Taigatrommel on tour in Germany

FOR the first time in many years a Soviet-built ‘V200’ diesel loco worked a charter train in Germany on May 21, with several lines visited from Weimar. The ‘V200’ design was delivered to East German Railways (Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR)) as Class 120 with 378 locos built from 1966 to 1975 by the Voroshilovgrad Locomotive Works now in Luhansk, Ukraine. Known to DR employees as Taigatrommel (Taiga (= Russian steppe) trommel = drums (referring to their engine noise)) they were renumbered as Class 220 when DR merged with DB in 1994. Most were withdrawn quickly as they consumed huge amounts of diesel oil. Industrial operators in the former East Germany had a further 15 locos, some of which were in use until 1998. The base design was designated as Class M62 and used as such by Hungarian and Soviet railways; they remain in use in Hungary, Russia and Ukraine. Hundreds of the locos were also delivered to Poland (as Class ST44; some are still in use with several freight operators) and Czechoslovakia (ČSD Class T679.1, later Class 781, now all withdrawn). Some of the ex DR and ČSD locos were sold and survive in Lithuania and even North Korea.

DAVE CRAIK V200 No. 507 seen at Pössneck oberer Bahnhof with the 13.43 Weimar-Saalfeld leg of the tour. Built in 1971 for ČSD in Czechoslovakia as No. T679 1349, later No. 781 349, the loco was withdrawn in 1998 prior to renumbering as 781 430 as a privately owned loco.