Class 140 Electric Locomotive

The type program for the new German Federal Railroad was intended to put four different designs of electric motive power at the forefront. In addition to the E 10 for fast trains, there was the E 40 and E 50 for freight service and the E 41 for commuter service. All these units had parts installed, which were a good 36% identical, standard design locomotives as it were. The maximum quantity was reached here by the E 40, the subsequent class 140. The total of 879 units labored pulling heavy freight loads as well as passenger trains. They came with freight trains to the Brenner station for changing power systems into Italy and to the central switchyard in Vienna. The high quantity naturally required a long procurement period stretching from 1957 to 1973. While the paint scheme of ocean blue / ivory was once not very popular with railroad fans as well as model railroaders, currently, it is considered by many to be thoroughly successful. The class 140 was a credit to this color design, even though the light surfaces, chiefly with these freight haulers, were more susceptible to dirt in the harsh demands of everyday work. Hardly conceivable that the DB AG has since done away with all class 140 units. The last scheduled service ended in the late fall of 2016. On private railroads, all the units are still soldiering bravely on, and they are proof of the ruggedness of this class and its popularity with crews and rail fans.