The European Railway Picture Gallery

Picture of the Month - July 2000

Photo by Volker Gelmroth

Up to a few years ago the German Railways used class 220, former DR class 120 or V200, for freight trains. These noisy locomotives were built in Russia (now Ukraine) and exported to many Eastern European countries (M62 in Hungary, ST44 in Poland, 781 in Czechia/Slovakia etc.) but also used in large quantities in the Soviet Union itself.

Most of the German locomotives of this class, nicknamed "Taigatrommel" ("Taiga Drums") because of their noisy engines, were scrapped or exported to North Korea. Some of them can still be found in derelict state at yards in the east of Germany.

Now that open access is available over tracks of the German railways, many private railways try to earn some money with operating trains. Some have bought and rebuilt the mentioned class 220 locomotives, others have imported their Eastern European counterparts and adapted them to German safety standards.

One example of this you can find in the picture: Locomotive V200.1 of the Osthavelländische Eisenbahn in Berlin. The photo was taken on 8 June 2000 in the OHE freight terminal at Johannesstift. Other examples can be found on the German Private Railways website of the photographer.

Photo and scan by Volker Gelmroth <pribahn@comports.com>