DB Class E 50
| Company type | Electric locomotive series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Predecessor | Steam locomotives (replaced) |
| Founded | 1957 |
| Defunct | 2004 (all units except two dismantled) |
| Headquarters | Germany |
Area served | Deutsche Bundesbahn electrified main routes |
Key people | AEG, Krupp (manufacturers) |
| Products | Heavy freight electric locomotives |
Number of employees | 194 units built |
The Class E 50 represents a series of electric locomotives designed for heavy freight operations, manufactured for the Deutsche Bundesbahn between 1957 and 1973. As part of the Einheits-Elektrolokomotiven initiative aimed at standardizing electric locomotives, this class was developed to handle substantial freight loads on the Deutsche Bundesbahn's expanding electrified main routes, effectively substituting steam-powered engines. In 1968, the series was reclassified as class 150 (E50). Although initially capable of passenger service, these locomotives lacked facilities for either steam or electric heating of passenger cars.
Production
The inaugural unit, numbered 150 001, was delivered in 1957 through a collaboration between AEG and Krupp. A total of 194 units were commissioned and subsequently constructed.
Performance
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The Class 150 still holds the record on German railways for its exceptional starting tractive effort of 450 kilonewtons (100,000 lbf), a figure that nearly matched the structural limits of the buffers and chain couplers installed during its era. To accommodate the demands of hauling heavy ore trains, certain locomotives were equipped with an automatic coupling system known as the unicupler AK69e.
Survivors
By the year 2004, all units of the class 150 locomotives had been dismantled, with the exception of 150 091 and 150 186.