2xMD650 engines, 2xMekydro K104 transmissions
Where it all started! In the early 1950's Krauss-Maffei constructed 5 locomotives for Deutsche Bundesbahn. These locomotives became known as the V200's and later 220's under the DB computerised numbering system. These original locomotives were fitted with two Maybach MD650 diesel engines of 1000hp. These drove into two Maybach Mekydro K104 transmissions which were coupled to the wheels by cardan shafts and final drives. After intensive trials more were ordered by DB, construction being divided between Krauss-Maffei & MAK. As well as the Maybach, Mercedes and MAN engines were used in the production locomotives. An alternative transmission from Voith was also used. The basic criteria was that all of these components should be interchangeable between loco's without any modification. All engines were V12's rated at 1100hp. In time only the Maybach and Mercedes engines came to be fitted to the V200's. There was a follow on class, V200.1, later 221 of 2700hp, but these were never fitted with Maybach engines so this is probably the only mention they'll get on this site!
Pre dating the V200, Krauss Maffei & MAK built five locomotives each in 1951-1952 to the same basic design for DB. The locomotive was designed to replace steam locomotives operating on passenger & freight over low speed secondary lines. The locomotives had a high central cab with two hoods at either end, one of which contained the engine, which was either a Maybach MD650 or a Mercedes V12 and the other contained auxiliary equipment, radiators and the train heating boiler. The transmission was either the Mekydro K104 or the Voith T36. DB classified these locomotives V80. Under the DB computerised system, these locomotives became the 280 class.
The follow on production class was the V100.1 (later DB 211), which was built with a more easy to build and maintain body profile but still managing to retain a clean line. It is these locomotives that came to be known as "coathangers" to English enthusiasts. They were built by Krauss Maffei, MAK, Deutz & Jung and were fitted with a MD650 rated at 1200hp or a MAN or Mercedes V12. The transmission was the Voith L216rs. There was a further build of V100's, the V100.2 (later DB 212/213/214) but these were not fitted with Maybach engines.
In 1956 a V200 look alike appeared which rode on two three axle bogies and was fitted with two MD650's & two Mekydro K104's. This loco was termed as an ML2200 type by Krauss Maffei and was demonstrated within Germany, Austria and Yugoslavia, before it was rebuilt into ML3000 during 1957.
ML3000 appeared on DB metals in 1958 and was envisaged as Krauss Maffei's response to DB's request for a locomotive with more power than the original V200. It still rode on two three axle bogies, but the engines & transmissions had been changed. Two MD655's were fitted, making ML3000 the only loco on DB to run with this particular variant of Maybach engine. The K104 transmissions of the ML2200 were replaced with K184's. The locomotive was rated at 3000hp overall and weighed a shade under 104 tons. In the event, technology overtook ML3000 as DB decided that the more powerful loco would just be an updated V200, which became V200.1, later the 221. In 1964, DB bought ML3000 from Krauss Maffei and numbered it V300 001. It received the computerised number 230 001 in 1968 and was finally withdrawn in May 1975. It was eventually acquired by Firma Layritz in 1977, who overhauled it and sold it to a track maintenance company in Italy - later a fate of several V200's. It migrated to France during the late 1980's where it survived until 1998 when it was cut up for scrap - apparently it was offered to several German preservation groups who were not interested! A great shame indeed.
For more pictures of V200's, visit the European Railway Server :
http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix/de/diesel/historic/DB_V200_0/pix.html
There were a few variations on the V200 design, some looking very similar (Yugoslavian D66's, ML3000, RENFE ML4000, BR D800,) and many that were built by K-M or licence produced by contractors and looked pretty dissimilar but retained the same basic traction package of two Maybach engines driving two transmissions (US & Brazilian ML4000's, BR D1000, RENFE "Talgo" loco's, Turkish ML2700's).
V200 018 - Picture at the top of this page - Is at the MVT in Berlin. This particular locomotive is an MAK built example, in pristine condition. It is fitted with two MD650's but does not run.
V200 033 - Is the responsibility of the Hammer Eisenbahnfreunde (HEF). This locomotive performs the most running of any Maybach engined V200 in Germany, including main line tours. It is currently undergoing an overhaul. There are a couple of pictures on the HEF website ("Bilder" is the German word for pictures).
There were also constructed a series of Maybach engined express Diesel Multiple Unit's, of class VT11, later DB 601/602. These trains were formed with a power car at each end with several (up to seven) coaches between them. The engines were MD650's (rated at 1100hp) with a Mekydro K104 transmission which powered the leading bogie only. The original purpose of these trains was to form the German part of the "Trans Europe Express" concept, which was a series of high speed luxury express trains operated by several European railway companies. The first of these trains was completed in 1957 and they ranged across Europe in their "TEE" role until the mid 1970's when they were replaced by locomotive hauled trains. All of these units were then used on DB InterCity services, then private charter services, until they were finally retired in 1988. After retirement, DB retained one set for the museum fleet while the others were donated to museums, sold to other European operators or scrapped. The Danish State Railways also ordered trains of a similar design.
During the early 1930's The Deutsche Riechsbahn took advantage of improving diesel engine technology and light weight rail vehicle building techniques and ordered a two car articulated set from Wagen und Maschinenbau AG of Görlitz, which was classified as SVT877. This set was fitted with two Maybach GO5 V12's, rated at 410hp driving an electric transmission with the traction motors on the articulated bogie in the centre of the train set. The driving cabs were streamlined, with the design based on wind tunnel testing of models at the Friedrichshafen Airship Factory. The set weighed 78 tons and seated 102 in two open saloons. Maximum speed was in excess of 160kmh [99.4mph]. The set was introduced to the Berlin - Hamburg route on 15th May 1933 as the "Fliegende Hamburger" [Flying Hamburger], scheduled to cover the 270km [178 miles] between these two cities in 138 minutes - at an average speed of just over 77mph. There is a contemporary appraisal, with pictures of these trains on "Mikes Rail History":
http://mikes.railhistory.railfan.net/r033.html
Seventeen more of these train sets were ordered in 1935, thirteen of them as a refined version of SVT877 and four as three car sets, all classified as "SVT137". The two car sets had seating numbers reduced for increased comfort to 76 and weight increased to 91 tons. The three car sets seated 139 in compartments and had engine compartments at each end, behind the driving cabs. Two of these sets had electric transmission, with the motors on the two articulated bogies and two of the sets had a Voith hydraulic transmission driving the leading bogie only of each power car. The three car sets weighed 117 tons and sets were fitted with a turbocharged version of the GO5 rated at 600hp. Additionally, all of the SVT137's were fitted with Scharfenburg automatic couplers, multiple unit Contol, "Indusi" automatic train control and electromagnetic track brakes and again were capable of speeds in excess of 160kmh - on test in February 1936 on of these sets allegedly achieved 205kmh [127.4mph] on a test from Berlin to Hamburg although no positive verification of this speed was ever made. The three car sets were initially used on Berlin to Leipzig services. These seventeen sets operated the fastest timetabled trains in the world at that time with average point to point speeds above 70mph being the norm. DR operating staff had clear instructions that the passage of the "Fliegende" trains was not to be hindered without good reason and that the "Fliegende" services should not be held at stations awaiting late running connections. A final series of fourteen SVT137's was delivered in 1938, this time in a non articulated three car format with seating for 102 arranged in compartments in one power car and the intermediate trailer, with the space in the other power car given entirely over to a 30 seat high quality restaurant will full scale kitchen. These sets were longer than the previous three car sets and were fitted with the 600hp Maybach and electric transmission. They were known as the "Köln" sets as they were originally used on services originating from Köln. All of the high speed services these train sets were constructed for were cancelled on the outbreak of war in 1939 and the units were stored. Those that survived the war were used by both DB & DR until as late as 1959. There a few survivors, the most active example being SVT137 225 (a DR set) which is based at Leipzig and is available for private charter work. This set was believed to have been used as the Presidential train before the war. Also at Leipzig is SVT137 234. Two power cars of "Köln" set SVT137 277 are preserved at the Alsthom Linke Hoffman Busch museum at Salzgitter. SVT877 is shown as being at the Verkehrsmuseum Nürnberg, but a scrutiny of their website shows no trace.
European Railway Server has a whole page of SVT137 pictures as well as some pictures of the remains of the second Kruckenburg high speed train, SVT137 155 in a museum in Dresden.
http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix/de/diesel/dmu/historic/SVT137/pix.html
As an aside, the French Nord railway ordered some three car sets similar to the Leipzig sets, which were also fitted with two GO5's.
Before the Second World War, the Krupp company was ordered to produce some large rail mounted artillery pieces for the German Army. To haul and provide power to these weapons, Krupp also built four two locomotive sets consisting of two semi permanently coupled units, each with a rigid four axle wheelbase and a single driving cab at one end. The engine was originally a Krupp diesel of marine type, driving an electric transmission on all axles of each locomotive. In German army service these locomotives were numbered in the D311 series. During the war the locomotives were used with the large artillery pieces named "Dora" and "Willi" in the siege of Sebastapol. The artillery pieces were so large that they required a specially laid double section of curved track to operate from and weighed 1365 tons. Impractical as these weapons were, they performed well against the Soviet troops in Sebastapol and were then moved forward for the siege of Leningrad, where they were overrun and destroyed by Soviet forces. However three locomotives managed to survive the war and were welcomed with open arms by the war ravaged German Railways, who had the best of the surviving locomotives overhauled by Krupp in 1949-50, while the third was used for spares. The locomotives were classed as V188 by DB and numbered V188 001a/b & V188 002 a/b. In 1957 the locomotives were rebuilt with new Maybach MD650 engines rated 1000hp, driving the existing generator through a reduction gear. In this form, the V188's operated until 1970 (V188 001 a/b) and 1972 (V188 002 a/b) and were renumbered as DB class 288 in 1968. Both locomotives were apparently scrapped by Layritz at Penzburg in 1973. The V188's were used almost exclusively for freight working and ended their days in the Nuremburg area.
http://e94114.de/V188.htm#top - The V188 page - the story of the D311/V188 locomotives, in German.
While leafing through a copy of "Modern Railways" for January 1963, I happened across a picture of an unusual locomotive that was fitted with a 2000hp Maybach MD870 engine driving an electric transmission. After further enquiry, Doug Tompkins very kindly provided me with some more information about the locomotive:
"DE 2000 was introduced in 1962 by Henschel, in co-operation with Siemens and was powered by a Maybach MD870 16-cylinder diesel engine as used in the “Lollos”, the V160 prototypes. DE 2000 was 5t heavier however, no doubt due to the installation of the main generator of type GB395/13 with an output of 1,300kW. Train heating supply was steam from a type OK 4616 boiler. After a period on tests with DB the locomotive (then numbered 202 001) was passed back to Henschel and later moved to the Westfälische Landeseisenbahn, where she was numbered DE 0902. Due to a serious failure the engine was taken out of service in 1978 and was later scrapped."
As well as DE 2000 Doug also pointed out the existence of another unique Maybach engined locomotive which may still survive:
"The locomotive DE 1500 was built by Krupp and AEG in Berlin as a consortium and was introduced in 1965. The power unit used was a Maybach MD655 12-cylinder V diesel engine with turbo charging and intercooling. Transmission was electric. Introduced originally as DE 1500, she was later classified 201 001 on DB, where she underwent tests before passing in 1969 to the Westfälische Landeseisenbahn (WLE) as their locomotive No. DE 0901."
Doug goes on to explain that DE 1500 was sold by WLE to Deutsche Eisenbahn Gesellschaft, who hired it out to the Teutoburger Wald Eisenbahn, before moving to the Farge-Vergesacker-Eisenbahn. In 1992 she passed to the Südostbahn in Switzerland where the electro-dynamic braking was "substantially" improved. No further information is available as to the fate of this locomotive.