The DR Class V 180 of Deutsche Reichsbahn (from 1970 Class 118, later DBAG Class 228) was a class of the largest diesel locomotives built in the German Democratic Republic. The manufacturer was Lokomotivbau Karl Marx Babelsberg (LKM).
The V 180 was intended to accelerate the change of traction on the Deutsche Reichsbahn and therefore replace various steam locomotive classes in use on the main lines.
History
In 1953 the Deutsche Reichsbahn commissioned the Vereinigung Volkseigener Betriebe des Lokomotiv- und Waggonbaus (Association of Nationally Owned Enterprises of Locomotive and Wagon Building, LOWA) with the development of modern diesel rolling stock.
After the first drafts has been submitted in 1956, a concept was presented in 1957 that provided for the heavy passenger and freight train service on the mainlines to be powered by locomotives with engines of .
Prototypes
In 1959, LKM completed the two prototypes locomotives V 180 001 and V 180 002 with the B′B′ wheel arrangement. Since the East German industry was not yet able to produce all the components for a large diesel locomotive that it has developed itself, the locomotives had a Voith transmission and were delivered without a train heating boiler. They had multiple working controls from Brown, Boveri & Cie. These two locomotives were not taken over by the DR, and were scrapped at the Babelsberg plant in 1965 and 1966. They were inter alia too heavy.
V 180.0
In 1961 the state planning commission approved the funds for the construction of 128 locomotives. Two more prototypes (V 180 003 and V 180 004) were built in 1962. The electrical equipment for these came from LEW in Hennigsdorf. This was followed by a small series of five locomotives, and the first series production up to V 180 087 in the years 1963–1965. The locomotives received a pair of VEB Motorenwerk Johannisthal 12 KVD 18/21 A-1 diesel engines. These V12-cylinder short-stroke four-stroke diesel engines had a displacement of approximately and a nominal output of .
V 180.1
From 1965, more powerful engines with were installed. To distinguish them, these locomotives were designated as V 180.1. From 1983 three of these locomotives even received engines with output.
V 180.2
A version with the C′C′ wheel arrangement was developed for use on branch lines with a permissible axle load of 16 tonnes. In 1964, the V 180 201 was completed with two engines. From 1966, after extensive testing, a total of 205 locomotives with engines followed from V 180 203, the last of which were delivered under the new series designation 118. From V 180 298 onwards, an East German-made fluid transmission from VEB Turbinenfabrik Dresden could be installed.
118.5
From 1979 to 1987, 52 locomotives of the first series, which had been designated 118.0 since 1970, were equipped with new 12 KVD 18/21 A-3 engines of . In seven locomotives, the engine was even set to . The converted locomotives were re-designated as the class 118.5 from 1981.
118.6
From 1981 to 1989, 179 locomotives of the 118.2–4 series were equipped with engines during scheduled investigations; they also received a fleet number increased by 400.
Construction
The locomotives had a lightweight frame. It was initially built in a version with a pair of two-axle bogies. Since the power from the gearboxes located under the driver's cabs could best be transmitted to the bogies at the point where the pivot pins would be, this variant had no pivot pins. Instead, the bogies were attached to the frame using a lever system (trapezoidal strap linkage). The primary suspension was rubber compression springs with metal interlayers, the secondary suspension was leaf springs.
The locomotive had a Köthen type train heating boiler in the middle, which was also used in the DR Class V 100. The water tanks and the cooling systems for the two diesel engines, which were located behind the driver's cabs, were arranged around this. Under the high driver's cabs were placed the three-stage hydraulic transmission from the Austrian subsidiary of Voith in St. Pölten. Here also were flange-mounted the starter motors and the fan generator. The compressors driven by electric motors are also located under the driver's cabs. The control cabinets are arranged on the rear walls of the driver's cabs.