DB Class 215
| Industry | Railway |
|---|---|
| Founded | January 7, 1949 (Deutsche Bundesbahn) |
| Headquarters | Germany |
| Products | Diesel locomotives (including DB Class 215) |
DB Class 215
The DB Class 215 represents a four-axle diesel locomotive within the V 160 series. These locomotives were manufactured specifically for the German Federal Railways (Deutsche Bundesbahn) to handle medium-duty passenger and freight operations on both main and secondary lines. Subsequently, ownership transferred to Deutsche Bahn.
Several modifications resulted in different variants; among these, some units were transformed into Class 225 locomotives, designated exclusively for freight duties under DB Cargo. Additionally, the subclass Class 215.9 underwent adaptations to serve on the SyltShuttle.
Background
The Class 215 locomotives represent an extended variant of the original DB Class V 160, and as such, they were outfitted with steam heating systems. Prior to the 1968 reclassification, these units were slated to be designated as V 163.
Their length matched that of the DB Class 218—approximately 400 millimetres (16 in) longer than the Class V 160—allowing for potential future conversion to the longer class specifications. At the time, only a prototype of the Class 218 existed, but the Deutsche Bundesbahn proceeded with the Class 215 production without waiting for the Class 218 to enter full-scale manufacturing, due to the urgent need to phase out remaining steam locomotives.
Design and modifications
These locomotives are powered by diesel engines coupled with a hydraulic transmission system, employing cardan shafts to drive both bogies, ensuring all wheels receive power.
The first ten prototypes, constructed by Krupp between 1968 and 1969, utilized 12-cylinder diesel engines of type 12 V 956 TB 10, delivering 1839 kW.
Units numbered 215 011 through 215 070, and 215 094 through 215 150, featured more dependable but less powerful Maybach MTU 16 V 652 TB engines with sixteen cylinders, producing 1397 kW—the same engine type used in Class 216 / V 160 locomotives. Conversely, those from 215 071 to 215 093 were equipped with the stronger twelve-cylinder 12 V 956 TB engines found in the prototypes. Notably, locomotives 215 091 to 215 093 were later converted to the V-12 engine after originally running with the sixteen-cylinder variant.
The steam heating system also served as an engine pre-heater and warmed other components. The design included space for a future electrical generator installation; however, plans to convert these units into Class 218 models did not materialize—except for locomotive 215 112, which was rebuilt as DB Class 218 399 following an accident.
Locomotives numbered from 030 to 032 were unique in being equipped from delivery with electric heaters powered by an auxiliary diesel engine—an 8V 331 TC 10 producing 520 kW at 2100 rpm—instead of steam heating. Unlike the DB Class 217, this auxiliary diesel was not integrated into the transmission system and thus could not provide additional traction power.
Conversion variant 215.9
During the summer of 2003, DB AutoZug procured 18 locomotives from DB Regio. Out of these, 14 units underwent modifications similar to those applied to the DBAG Class 225, but were designated as Class 215.9. The other four locomotives were retained to serve as sources for spare parts.
The original steam heating boilers required fuel and water tanks, which became redundant for this application. Consequently, these tanks were removed and replaced with ballast weights, while the engines themselves remained unaltered. Additionally, a GSM-R communication system was installed along with automatic brake slack adjusters.
DBAG Class 225
Template:Main article Following the decline in passenger operations for many DB Class 215 locomotives, DB Regio reassigned 68 units to DB Cargo (later known as Railion) for freight duties. In this transition, the steam heating boilers were taken out and substituted with ballast weights. The class was further expanded by incorporating additional DB Class 218 locomotives, which were classified under subclass 225.8.
Class 215
This class was employed across various train services, with primary deployment along the Eifel route (Cologne to Trier), as well as in the Lower Rhine and Baden-Wuerttemberg regions extending down to Lake Constance.
A notable assignment during the 1980s was the D 216/217 "Austria-Express" running from Klagenfurt through Graz and Krefeld to Amsterdam. Between Krefeld central station (Hauptbahnhof Hbf.) and Arnhem, Netherlands, this service was operated using units equipped with electric heating modifications (numbers 030 to 032).
The final scheduled operation involving Class 215 locomotives took place on the DB Regio network in Hessen, concluding in April 2003. Afterward, some units remained on standby for use on DB Regio's Rheinland Regionalbahn services.
In June 2003, the sub-class 215.9 was transferred to DB AutoZug GmbH, following earlier reallocations of many units to DB Cargo.
Class 215.9
The Class 215.9 was dedicated exclusively to the AutoZug car ferry trains running between Niebüll and Westerland, operated by DB AutoZug. Their operations around the island of Sylt concluded in March 2008. Subsequently, several locomotives were reassigned to duties in the vicinity of Chemnitz.
References
Further information
- Allgemeine Infos - Baureihe 215 Technical details and individual locomotive data for Class 215.