives; the result was an almost completely new locomotive, only the transmission, bogies and frame were saved from the original locomotive. The engine is a 1500 kW MTU
MTU Friedrichshafen
MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH is a manufacturer of commercial internal combustion engines founded by Wilhelm Maybach and his son Karl Maybach in 1909...
engine, and the units are fitted for remote control operation.
Overall, 6 of these locomotives were built, three locomotives are now in the use of the Osthannoversche Eisenbahnen (OHE)
OHE
The Osthannoversche Eisenbahnen AG is a Celle based transportation company with railway network in North-eastern Lower Saxony around the Lüneburg Heath area of over 250 km....
, two work for Niederrheinische Verkehrsbetriebe (NIAG) and one for the Mindener Kreisbahnen (MKB).
Whether or not further modified locomotives will be built is questionable, since very few donor locomotives are available.
Liveries
Initial machines were delivered in altrot (antique red), with side skirts and ventilation grills dark grey, and the roof light grey. The museum locomotive 216 221 still bears the 'altrot' livery.In January 1975, 216 071 was the first locomotive to be painted in the then new ocean blue-beige color scheme.
In February 1988 216 068 was the first locomotive of this series to receive the somewhat unpopular orientrot livery - an orient red lacquer with a white "bib" on the front.
The other livery carried by DB Class 160's was the verkehrsrot (traffic red) colour scheme with mid grey skirts and ventilation grills.
External links
- V 160 003 at Historische Eisenbahnfahrzeuge Lübeck e.V. (Historic Rail Vehicles, Lubeck) Preserved prototype locomotive with the original rounded front.
Additional sources
- V160 dbtrains.com
- v160.de V 160 family site - brief introduction, detailed individual locomotive information, including historical photographs, builder, current status and work histories. Also more technical information on engine, transmission, fuel system and cab. v160.de
- Die V-160 familie Brief technical information. livery details, and work/operator/accident history of Class 216 and related locomotives. deutsche-lokomotiven.de
- OnRail DH1504 Information on DH1504 rebuilds privat-bahn.de