| BR120 |
| Class 120.0 (001-005 : 5 locomotives) --->Class 752 |
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| From 1979 to 1980, 5 new experimental electric locomotives of class
120.0 were built by Henschel, Krauss Maffei, Krupp and BBC. Class 120 was
an epoch-making locomotive. Because they had three-phase-AC-motors, DB
could save much labor to the maintenance. This new technology was developed mainly by Henschek and BBC. They had adjusted this to a diesel locomotive - DE2500 - and experiments by DE2500 were very helpful to make class 120.0. DB want class 120 to be as powerful as class 151 and as fast as class 103. But since class 120 was based on class 111, its performance was not enough. Many improvements were made to class 120.0 while experiments took place. So the performance of rhe locomotives of class 120.0 was different from that of their birth. In 1991, all locomotives of class 120.0 were renamed to class 752. Since then, class 752 was used for many experiments for developing new electric locomotives. Classes 127(Euro Sprinter), 128(12X), 101 and 152 are based on the data taken from many experiments by class 120.0. The wheel arrangement of class 120.0 was Bo-Bo, length 19,200mm, weight 83.2t, maximum speed 200km/h (120 004 : 230km/h) and power output 5600kW (120 004 : 6400kW). At first all locomotives had TEE livery (beige/red), but now some are painted in red (Epoch.V). |
 (BR120.0) |
 (BR120.1) |
| Class 120.1 (101-160 : 60 locomotives) |
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| In 1985 DB ordered 60 locomotives of class 120.1 based on the exexperiments
by class 120.0 to replace old freight locomotives of class 194 and to get
new locomotives which can run NBS between Fulda and Wuerzburg. DB planed
to order many more locomotives of class 120.1 to replace class 103.1 and
class 150, too. The looking of class 120.1 is similar to class 120.0. Though 120.0 had TEE livery (Ep.IV) when delivered, class 120.1 was painted in new red (Called Alrot : Ep.V). Many improvements are made from class 120.0 ; New brake system and electric equipment were adopted. And driver`s room was airtight one. All locomotives of class 120.1 were delivered from 1988 to 1989. At first they are allocated at Bw Hamburg 1 and operated in common with class 103.1. When NBS was finished, all of them were moved to Bw Nuernburg. But after the start of the NBS, some faults of class 120.1 were found out. Class 120 is based on class 111, so it took too much time to accelerate to 200km/h though class 120.1 had enough power to run at 160km/h. When running NBS, it sometimes disturbed ICE`s 280km/h running. And class 120.1 does`t have enough power to haul heavy freight trains. Though some freight trains are operated with the speed of 160km/h, they can be operated by two locomotives of class 111. So class 120.1 is not indispensable. Consequently only 60 locomotives of class 120.1 were built. Now class 101, 103.1 and 152 can run NBS, class 120.1 doesn`t operated for trains which run NBS. All locomotives of class 120.1 are still based on Bw Nuernburg and operated for EC/IC/IR trains which have little opportunity to run at 200km/h. Locomotives of class 120.1 were built by Henschel, Krauss-Maffei, Krupp, AEG, BBC and SSW. The wheel arrangement is Bo-Bo, length 19,200mm, weight 83.2t, power output 5,600kW and maximum speed 200km/h. |
| Pictures of class 120 |
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