Morning all!

As I just let on in "To Mod a Modding," I was thinking that some restructuring of earlier content in this space would be due in order to reflect partings and new additions. I'd especially wanted to make my technical profile of the class 140 electric – which in many ways also addresses the line of Deutsche Bundesbahn's Einheits-Elektrolokomotiven as a whole – available again, having spent quite a bit of time for research.

As there is rather a lot of literature relating to the Einheitsloks' genealogy both on the Web and in printing, I guess a fairly short summary should be sufficient at this time.

The severe damage dealt to the German railway infrastructure and stock inventory during World War II naturally required a rather major rebuilding effort, which began in the late 1940s and spawned a number of designs which experts continue to laud as both innovative and reasonable, relying on proven technology where required but also introducing new approaches were appropriate.

The fact of significant numbers of locomotives, wagons and coaches from the Bundesbahn era continuing to be used in everyday service will most likely be the most impressive bit of testimony to the soundness and quality of these designs. Of course, the so-called "Einheitsloks" - constituting a set of newly designed electric locomotive types following identical design principles and even sharing a significant number of standardised parts - may be considered one of the most prominent pieces of innovation introduced during this period. These included the class E 10 express passenger locomotives; the closely related class E 40 freight locomotives, a smaller and lighter mixed traffic and branch line capable class known as E 41, as well as the class E 50 heavy freight locomotives, which also were a Co'Co' design as opposed to the three previously mentioned Bo'Bo' types.

In 1950, the Bundesbahn Board of Engineers decided to procure two basic types of newly built electrics, which were to supplement and eventually help replace the various pre-war electrics left in operational condition. These were specified to be a Bo'Bo' configured locomotive initially known as E 46 and loosely based on the pre-war E 44, and a Co'Co' configured heavy freight locomotive. However, these plans were eventually changed, resulting in the previously mentioned four types to emerge from an identical set of design principles.

Technical description

Being highly standardised designs, the class 110 and 140 locomotives – known as E 10 and E 40 before 1968 – were fundamentally identical, with those differences which do exist mainly concerning their different roles. As previously mentioned, this had, in fact, been an explicit design goal in order to facilitate maintenance and spare-keeping just as much as driver qualification, and would also prove to offer an additional advantage in that it allowed a fairly easy conversion of individual locos from one class into the other. Consequently, the following descriptions will describe common features just as much as differences.

As is the case on all Einheitsloks, the body is fully welded and has an integrated frame consisting of longitudinal and transversal beams, two of the latter also comprising the bogie pivot pins. Originally, the head-end transversal beams doubled as bufferbeams, but later-production 110s and 140s – specifically, 140 797 through 879 – were fitted with separate bufferbeams known in German as "Verschleißpufferbohlen" in order to offer an additional layer of impact protection and thus reduce the risk of body and frame damage at shunting speeds. Locos thus equipped were also prepared for conversion to the standardised UIC knuckle coupler, which, as many readers will most likely know, was but never introduced. However, a small number of 140s were equipped with AK69e knuckle couplers as also fitted to the Faals¹⁵¹, Falrrs¹⁵² and Falrrs¹⁵³ type iron ore wagons, used for iron ore workings from Rotterdam and other North Sea ports to the steel works in the Saarland and at Salzgitter, in order to serve as backups for the equally small number of 151s also equipped with knuckle couplers.

The body sides comprise a varying number of ventilation grilles and – usually – one centrally located engine room window per side, the exact number and style of grilles having changed over the years and constituting major distinguishing features of this loco family. The 140s in particular originally had six horizontally slotted grilles per side, which in turn were replaced with vertically slotted grilles on locos built from 1960 onwards. Beginning in the 1980s, most locos were then converted to another type of vertically slotted grilles known as "Klatte grilles." On the 110, the "Crease" bodied locomotives were originally built with specially styled grilles, which, though also having six separate openings per side, appeared as if they were one uninterrupted band for aesthetical reasons. However, most "Crease" 110s were later converted to the set of individual Klatte grilles as well. Also, some 110s had the engine room windows replaced by a seventh grille on both body sides, making things even more complex for the casual observer.

On the "Brick" bodied 110s and the 140s, several other modifications were carried out through the production run and during revisions in later years. As designed, the cab faces had large, integrated lower lamps, which housed both the head and tail lights. However, beginning with 140 163, cluster lamps with vertically aligned separate lenses for head and tail lights were used. Also, the 110s and 140s were originally built with rain gutters running around the circumference of the entire roof, which but were omitted from 140 631 through 634 and 140 673 onwards. These gutters were also removed from existing locomotives during major revisions, partly due to these drains having been found to badly suffer from corrosion. Likewise, the full-width horizontal grab rails on the cab faces were removed in later years, and replaced with much smaller, vertically aligned grab handles located near the UIC sockets only.

The roof is split into three panels above the engine room in order to facilitate internal maintenance and part removal, with the central panel – which is located above the transformer/tap changer assembly – taking the shape of a raised fairing and differing in various details between the 110 and 139 on one hand, and the 140 on the other. On the 110 and 139, the braking rheostats are also located under this fairing, requiring larger ventilation grilles than on the 140.

The cabs feature a largely standardised control desk on both types, with a wheel-shaped power controller located in front of the driver, who in keeping with German standards is sat on the right hand side. Train protection equipment consists of the usual alerter, as well as the Indusi/PZB 90 suite. In addition, several 140s were also fitted with LZB cab signalling devices on top of the standard PZB suite. Also, the last batch of E 40s – usually referred to as 140.8 from 1968 onwards – was equipped with push-pull and MU controls. These locomotives could often be seen on stopping and semi-fast passenger workings, mainly in suburban environments. Push-pull capable 140s were also used during the initial phase of the S-Bahn system in the Ruhr area, which was phased in during the early 1970s.

Meanwhile, the bogies also are all-welded assemblies, using Flexicoil springs on the secondary suspension stage and helical springs for the primary stage, with the bogie frames featuring vertical slots for the axle boxes. The 14-pole WB 372 type single phase AC traction motors are also integrated into the bogies, using a Siemens quill drive and reduction gearing for power transmission. Transmission ratios are 2.89/1 on the 140 and 2.11/1 on the 110. All wheels are tread-braked, with the 110 having larger brake shoes due to their higher top speed. The braking gear is a self-lapping unified Knorr type with settings G and P on the 140, and G, P and R on the 110, and includes both indirect and direct brake controllers. As designed, the 140 was intended for a 100 kph (62 mph) maximum speed, but was cleared for a slightly higher 110 kph (68 mph) in 1969 in order to improve their suitability for passenger workings.

Addressing the electrical components, the 110 and 140 are classic single phase AC locos. The transformer, set in the middle of the engine room, is connected to a primary side tap changer with 28 power notches, weighing in at about 12 tonnes. This had been a BBC N28h type with mechanical diverter switches originally, but was replaced with the thyristor-assisted Siemens-Schuckert W29T type on late-production locos, with several mid-production 140s also having a W29 variant without thyristor assistance.

One significant difference between the 110 and 140 had been the fact that the latter were lacking the dynamic brake installed on the 110, which had been considered unnecessary for the 140's lower maximum speed. However, operational experience demonstrated that various steeply inclined stretches of mainline – including the famous Höllental Railway in Baden-Württemberg, which had been worked with rack engines till 1933 and later served as a test route for 50 Hz electrification – would, in fact, justify procuring a batch of 140s with dynamic brakes.

Consequently, an initial number of 31 140s were thus refitted beginning in 1959, creating a subtype initially designated as class E 40.11 from 1961 onwards, and 139 under the computerised numbering scheme introduced in 1968. These locomotives essentially represented "Brick" bodied 110s with the differently geared bogies of the 140. Interestingly, an additional eighteen 139s were, in fact, created by mating "Brick" bodied 110s with bogies gathered from retired 140s, which happened between 1993 and 1995.

Rooftop equipment on either class includes an air blast circuit breaker and one pair of DBS 54a diamond pantographs. However, many locos – mainly those equipped with LZB cab signalling – have since been converted to DSA 200 type single arm pans, which also are equipped with pneumatic contact integrity detectors and auto-drop circuits to prevent OHLE damage.

In total, 879 140s were built, of which 49 were converted to 139s. While Deutsche Bahn long refused to directly sell any retired locos to private TOCs and loosened this position only in recent years, various 139s and 140s have since found their way to a number of other operators. Most notably, Lokomotion – in which company DB Schenker are holding 30% of shares – have acquired a total of six 139s between 2004 and 2006, which were then treated to the company's rather striking "Zebra" livery. Three 140s were passed on to RBH Logistics, who are affiliated with DB Schenker as well.

In addition, 139 287 was sold to BayernBahn; five 140s were passed on to Eisenbahngesellschaft Potsdam; two 140s were sold to Pressnitztalbahn and given their current light blue livery; and three 140s were sold to Mittelweserbahn. In addition, 140 128, which had largely retained its original appearance with the 1960s dark green and black livery, has been declared the heritage loco for this class, and is preserved at Deutsche Bahn's Railway Museum at Koblenz, again wearing its pre-1968 running number E 40 128.

Over the years, the 140s wore all standard Deutsche Bundesbahn and DB AG liveries, beginning with the 1950s/60s dark green and black for all electrics with a top speed not higher than 120 kph. In the 1970s, many locos then received the controversial ocean blue and beige, which in turn was succeeded by oriental red with white frontside warning panels in the 1980s. Today, most remaining 140s in DB Schenker service feature the standard traffic red and grey livery, though 140 423 has retained ocean blue and beige.

Technical specifications

Length, width and height – 16.44, 2.95 and 4.49 m/54, 9.7 and 14.7 ft

Power output – 3,700 kW/4,962 hp

Initial tractive effort – 275 kN

Service weight – 83 tonnes/81.7 long tons

Maximum speed – 110 kph (68 mph)

And for a suitable closing note, haver a look at this selection of videos showing 110s, 139s and 140s at work:

140s working ECS services of freshly overhauled passenger stock out of Leipzig Central Station.

140 423, the one remaining loco in ocean blue and beige.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqkTnuMmmGE

140 716 departing Lehrte with tap changer noise and typical 16.7 Hz motor growl.

139 312 departing with a charter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tXAIZjShd8

Cab ride on a 139 from Kufstein to Munich.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFAPEoyc2jY

Engine room view of a 139 with tap changer shifting up and down and arcing rather nicely.

A look at the tap changer mechanism on 110 343.