# DB Class 120

The DB Baureihe 120 is a class of electric locomotives operated by DB Fernverkehr in Germany. In November 2023, the last locomotives of this series were decommissioned by Deutsche Bahn. A few were sold to private railway companies and are operational.

## Background and design

The locomotives' prototypes, delivered in 1979 (Mark 120.0), were one of the first electric locomotives with three-phase motors controlled by thyristor-based power electronics. This principle, mainly devised by the German branch of Swiss-based Brown, Boveri & Cie lay the foundation for all current electric and diesel-electric rail engines. For this, the Mark 120 is often acclaimed as milestone in locomotive technology. They were based on experiments made in the 1970s with diesel-electric test platforms (Mark DE 2500/ DB Mark 202). In Norway, a new four-axle Locomotive, Mark El-17, was launched during 1983 with top speeds up to 93 miles per hour (150 km/h).
The design was intended to be the first truly universal locomotive, capable of pulling fast passenger trains as well as heavy freight trains. While the electric equipment exceeded expectations, the mechanical part suffered from its lightweight construction necessitated by the heavy electronics of the time.
After extensive tests, a series of 60 locomotives (Mark 120.1) were ordered in 1984 and delivered in 1986–1988. Original plans to build up to 2,000 machines were ultimately ended by DB's privatisation. The 120s went to DB Fernverkehr, the other divisions of Deutsche Bahn ordered locomotives that featured technologies from the 120, but were not direct successors. However, the class 120 locomotive formed the foundation for the power cars of the German high-speed trains ICE 1 and ICE 2

## Technical data

| | 120.0 | 120.1 |
| General |
| Operator | DB | => |
| Manufacturing year | 1979-19xx | 1986–1988 |
| Number of manuf. | 5 | 60 |
| Supplier mechanical part | Henschel, Krauss Maffei, Krupp | => |
| Supplier electrical part | BBC, Siemens, AEG | => |
| Axle arr | Bo-Bo | => |
| Weight | 84.0 t (82.7 long tons; 92.6 short tons) | => |
| Axle load | 21.0 t (20.7 long tons; 23.1 short tons) | => |
| Max tractive eff | 340 kN (76,000 lb$_f$) | 340 kN (76,000 lb$_f$) |
| Max speed | 280 km/h (170 mph) | 200 km/h (120 mph) |
| Body |
| Length | 19,200 mm (63 ft 0 in) | => |
| Bogie distance | 10,200 mm (33 ft 6 in) | => |
| Height over pantograph | 4,375 mm (14 ft 4.2 in) | => |
| Body width | 3,000 mm (9 ft 10 in) | => |
| Coupling | buffers and chain | => |
| Surface | smooth steel sheet | => |
| Colour | wine-red beige | red, white |
| Bogies |
| Track width | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | => |
| Wheel base | 2,800 mm (9 ft 2 in) | => |
| Wheel diameter, new | 1,250 mm (49.21 in) | => |
| Primary suspension | coil | => |
| Secondary suspension | coil | => |
| Brake | shoe, rheostatic, regenerative | shoe, regenerative |
| Bogie Weight | 15.96 t (15.71 long tons; 17.59 short tons) | => |
| Min hor radius | 100 m (328 ft) | => |
| Electrical equipment |
| Catenary voltage | 15 kV | => |
| Catenary frequency | 162⁄3 Hz | => |
| Max cont power | 4.4 MW (5,900 hp) | => |
| Traction motor | QD646 | BQg 4843 |
| Max power trainheating | 900 kW (1,200 hp) | => |

## Gallery

* 120 143 in Dresden
* 120 002 in Würzburg 1984
* DB-AG BR 120 (DB Systemtechnik), Summer 2006 in Dresden Main Station
* 120 134 arrives at Köln Hbf
* 120 502 leaves Köln Hbf on a Bahntechnik train.