BR 110 - A Faithful, Reliable Servant
Engine 110 302 in its original paint scheme. Bamberg April 1977. Photo by Christian Splittgerber.
Introduced in 1956 as class E10, the 110.1 series was the first modern, post-war design introduced by the DB and was intended for principal passenger services. Development of this class followed the introduction in 1952/53 of five prototype locomotives (10 001 to 10 005) incorporating various forms of control equipment and transmission. Extensive trials with these machines led to the appointment of Krauss-Maffei and Siemens Schuckert Werke as principal contractors for the production run. Construction was shared by Henschel and Krupp, with electrical equipment provided by the Allgemeine Elektrizitäts Gesellschaft (AEG) and Brown Boveri Company (BBC).
In 1963, the E103 (now 110.3) variant appeared and the original series was reclassified as E101. Performance and equipment of this later series is similar to the 110.1 but the body design has a cleaner and more aerodynamic treatment. Two of these units, E10 299 and E10 300 (now 110 299 and 110 300) were regeared experimentally for 125 mph (200 km/h) running in 1963. During the previous year, six locomotives were modified before delivery for 100 mph (160 km/h) running on TEE services and were appropriately painted red and beige. Designated E1012 and numbered E10 1265 to E10 1270, these were joined eventually by 25 similarly adapted units to form the DB’s class 112. Gaps occurring in the class 110.3 number series are those originally allocated to the 112s. The important class 139/140 development of this design appeared in 1956.
Road numbers - BR 110.1 - 110.001 to 110 264
BR 110.3 - 110 288 to 110 307, 110 313 to 110 484 and 110 505 to 110 510
Specifications of the Prototypes
| E 10 001 | E 10 002 | E 10 003 | E 10 004, 005 | E 10 101 | |
| Year | 1953 | 1953 | 1952 | 1953 | 1957 |
| Builder | Krauss Maffei/AEG | Krupp/BBC | Henschel/SSW | Henschel/AEG | Various |
| Top speed | 130 km/h | 130 km/h | 130 km/h | 130 km/h | 150 km/h |
| Power | 3420 kW | 3280 kW | 3350 kW | 3440 kW | 3700 kW |
| Service wt | 84 tons | 82 tons | 81 tons | 81 tons | 85 tons |
| LüP | 16100 mm | 16650 mm | 15900 mm | 15900 mm | 16490 mm |
| Wheel dia. | 1350 mm | 1250 mm | 1250 mm | 1250 mm | 1250 mm |
| Gear ratio | 2.49:1 | 2.19:1 | 3.28:1 | 2.21:1 | 2.21:1 |
E 10 101 (E 1012) had a gear ratio of 1.91:1
Specifications
| Owner | Deutsche Bundesbahn |
| Axle configuration | Bo'Bo' |
| One hour output | 4,960 hp (3,700 kW) |
| Continuous output | 4,850 hp (3,620 kW) |
| Maximum speed | 93 mph (150 km/h) |
| Max. tractive effort | 61,800 lb (275 kN) |
| Cont. tractive effort | 24,000 lb (107 kN) at 76 mph (123 km/h) |
| Operating weight | 84.4 tons |
| Overall length BR 110.1 | 54.1 ft (16,490 mm) |
| Overall length BR 110.3 | 53.9 ft (16,440 mm) |
| Wheelbase (truck) | 11.15 ft (3,400 mm) |
| Wheel diameter | 49.2 in. (1,250 mm) |
| Traction motors | 4 single phase commutator, fully suspended with rubber spring drive |
| Control | High voltage tap changer |
| Electric brake | Rheostatic |
| Number built BR 110.1 | 164 |
| Number built BR 110.3 | 198 |
| Builders | Henschel, Krupp, Krauss-Maffei |
Sources:
"World Electric Locomotives" by Ken Harris, Jane’s, London, 1981, ISBN 0 7106 0101 8.
"Bunte Vielfalt under gleicher Nummer – die elektrischen Lokomotiven der Baureihe 110," Märklin Magazin, 2/70, p. 27.
"Schwebende Motoren für Elloks," Märklin Magazin, 1/65, p. 25.
"Die Einheitlichen," Eisenbahn Magazin, 11/96, p. 64.
"The History of the Electric Locomotive," F.J.G. Haut, George Allen and Unwin, Ltd, London, 1969, ISBN 04 385042 1.
"Präg(t)en das Alltagsbild der DB: Die vielen Gesichter der E 10," Eisenbahn Kurier, 12/87, p. 16.