Electric locomotive 180 004 of the railway company of the German Democratic Republic (Deutsche Reichsbahn).

■ Model in finely-detailed design with many separately attached plug-in parts
■ Pantographs with innovative fastening
■ Elaborate design of the roof area as well as the ventilator slats allowing an unobstructed view
■ Finely-detailed design of the bogies as well as the spoked wheels
■ With cowcatchers and air tanks included in closed form for realistic presentation in display cabinets

In the 1980s, the DR procured electric dual-system locomotives in order to simplify the consistently-increasing flow of traffic and operational processes in cross-border transport between the GDR and Czechoslovakia. Due to a lack of experience in the field of dual-system technology (GDR: AC voltage 15 kV/16⅔ Hz, ČSSR: DC voltage 3 kV) and the full utilisation of capacities at the electric locomotive manufacturer LEW in Hennigsdorf, the engines were designed based on the ČSD classes ES 499.1 and 499.2. However, the Škoda locomotive factory had never built a locomotive for the 15 kV/16⅔ Hz AC system before, and for this reason these AC unit parts were supplied from the GDR. Due to the ČSD’s requirements, this resulted in a two-fold contract for Škoda, with 15 class 372 locomotives and 20 class 230 locomotives for the DR. During the merger of both German state railways, the German locomotives were given the new class designation 180 from 1991 onwards.