Germany has a railway network with many main lines running on flat lands and - as in Denmark, France and UK - electrifications of these lines could have been done lately, maintaining for long periods the steam traction. With the planned reconstruction and modernization of the railway network of the west part of Germany (owned by DB society born in 1949) , it was decided to substitute steam traction with diesel locos on the mail lines of the system. Germany was a pioneer in the world on experimentation of road diesel engines with some prototypes based on hydraulic trasmission, but even with some military locos with mechanic or electric trasmission. After good results on the experimental loco V140 001 was decided the construction of locos with hydraulic trasmission, distributed in V80, V100, V160 and V200 groups, different among them for dimensions and power, in order to give an answer to all exercise needings, from light local trains to fast express trains and heavy freights. After 10 V80 (then numbered 280) built in 1952, the coming of the first V200 in 1953 was an event, as the dimension of the loco. The Krauss Maffei in Munchen put in service 5 pre-serie locos in 1953, numbered V 200 001-005, B'B' scheme, with 2 diesel motors Maybach, hydraulic trasmission by Voith and maximum speed at 140 km/h. With a weight under the 80 tons, a good big loco with powerfull capacities was ready to break the market. After some tests, even out of DB networks, the first serie of locos was outshopped in 1956/59, with 81 units from Mak and Krauss Maffei numbered V 200 006-086 and with a body lightly diverse from prototypes. In 1958 Krauss Maffei built another prototype, with Co'Co' arrangement and power on 2200 kW. At the beginning this unit remained owned by the builder for its marketing needings and then sold to DB as V300 001. This powerfull version of V200 units was developed as a new serie of 50 locos built from 1962 to 1965, numbered V200 101-150. These locos have still a body like first units, but functionalities were encreased, with 1010kW and 2 MTU motors. V200 were in service on the most important lines of the DB network, with every kind of train, even push pull compos. In 1968 DB introduced the new computerized classification system and the letter V (Verbrennung=combustion) was substituted by the number 2, used for all diesel locos. The numeration became:
V
200 001-086 in 220 001-086
V
200 101-150 in 221 101-150
V
300 001
in 230 001
In the 70's 220 and 221 locos were still trailing important trains, even internationals, mostly in the north of Germany; just to list something of them: the TEE "Merkur" Stuttgart - Kobenhavn and some InterCity trains with fixed time departures every 2 hours. In 1975 the 230 group was stored , while prototypes of the 220 serie were also stored in 1980 at the Oldenburg depot. With the encreasing of electrifications and the newcoming of 218 locos, at the beginning of the 80's started the withdrawal of the class, which ended its services in 1984 in Lubeck depot, were their last runs were with locals in Holstein region. The 221 instead were running until 1988 on services made in the Ruhr region, often double-heading heavy freights. The end of regular services of these units didn't represent their fate, because thiese locos could reborn again in other countries. In Germany also remain 17 locos, 2 prototype (1 active), 12 220 (3 active, 3 currently under restoration) and 3 221 (2 active).
V200
outside Germany.
While DB were doing their tests on V200 prototypes, in 1955 the Krauss Maffei used the V200 005 to organize a marketing trip around Austria, Jugoslavia, Greece and Turkey, travelling for about 10.000 km. While this unit was around, also GM made its marketing travelling with a loco later known as 7707 (then SJ T21), bringing up many orders for this kind of unit. The V200 type was the best on light railways but not so better with the handle-works on a complicate hydraulic trasmission. In Spain from 1966 to 1969 were outshopped 32 RENFE units class 4000 - then 340 - directly coming from 221 german locos, even with lines of the body. With different mechanical characteristics, they could reach 180 km/h. In UK, BR were on substituting steam traction and testing many different diesel types. Western exercise went different from all other comanies and choose hydraulic trasmission. 147 locos were built under classes D800 and D1000 from 1958 to 1964, with Maybach motors and Voith/Mekydro trasmissions. Different in look but similar in concept were the 2700 serie for Turkey railways TCDD. In the East Germany , even DR took as example V200 to built big locos of the serie V180 (then 280, then DB 228). Finally Jugoslavia Railways JZ ordered 3 units with Co'Co' arrangement equal to V300, classified in D66 (then 761) group and often used to trail the extra train of Tito. In other countries V200 arrived after radiation from DB; in Switzerland the SBB bought in 1986 seven 220 there labeled Am 4/4 18461-18467 and used until 1997 to trail freight and works trains. In 1991 25 units of 221 class went in Balkan region, after having been overhauled in Italy by Fervet. Twenty units went to greece railways OSE and 5 to HSH, albanian railways. These locos, painted in a nice red, were used with very good results but had to be stored early because the very scarce care of the albanian railway men. Not all the V200 locos reborn were then used on line duties: in France 4 locos are used by working companies, as the unit sent to Spain. Other locos are now outside Europe: a loco is in Algeria while other units have been used by HeitKamp society for works in Arabia and after for some other arabian companies. Even the V300 prototype had taken service outside Germany: first in Italy searching some users and now in France on some work trains. Italy is another country where many V200 came to live their second era.
V 200 in Italy.
Here many companies of rail working and some private railways has ever had the convenience to built Germany hydraulic second hand locos. So, together with many locos of original groups 280, 216, 211 and 260, not less than 16 220 locos arrived in Italy, including 3 units (220 076, 083 and 084) built in the 80's by a Reggio Emilia's factory to scrap them. Seven units from 1981 to 1984 have been bought by diverse work companies and are still in service all around the nation. Some of these still carry the red and black DB livery, while 220 060 have been repainted in a flashy yellow coat. If in Germany these locos were conceived to run on fast flat lines, here they had to go on every kind of trackage, like on Maiella line Sulmona-Carpinone, on Giovi line and on the Brennero one. Just 5 of these machines are still living here: the 220 039 went in Spain in 1988 to Cosfer society, while the 041 unit entered the rolling stock of FP private railway. Here there are some of the numbers assigned to these locos:
220
028 T 5662 Cosfer
220
029
Veltri
220
031 T 5697 Cosfer
220
060
Valditerra
220
065
IPE
Different and more important was the destiny of the 7 units of 220 class arrived here in various years to some italian private railways. FSF (Ferrovia Suzzara Ferrara) at the beginning of the 80's planned to host some heavy freights from Ravenna to Melzo passing along their line. Not having appropriate units to haul these trains (just some old Deutz V36 loco and an old light veichle coming from a diesel Ganz railcar), the society went on the second-hand market. The first 220 coming on FSF metals was number 006 in 1982, shortly after followed by 011 and 049. DB shops made repair workings and repainted their locos still with german livery in beige and blue; they were admitted to roll here in 1983. As projects of freights went on late, FSF started utilize these locos on regular short freight instead of the old locos. In 1983 other 2 locos started service on another private line: on FP (Ferrovie Padane) the 220 045 and 074 locos had initially the same livery of their FSF sisters, soon changed to a beige and dark green combination. Even these 220 were assigned to short freight hauling, substituting old Tobruk locos running here since 50's. A turn-out came in 1987/88, when both FSF and FP societies bought some Switzerland SBB coaches, Leichtstahlwagen type with 2 doors per side. After an overhaul these SBB coaches (meanwhile other of them went on SNFT, ACT and FNM lines) were used to compose passenger trains ready to serve rush hours services better then railcar MU. Heading these trains was a new charge for our 220 locos, on both Emilia's railways. In 1990 even SNFT bought a 220 - n° 051 - to test it on heavy steel freight from Rovato to Breno, it was painted as in DB service: black and red. In 1993 FP received another 220 - n° 041 - coming from Bulfone shops in Udine which rebuilt this unit after having bought it before from Cosfer society. In 1994 the SNFT society entered the FNM group and the 220.051 - because too many faults - was stored in Cividate shed. Another storing changed history of our locos in 1995/96, when because asbestos the former SBB coaches of FSF and FP lines were stored without no plan of future use. Fortunately in 1997 on these private trackages started some heavy freights - quite like those planned in the past - to carry steel and coils from Ravenna to Guastalla via Suzzara. From Ferrara to Suzzara our 220 locos were booked for the service, from there a FPS loco took the train until Guastalla. The service is wellplanned and our locos - after 40 years of service - still are ale to trail on these flat lines trains weighting 1200/1500 tons. In 1998 trains trailed by 220 are authorized to run even on FS rails, so they can cover the distance between Ravenna, Bologna and Mantova without loco changing. From this year also is possible to see with no order FSF or FP locos heading these freights, prelude to the merger of some diverse railways in a unique group called FER (Ferrovie Emilia Romagna). Business goes well, so even the 051 unit still stored on SNFT/FNM line is bought and carried in Sermide depot to a refurbishment and then returned to service. This permit the complete overhaul and rebuilding of the first unit came in Italy - 006 - outshopped in 1999 with new clima cabs, new engines, MU equipment and a new green and red paint. All these works permitted to have a machine completely new, with the perspective of use it still for many years. A similar rebuilding is planned on all other 6 locos of FER stocklist: actually the 049 in Zagreb shops to receive new Caterpillar engines. Due to some works in past years, 220 locos with freight trains circulated on FS lines in this wide area, reaching Mantova, Legnago, Rovigo, Mirandola, Revere, Bologna S.Donato and more. Now, with the full merger, under FER society our locos still run with heavy steel trains, on every day service with an assured future for still many years.
