DR Class 130 family
class of East German diesel locomotives
The DR 130 family of locomotives comprises the DR Class 130 (DBAG Class 230), DR Class 131 (DBAG Class 231), DR Class 132 (DBAG Class 232 as well as Classes 233, 234 and 241 produced through modifications) and DR Class 142 (DBAG Class 242), in USSR locomotive called TE109 (DBAG 230/1/2) and TE129 (DBAG 242).
They were produced in the Soviet Union in Luhansk, Ukraine, from the 1970s onwards, and were imported into the GDR. After the reunification of Germany the Deutsche Bahn (DBAG) inherited them and continue to make use of them mainly as heavy freight locomotives.
Nicknamed Ludmilla, over 700 units were produced between 1970 and 1982. Two of these machines are classed as works vehicles with the designation Class 754.
History
During the 1960s the East German government decided to focus on diesel traction. Due to Comecon guidelines the GDR had to stop their production of diesel-hydraulic locomotives with more than 2000 HP. Instead GDR imported heavy-duty engines from the USSR, starting with the a version of the M62 (the famous "Taiga drum") known as the V200 (later Class 120; Class 220 after reunification) for freight trains.
Lacking electric train supply and with a top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) the Class 120s were unsuitable for passenger work; to meet these demands the Luhansk locomotive works introduced the DR Class 130 in 1970 capable of a top speed of 140 km/h (87 mph). Unfortunately the Soviet industry could not provide an electric heating feature, therefore the engines were restricted to freight trains for which their gearing was too high. Subsequently, the 'DR Class 131 with a reduced top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) (and thus a higher tractive force) was delivered for freight services.
When in 1972 an electric heating system was available, two prototypes 130 101 and 130 102 were constructed.
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This entry incorporates text from “DR Class 130 family” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.