What locomotives are appropriate for what rolling-stock?

People who are new to modelling the railways of Germany often ask questions like: "Which loco is suitable for a certain type of coach?" or "What are suitable coaches for a certain loco?" These questions are very difficult to answer. The easiest thing would be to say: "Anything is possible." I even have some pictures of a BR 103 pulling two Silverfish coaches or even a BR 86 on an express train. So perhaps we should start from a different direction: "What loco is suitable for a certain type of train?"

As there are about 200 different types of locos in Germany, I will only mention those, that are more popular and are (or have been) available as models (in H0-scale, but most of them are also available in N-scale). Mostly these comments are appropriate for the 'DB' period (Epochs 3 and 4), but in most situations it was the same during Epoch 2. This list is rather arbitrary and is not intended to be complete. All borders are not fixed: e.g. A loco intended for semi-fast trains (Eilzüge), can normally be used for fast passenger trains or even express trains (there is a difference between a fast train and an InterCity or 'real' express train). And there have been trains with two goods wagons and a BR 44 in front.

I will put locos/coaches into some groups, in order not to make it too complicated:
Light goods trains are supposed to consist of a very limited number of wagons approx. 5 to 8.
Medium sized goods trains are about 1000 to 1200t.
Heavy goods trains are 1800t or more.

Steam Locomotives

BR 01 express trains

BR 01.10 express trains

BR 03 express trains, during their last years also semi fast trains

BR 03.10 express trains

BR 05 short express trains (three to four coaches are more than enough during DB times)

BR 06 heavy express trains

BR 10 express trains

BR 17.10 medium sized express trains, also used to pull trains of the former "Ruhr-Schnellverkehr"

BR 18 (all different types) express trains there have been Bavarian S3/6 in Koblenz during the late 1920s and the 1930s to pull the "Rheingold-Express" the Badenian 18.3 (IVh) was used for testing purposes (Bremslokomotive = breaking locomotive ?) during DB time, no regular express train duty

BR 19 express trains (mainly in Saxonia)

BR 19.10 express trains. As the loco was developed during the late 1930s and was delievered in 1941, it has a very limited time of using. After WWII it was shipped to the USA

BR 22 rebuild version of the BR 39 (DR), mostly heavy passenger trains

BR 23 (DB), mainly passenger trains, but also express trains some were rebuild for push-pull-trains in the Saarbrücken region in the late 1960s and 1970s

BR 23.10 (DR), passenger trains

BR 24 passenger trains on branch lines

BR 36 passenger trains on branch lines

BR 37 passenger trains on branch lines, mostly in Eastern Prussia

BR 38 (all different types, but especially pr P8) one for all there have been some (many) BR 38.10, which were rebuilt for use with push-pull-trains, in this case the back of the cab was closed and the tender was a 2'2'T30 (tub type) also used to pull trains of the former "Ruhr-Schnellverkehr"

BR 39 heavy passenger trains, also heavy express trains in the hills lands (Hügelland)

BR 41 fast goods trains, but also used with passenger trains and even with express trains. The rebuilt version could be seen together with the BR 44 in front of 4000t iron ore trains in the North German region (late 1960s and especially early 1970s)

BR 42 war locomotive, used with heavy goods trains

BR 43 2 cylinder version of the BR 44, heavy goods trains

BR 44 THE standard loco for heavy goods trains

BR 45 heavy goods trains, was to be used with fast, medium sized goods trains

BR 50 THE standard loco for medium sized goods trains, also used for passenger trains

BR 52 war locomotive, same duty as BR 50 locos with condensing tender used 'til the early 1950s

BR 54 light goods trains

BR 55.25 medium sized, but slow goods trains (same trains as e.g. BR 50, but 55 km/h only) also used for shunting in the 1960s/1970s

BR 56.2 medium sized goods trains, some passenger trains, also used for shunting in the 1960s/1970s

BR 56.20 medium sized goods trains also used for shunting in the 1960s/1970s

BR 57.10 same as BR 55.25, but only 15t per axle (instead of 17.5t)

BR 58 goods trains on steep gradients

BR 59 special locomotive for steep gradients (Geislinger Steige, Semmering)

BR 60 special locomotive for push-pull-service on the Lübeck-Büchener-Eisenbahn

BR 61 special locomotive for the "Henschel-Wegmann-Zug". After WWII used for passenger trains and light express trains

BR 62 passenger trains, express trains, nicknamed "Small 01" also used to pull trains of the former "Ruhr-Schnellverkehr"

BR 64 passenger trains

BR 65 passenger trains, semi fast trains, some were used for push-pull-trains

BR 65.10 passenger trains

BR 66 passenger trains, semi fast trains, express trains

BR 70 passenger trains on branch lines

BR 71.0 (new DRG loco) passenger trains, also to be used with Leig-units (double goods wagons)

BR 73 passenger trains

BR 74 during Prussian times especially used with Berlin's fast passenger trains (similar to the later so called S-Bahn) during DRG and DB times used with passenger trains

BR 75 passenger trains, semi fast trains

BR 76 fast passenger trains, especially between Frankfurt/Main and Wiesbaden

BR 77 passenger trains, semi fast trains

BR 78 passenger trains, semi fast trains, express trains Leig-units during DB times also used with push-pull-trains

BR 80 shunting

BR 81 heavy shunting

BR 82 any train on steep gradients, heavy shunting (e.g. Hamburg harbour)

BR 83.10 light version of BR 65.10, branch line service

BR 84 special heavy branch line service

BR 85 any train on steep gradients (especially on the Höllental-Bahn near Freiburg in the very south-western part of Germany) 85 007 was used for some weeks on the gradient Erkrath-Hochdahl near Düsseldorf (western part of Germany)

BR 86 THE standard locomotive for all branch line services especially when the BR 64 is too weak

BR 87 heavy shunting, especially in the Hamburg harbour

BR 88 very small lcomotives, used for light branch line service and light shunting

BR 89.0 (new DRG loco) shunting

BR 89.0 (ex pr T8) was to be used with semi fast goods trains in Berlin, but did not work very well mostly shunting

BR 89 (all others) branch line service, shunting

BR 90 branch line service, mainly passenger trains

BR 91 branch line service during DB times mainly used for shunting

BR 92 (all locomotives) heavy shunting

BR 93 heavy branch line service

BR 94 heavy shunting, service on steep gradients

BR 95 service on steep gradients

BR 96 service on steep gradients, mainly used as an additional pushing loco (Schiebelokmotive)

BR 97 rack locos

BR 98 mostly branch line locomotives

BR 99 narrow gauge locos

Electric Locomotives

E 03 very fast express trains, TEE and IC trains

E 04 semi fast trains, express trains

E 05 express trains

E 06 semi fast trains, express trains

E 10 THE standard express train locomotive

111 same as E 10 many are used for push-pull-trains (S-Bahn)

E 10.12 fast version of the E 10, especially for the Rheingold/Rheinpfeil of 1962, later also TEE trains

E 16 semi fast trains

E 17 semi fast trains, express trains

E 18 express trains

E 19 express trains

120 express trains, also TEE and IC, fast goods trains

E 32 passenger trains, later shunting (e.g. in Munich)

E 40 standard locomotive for medium suzed goods trains, some were used with push-pull-trains

E 40.11 as E 40, but with additional electric break

E 41 THE standard locomotive for passenger trains, semi fast trains light to medium sized goods trains, light not too fast express trains and especially for push-pull-trains

E 42 (ex Prussian) passenger trains

E 44 passenger trains, light semi fast trains, some were used with push-pull-trains

E 44.5 passenger trains, semi fast trains, especially on the line to Berchtesgarden

E 44.11 as E 44, but additional electric break

E 50 heavy goods trains, heavy passenger trains on steep gradients

151 heavy goods trains, heavy passenger trains on steep gradients

E 52 passenger trains, semi fast trains

E 60 shunting

E 62 passenger trains

E 63 shunting

E 69 (almost) exclusively used on the Murnau and Oberammergau line

E 70 passenger trains, light goods trains on branch lines

E 71 passenger trains

E 75 passenger trains, medium sized goods trains

E 77 passenger trains, medium sized goods trains

E 80 shunting, because of additional batteries also to be used on tracks without catenary !

E 90 heavy goods trains

E 91 heavy goods trains, during their last year also used for heavy shunting

E 92 heavy goods trains

E 93 heavy goods trains

E 94 heavy goods trains

E 95 heavy goods trains

E 244 only used on the Höllental Bahn (see BR 85), 25 kV/50 Hz catenary system

E 310, E 320, E 344 all E 3xx can be used with 15 kV/16.7 Hz and 25 kV/50 Hz catenary system used for all purposes (trains between Germany and France)

E 410 same as E 3xx, but also to be used with 1500 V DC and 3000 V DC the DC parts were removed rather quickly (trains between Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands)

Additional DR Electric Locomotives

E 11 express trains

E 42 THE standard loco for all purposes on the DR, also push-pull-trains

BR 243 same as E 42

BR 250 heavy passenger and express trains, heavy goods trains

E 251 all purposes on the line between Blankenburg/Harz and Königshütte 25 kV/50 Hz catenary system

Diesel Locomotives

KöI very light shunting

KöfII and III light shunting

V 20 light passenger and goods trains, shunting, maintenance trains

V 36 passenger trains (also push-pull-trains in the 1950s), light goods trains

V 45 shunting

V 51/52 narrow gauge Diesel locomotives

V 60 shunting

V 80 mostly passenger trains, push-pull-trains

V 90 heavy shunting

V 100 passenger trains, semi fast train, light goods trains push-pull-trains V 100.23 (BR 213) special loco for steep gradients

V 160 (especially V 160 and BR 218) push-pull-trains (+ rest of the family) standard loco for semi fast and express trains, medium sized goods trains
V 160 (BR 216) "mother" of the family
V 162 (BR 217) more powerful
V 169 (BR 219) additional turbine, prototype
BR 210 additional turbine, later the turbine was removed, the locos were renumbered to BR 218.9 - fast express trains
(V 164) BR 218 more power than V 160, electrical heating of the train
BR 215 same as BR 218, but steam heating for the train

V 188 heavy goods trains

V 200 express trains, later also used with heavy goods trains

V 300 heavy express trains, heavy goods trains

V 320 heavy express trains, heavy goods trains

Additional DR Diesel Locomotives

V 180 passenger trains, semi fast trains, express trains goods trains

V 200 heavy goods trains

V 300 heavy goods trains

BR 132 standard locomotive for all purposes on main lines in the former GDR

BR 142 heavy trains on main lines

And similarly for coaches. Here I'll try to put similar coaches into a group. Remember: Most of the older coaches were downgraded in their last years of duty, either that 1.class coaches became 2.class, or express coaches were not longer used for express trains, but for semi fast trains or even passenger trains.

Länderbahn Coaching Stock

express coaches: (mostly 4-axle coaches, but also some and 6-axle coaches) used in express trains until the early 1950s, then only some few coaches could be seen in semi fast trains. 3-axle coaches were rebuilt during the 1930s for passenger trains

Lokalbahn coaches: (mostly 2-axle coaches) used on branch lines

Bavarian type ..3i: commuter trains

Prussian type ..2i and ..3i: branch lines

type Langenschwalbach: passenger trains on branch lines, mostly those lines with tight (?) curves

Prussian 3-axle compartment coaches: commuter trains, branch line service, semi fast trains
During DB times some were rebuild for use in push-pull-trains

Prussian 4-axle compartment coaches: (also Saxonian coaches are available as models) commuter trains, semi fast trains

DRG Coaching Stock

DRG express coaches: (Hechte (= Gruppe 23), Gruppe 29, Gruppe 35, Schürzenwagen (= Gruppe 39, skirted coaches) express coaches all the time

(pre war) Rheingold: luxurious express train from Hoek van Holland to Basel along the river Rhein

DRG semi fast coaches: (Gruppe 30, Gruppe 36, 2.class coaches with double doors at each end) semi fast trains all the time

Donnerbüchsen (Thunderboxes) passenger trains on main lines and branch lines
During DB times some were rebuilt to be used in push-pull-trains

Gruppe 33: (similar to the Thunderboxes, but closed entrances, models by Sachsenmodelle and Märklin) passenger trains on branch lines

DB Coaching Stock

Gruppe 51: (Mitteleinstiegswagen, middle entrance coaches, ..ym or ..yl coaches) light express trains (so called LS-Züge) commuter trains, push-pull-trains

Umbauwagen: (rebuilt coaches) stopping trains

Silberlinge: (Silverfish coaches, ..nb coaches) push-pull-trains

S-Bahn coaches: (type ..x) as the name says used in S-Bahn trains that is fast commuter trains

Gruppe 54: (also called 26.4m coaches, because of their standard length, ..üm coaches) THE standard express coaches during epoch 3 and 4

EUROFIMA coaches: mainly IC trains

blue pre-WWII coaches: express trains during the 1950s and very early 1960s best known are the (post war) Rheingold express or the (then blue) Henschel-Wegmann-train and the "Blaue Enzian" (with observation coach at the rear end)

Rheingold 62 dark blue/beige coaches, only used for superior express trains along the Rhein, later the coaches were repainted to red/beige and used in TEE and IC trains

[ last updated 31st Dec 2003 ]