#3956· Baureihe 215

DB Class 215

🇩🇪 Germany ·built by Henschel & Sohn· from 1968· class of 150 German diesel-hydraulic locomotives

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences

1. 215-017: Benedictus· CC BY-SA 3.0
2. 01.08.92 Antwerpen Dam Depot 4006 & DB 215.023 (6881860345): Phil Richards from London, UK· CC BY-SA 2.0
3. Heidelberg - DR-Baureihe 130 (234-278) und DR-Baureihe 215 (215-018) -: Photographs by Radosław Drożdżewski (User:Zwiadowca21)· CC BY-SA 4.0
4. Heidelberg - DR-Baureihe 130 - 234-278 - 2019-04-16 13-47-38: Photographs by Radosław Drożdżewski (User:Zwiadowca21)· CC BY-SA 4.0
5. Fertig zur Verschrottung BR 215 BR 628 by Niederkasseler - panoramio: Niederkasseler· CC BY-SA 3.0
6. Bahnhof Bad Vilbel - Baureihe 215: ManuelB701· CC BY 3.0
7. Baureihe 23 012 1973: Anidaat· CC BY-SA 4.0
8. Br 217 und Br 215 mit Abraumzug: JeremyKlatt· CC BY-SA 4.0
9. Br215: Winki· CC BY-SA 3.0
10. DB 215 086 near Hattenheim 20141011 1: DXR· CC BY-SA 4.0

what is it?

The DB Class 215 is a 4 axle diesel locomotive of the V 160 type. They were built for the German Federal Railways (Deutsche Bundesbahn) for medium-weight passenger and freight service on secondary and primary routes, and later passed to the Deutsche Bahn AG. A number of variants were made by rebuilding; some were converted to Class 225 locomotives for freight only work for DB Cargo and the sub-class Class 215.9 were altered for use on the SyltShuttle.

who runs it

Deutsche Bahn Deutsche Bundesbahn

base stats

speed 140 km/htop speed
power 1.8 MWpower output
weight 79 tin working order
built 150made in total

Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.

fun facts

First built 58 years ago, in 1968.
Top speed is 1.1× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
1.8 MW is about 22 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
Weighs about as much as 13 African elephants (~6 t each).
16.4 m long: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.

diesel locomotive: A diesel engine on board drives the wheels, usually through a generator (diesel-electric).

spec sheet

built: 1968
in service from: 1968
number built: 150
kind: diesel locomotive
traction: diesel
origin: 🇩🇪 Germany
builders: Henschel & Sohn, Friedrich Krupp AG, KraussMaffei, Maschinenbau Kiel, Lokomotiv- und Waggonbaufabrik Krupp
operators: Deutsche Bahn, Deutsche Bundesbahn
top speed: 140 km/h
power: 1.8 MW
gauge: 1,435 mm standard gauge
wheel arrangement: B′B′
length: 16.4 m
weight: 79 t
Dutch name: Baureihe 215

From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.

Sources: Wikidata Q315994, Wikipedia: DB Class 215 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.