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The Class V 160 (after 1968: Class 216) is a class of
diesel-hydraulic A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving wheels ...
locomotives of the German railways. It is the first variant of the V160 family, built for the
Deutsche Bundesbahn The Deutsche Bundesbahn or DB (German Federal Railway) was formed as the state railway of the newly established Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) on 7 September 1949 as a successor of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft (DRG). The DB remaine ...
for medium/heavy trains. The Class were successful locomotives, eventually leading to a family of similar locomotives (see
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 family name from the earliest built model: the 'DB Class V 1 ...
). 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steam heating, and a lack in later years of suitable coaching stock they were amongst the first of the family to be withdrawn, no examples being operated by Deutsche Bahn by 2004.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 80 The Class V 80 is a type of German diesel-hydraulic locomotive operated by the Deutsche Bundesbahn, that was redesignated as Class 280 from 1968. It was the first, main line, diesel locomotive with hydraulic power transmission.Rossberg (2013), ...
, 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 DB Class V 200 (also known as Class 220) was the first series production diesel-hydraulic express locomotive of the German Deutsche Bundesbahn and – as Am 4/4 – of the SBB-CFF-FFS in Switzerland. History DB Service Five prototypes of t ...
, 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 Henschel & Son (german: Henschel und Sohn) was a German company, located in Kassel, best known during the 20th century as a maker of transportation equipment, including locomotives, trucks, buses and trolleybuses, and armoured fighting v ...
. 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 Luigia "Gina" Lollobrigida (born 4 July 1927) is an Italian actress, photojournalist, and politician. She was one of the highest-profile European actresses of the 1950s and early 1960s, a period in which she was an international sex symbol. As o ...
). 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 prototypes performed well, and volume production began, numbers V 160 011 to V 160 224 being built between 1964 and 1968 by Krupp,
Henschel Henschel & Son (german: Henschel und Sohn) was a German company, located in Kassel, best known during the 20th century as a maker of transportation equipment, including locomotives, trucks, buses and trolleybuses, and armoured fighting v ...
, KHD,
Krauss-Maffei KraussMaffei is a German manufacturer of injection molding machines, machines for plastics extrusion technology, and reaction process machinery. It was acquired by ChemChina in 2016. History Locomotives KraussMaffei was formed in 1931 from a me ...
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.


Design

The initial ten pre-production machines with the exception of ''V 160 006'' were powered by a
Maybach Maybach (, ) is a German luxury car brand that exists today as a part of Mercedes-Benz. The original company was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son Karl Maybach, originally as a subsidiary of ''Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH'', and ...
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 Voith Group is a German manufacturer of machines for the pulp and paper industry, technical equipment for hydropower plants and drive and braking systems. The family-owned company, which operates worldwide and has its headquarters in Heid ...
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 °C. The equipment was sourced from Hagenuk, the full capacity being 670 L of fuel oil and 2850 L of water.Die V 160
The V 160 family. ''epoch-3.de''
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 PZB or Indusi is an intermittent cab signalling system and train protection system used in Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Romania, Israel, Serbia, on two lines in Hungary, on the Tyne and Wear Metro in the United Kingdom, and formerly on th ...
'' (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
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
to
Lübeck Lübeck (; Low German also ), officially the Hanseatic City of Lübeck (german: Hansestadt Lübeck), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 217,000 inhabitants, Lübeck is the second-largest city on the German Baltic coast and in the state ...
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 en 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 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 for towing
ICE 3 ICE 3, or Intercity-Express 3, is a family of high-speed electric multiple unit trains operated by Deutsche Bahn. It includes classes 403, 406, 407 and 408, which are known as ICE 3, ICE 3M, New ICE 3 and ICE 3neo respectively. Three multisystem ...
sets – for this purpose they were fitted with
Scharfenberg coupler The Scharfenberg coupler (german: Scharfenbergkupplung, abbreviated ''Schaku'') is a commonly used type of fully automatic railway coupling. Designed in 1903 by Karl Scharfenberg in Königsberg, Germany (today Kaliningrad, Russia), the coupler ...
s and the steam heating removed and repand replaced with ballast. They were replaced by converted 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 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).


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.


References


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''

Information on DH1504 rebuilds ''privat-bahn.de''


External links



Preserved prototype locomotive with the original rounded front.
DB Class 216
of Deutsche Bahn {{DEFAULTSORT:Db Class V 160 V 160 B-B locomotives Krupp locomotives Henschel locomotives Krauss-Maffei locomotives MaK locomotives Railway locomotives introduced in 1960 Diesel-hydraulic locomotives of Germany Standard gauge locomotives of Germany Standard gauge locomotives of Italy Mixed traffic locomotives