The DB Class 103 is a class of electric locomotive originally operated by the West German Deutsche Bundesbahn, built by a consortium of AEG, Brown Boveri & Cie, Henschel, Krauss-Maffei, Krupp and Siemens. Four prototypes were completed in 1965 and shown at Munich's International Transport Fair, and 145 production units followed from 1970 to 1973, entering service from May 27, 1970, for a total of 149 locomotives. On a Co-Co wheel arrangement with six traction motors drawing 15 kilovolt AC power, production units produced 7,440 kilowatts, roughly 9,980 horsepower, with a standard top speed of 200 kilometers per hour and some variants reaching 280 in testing. The Class 103 became the flagship locomotive of the West German Trans Europ Express and InterCity network, the backbone of the country's fastest passenger services and among the most powerful conventional electric locomotives ever built, until the InterCityExpress displaced it beginning in 1991.
Facts
SignificanceFor a long period regarded as the flagship of the Deutsche Bundesbahn's rolling stock, powering the country's Trans Europ Express and InterCity services. 1 Manufacturer or BuilderA consortium of AEG, Brown Boveri and Cie, Henschel, Krauss-Maffei, Krupp and Siemens 1 FAQs
Did the DB Class 103 run at its 200 kilometers per hour top speed in everyday service?
No. Few lines and approvals allowed 200 kilometers per hour in the early years, and it came later on a few equipped lines.
Not at first. According to Wikipedia, when the InterCity system began in 1971 only a few lines (Hanover to Celle, Düsseldorf to Cologne and Munich to Augsburg) were enhanced for 200 kilometers per hour, and the government approvals for speeds above 160 were also missing, so in its first years the Class 103 did not reach its top speed in regular service. By 1979 the technical problems had been overcome and 200 kilometers per hour was permitted on a few lines with the necessary train control system and overhead line adaptations.
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Sources
1. Wikipedia: DB Class 103
WikipediaInfobox: type and origin specifications
Builder AEG, Brown Boveri & Cie, Henschel, Krauss-Maffei, Krupp, Siemens. Prototype: 1965. Production: 1970-1973
Opening paragraph of main article text
For a long period, they were perceived as flagships of the DB rolling stock.
In Group: Main-Line Electric Locomotives, Lead sentence
The Baureihe 103 is a class of electric locomotives in Germany, originally operated by Deutsche Bundesbahn.
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