Expert DB BR221 Diesel Locomotive IV

Expert DB BR221 Diesel Locomotive IV

1:87 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:

• Analogue DC Model
• Best suited to Epoch IV Model Railways
• This model mainly operates in Germany
• This model is decorated in DB company markings
• This model is best suited to 358mm radius curves

Details

The DB V 200 was a pioneering two-engine diesel-hydraulic locomotive introduced in the 1950s by Deutsche Bundesbahn to haul express passenger trains across Germany. Five prototypes were built by Krauss-Maffei in 1953–1954 and extensively tested to ensure reliability under 1950s technology and maintenance standards. Production began in 1956, with 61 locomotives built by Krauss-Maffei and 20 by MaK.

The V 200 was initially deployed on mainline express services, replacing older steam classes such as the DRG Class 01, 03, and 05. It demonstrated remarkable versatility, with one prototype even travelling under its own power through Yugoslavia, Greece, and Turkey as a technology showcase. As electrification progressed, the V 200 increasingly worked commuter and freight services, while still hauling express trains on routes like Hamburg–Westerland, Hamburg–Lübeck–Copenhagen, and Munich–Lindau.

From 1962, the V 200.0 was followed by the more powerful V 200.1 (later Class 221). By 1977, remaining V 200.0 locomotives were concentrated in northern German depots, but their two-engine design made them more costly than single-engine locomotives such as the V 160 family. Steam heating for carriages became a limitation as electric train heating became standard. The last V 200 left DB service in 1984.