Like many others, Baureihe (Class) 150 is a fruit of Deutsche Bundesbahn's early-1950s program calling for development of several new electric locomotive types. What makes this freight-service locomotive stand out among the likes of the 110, 140 etc. is that it's got six axles to make for higher friction weight to deal with steep grades or very long and heavy trains. Just look at the incredible maximum traction it can deliver -- 420 kN!.
150s were built from 1957 through 1973 by AEG, Krauss-Maffei, Krupp, and Siemens. Not many are still in service; they mostly worked as pushers on steep ramps in the end and may well have been phased out completely by now.
Technical fact sheet:
- Concept: Co'Co' layout (six axles in two bogies), all axles driven; conventional two-phase AC motors controlled by a 28-level switch
- Power: 4,500 kW for one hour at 79 km/h, 4,410 kW sustained at 80 km/h
- Traction: 420 kN maximum, 198 kN sustained
- Top speed: 100 km/h
- Total weight: 125 or 128 tonnes depending on date built (20.83 resp. 21.33 tonnes per axle)
- Length: 19.49 m
- Width: 3.13 m
- Height: 4.62 m
- Distance between axles in bogie: 2.25 m
- Distance between bogies: 9.7 m
- Diameter of driven wheels: 1.25 m