DRG Class E 18

Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft (DRG)
Company type	State-owned company
Industry	Railway
Founded	1920
Headquarters	Germany
Products	Electric locomotives (Class E 18)

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The Class E 18 electric locomotives were produced by the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft (DRG) in Germany and Austria between 1935 and 1955. Except for the DRG Class E 19, this was the fastest electric locomotive class operated by Deutsche Reichsbahn. Following World War II, most remaining units were incorporated into the fleet of the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB), with a smaller number allocated to the Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) and the Österreichische Bundesbahnen (ÖBB).

Besides the 55 locomotives manufactured in Germany, an additional eight modified versions were constructed in Austria in 1939, designated as Class E 18.2 and later reclassified as ÖBB class 1018.

Development

Template:Illm traces back to 1881 when Berlin inaugurated its first public electric railway line.^[1] Although three-phase current electric railcars achieved successful test runs reaching speeds up to 210 km/h (130 mph) in 1903, German state railways ultimately opted for single-phase alternating current due to the complexity involved in three-phase overhead wiring.^{[lower-roman 1]} Early mainline electric locomotives featured large single motors that operated at low speeds.

The use of massive single motors coupled with connecting rods resulted in suboptimal performance at higher velocities. It was not until 1913 that electric mainline locomotives equipped with nose-suspended high-speed single motors were introduced, although progress was hampered by World War I. The critical advancement occurred during the 1920s with extensive deployment of electric trainsets on the electrified Berlin Stadtbahn in 1928. That same year saw the introduction of the first Template:Illm express electric locomotive for mainline service.

The Class E 17 proved highly successful, with a total production of thirty-eight units. A lighter variant, the Template:Illm, was developed for operations in less mountainous central German regions. However, during the mid-1930s, DRG sought to increase express train speeds beyond the 120 kilometres per hour (75 mph) limit imposed on Class E 17 units.^{[lower-roman 2]} The design foundation for the new Class E 18 was therefore based on that of Class E 17.^{[lower-roman 3]} The electrical system drew from advancements made with Class E04. To accommodate higher speeds, Class E18 featured a streamlined exterior profile. It could haul a 935 tonnes (920 long tons; 1,031 short tons) train at a velocity of 140 kilometres per hour (87 mph) on flat terrain and manage up to 360 tonnes (350 long tons; 400 short tons) at 75 kilometres per hour (47 mph) on a steep gradient of two percent. A notable innovation was its status as the first electric locomotive equipped with a seated position for the engineer; earlier models required operators to stand during operation.

Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft

In 1935, the DRG introduced two prototype locomotives for evaluation. Since only minor adjustments were needed, full-scale production commenced soon after. From the outset, these robust engines assumed responsibility for most express routes on electrified tracks. Although initially designed for operation on the Berlin - Munich corridor, modifications to the overhead line infrastructure in central Germany were never implemented due to the outbreak of World War II. Consequently, the majority of these locomotives were deployed in southern Germany, with some units also operating in Silesia. During the development phase of the subsequent Class E 19, DRG conducted several test runs with Class E 18 in 1935 and 1936, reaching speeds up to 165 km/h (103 mph). The combination of power, velocity, and sleek aesthetics earned the Class E 18 a Gold Medal at the 1937 Universal Exposition held in Paris.

In 1937, eight locomotives modeled on the E 18 design were commissioned by the Bundesbahn Österreich (BBÖ) for use on the electrified Salzburg to Linz route. These units were manufactured domestically by Lokomotivfabrik Floridsdorf to accommodate Austria’s mountainous terrain by fitting more powerful motors originally developed for Class E 19. Their maximum speed was limited to 130 km/h (81 mph) through a modified gear ratio, enhancing tractive force considerably. By their delivery in 1939, Austria was under German occupation, so these locomotives were incorporated into the DRG roster as Class E 18.2 (numbers E 18 201-208).^{[lower-roman 4]}

Having received 61 locomotives to date, DRG placed an order for an additional batch of 48 units; however, these were never delivered due to wartime disruptions. Throughout the conflict, seven locomotives were destroyed by aerial bombardment and two were lost in accidents. In 1945, seven units stationed in Silesia were relocated to Bavaria to prevent their capture by the advancing Red Army.

Deutsche Bundesbahn

Following World War II, 34 locomotives became part of the fleet of the Deutsche Bundesbahn in West Germany. This number was supplemented by five units acquired from East Germany in 1952 and two newly constructed Class E 18 locomotives introduced in 1955. In 1968, these engines were reclassified as DB Class 118. Although the first production-series Class E 10 locomotives—with a top speed of 150 km/h or 93 mph—entered service in 1956, it was only after the arrival of new Class 103 TEE production models in 1970 that Class 118 units were phased out from premier express duties. Subsequently, they served regional routes and special charter trains until their retirement between 1976 and 1984.

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DB 118 and ÖBB 1118 at Würzburg station, 1984

Deutsche Reichsbahn

File:Dessau, German Reichsbahn, historical electric locomotives (SIK 03-021152).jpg

The DR Class 218 in East German service, 1979

The Class E 18 locomotives that remained in East Germany experienced a complex post-war journey. In 1946, the Soviet Union confiscated five operable units as part of war reparations. These locomotives were returned in 1952, although in a deteriorated state, after which the Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) sold them to West Germany’s Deutsche Bundesbahn. This decision was influenced by the fact that much of East Germany’s railway infrastructure and electrification equipment had been removed by the Soviets during early occupation years, resulting in minimal demand for electric locomotives. However, from the mid-1950s onward, DR began re-electrifying its network and required swift electric engines. Since the war, six damaged E 18 units had been stored at AEG’s Hennigsdorf facility; between 1958 and 1960, three of these were rebuilt into operational condition. In 1969, these were upgraded to reach speeds of 180 km/h (110 mph). One was lost due to an accident in the same year, but the remaining two were redesignated as DR Class 218 in 1970. These two locomotives continued service until German reunification, after which they were withdrawn from regular use.

Österreichische Bundesbahnen

Following World War II, the re-established Austrian Federal Railways—renamed Österreichische Bundesbahnen (ÖBB)—reclassified the seven surviving operational Class E 18.2 locomotives as ÖBB Class 1018 (numbers 1018.01-05, 07, and 08). Additionally, ÖBB assembled one functional locomotive (1018.101) from parts salvaged from war-damaged E 18 units 046 and 206. The ÖBB also took possession of German E 18 42, which became the unique ÖBB Class 1118 (1118.01). Both of these locomotives retained their original German gear transmission ratios and stood as ÖBB’s fastest engines until the introduction of Class 1042.5 in the late 1960s.

Throughout their service life, ÖBB’s E 18 locomotives underwent several updates—for example, replacing the original three cab front windows with two modern ones—and some remained operational until the early 1990s.

Preserved

Out of the total 55 Class E 18 units produced, six have been preserved. No. E 18 03 is exhibited at the DB Museum Koblenz. The Garmisch Stiftung Bahn-Sozialwerk owns E 18 08, which is stored at Augsburg Railway Park. E 18 19 is held privately and housed at the former Bahnbetriebswerk in Glauchau. The town of Gemünden am Main aims to establish E 18 24 as a significant monument due to its longstanding railway heritage; currently, it is undergoing restoration by TEV Thüringer Eisenbahn in Weimar. E 18 31—previously part of the DR fleet—is under the custodianship of the Dresden Transport Museum and kept in shed P. Lastly, No. E 18 47 belongs to the Nuremberg Transport Museum.

Notes

↑ Until the late second half of the twentieth century, converting AC to three-phase current within locomotives was not feasible. Consequently, overhead systems required at least two wires if tracks served as the third phase. This intricate setup was primarily developed in Italy since most railways considered installation and maintenance costs prohibitive compared to the advantages offered by simpler three-phase motors. Modern electronics have recently enabled internal conversion without excessive weight or space demands.
↑ 'This speed restriction applied not only to electric traction: The standard steam express locomotive DRG Class 01 introduced in 1926 had a maximum operating speed of 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph). To raise speeds further, the more powerful streamlined DRG Class 01.10 capable of 150 kilometres per hour (93 mph) was developed mid-1930s and entered service in 1939.
↑ 'Following successful validation of an electric locomotive design featuring only driving wheels on Class E44, DRG abandoned leading idler wheels for fast locomotives.'
↑ Since DRG intended to produce over one hundred German versions of Class E 18, the Austrian variants were assigned numbers within the 200 series to reserve space for future German units.

References

↑ German WP article on electric traction

Sources

Bäzold, Dieter; Obermayer, Horst J. Eisenbahn-Journal Sonderausgabe IV/92: Die E 18 und E 19. Hermann Merker Verlag GmbH. ISBN 3-922404-38-3. (German)
Braun and Hofmeister. E18 Portrait einer deutschen Schnellzuglok - Eisenbahnclub München e.V. Verlag Mayer, München, 1979. (German)
Obermayer, Horst J. Taschenbuch Deutsche Elektrolokomotiven. Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart, 1970. ISBN 3-440-03754-1. (German)
Rampp, Brian. Die Baureihe E 18 - Legendäre Schnellzuglokomotiven in Deutschland und Österreich. EK - Verlag Freiburg, 2003. ISBN 3-88255-218-2. (German)
Slezak, Josef Otto. Die Lokomotiven der Republik Österreich. Verlag Josef Otto Slezak, Wien, 1970. ISBN 3-85416-075-5. (German)

External links

Template:Rolling stock of Austria Template:German electric locomotives Template:DRG locomotives

[2] Until the late second half of the twentieth century, converting AC to three-phase current within locomotives was not feasible. Consequently, overhead systems required at least two wires if tracks served as the third phase. This intricate setup was primarily developed in Italy since most railways considered installation and maintenance costs prohibitive compared to the advantages offered by simpler three-phase motors. Modern electronics have recently enabled internal conversion without excessive weight or space demands.

[3] 'This speed restriction applied not only to electric traction: The standard steam express locomotive DRG Class 01 introduced in 1926 had a maximum operating speed of 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph). To raise speeds further, the more powerful streamlined DRG Class 01.10 capable of 150 kilometres per hour (93 mph) was developed mid-1930s and entered service in 1939.

[4] 'Following successful validation of an electric locomotive design featuring only driving wheels on Class E44, DRG abandoned leading idler wheels for fast locomotives.'

[5] Since DRG intended to produce over one hundred German versions of Class E 18, the Austrian variants were assigned numbers within the 200 series to reserve space for future German units.

[1] German WP article on electric traction

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