
After at least 15 years of hard service, many TB11 12-cylinder 218 series diesel engines were coming to the end of their useful life. From 1996, MTU switched the production of locomotive diesel motors to the Type 4000, which was available with eight, twelve and 16 cylinders and was much more compact than the massive TB10 and TB11. In the 218, the 16-cylinder MTU 16V 4000 R40 and R41 was used for repowering, of which DB AG ordered 80 units. The engines are set for an output of 2682 hp at 1800 more…

The classes (BR) 215 and 218 diesel locomotives of the Western German Railway (DB) are used in mixed service since 1968.
218 101 to 194, 218 242 to 288 were equipped with a 12 cylinder 4 stroke main Diesel from MAN that was later called MTU 12 V 956 TB10 that generates 2500 HP. The 2800 HP version of this motor is called MTU 12 V 956 TB11.
In the late 1980s the exhaust system of BR 218 with the 12 V motor had been optimized. Since 1995 many of the 218 are equipped with motors called "MTU 12 more…

When DB AG allocated its locomotive series to the newly established business units DB Regio, DB Fernverkehr, and DB Cargo at the end of the 1990s, the steam-heated 215 locomotives were allocated to DB Regio. While DB Regio only needed a few 215 locomotives, but DB Cargo needed to replace many 216 locomotives due for major overhauls, it was decided to sell Regio's surplus 215 locomotives to DB Cargo and upgrade them for further years of freight service by removing the boiler and installing a more…

After Millenium the German State Railway (DB) need to order new locos to replace old fashioned shunting locos of Classes 362 - 365 (former BR V60) and 290 - 295 (former BR V90). The German Voith Turbo Lokomotivtechnik GmbH & Co KG developed the BR261 diesel locomotive. The prime mover of version 10BB is MTU 8V 4000 R42 and develops 1000 kW at 1800 rpm. With a maximum speed of 100 km/h and a tractive power of 258 kN the BR261 is used in heavy shunting service as well as for mid range freight more…

For heavy switching and freight service German State Railway DB ordered 31 samples of diesel hydraulic Voith-Gravita® loco. Prime mover MTU 12V 4000 R43L delivers 1800 kW at 1800 rpm and enables the loco to reach a maximum speed of 100 km/h. Also loco rental service Northrail and HzL in Southern Germany bought two samples each.

In 1977, based on the VT 627, the German Deutsche Bundesbahn DB ordered five test vehicles of the four-axle catenary inspection rail car 704. The four-axle vehicles, classed as BR 704, had a diesel-hydraulic power transmission. Propulsion was initially provided by two identical, independent drive systems with Deutz twelve-cylinder diesel engines, one of which was replaced by a more modern and lower-emission Deutz engine from 1986 onwards. The 140 km/h four-axle vehicles were intended to replace more…

In 1977, based on the VT 627, the German Deutsche Bundesbahn DB ordered five test vehicles of the four-axle catenary inspection rail car 704. The four-axle vehicles, classed as BR 704, had a diesel-hydraulic power transmission. Propulsion was initially provided by two identical, independent drive systems with Deutz twelve-cylinder diesel engines, one of which was replaced by a more modern and lower-emission Deutz engine from 1986 onwards. The 140 km/h four-axle vehicles were intended to replace more…

The Class 66 was created as a further development of the Class 59, of which only 15 were procured. 480 examples of the development originally commissioned by the English, Welsh & Scottish Railway were made for the British market alone. The 2400 kW powerful EMD type 12N-710 twelve-cylinder two-stroke diesel engines generate the energy for the six EMD-D43TRC traction motors. The top speed is 120 km/h. There is no train heating system on board. From 2012, the British railway company GBRf imported more…

The most famous East German diesel loco is the 132. The six axle diesel electric loco is nicknamed “Ludmilla” by train fans. 709 samples of the 3000 HP locos had been delivered by Lokomotivfabrik Woroschilowgrad in Lugansk (Soviet Union today Ukraine) between 1973 and 1983 to the Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR). The 132 reach a maximum speed of 120 km/h and were used for passenger service as well as for heavy freight trains. Even 2015 around 40 units (1994 renumbered for BR 232) are still in use by more…