DB Class V 100 - Class V 100.10 / Class 211

Class V 100.10 / Class 211

The Class V 100.10 was a diesel locomotive for light passenger and goods traffic on branch lines. It was developed in 1956 by the Bundesbahn Central Office in Munich together with the engineering works, Maschinenbau Kiel (MaK), for the Deutsche Bundesbahn.

In the late autumn of 1958 the first six trials engines were delivered. Numbers V 100 001 to 005 were fitted with a 809 kW (1,100 HP) motor, but number V 100 006 was given a 993 kW (1,350 HP) motor. The latter formed the basis for the V 100.20, later DB Class 212. Number V 100 007 was built by MaK as the seventh trial engine and tested in Sweden; it was sold in 1959 to the Deutsche Bundesbahn. In 1960, the prototype series, numbers 001 to 005 and 007 were renumbered to V 100 1001 to 1005 and 1007 in order to better distinguish them from the more powerful V 100 006. In 1961 the production series was started, the run lasting until 1963. As well as MaK, the firms of Deutz, Maschinenfabrik Esslingen, Henschel, Jung, Krauss-Maffei and Krupp were involved in building the locomotives.

As part of the renumbering of locomotives by the Deutsche Bundesbahn in 1968, the V 100.10 was redesignated as DB Class 211. The Deutsche Bahn AG inherited the locomotives in 1994.

After almost 40 years service the last engine was withdrawn in 2001.