DR BR231 Diesel Locomotive VI

DR BR231 Diesel Locomotive VI

1:120 scale model produced by Piko. This model is ready-to-run straight out of the box and would make a excellent addition to any model railway collection.

Features:

• This model mainly operates in Germany
• This model is decorated in DR company markings
• This model is best suited to 310mm radius curves

Details

The DR Class 131 was a member of the extensive DR Class 130 locomotive family imported into East Germany’s Deutsche Reichsbahn in the early 1970s to modernise heavy diesel traction across the non-electrified network. Built in the Soviet Union’s Luhansk Locomotive Works, the Class 131 was introduced as a freight-optimised version of the original Class 130 “Ludmilla.” While the Class 130 was geared for a higher top speed, the Class 131 was designed with a maximum speed of about 100 km/h and omitted electric train heating, making it better suited for hauling heavy freight trains at moderate speeds.

Around 76 locomotives were constructed to this specification, and they formed a key part of East Germany’s freight locomotive fleet throughout the 1970s and 1980s. After German reunification, the surviving Class 131 locomotives were absorbed into the Deutsche Bahn AG fleet and renumbered as DBAG Class 231 as part of the unified German locomotive classification system.

Despite being overshadowed in numbers by the more widespread Class 132/Ludmilla variants, the Class 231 provided robust, reliable service hauling medium-weight freight trains across Germany. For model railway enthusiasts, the DBAG Class 231 is a strong prototype for Era IV German freight layouts, offering authentic heavy-diesel operation and a distinctive Eastern Bloc aesthetic that enhances mixed freight scenes.