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Electric Locomotives - Germany: Illustrated History Books & Guides

Explore the best illustrated books on the history, models and evolution of electric locomotives of the Reichsbahn and Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB).

Die Krokodile - Elektroloks der SBB, ÖBB, RhB und DB (Lok-Legenden)

Hardly any other type of locomotive is as popular as the Swiss crocodiles, which owe their nickname to their characteristic appearance and to their long presence in everyday railway life.

From 1920 onwards, they played a key role in traction on the Gotthard for several decades. But the hard-to-miss "crocodiles" were also in tireless use on other railway lines from the very beginning, mainly pulling heavy and long freight trains. This made the locomotives synonymous with power, reliability and durability.

This volume of locomotive legends describes the history, development and use in words and pictures.

Pages of the book [LL] Krokodile - Elektroloks der SBB, oBB, RhB und DB (1)

Pages of the book "Die Krokodile - Elektroloks der SBB, ÖBB, RhB und DB"

Product details

Author:Hans-Bernhard Schönborn
Details:128 pages, 8.25 x 6.7 in (21 x 17 cm), paperback
Illustrations:35 b&w and 113 color photos, 9 drawings
Language:German
Publisher:Transpress (D, 2014)
Series:Lok-Legenden
ISBN:9783613714823
Book cover: Die Krokodile - Elektroloks der SBB, ÖBB, RhB und DB | Lok-Legenden | Transpress

Die Krokodile - Elektroloks der SBB, ÖBB, RhB und DB

Language: German

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Altbau-Elektroloks

The fifties and sixties: On the still relatively few electrified lines of the Bundesbahn, in addition to the first new-build machines, old electric locomotives still dominate the scene - locomotives that date back to the Reichsbahn era or were even designed or built by the state railways.
But there were also some locomotives that were rebuilt in the fifties due to a lack of new designs ready for production: E 04, E 16, E 17, E 18, E 19, E 32, E 44, E 60, E 63, E 52, E 75, E 91, E 93 and E 94, unusual types such as the E 80, E 170 or the battery-powered small locomotives, and also 50 Hz machines in the Höllental.

For this book, Dr. Rolf Brüning has compiled a good hundred photographs from his unique color slide archive, which take us back 40 or 50 years to a long-gone era of railways. In introductory texts, the author explains the technical development that led to these machines.

Product details

Author:Rolf Brüning
Details:108 pages, 8.7 x 9 in (22 x 24 cm), hardback
Illustrations:100 color photos
Language:German
Publisher:DGEG Medien GmbH (D, 2016)
ISBN:9783937189192
Book cover: Altbau-Elektroloks | DGEG Medien

Altbau-Elektroloks

Language: German

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Baureihe 111 - Der letzte E-Lok-Klassiker der Deutschen Bundesbahn

NEW

The Class 111 is the last electric locomotive series of the former Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) still operating in significant numbers on Germany's rail network. A total of 227 four-axle units were produced between 1974 and 1984.

This series was the last DB electric locomotive to use conventional drive technology; later models only featured three-phase asynchronous drives. In recent years, these locomotives have gained increased attention among rail enthusiasts, especially due to the many attractive color schemes still in service, making them popular subjects for photography.

This book is dedicated to the successful Class 111, which has been in operation for over 50 years. It provides a detailed account of the history, design, and technology of this classic electric locomotive.

Pages of the book Baureihe 111 - Der letzte E-Lok-Klassiker der DB (1)

Pages of the book "Baureihe 111 - Der letzte E-Lok-Klassiker der Deutschen Bundesbahn"

Product details

Author:Michael Dostal
Details:176 pages, 9.7 x 8.25 x 0.67 in (24.5 x 21 x 1.7 cm), hardback
Illustrations:250 b&w and color photos
Language:German
Publisher:Transpress (D, 2025)
ISBN:9783613717459
Book cover: Baureihe 111 - Der letzte E-Lok-Klassiker der Deutschen Bundesbahn | Transpress

Baureihe 111 - Der letzte E-Lok-Klassiker der Deutschen Bundesbahn

Language: German

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Baureihe 120 - Revolution der Antriebstechnik

The development of the electric locomotives of the 120 series to series production took around ten years. Their construction marked a milestone in the design of electric locomotives, as it brought about a true revolution in drive technology: from then on, three-phase technology was almost exclusively used in new electric locomotives.
Based on the technology of the series, the first ICE traction units were even developed in the mid-1980s.

Karl-Gerhard Haas reports on the development, construction and history of this revolutionary series, whose service life at DB AG is unfortunately coming to an end.

Product details

Author:Karl-Gerhard Haas
Details:176 pages, 10.6 x 9.25 x 0.67 in (27 x 23.5 x 1.7 cm), hardback
Illustrations:300 b&w and color photos
Language:German
Publisher:Transpress (D, 2022)
ISBN:9783613716162
Book cover: Baureihe 120 - Revolution der Antriebstechnik | Transpress

Baureihe 120 - Revolution der Antriebstechnik

Language: German

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DB-Elloks der 1970er-Jahre - Die Baureihen 111, 151 und 181.2

This richly illustrated book, created from the popular special editions of the trade magazine "Eisenbahn-Journal", describes the electric locomotives of the DB series 111 and 151 that entered service in the 1970s, as well as the multi-system electric locomotives of the series 181.2, including the predecessor types from the 1960s.

The technology and the very different areas of application are reported in detail. The 111 series was purchased for universal passenger train service - from local trains to 160 km/h InterCity trains - as well as for the Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn service.
The main area of tasks for the six-axle 151 series was always heavy freight train service. It was not only the most powerful, but also the fastest freight train locomotive of the DB with a speed of 120 km/h. The 181.2 was mainly used on cross-border passenger trains to France and Luxembourg.

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Author:Konrad Koschinski:
Details:240 pages, 11.6 x 8.25 in (29.5 x 21 cm), hardback
Illustrations:400+ b&w and color photos
Language:German
Publisher:VGB GmbH (D, 2019)
ISBN:9783837522105
Book cover: DB-Elloks der 1970er-Jahre - Die Baureihen 111, 151 und 181.2 | VGB

DB-Elloks der 1970er-Jahre - Die Baureihen 111, 151 und 181.2

Language: German

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Der Taurus - Die Baureihe 182 der DB AG & die Reihe 1016/1116 der ÖBB (Lok-Legenden)

The Taurus is the award-winning, successful model among modern electric locomotives, of which more than 500 have been manufactured to date. At the end of the 1990s, the Austrian Bundesbahns (ÖBB) decided to purchase a new, faster and more powerful locomotive for express trains and freight transport - the 230 km/h, 6400 kW Taurus, which was developed and built by Siemens.

Pages of the book [LL] Der Taurus - Die Baureihe 182 der DB AG (1)

Pages of the book "Der Taurus - Die Baureihe 182 der DB AG & die Reihe 1016/1116 der ÖBB"

The new locomotive proved so successful that it is now in regular use in Germany, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Switzerland. On September 2, 2006, Siemens even set a world record for conventional locomotives with a series-produced Taurus: on the new Nuremberg-Ingolstadt line, the machine reached 357 km/h.

Werner Kurtz is an expert on the Taurus and has written down the history, design and technology of the successful locomotive type in this volume.

Product details

Author:Werner Kurtz
Details:128 pages, 8.25 x 6.7 in (21 x 17 cm), paperback
Illustrations:94 color photos, 10 drawings
Language:German
Publisher:Transpress (D, 2013)
Series:Lok-Legenden
ISBN:9783613714533
Book cover: Der Taurus - Die Baureihe 182 der DB AG & die Reihe 1016/1116 der ÖBB | Lok-Legenden | Transpress

Der Taurus - Die Baureihe 182 der DB AG & die Reihe 1016/1116 der ÖBB

Language: German

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Die Baureihe E 10 - Entstehung, Technik und Einsatzgeschichte

When the Deutsche Bundesbahn, founded in 1949, put the test locomotives of the E 10 series into service in 1952 and the series locomotives in 1956, they were seen as symbols of a new beginning and reconstruction after the Second World War.
On the DB's electric network, which grew rapidly from the mid-1950s, this series was responsible for transporting fast and, above all, high-quality trains.

The E 10's star began to fall when the series 103, 111 and later the 120 largely pushed it out of local transport. Most of the 416 E 10/110s built have now been scrapped.
But some of the machines reclassified as series 115 are still in daily use by the DB, even though they are already more than 50 years old. A few locomotives have found new employment with private railways. Several machines have been preserved as museum pieces.

The revised new edition of the book has been extended by 32 pages to 336. The supplement documents the development of the series from 2005 to 2015 and illustrates it with numerous new images.

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Author:Roland Hertwig
Details:340 pages, 11.6 x 8.25 in (29.5 x 21 cm), hardback
Illustrations:426 b&w and 140 color photos
Language:German
Publisher:EK-Verlag GmbH (D, 2016)
Series:EK-Baureihenbibliothek
ISBN:9783844660197
Book cover: Die Baureihe E 10 - Entstehung, Technik und Einsatzgeschichte | EK-Baureihenbibliothek | EK

Die Baureihe E 10 - Entstehung, Technik und Einsatzgeschichte

Language: German

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Die Baureihe E 50 - Einheits-Ellok für den schweren Güterzugdienst

The E 50 series, with a nominal output of 4500 kW and six axles, was considered the most powerful and longest standard locomotive series. 194 units were manufactured by 1973, and the last ones ended their service life in 2003. Two of these locomotives have been preserved as museums.

Despite being classified as standard electric locomotives, the E 50s had subtle external differences, which are presented in a separate chapter. The first machines were built for electrified routes in southern Germany.
With the expansion of the electrical network to the north, the area of use and the number of units expanded. The chronicle of the E 50 series sheds light on this development as well as the decline in the years around the turn of the millennium.
A comprehensive list of where all E 50s were stationed and a description of their use by the home depots are also included in this work.

Product details

Author:Roland Hertwig
Details:208 pages, 11.8 x 8.5 x 0.79 in (30 x 21.5 x 2 cm), hardback
Illustrations:397 photos and drawings
Language:German
Publisher:EK-Verlag GmbH (D, 2023)
Series:EK-Baureihenbibliothek
ISBN:9783844660623
Book cover: Die Baureihe E 50 - Einheits-Ellok für den schweren Güterzugdienst | EK-Baureihenbibliothek | EK

Die Baureihe E 50 - Einheits-Ellok für den schweren Güterzugdienst

Language: German

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Die Bügelfalte - Die Baureihe E 10 der Deutschen Bundesbahn

Few locomotive classes shaped the daily operations of the Deutsche Bundesbahn for over fifty years like the Class E 10.
Designed as a fast passenger train type under the standardized electric locomotive program, these robust and elegant four-axle locomotives became iconic across West Germany. They pulled legendary express trains such as the "Rheingold" and "Rheinpfeil."

Even decades later, they remained essential, reliably hauling regional express and car transport trains well into the 21st century. The locomotives received their name from their distinctive design. Heinrich Petersen's book offers a detailed overview of the development, technical features, and history of this locomotive class.

Pages of the book Die Bugelfalte - Die Baureihe E 10 der DB (1)

Pages of the book "Die Bügelfalte - Die Baureihe E 10 der Deutschen Bundesbahn"

Product details

Author:Heinrich Petersen
Details:176 pages, 9.8 x 8.7 x 0.71 in (25 x 22 x 1.8 cm), hardback
Illustrations:250 b&w and color photos
Language:German
Publisher:Transpress (D, 2024)
ISBN:9783613717237
Book cover: Die Bügelfalte - Die Baureihe E 10 der Deutschen Bundesbahn | Transpress

Die Bügelfalte - Die Baureihe E 10 der Deutschen Bundesbahn

Language: German

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Die Ellok-Baureihen E 01 und E 71¹ - Entwicklung, Einsatz und Verbleib der ES 9-19 und EG 511-537

In March 1914, the Royal Prussian State Railway put its first series-produced electric locomotives into operation. This book is a comprehensive review of the locomotive history of that time.
The reader not only learns a lot about the first Prussian series-produced electric locomotives ES 9 to 19 (from 1926 series E 01), EG 511 to 537 (from 1926 series E 71¹) and the EB 1 to 3 drive frames (decommissioned in 1922) that were related to freight locomotives, but the authors also convey interesting facts about the "companions" that accompanied them at home and abroad, as well as the technology typical of the time.

The paths of the two series are traced in detail and placed in a historical context. While the E 01 series (ex ES 9 to 19) ended its career in 1929, the small, indestructible freight train locomotives of the E 71¹ series began their career in the Wiesen- and Wehratal valleys in Baden after operations in central Germany, Silesia and Bavaria at the beginning of the 1930s.

The scheduled service for the E 71¹ series only ended after 45 years of service, in 1959. On both sides of the German-German border, their significance for the history of technology was recognized, in the east with the restored E 71 30 in the Dresden Transport Museum, in the west with the E 71 19 (now in Koblenz-Lützel) and the E 71 28 (now in Berlin).

Product details

Author:Peter Glanert, Wolfgang-Dieter Richter, Thomas Borbe
Details:192 pages, 11.6 x 8.7 in (29.5 x 22 cm), hardback
Illustrations:180+ photos and 64 drawings
Language:German
Publisher:VGB GmbH (D, 2014)
ISBN:9783837512588
Book cover: Die Ellok-Baureihen E 01 und E 71¹ - Entwicklung, Einsatz und Verbleib der ES 9-19 und EG 511-537 | VGB

Die Ellok-Baureihen E 01 und E 71¹ - Entwicklung, Einsatz und Verbleib der ES 9-19 und EG 511-537

Language: German

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Die Mehrsystem-Elloks der Deutschen Bundesbahn - Die Baureihen 181, 182, 183 und 184

In the 1960s, Deutsche Bahn broke new ground in cross-border electric locomotive traffic to France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The different power systems in the neighboring countries required the development of innovative "multi-system locomotives".

After experimental work from 1960 with the E 320 and E 344, development reached its first peak in 1965: the four-system locomotives of the E 410 and 184 series known as "Europalok". The two-system locomotives of the 181.0-2 series were a complete success with highly developed technology and proved themselves in use for over four decades. These universal locomotives excelled in high-quality passenger train service and in front of freight trains.

This EK Baureihe-series book offers for the first time a comprehensive presentation of the origins and history of the DB multi-system electric locomotives. Their technology and wide-ranging operational use made them special in German locomotive construction.
The attractive and popular 181 in particular helped to establish the Europe-wide multi-system operation that is now taken for granted.

Product details

Author:Manfred Lohmann
Details:287 pages, 11.8 x 8.25 x 1.06 in (30 x 21 x 2.7 cm), hardback
Illustrations:500 photos and drawings
Language:German
Publisher:EK-Verlag GmbH (D, 2023)
Series:EK-Baureihenbibliothek
ISBN:9783844660395
Book cover: Die Mehrsystem-Elloks der Deutschen Bundesbahn - Die Baureihen 181, 182, 183 und 184 | EK-Baureihenbibliothek | EK

Die Mehrsystem-Elloks der Deutschen Bundesbahn - Die Baureihen 181, 182, 183 und 184

Language: German

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Elektrische Lokomotiven - Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft, Deutsche Reichsbahn, Deutsche Bundesbahn

The work by Dieter Bäzold and Günther Fiebig not only provides an overview of the general development, but also presents a detailed description of all electric locomotives manufactured in Germany by the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft, Deutsche Reichsbahn and Deutsche Bundesbahn.
In chronological order, both individual and standard locomotives are presented in detail in their design features.

Product details

Author:Dieter Bäzold, Günther Fiebig
Details:415 pages, 8.5 x 7.7 x 1.38 in (21.5 x 19.5 x 3.5 cm), paperback
Illustrations:361 photos and drawings
Language:German
Publisher:Transpress (D, 2023)
Series:Deutsches Lok-Archiv
ISBN:9783613716957
Book cover: Elektrische Lokomotiven - Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft, Deutsche Reichsbahn, Deutsche Bundesbahn | Deutsches Lok-Archiv | Transpress

Elektrische Lokomotiven - Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft, Deutsche Reichsbahn, Deutsche Bundesbahn

Language: German

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Neubau-Elektroloks der Deutschen Bundesbahn

The so-called Neubau electric locomotives became symbols of the modern Bundesbahn from the mid-1950s onwards. The blue E 10 was the standard express train locomotive for decades, its green counterpart, the E 40, the most frequently encountered freight train locomotive.
The light universal locomotive E 41 rounded off this range at the lower end, and the six-axle E 50 at the higher end. The steel blue and beige painted E 10.12 and a few years later the E 03 brought unrivalled elegance to the DB's tracks.

In addition to these legendary locomotive types, most of which have now disappeared from operational service, this book also presents the more recent vehicles such as the 111 or 151 series, the multi-system and the first three-phase electric locomotives of the Bundesbahn.

Product details

Author:Rolf Brüning
Details:108 pages, 8.7 x 9 in (22 x 24 cm), hardback
Illustrations:116 color photos
Language:German
Publisher:DGEG Medien GmbH (D, 2010)
ISBN:9783937189550
Book cover: Neubau-Elektroloks der Deutschen Bundesbahn | DGEG Medien

Neubau-Elektroloks der Deutschen Bundesbahn

Language: German

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Unsterbliche Baureihe 103 - Die DB-Paradeloks von Ende 2002 bis 2014

The 103 series undoubtedly belongs to the elite of German locomotives and embodies fascination, myth and legend in equal measure. Even more than 20 years after the actual end of service at DB AG, the "Passion for the Hundred and Three" has by no means died out. On the contrary: the "post-era" is still surprisingly lively today with a handful of operational 103 locomotives.

This high-quality illustrated book lets you review the highlights of the events with the "stars" 103 113, 103 184, 103 222, 103 235 and 103 245 as well as other active machines since the end of 2002.
Experience these parade locomotives in use in front of nostalgic trains, during measurement and test runs as well as in front of some IC trains that are once again being operated as scheduled.

Product details

Author:Christian Wolf
Details:128 pages, 8.5 x 11.8 x 0.59 in (21.5 x 30 x 1.5 cm), hardback
Illustrations:extensively illustrated
Language:German
Publisher:EK-Verlag GmbH (D, 2014)
ISBN:9783844662054
Book cover: Unsterbliche Baureihe 103 - Die DB-Paradeloks von Ende 2002 bis 2014 | EK

Unsterbliche Baureihe 103 - Die DB-Paradeloks von Ende 2002 bis 2014

Language: German

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