DB Class 111

Baureihe 111

Company type	Electric locomotive series
Industry	Railway transport
Predecessor	Class 110
Founded	1974
Founder	Deutsche Bundesbahn
Headquarters	Germany
Products	Electric locomotives
Parent	Deutsche Bahn

Template:Refimprove Template:Infobox Locomotive

The Baureihe 111 represents a series of electric locomotives originally constructed for the Deutsche Bundesbahn and currently managed by Deutsche Bahn.

History

The Class 111 was developed as the successor to the Class 110 express Einheitslokomotive. Following the conclusion of Class 110 production, the persistent requirement for high-speed electric locomotives led the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) to initiate a new manufacturing program during the 1970s.

Significant enhancements were made by replacing the original bogies with an alternative design, which markedly improved stability and performance at elevated speeds. Additionally, the driver's cab underwent substantial upgrades with the introduction of the DB-Einheitsführerstand, an ergonomically designed control stand developed collaboratively by the Bundesbahn-Zentralamt München and Krauss-Maffei. This design debuted on Class 111 locomotives and established a foundational layout that continues to influence cab configurations in many of DB’s current locomotives and control cars. Notably, these locomotives were among the first in DB’s fleet to incorporate a digital interface alongside the conventional cab controls.

The inaugural unit, numbered 111 001, was completed at Krauss-Maffei in December 1974. Production continued until 1984, culminating in a total of 227 locomotives assembled not only by Krauss-Maffei but also incorporating components from manufacturers such as Henschel, Krupp, Siemens, AEG, and BBC.

Initially, locomotive 111 227 was intended to be DB's final newly constructed conventional AC locomotive, as production of the innovative Baureihe 120, equipped with three-phase AC motors, had already commenced. Nevertheless, following German reunification, a decision was made to produce an additional series of the Class 112, originally developed by the East German railways (Deutsche Reichsbahn of the GDR). This move was primarily motivated by political considerations.

In 1979, it was resolved that the Class 111 would be employed for S-Bahn services within the Rhein-Ruhr S-Bahn. Consequently, units numbered from 111 111 to 111 188 were delivered in distinctive S-Bahn liveries and outfitted with specialized equipment such as destination displays. That same year saw a reorganization of the Intercity network under the InterCity '79 initiative, expanding its reach. Anticipating increased demands on the Class 103 locomotives, the maximum authorized speed for Class 111 units was raised to 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph), enabling them to commence InterCity operations from May 1980 onward.

Accidents

• The locomotive 111 109 collided with the ÖBB 1042 560 at the Wels station in Austria. The operator sustained only minor injuries, but the 111 109 unit was dismantled at the site on August 29, 1981, and was not restored afterward.
• On November 24, 2006, 111 004 was involved in a collision with a truck that illegally reversed on a railway crossing. Following the accident, the locomotive was scrapped in May 2008 as rebuilding was deemed economically unfeasible. The incident resulted in nine people being injured.
• The 111 035-2 locomotive took part in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen train derailment on June 3, 2022, which caused five fatalities and left 44 individuals wounded.

Trivia

• Locomotive 111 111 features the checksum digit 1. While many assume this is purely for aesthetic reasons—creating a visually uniform 111 111-1 number—the checksum calculation is actually accurate.
• The first Class 111 to display an advertising livery was 111 030, promoting the musical Tanz der Vampire (Dance of the Vampires) in 2002.
• A cream and blue variant of 111 009-7 was produced as a 1:87 scale model by the manufacturer Roco.
• For twelve consecutive years starting in 1976 and continuing through 1987, an illustration of a Class 111 locomotive graced the cover of the Thomas Cook Continental Timetable.

Gallery

• 
  Deutsche Bundesbahn 111 158 featuring orange and white Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn colors at Köln Hbf in 1985
• 
  DB 111 147 photographed at Castrop-Rauxel in July 2007
• 
  Deutsche Bundesbahn locomotive 111 109 at Freilassing in 1981
• 
  Deutsche Bundesbahn unit 111 068 at Munich Hauptbahnhof in 1989
• 
  DB locomotive 111 110 at Munich Hauptbahnhof in June 2023
• 
  RailAdventure DB Class 111 locomotive
• 
  DB unit 111 017 adorned with "Bahnland Bayern" special livery at Munich Hauptbahnhof in June 2012
• 
  DB locomotive 111 095 "Inge": available for purchase or lease (2024)

References

Bibliography

• Streil, Werner (2014). Baureihe 111: Die Entwicklung der elektrischen Drehgestell-Lokomotiven von der bayerischen EG 4 x 1/1 bis zur BR 111 [Class 111: The development of the electric bogie locomotives from the Bavarian EG 4 x 1/1 up to the class 111] (in Deutsch). München: GeraMond. ISBN 9783956130021.

External links

• European Railway Server