DB - E71 26 electric locomotive
Road number E 71 26 enriched the still small Baden electric network
for the Wiesen and Wehratal Line starting in 1929 as the Baden
"Flat Iron" between Basle via Schopfheim and Zell or Bad Säckingen.
It was placed into service in 1920 as road number EG 526 and it was
part of the first regular procurement of electric locomotives for
the Prussian State Railroad for freight train service. This
locomotive was characterized by a modern propulsion design for that
time using two trucks driven by coupling rods. It was initially
used in the Central German network at Halle, and as early as 1929
road number E 71 26 went to Basle for use pulling passenger and
freight trains. It remained there until its retirement on June 2,
1957.
Prototype: German Federal Railroad (DB) class E
71.1 electric locomotive. Bottle green basic paint scheme.
Locomotive road number E 71 26. The locomotive looks as it did
around 1954.
Highlights:
- completely new tooling;
- especially intricate metal construction;
- many separately applied details, such as external coolers for
transformer oil;
- cab lighting can be controlled digitally;
- mfx+ World of Operation decoder with extensive operation and
sound functions;
- buffer height conforms to NEM.
Model: The locomotive has an mfx+ digital
decoder and extensive sound functions. It also has controlled
high-efficiency propulsion with a flywheel, centrally mounted. The
mechanism is powered using cardan shafts to both axles in each
truck. Traction tires. Dual headlights and dual red marker lights
change over with the direction of travel, will work in conventional
operation, and can be controlled digitally. The headlights at
Locomotive Ends 2 and 1 can be turned off separately in digital
operation. When the headlights are turned off at both ends, then
the switching light at both ends is on. The cabs have lighting and
it can be controlled separately at both ends in digital operation.
Maintenance-free warm white and red LEDs are used for the lighting.
Grab irons are separately applied. The cab interiors are modelled.
Both trucks are connected with each other using coupling rods.
Brake hoses and imitation prototype couplers are included and can
be installed on the locomotive. Length over the buffers 13.3 cm /
5-1/4".
A contemporary freight car set to go with this locomotive is also
being produced under item number 24825 in a one-time series
exclusively for Trix Club members.
This model can be found in an AC version in the Märklin H0
assortment under item number 39771 exclusively for Insider
members.
Prototype:
As early as 1906, the Prussian State Railroad decided to electrify
the long-distance line Magdeburg – Dessau – Leipzig – Halle, and in
1911, the decision was taken to electrify the Silesian mountain
railroad between Görlitz and the Waldenburg coalfields. In July of
1912, the railroad management in Halle ordered new electric
locomotives for operation in larger production runs, among them 18
B-B coupled units for freight service as road numbers EG 511-528
(later the class E 71). A subsequent order of nine additional
locomotives followed the next year (road numbers EG 529-537). Road
numbers EG 511 and 512 were put into operation in the spring of
1914 and road number EG 513 did not follow until the summer of
1915. The outbreak of World War I delayed additional construction
of the units ordered. AEG did not deliver the rest, road numbers EG
514-537, until between 1920 and 1921. The DRG designated only road
numbers EG 511 and 513-537 as road numbers E 71 11 and 13-37 in the
fall of 1926, since road number EG 512 had to be retired in the
same year after a serious accident. The E 71 showed a thoroughly
modern design for the times: Its drive system was done with
traction motors mounted half high in each truck, which were
connected to the driving wheels using intermediate gears and
slotted coupling rods. The two close-coupled trucks had the
box-style superstructure supported using friction bearing plates
and pivots with both cabs as well as a rounded hood section at both
ends. The motor voltage was regulated by electro-pneumatic
contactors in eleven continuous speed levels. Starting in 1923, all
of these locomotives were based in Halle, but the class E 71 units
soon no longer fulfilled the requirements due to increasing
trainloads. The delivery of the new class E 75 starting in 1931
meant that the class E 71 units were no longer needed except for a
few units. By 1932, the latter found a new home at Basle (road
numbers E 71 11, 13, 14, 17, 22, 23, 25, 26, 29, 31, 32, 33, and
35). There they replaced the old Baden electric locomotives on the
Wiesen and Wehratal Line and were quickly designated affectionately
"Flat Irons" due to their appearance. These locomotives were
equipped with improved traction motor cooling, electric train
heating, as well as BBC safety running circuits to enable their use
in Baden for passenger service with the maximum speed increased to
65 km/h / 41 mph. Between 1930 and 1946, road numbers E 71 11,
15-17, 20, 21, 23-25, 27, and 33-37 succumbed to retirement. After
the founding of the DB in 1949 only nine units at Basle were still
running (road numbers E 71 13, 14, 18, 19, 22, 26, 28, 29, and 32)
on the Wiesen and Wehratal Line. Increasingly difficult spare parts
procurement led starting in 1957 to replacement of these elderly
units by the class E 32. Road numbers E 71 14, 18, 19, 22, and 26
were put into storage on June 2, 1957. The last four units were
retired between November of 1957 and December of 1958. These road
numbers have been preserved: E 71 19 (DB Museum Koblenz), E 71 28
(German Technology Museum Berlin) und E 71 30 (Dresden
Transportation Museum).
First announced: May 2022
Presented in the following catalogs / brochures: