V200
002 as it appeared as part of the DB Museumslok fleet up to its destruction on
17th October 2005, at Würzburg Hbf on 1st
May 2004. [Picture courtesy of Chris Gibb]V200 002 was built by Krauss Maffei in 1954. It was renumbered 220 002 in 1968 and was withdrawn from DB service on 11th November 1978 - Along with 220 003, making these the first of the prototypes to be withdrawn from service. As one of the prototype batch of V200's (V200 001 - V200 005 were completed three years before the first production examples) this locomotive was subject to intensive trials and service testing, the results of which were used to make design improvements to the production locomotives. The prototypes entered regular service in 1954. The prototype V200's are visually quite clean, without the air vents on the nose ends above the lights, as well as having a steam locomotive style whistle fitted on the dome of the nose just below the centre pillar of the windscreen. On the production locomotives air horns were fitted behind the right hand nose air intake cover.
V200 002 survived relatively early withdrawal - the locomotive was stopped on 15th June 1978, the first prototype to be so - to become part of the DB Museumslok fleet in 1984. In 1992 the computer number of this locomotive was changed to 288-201 due to the unification of Germany and the rationalisation of the former DR fleet into the DB numbering scheme. The locomotive was restored with an authentic number of V200 002 painted in the correct positions on the noses and bodysides.
As a Museumslok, V200 002 was reasonably active, having run either singly or with various DB Museums steam and diesel locomotives on various "sonderzug" across Germany and Austria. V200 002 was fitted with Mercedes engines at withdrawal time and continued with this type of engine as a Museumlok. Despite this, a far worse fate befell this locomotive during the night of 17th October 2005, when is was consumed by a large fire at the DB Museum roundhouse in Nuremburg. The remains were finally disposed of during June 2006.
V200
002 as it appeared as part of the DB Museumslok fleet up to its destruction on
17th October 2005, at Würzburg Hbf on 1st
May 2004. [Picture courtesy of Chris Gibb]