ESU 31031

At the end of the 1960-ies the DB realised that the necessary acceleration of freight traffic will not be possible with the then available electric locomotive designs. The four axle class 140 was not powerful enough at higher speed and the more powerful class 150 with a maximum speed of 150 km/h was too slow. The most modern technology available to the DB was built into the multi system locomotives class 181 / 184 and, of course, into the express train star, the 103. 
Based on the proven designs of the standard layout electric locomotive family the company Krupp designed a very elegant six axle engine that was more powerful than any faster locomotive and faster than any stronger German electric locomotive. Pantographs of the type DBS 54 were installed on the roof. With the finely detailed bogies derived from the class 103 and the harmoniously proportioned body with its large engine compartment windows the class 151 still is a good example of a stylish locomotive – even today. In 1972 the very first of the 170 locomotives class 151 was delivered to the DB. This first unit shows a few minor variations to the series production. Pronounced teething troubles, often encountered with new designs, were never an issue with class 151.
Despite the fact that they were designed as freight service locomotives all engines of this series were equipped with push-pull remote control. The engines stationed at the depots in Nuremberg and Hagen-Eckesey were hauling 3,000 ton freight trains just as well as local services consisting of four refurbished wagons. On the Frankenwald line they pulled the inter-zone passenger trains for a period of four years.
The impressive acceleration characteristics made her the first choice of motive power hauling express trains and later also Interregio Trains on main lines with steep gradients. Therefore this kind service can be found in the duty roster right through to the late 1990-ies. Since 1976 some of these six axle locomotives were equipped with automatic couplers and double headed heavy ore trains consisting of up to 28 six axle hoppers weighing in at 5,400 tons, for instance from Duisburg to the steel works Dillinger Hütte in Saarland. Class 151 locomotives came regularly to Vienna, Austria. No other DB locomotive could be so freely assigned to virtually any kind of duty. For this reason these six axle locomotives were deployed across the entire area of Germany until 1990 and after reunification also in the new provinces of the country. 
Today the situation of the class 151 is not what it used to be. Four axle locomotives of class 145, 152, 182 (Taurus) and 185 equipped with three-phase A.C. drive technology put less strain on the tracks compared to the six axle design. They also have a higher maximum speed and – at least under normal weather conditions – are equal to class 151 in terms of draw-bar pull. The younger class 155 from the DR (ex DR class 250) competes with the 151s since 1990. Although only locomotives with some damage were decommissioned until 2009 this changed in 2010 when many engines whose operating term had expired were put out of service. But do not fear, dear friends of the 151; there are locomotives who received a major overhaul in 2010. According to the rules the engine may be in service for another eight years