{{Unreferenced, date=June 2019, bot=noref (GreenC bot)
Einheits-Elektrolokomotive (translates as standard electric
locomotive
A locomotive is a rail transport, rail vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, Push–pull train, push–pull operation has become common, and in the pursuit for ...
) is a German
railroad
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
by the
Deutsche Bundesbahn
Deutsche Bundesbahn (, ) or DB () was formed as the state railway of the newly established West Germany (FRG) on 7 September 1949 as a successor of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft (DRG). The DB remained the state railway of West Germany u ...
of
West Germany
West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
. The goal of the ''Einheits-Elektrolokomotive'' was to present a common platform on which the engines were based to simplify maintenance and provide interchangeability of parts. This had been done before by the ''
Einheitsdampflokomotive The Einheitsdampflokomotiven ("standard steam locomotives"), sometimes shortened to ''Einheitslokomotiven'', ''Einheitsloks'', ''Einheitsdampfloks'' or simply ''Dampflok'', were the standardized steam locomotives built in Germany after 1925 under th ...
n'' or 'standard
steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, Fuel oil, oil or, rarely, Wood fuel, wood) to heat ...
s' of the
Deutsche Reichsbahn
The ''Deutsche Reichsbahn'' (), also known as the German National Railway, the German State Railway, German Reich Railway, and the German Imperial Railway, was the Weimar Republic, German national Rail transport, railway system created after th ...
during the 1920s.
The DB classes greatly exceeded their estimated lifetime of 30 years, some engines still are in service today with private rail companies, after gradually being phased out in favour of newer engines by
Deutsche Bahn AG
(, ; abbreviated as DB or DB AG ) is the national railway company of Germany, and a state-owned enterprise under the control of the German government. Headquartered in the Bahntower in Berlin, it is a joint-stock company ( AG).
DB was fou ...
until the 2010s, the successor of the Deutsche Bundesbahn.
For further description of the program see also the article on
DB Class E 40
The Baureihe E 40 is a German Standard electric locomotive (German: ''Einheits-Elektrolokomotive'') commissioned by the Deutsche Bundesbahn in 1955, designed for freight trains. Since the 1968 renumbering, it is listed as Class 140 and Class 139.
...
.
See also
*
History of rail transport in Germany
The history of rail transport in Germany can be traced back to the 16th century. The earliest form of railways, wagonways, were developed in Germany in the 16th century. Modern German rail history officially began with the opening of the steam-pow ...